News photo by Reagan Voetberg Pastor Jim Erickson of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alpena stands by the Christmas tree in the church’s sanctuary.

ALPENA — For faithful Christians across Northeast Michigan, the reason for the season is simple, yet meaningful: The birth of a savior, Jesus Christ.

Church attendance often goes up during the weeks leading up to Christmas, both Rev. Jim Erickson, of Immanuel Lutheran, and Rev. Matt Roney, of Trinity Episcopal, said.

Erickson said that during the Christmas Eve and Christmas day services, attendance peaks roughly between 700 to 800 people, whereas a typical weekend of services would see 350 to 375.

Roney also expects to see an influx of people that do not regularly attend church services at Christmas time.

In the Advent season, which takes place during the four weeks leading up to Christmas, Immanuel holds special Advent services on Wednesday evenings, Erickson said.

On Christmas Eve, Immanuel will have services at 5 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m., and on Christmas day at 10 a.m.

The students at Immanuel Lutheran School had a Christmas concert as well, Erickson said.

The church is decorated with wreaths and a Christmas tree. The poinsettias will come out Christmas Eve, Erickson explained.

Over at Trinity Episcopal, they took a different approach to decorating this year by not putting up anything in their sanctuary until Tuesday. Their fellowship hall is decorated with a big Christmas tree.

“It is Advent, strictly speaking,” Roney said.

He said that the church follows the liturgical seasons closely, meaning that the Christmas celebrations do not start until Christmas day. Holding off on decorating until the close of Advent helps Christians focus on the preparation and expectation of Jesus’s coming.

Trinity will have a 4:30 p.m. choral service on Christmas Eve and a spoken service at 10 a.m. on Christmas day.

On Sunday, children in Trinity’s Sunday school performed in a Christmas pageant for the congregation, Roney said.

Erickson explained that over the years there’s always been a commercialization of Christmas, which has distracted people from the true meaning of the holiday.

The true point of Christmas is that God entered into a sinful world to be born, suffer, and die to bring us salvation, Erickson said.

“We really try to keep the emphasis on what the point of Christmas really is,” he said.

Roney discussed how the celebration of Christmas has muddied the importance of Advent.

“It is hard for us to focus on that season of preparation, when it is already the Christmas season,” he said.

“There’s almost a distinction between the Christian versus cultural celebration of Christmas,” Roney said. “It helps to keep those things separate.”

He acknowledges the positives in the cultural celebration, including a focus on spending time with loved ones and remembering the good things from the year.

For Christians, the season is sacred at its core, as they celebrate the coming and birth of the Savior.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.