Naperville’s Good Shepherd Church hosts 15th annual ‘Encounter Christmas’
Good Shepherd Church in Naperville invites you to a peaceful and intentional moment of reflection during the busy holiday season. “Encounter Christmas” is a cherished tradition that provides an oasis of calm amid the chaos, and allows you to focus your heart and mind on the most precious gift of all: Jesus.
Join the Naperville church for worship, carols, community, and a message from Pastor Tara Beth Leach, as you rediscover the joy and peace of the season.
Ryan Hammer leads the team behind Encounter Christmas and recently reflected on the first event 15 years ago.
“One hundred and thirty people were curious enough to gather that year. The sound of all those voices uniting in song, singing the classic Christmas carols that we all know and love, brought so much faith and joy to my Christmas season,” Hammer said. “When the evening was concluding, Pastor Glen Wagner came up and said, ‘Well, looks like we’ll have to do this again next year,’ and everyone in attendance lifted a huge applause of affirmation.”
Since that year, Encounter Christmas has grown to a beloved and innovative tradition for everyone in the Naperville area. Well over 1,000 people are expected to attend one (or more) of the three services that Good Shepherd offers to the community free of charge. This year’s theme is “Prince of Peace” and the team behind Encounter Christmas promises that you can find a sense of peace that maybe you haven’t felt in a long time if you join them for these services.
Laura Jean “LJ” Martin reflected that, “If you’ve never been to an Encounter Christmas, you need to give yourself the gift of time during this busy season. You’ll get to experience Christmas in a whole new way and you’ll come back year after year.”
There are four different opportunities to be a part of Encounter Christmas XV: The Prince of Peace, all of which have very limited seats left available:
• 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12
• 5:45 and 7:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13
• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17 online. (Note: This will be the only time Encounter Christmas will be made available online.)
Learn more about Encounter Christmas at gshepchurch.org/events.