Keys churches celebrating with special Christmas services

Churches throughout the Florida Keys will open their doors this weekend to host traditional candle-lit ceremonies on Christmas Eve and the Sunday holiday.

Upper Keys

▪  Key Largo Baptist Church, mile marker 106.5 bayside in Key Largo, will hold Christmas Day candlelight communion services at 8:45 and 10 a.m.

▪  St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church at mile marker 105.5 bayside has Christmas Eve masses Saturday at 6 and 10 p.m. and Christmas Day masses at 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday.

▪  Key Largo Church of Christ at mile marker 100.6 oceanside will have Bible study at 10 a.m. Sunday with services at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

▪  Key Largo Seventh-Day Adventist Church at mile marker 100 bayside will host a Saturday morning singing service from 10 to 11 a.m.

▪  Key Largo First Baptist, mile marker 99 oceanside, will have a Christmas Eve candlelight service at 6 p.m. Saturday. There will be no Sunday service.

▪  Burton Memorial United Methodist Church at mile marker 93 oceanside in Tavernier holds its Christmas Eve candlelight services at 7 and 11 p.m. Saturday. There will be a 10:30 a.m. service Sunday with a Christmas luncheon at the food pantry to follow.

▪  San Pedro Catholic Church at mile marker 89.5 bayside in Tavernier will have a Christmas vigil Saturday at 5 p.m. with a midnight mass at 9. Christmas mass will be held Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m.

▪  St. James the Fisherman Episcopal Church at mile marker 87.5 bayside in Islamorada will have Christmas Eve services at 6 and 10 p.m. and a Christmas Day service at 9 a.m. Sunday.

▪  Island Community Church at mile marker 83.2 bayside in Islamorada will have a Christmas Eve service Saturday at 7 p.m. and a classic Christmas Day worship service at 11 a.m.

▪  Matecumbe United Methodist Church at mile marker 81.8 oceanside in Islamorada will host a Christmas Eve service at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and a Christmas Day service at 11 a.m. Sunday.

▪  First Baptist Church of Islamorada at mile marker 81.2 oceanside has an 11 a.m. service Sunday along with its Birthday Party for Jesus for children through fifth grade with snacks and a Bible story.

Middle Keys

▪  Layton Community Baptist Church at mile marker 68 oceanside will have Sunday school at 9 a.m. and Sunday morning worship at 10 a.m.

▪  San Pablo Catholic Church at mile marker 53.5 oceanside in Marathon will have a family mass at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and a 10 p.m. mass. On Sunday, Christmas services start at 8 a.m. with an additional service at 11 and a Spanish mass at 1:30 p.m.

▪  Kirk of the Keys Presbyterian Church at mile marker 51.5 oceanside in Marathon will have candlelight Christmas Eve services at 5 and 8 p.m. with child care available for both. Sunday service starts at 10 a.m.  

▪  The Marathon Church of God at mile marker 51 oceanside will have a candlight service on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday church service at 10:45 a.m.

▪  New Life Assembly of God at mile marker 50 oceanside in Marathon will have a Christmas Eve service from 6-7 p.m. Saturday. There will not be a Christmas Day service.

▪  The Marathon Community United Methodist Church, mile marker 48.5 bayside, hosts Christmas Day services at 10 a.m.

▪  The Marathon Seventh-Day Adventist Church at 5151 Loggerhead Lane, Marathon, will have a Saturday singing service from 3:45 to 5 p.m.

Lower Keys

▪  St. Peter Catholic Church at mile marker 31.3 oceanside in Big Pine Key has a children’s Christmas Eve live nativity at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and a vigil mass at 11 p.m. Christmas Day masses are at 8:30 and 11 a.m.

▪  Keys Community Church at mile marker 30 oceanside in Big Pine Key will have a special Christmas Day service at 10:30 a.m.

▪  First Baptist Church of Big Pine Key, 300 Key Deer Blvd. in Big Pine Key, will host a Christmas Eve candlelight service at 6 p.m. and a Christmas Day 11 a.m. worship service.

▪  Sugarloaf Baptist Church, 205 Crane Blvd, Summerland Key, will have an 11 a.m. Sunday morning Christmas service.

▪  Grace Lutheran Church, 2713 Flagler Ave., Key West, is hosting a children’s Christmas program at 6 p.m. Saturday and a mass at 10 p.m. with communion. On Sunday, there will be a 9 a.m. worship service and a 10:15 fellowship service.

▪  Fifth Street Baptist Church, 1311 Fifth St., Key West, will have a Christmas morning service at 11. Sunday morning Bible study will not be held.

▪  Key West Church of God, 1419 White St., will have morning worship at 10:45 on Christmas Day and a New Year’s Eve service on Dec. 31 at 9 p.m.

▪  Glad Tidings Tabernacle, 1209 United St., Key West, has Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. Sunday and a Christmas service at 10:30. A night service will be held Dec. 31 at 10:30 p.m. to celebrate the New Year.

▪  Unity of the Keys Church, 1011 Virginia St., Key West, welcomes the community to its showing of the film “It’s a Wonderful Life” Friday at 7:30 p.m. A Christmas Eve service will be held Saturday at 7 p.m. along with a Christmas Day service at 11 a.m. Sunday.

▪  The Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea, 1010 Windsor Lane, Key West, will have a 5 p.m. children’s gospel pageant and then midnight mass at 11:30 p.m. Saturday with carol service and mass promptly at midnight. Sunday services are at 7:30, 9, and 10:30 a.m. in English with a service in Spanish at noon.

▪  Key West United Methodist Church, 600 Eaton St., has three Christmas Eve services Saturday. At 4 p.m., there will be a service for children of all ages entitled “A Very Special Baby” followed by candlight services with scripture and music at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Child care is available for the 5:30 service. On Sunday, there will be a worship service at 10 a.m. with holy communion and a blessing of the toys for anyone who brings one.

This story was originally published December 21, 2016 at 9:24 AM with the headline "Keys churches celebrating with special Christmas services."