20 Dec 2024
Churches across the area will be holding special services to celebrate Christmas – and they all welcome everyone to turn up and join in.
No need to wear special clothes. No need to worry, if you’ve not been in church for years, if ever. No reason to worry about whether you’ll feel out of place.
Because church doors are wide, and they’ll be wide open at Christmas, as they are through the rest of the year.
And church is a very special place to be at Christmas. Many are places where Christmas has been celebrated for centuries… where carols have been sung and the baby Jesus welcomed to the world for generations.
Churches are places where communities gather, people of different ages, varied backgrounds, people coming together to share life and to worship and pray together.
There will be services of all kinds on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – from fun informal Nativities where the children (and adults) can dress up and help tell the story, to midnight Communions where the candlelight shines out in the darkness.
Whatever church you choose to visit, the celebration will be centred on the birth of the new-born king, Jesus Christ – God come to live among us as a human being. Jesus, who lived with us, was unjustly tried and executed, and yet rose again to new life – to offer that new life, that new start in life, for anyone who puts their faith in him.
Here are details of many of the church services being held locally on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. You are warmly invited to come along and celebrate Christmas at a church near you. Happy Christmas!
Rev Peter Crumpler
Associate Minister, St Paul’s Church, St Albans
St Stephen’s Church
Watling Street, St Albans AL1 2PT
Christmas Eve: 4pm crib service (in church), 11pm midnight Mass (in church)
Christmas Day: 8am Holy Communion (in church), 10am family Communion (in church and online).
St Julian’s Church
3 Abbot’s Avenue, St Albans AL1 2HY
Christmas Eve: 4pm crib service (in church).
Christmas Day: 10am Holy Communion (in church).
St Albans Cathedral
Sumpter Yard, St Albans AL1 1BY
Christmas Eve: 11am crib service (in church only), 2pm crib service (in church only), 5pm choral Evensong (in church only), 11pm midnight Mass (in church only).
Christmas Day: 8am Eucharist with hymns (in church only), 9.30am Christmas Day Eucharist (online and church), 11.15am Christmas Day Eucharist (in church only).
St Paul’s Church, Fleetville
Corner of Hatfield Road and Blandford Road, AL1 4JP
Christmas Eve: 3.30pm for all the family, with the chance to dress up (in church only), 5pm for all the family, with the chance to dress up (in church only).
Christmas Day: 8.30am Holy Communion service (in church and online), 10.30am Christmas celebration (in church and online).
St John’s Church, Harpenden
5 St Johns Road, Harpenden. AL5 1DJ
Christmas Eve: 11am carols around the crib (in church only), 11.30pm midnight Mass (in church only).
Christmas Day: 8am Holy Communion (in church only), 10am all-age parish Eucharist (in church and online).
St Nicholas’ Church, Harpenden
Church Green, Harpenden, AL5 2TP
Christmas Eve: 3pm Christmas crib service (in church only), 5pm Christmas crib service (in church only), 11pm midnight Holy Communion (in church only)
Christmas Day: 8am Holy Communion with carols (in church only), 9.30am Holy Communion with carols (in church only), 11.30am morning praise with carols (in church only).
St Mary’s Church
Childwick Green, AL3 6JJ
www.stmichaels-parishchurch.org.uk
Christmas Day: 11.15am: Holy Communion from the Book of Common Prayer.
All Saints’ Church, Harpenden
129 Station Road, Harpenden, AL5 4UU
Christmas Eve: 4pm Christmas crib service (in church only), 11.30pm midnight Communion (in church only)
Christmas Day: 10am short family-friendly service with carols and communion.
St Luke’s Church, St Albans
46 Cell Barnes Lane, St Albans AL1 5QJ
Christmas Eve: 11.15pm midnight Communion (in church only).
Christmas Day: 10am all-age Christmas Day Communion (in church and online).
St Albans Cathedral
Sumpter Yard, St Albans AL1 1BY
Christmas Eve: 11am crib service (in church only), 2pm crib service (in church only), 5pm choral Evensong (in church only), 11pm midnight Mass (in church only).
Christmas Day: 8am Eucharist with hymns (in church only), 9.30am Christmas Day Eucharist (online and church), 11.15am Christmas Day Eucharist (in church only).
St Paul’s Church, Fleetville
Corner of Hatfield Road and Blandford Road, AL1 4JP
Christmas Eve: 3.30pm for all the family, with the chance to dress up (in church only), 5pm for all the family, with the chance to dress up (in church only).
Christmas Day: 8.30am Holy Communion service (in church and online), 10.30am Christmas celebration (in church and online).
St John’s Church, Harpenden
5 St Johns Road, Harpenden. AL5 1DJ
Christmas Eve: 11am carols around the crib (in church only), 11.30pm midnight Mass (in church only).
