On Sunday, Dec. 24, at 6:30 p.m., St. George鈥檚 United Church is hosting a Christmas Eve family service and all are welcome.

The annual candlelight service starts at 6:30 to 鈥渃elebrate joy, hope, peace, and love 鈥� the gifts of the season that don鈥檛 fit into a box.鈥�

The service will also be broadcast live for those who are unable to attend in person. (See www.StGeorgesUnited.com for the link). There is also a Christmas Day Service at 10:30 a.m. for those who prefer something more quiet and meditative.

In keeping with the church鈥檚 support-to-the-community commitment, the Reverend Ryan Slifka has announced that all donations from the Christmas Eve service will be donated to the Comox Valley Recovery Centre.

The Comox Valley Recovery Centre was founded in early 1976 as a men鈥檚 in-house recovery centre. It is an abstinence program that is based on the 12-step model, which has been proven to be effective in helping people recover from addiction. Funds gathered at the Christmas Eve service will go towards bursaries supporting extended stays. Each $40 received helps someone in need with another day on the walk towards sobriety.

鈥淓very year we give away our Christmas Eve offering to a local charity,鈥� said Slifka. 鈥淎ddiction is one of the top problems facing our community, and it just seems to be getting worse. The scriptures tell us that we are blessed to be a blessing, and supporting the work of the Recovery Centre gives us an opportunity to extend God鈥檚 grace by helping people leave addiction behind.鈥�

St. George鈥檚 various fundraisers and donations by congregants (and visitors to various services) allowed the church to donate more than $20,000 to area non-profits in 2022.

Located in the heart of downtown Courtenay at 505 6th Street, St. George鈥檚 United Church is a spiritually vibrant, inclusive, justice-seeking community of faith that has been changing lives in the Comox Valley for over a century. Its vision is to be a Christian Church that is a beacon of God鈥檚 love and hope in the community, doing so through unconditional welcome, spiritual transformation, and reaching out in love for the common good.

The regular Sunday service is at 10:30 am, followed by a coffee social in the fellowship hall.

Families with young children are very welcome. St. George鈥檚 has a diverse group of more than 20 young children who participate in the Children鈥檚 Church while their parents and grandparents remain in the main service.