Local Church Holds 'Christmas Eve-Eve' Service

It's never too early to celebrate Christmas, and Tuesday night thousands of people around Tulsa worshiped at a Christmas Eve service with a very non-traditional format.

There was quite a turnout at LifeChurch.tv in Bixby for the service.

LifeChurch.tv started in an Oklahoma City garage more than a decade ago, now they have so many members that in order to accommodate everyone they start celebrating Christmas a day earlier than usual.

So many cars flooded the parking lot Tuesday they needed help directing traffic; golf carts even ushered some people from their cars to the front doors of the south Tulsa LifeChurch.tv campus.

One of the first faces to greet you at the service was Pastor Tome Dawson, who oversees all five Tulsa Metro locations.

The church expects so many visitors over the holiday season that they hold two Christmas Eve-Eve services at each campus.

“With so many people traveling, and so many inviting others, we want to make sure we've got room for people to come in. So, a lot of our regular attenders will come tonight and volunteer tomorrow," Dawson said.

With free concessions for everyone, the lobby filled quickly before the nontraditional service began.

"We do things very intentional here,” Dawson said. “We do church for the person that doesn't go to church. We do church for unchurched people, and that is reflected in everything we do."

Church service attendee, Jim Breech said, "It is a more laid back, welcoming, comfortable environment. I can wear my jeans and t-shirt and come get the message and it's not about all the formalities."

Jim started coming with his wife, Desiree – who's been part of the church since day one - when they started dating a few years ago.

"At LifeChurch, we will do anything short of sin if it means bringing people to God. If it means having church on weird nights like a Tuesday, that's not a real holiday, were gonna do it," Desiree said.

In addition to the five life church campuses in the Tulsa Metro, a sixth is set to open in the next couple months in south Broken Arrow.