Christmas Eve services are always memorable. I remember growing up that we would have individual candles to light. At the end of the service, we would all sing “Silent Night” and light the candles. Some Churches stopped doing that because it was a fire hazard. Other Churches have renewed the tradition, but with candle holders that were a little sturdier. Instead of the paper circles, I’ve seen clear plastic holders that would catch any wax and not catch fire. It is a wonderful tradition and a special moment.

How do you manage the lights in the worship service when you are lighting the candles? The best way would be a very slow fade from fully bright to about 20% light – i.e. just enough to see by if someone left their pew during the lighting. But this may need to be a manual process. Can you get your lighting board to run a slow fade taking several minutes to complete? Most of them are designed for quick transitions. You may need to string together a number of transitions in a row, each one taking the lights further down. The goal is to have the sanctuary dark enough that the candles stand out, but not too dark to walk. That way, the ministers, ushers can see where they are going. And the congregation gets to experience the full effect!