Plainfield, Indiana • December 24, 2025
Christmas Eve at Plainfield United Methodist Church is a night filled with warmth, beauty, and the kind of sacred anticipation that makes this season so meaningful. Whether you’ve called PUMC home for many years or you’re planning your very first visit, you’ll find a community ready to welcome you, walk with you, and share in the joy of Christ’s birth.
The celebration begins with the 4:00 p.m. children’s service in the Worship Annex—a lively, interactive gathering created especially for families with young children. This service is full of energy and wonder, using storytelling, movement, simple carols, and hands-on experiences to bring the Christmas story to life. Because it’s designed with safety and accessibility for little ones in mind, this is the only Christmas Eve service without candle lighting, allowing families to relax, participate, and enjoy the moment without worry.
As evening settles in, the Sanctuary opens for the traditional Christmas Eve services at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., longtime favorites for many in our congregation and community. These services are filled with stirring music from PUMC’s festival choir and orchestra, blending classical arrangements with beloved Christmas hymns that lift the heart. Through Scripture readings and a thoughtful Christmas Eve message, worshipers are invited to enter the story of Christ’s birth—its hope, its mystery, and its promise for today.
For those who cherish the stillness and sacred quiet of late-night worship, our 11:00 p.m. service offers a beautiful and contemplative way to welcome Christmas. This candle-lit service is accompanied by PUMC’s Festival Bell Choir, whose shimmering tones fill the Sanctuary with a peaceful, reverent glow. The gentle ring of the bells, the soft lighting, and the unhurried pace create a space where the mystery of the night feels especially near.
One of the most treasured moments of Christmas Eve at PUMC comes near the end of every Sanctuary service: the candle-lighting ceremony. The lights fade, one candle is lit, and the flame is passed across the Sanctuary—person to person, family to family—until the entire room glows with warm, flickering light. With candles raised, the congregation joins together to sing “Silent Night”, creating a moment of peace and stillness that stays with worshipers long after they leave.
Children are welcome at every service. Their excitement, questions, and even their wiggles add to the joy of the night. Christmas Eve is for everyone—every age, every background, every story.
For many, Christmas Eve at Plainfield UMC is a beloved tradition. For others, it becomes a first step back into a faith community or a quiet place to breathe in the middle of a busy season. And for all of us, it is a reminder that Christ enters the world not in perfection, but in presence—in light, in hope, and in love.
As we approach Wednesday, December 24, 2025, we hope you’ll join us for one of these meaningful services. Everyone is welcome, and a place is prepared for you at Plainfield UMC.
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