Christmas Day: 8am Holy Communion (in church only), 10am all-age parish Eucharist (in church and online).
St Peter’s Church, St Albans
St Peter’s Street, St Albans, AL1 3HG
Christmas Eve: 3pm crib service (in church only), 6.30pm carol service (in church only), 11.30pm midnight Communion (in church only)
Christmas Day: 8am Communion service (in church only), 10am all-age Christmas Communion (in church and online), 11.30am choral Matins (in church only).
St Alban and St Stephen RC Church
14 Beaconsfield Road, St Albans AL1 3RB
Christmas Eve: 5pm Vigil Mass of Christmas (online and in church), 7pm Vigil Mass of Christmas (online and in church), 10pm Vigil Mass of Christmas (online and in church).
Christmas Day: 8am Christmas Mass (online and in church), 9am Christmas Mass (in church only), 9.30am Christmas Mass (online and in church), 11.30am Christmas Mass (online and in church).
Spicer Street Church
Spicer Street, St Albans AL3 4PQ
Christmas Eve: 4.30pm family celebration (in church only)
Christmas Day: 10.30am Christmas family service (in church and online).
St Albans Cathedral
Sumpter Yard, St Albans AL1 1BY
Christmas Eve: 11am crib service (in church only), 2pm crib service (in church only), 5pm choral Evensong (in church only), 11pm midnight Mass (in church only).
Christmas Day: 8am Eucharist with hymns (in church only), 9.30am Christmas Day Eucharist (online and church), 11.15am Christmas Day Eucharist (in church only).
St Paul’s Church, Fleetville
Corner of Hatfield Road and Blandford Road, AL1 4JP
Christmas Eve: 3.30pm for all the family, with the chance to dress up (in church only), 5pm for all the family, with the chance to dress up (in church only).
Christmas Day: 8.30am Holy Communion service (in church and online), 10.30am Christmas celebration (in church and online).
St John’s Church, Harpenden
5 St Johns Road, Harpenden. AL5 1DJ
Christmas Eve: 11am carols around the crib (in church only), 11.30pm midnight Mass (in church only).
Christmas Day: 8am Holy Communion (in church only), 10am all-age parish Eucharist (in church and online).
Christ Church, New Greens
High Oaks, St Albans, AL3 6DJ
Christmas Eve: 3pm crib service, children can dress up in Nativity costumes (in church only).
Christmas Day: 10am Christmas Day family service (in church and online).
St Leonard’s Church
Church End, Sandridge, AL4 9DL
Christmas Eve: 3pm crib service (in church only), 5pm family carols by candlelight (in church only) 11pm midnight Mass (in church only).
Christmas Day: 10am Christmas Day Parish Communion (in church only).
St Michael’s Church
St Michael’s Street, St Albans, AL3 4SL.
stmichaels-parishchurch.org.uk
Christmas Eve: 4pm crib service (in church only), 11pm midnight Mass (in church only).
Christmas Day: 9.30am Christmas Communion (in church only).
Verso Vineyard Church
Brick Knoll Park, Ashley Road, St Albans, AL1 5UG
Christmas Eve: 5pm carols and everything you love about that night before Christmas feeling (online and in church).
St Saviour’s Church, St Albans
Sandpit Lane, St Albans, AL1 4DF
Christmas Eve: 10am said Mass (in church only), 3pm crib service (in church only), 5pm Christingle (in church only), 11.30pm
midnight Mass (in church only).
Christmas Day: 8am said Mass (in church only), 10am Festal Mass (in church only).
Marshalswick Baptist Free Church
Sherwood Avenue, St Albans, AL4 9QL
Christmas Day: 10.15am family service (in church only).
Hatfield Road Methodist Church
133B Hatfield Road, St Albans AL1 4JX
Christmas Eve: 11.15pm midnight Communion (online and in church).
Christmas Day: 10.30am all-age Christmas celebration (in church and online).
Dagnall Street Baptist Church
Upper Dagnall Street, St Albans, AL3 5EE
Christmas Day: 10.15am family celebration (in church and online).
St Bartholomew’s Catholic Church
47 Vesta Avenue, St Albans AL1 2PE
www.stalbanssouth@rcdow.org.uk
Christmas Eve: 4pm Vigil Mass for children and families (in church only), 9.30pm midnight Mass (in church only)
Christmas Day: 8.30am family Mass; 10.30am solemn Mass of the Days (in church only).
St Mary’s Church, Harpenden
Luton Road, Harpenden, AL5 3QE
Christmas Eve: 2.30pm crib service (in church only), 4.30pm crib service (in church only), 11.30pm midnight Holy Communion (in church only).
Christmas Day: 9.30am family Christmas Communion (in church only).
