Hopes and Fears of All the Years: A New Year's Eve service

Updated March, 2025

After all the busyness of Christmas, it can be a relief to plan a simple service to mark the end of the year. Our pattern for New Year’s Eve has been to invite everyone for a potluck supper, a time of worship, and then a party that lasts as long as people want to stay. Because there will always be some people who have no invitations or plans for New Year’s Eve, we extend an open invitation for this time of worship and fellowship. People come with a hot dish and salad or dessert as well as munchies for the evening. After the worship service, adults play board games, smaller kids watch videos, and young people shoot hoops. We all have a good time.

Call to Worship

Song: “Jesus, Name Above All Names”^Hearn

Prayer

God’s Faithfulness in the Past

Scripture: Isaiah 63:7-9

Testimony of God’s Faithfulness in Our Congregation

[One person recited the names of people in the categories below; the names were also listed in the bulletin. It would also be appropriate to have a table with candles to light for each section or each person.]

Births
New Members
Professions of Faith
Marriages
Deaths

Songs of Praise

“I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord”^{Fillmore, Post}

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”^Chisholm

Our Fears

Scripture: Psalm 74:1-11, 18-23

Naming Our Fears

[Four people each spoke briefly (2-3 minutes) on issues that had been raised in our community in various ways during the past year; other topics could also be chosen. These four also spoke on these issues in the next part of the service and led the Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession.]