Outdoor worship services on Christmas Eve to be held at the Village Church

The Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe will hold outdoor worship services on Christmas Eve at 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the church patio at 6225 Paseo Delicias. The church has moved the traditional 11 p.m. “midnight” observance to 8 p.m. to comply with an expected curfew, but all the gatherings will feature traditional Christmas music, carols and scripture readings with communion served at the 8 p.m. service. A Christmas tree, Creche, luminarias and other festive decorations will greet worshipers who must wear masks for the 50-minute services.

“Perhaps more so this year than in many others, we need to come together to celebrate the Light of God that came into the world so long ago and that still encourages our spirits with the essential message of God’s love for us in Jesus,” said the Rev. Dr. Jack Baca, senior pastor.

“I am inspired by the story from WWI when soldiers from trenches on opposing sides put aside the hostilities for a day in order to celebrate Christmas together. We will not let something like a pandemic prevent us from worship, whether in our homes and online or gathered together in masks at the church,” he added.

Those attending will be physically distanced and anyone with an illness is asked to please stay at home and attend the online Christmas Eve worship offered at villagechurch.org.

“We are fortunate that we can worship outside without major concern about the weather, but don’t hesitate to dress warmly and bring blankets,” advised Baca. “Being outside in the weather will help us identify more closely with what it was like for the shepherds who were out in the fields with their flocks when they got the angelic message that the Christ Child was born.”