Advent and Christmas
Other Advent and Christmas Information
Holiday Concerts
“Longest Night” Service
Christmas Cantata
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve Taizé
Light Up a Life
Daily Advent Devotions
Weekly Advent “Rhythm and Word” Videos
Caroling on Michigan Avenue
Festival of Advent Lessons and Music
Memorial Gifts for Christmas Flowers
Christmas Wishes for Tutoring Students
Holiday Concerts
The sounds of music fill Fourth Church each December, from “A Festival of Advent Lessons and Music” to “Christmas with Tower Brass.” If you are looking for a musical treat to add to your holiday celebrations, you will find a variety of in-person opportunities on our concert calendar!
“Longest Night” Service
Held on a weeknight the week prior to Christmas — typically on a night close to the winter solistice, the longest night of the year — this worship opportunity is also known as a “Blue Christmas” service.
Sponsored by Stephen Ministry, this worship opportunity acknowledges that grief, loss, struggles, and darkness can make it difficult to share in the traditional joyous celebrations of Christmas.
Friday, December 20
6:30 p.m.
in Buchanan Chapel
Christmas Cantata
As we begin to look toward Christmas, the Morning Choir sings a Christmas cantata during morning worship on the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
This year we look forward to the Morning Choir joining with members of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago to present the glorious music of Bach’s Magnificat.
Sunday, December 22
9:30 and 11:00 a.m.
in the Sanctuary (and livestreamed at 9:30)
Christmas Eve Services
On Christmas Eve we gather for four candlelight services.
Tuesday, December 24
4:00 p.m. Children’s Pageant
in the Sanctuary
6:00 p.m. Family Service
in the Sanctuary
8:00 p.m. Service of Lessons and Carols
in the Sanctuary and livestreamed (also available for viewing later)
Tom Are Jr., Interim Pastor, preaching
10:00 p.m. Service of Lessons and Carols
Identical to the 8:00 service (but in person only)
Tom Are Jr., Interim Pastor, preaching
ABOUT OUR CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
Seating will begin at 3:15 p.m. for the 4:00 Pageant; seating for the other three services will begin forty-five to thirty minutes prior to the start of each service.
Discounted parking will be available at the 900 N. Michigan garage only.
Christmas Pageant parking will be available for $20, with a validation ticket purchased (cash only) outside Borwell Dining Room immediately before or after the Pageant. Apps such as parking.com and spothero may have less expensive options in the neighborhood available for advance reservation.
Vehicles entering the 900 N. Michigan garage after 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve will be able to park (with a free validation ticket from the church) at the rate of $9 for 6 hours ($18 for up to 12 hours).
There will not be nursery care on Christmas Eve. As on Sundays, children are invited to be with their parents in worship.
Christmas Day Service
On Christmas morning we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with a festive in-person service.
Wednesday, December 25
10:00 a.m.
in the Sanctuary (in person only)
Discounted Christmas Day parking will be available at the 900 N. Michigan garage only and will cost $20. Parking validations can be purchased in the Commons on Christmas morning prior to returning to the garage. Apps such as parking.com and spothero may have less expensive options in the neighborhood available for advance reservation.
There will not be nursery care on Christmas Day. As with our Sunday services, children are invited to be with their parents in worship.
New Year’s Eve Taizé Service
At the turning of the year we come together for a quiet evening service, when we gather with our friends from Holy Name Cathedral and other neighbors.
This Taizé service offers moving music, space for prayer, and meditative pause for reflecting on the year past and looking ahead to the year to come.
Tuesday, December 31
6:30 p.m.
in the Sanctuary (in person only)
Light Up a Life
In response to God’s gift to us, we too seek to give to others in this season, to share the love that came down at Christmas. One way we can share that Christmas joy is through the “Light Up a Life” offering.
Gifts to this offering provide funds for Fourth Church programs that support our neighbors and congregation; Chicago Lights, as it extends kindness and love to those who are most vulnerable; and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, as it cares for communities affected by crises and catastrophic events.
Gifts can be made online, selecting “Light Up a Life” in the Designations field. They also can be made by using the special envelopes in the Sanctuary pew racks or writing “Light Up a Life” on the memo line of a check made payable to Fourth Presbyterian Church
Daily Advent Devotions
The season of Advent is not simply about readying ourselves for the observances of Christmas but about setting aside time to prepare our hearts and lives to receive the gift that comes to us in the stable.
Thus on this Advent journey, we invite you to join with us in using our Advent and Christmas devotions, which are written by members and staff of Fourth Church.
Daily Advent devotions are available in a variety of ways:
Via email: Sign up by clicking here (or send addresses to devotions@fourthchurch.org)
Facebook | Instagram | Our website
Weekly “Rhythm and Word” Videos
Also available for your reflection are our Advent “Rhythm and Word” video series. These 10-minute worship experiences, which weave together scripture, prayer, and music, are released on our YouTube channel on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m.
To receive notification when new videos are released, subscribe to our YouTube channel, or sign up at www.bit.ly/rhythmandwordemail to receive the videos by email.
Caroling on Michigan Avenue
Every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we gather on the Sanctuary steps to carol prior to the 5:30 p.m. Tree-Lighting Parade, part of the annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.
In 2025: Saturday, November 22
5:00 p.m. on the Sanctuary steps
Festival of Advent Lessons and Music
Each Advent we gather on a Sunday evening to hear the music and readings of the season that recall the promises of God throughout the ages and lead us on our journey to the manger.
This year we gathered on the First Sunday of Advent, December 1. You can view the service here.
Memorial Gifts for Christmas Flowers
The deadline for making contributions toward the purchase of 2024 Christmas flowers, wreaths, and garland has passed. We invite you to look for information in March 2025 about the opportunity to remember loved ones through gifts toward Easter flowers.
Christmas Wishes
Our 2024 Christmas Wishes project, organized by Women at Fourth to provide gifts for Chicago Lights Tutoring students, has concluded.
We invite you to watch for information from Women at Fourth about their annual School Supplies Drive, which will kick off in midsummer 2025.
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