Title: ELCA Presents 'This Holy Night,' on CBS-TV, Hallmark
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 27, 2002

ELCA PRESENTS 'THIS HOLY NIGHT,' ON CBS-TV, HALLMARK
02-282-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Department for Communication of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) -- in cooperation with
the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Luke, Chicago, and the ELCA
Metropolitan Chicago Synod -- will present "A CBS Christmas Special:
This Holy Night," a one-hour Christmas Eve worship service to be
broadcast nationally on CBS-TV.  The program will also be broadcast
on the Hallmark Channel, a national cable television channel.
     The Dec. 24 CBS-TV broadcast will air at 11:35 p.m.
(Eastern/Pacific) and 10:35 p.m. (Central/Mountain) in place of
"The Late Show With David Letterman," normally broadcast in the
time slot.  In the Chicago area, This Holy Night will be broadcast
a second time Dec. 25 on WBBM-TV, the local CBS-TV affiliate, at
1:10 a.m. Central Time.
     The program will be shown at 2 a.m. (Eastern/Pacific) and
1 a.m. (Central/Mountain) Dec. 25 by Faith and Values Media on the
Hallmark Channel.
     "We are grateful for the opportunity CBS has given us and the
confidence they have expressed in our production ability," said the
Rev. Eric C. Shafer, director of the ELCA Department for
Communication and executive producer for the broadcast. "We see this
broadcast as a chance to reach more than 2 million people across
North America with the message of Christmas, God's love for humankind
in the person of Jesus Christ. We are also grateful to the pastors
and people of the Church of Saint Luke for allowing us to tape this
service in their church."
     Planning for This Holy Night began in late summer after CBS-TV
offered the time slot to the ELCA, Shafer said.
     Ava Odom Martin, broadcast media production manager, ELCA
Department for Communication, is producer of This Holy Night.
Featured in the broadcast is the Rev. David G. Abrahamson, senior
pastor, Church of Saint Luke, who will serve as presiding minister
and preacher, and the Rev. Barbara Berry-Bailey, ELCA Department for
Congregational Ministries, who will provide brief on-camera
commentary for the viewing audience.  The Rev. Paul R. Landahl,
bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod, will offer the
benediction in the service.  The Rev. Frank W. Stoldt, cantor, Church
of Saint Luke, composed and arranged music and liturgy for the
service.  The ELCA worship team also contributed to the service,
Stoldt added.
     The service will be taped Dec. 6 at the Church of Saint Luke,
an 1,800-member congregation.  The 120-year-old congregation is
ethnically, economically and vocationally diverse, said Abrahamson.
Church members and school parents, faculty, students and staff have
all played a role in making the Christmas Eve broadcast possible, he
said.  As many as 800 people are expected to be in the congregation
for the taping.
     "The celebration of Christmas in the churches is a holy joy as
we witness the dawn of redemption and embrace God's promise of new
life for here and for eternity," Abrahamson said. In celebrating
Christmas, Christians "return to our true source, to reclaim our
mission and to proclaim with our presence the sacred truths," he
added.
     Components of the service include proclamation of the Christmas
story, Holy Communion, prayer and diverse music, including
traditional Christmas hymns, African songs, jazz and Latino
compositions, Stoldt said.  The prayers will be led by
representatives of each of the ELCA's full communion partners: The
Episcopal Church, Moravian Church in America, Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ.
     Music will be performed by a 35-voice broadcast choir, a 20-
voice children's choir, a 20-piece orchestra featuring brass and
strings, six-piece jazz ensemble and an organist, Stoldt said.
     "This service represents the best of the Lutheran tradition and
embraces ecumenical traditions," Stoldt said.  "In 'This Holy Night,'
we see that God is the one who has acted to join heaven and earth."
     The theme, This Holy Night, will be articulated throughout the
service in proclamation and music, he added.
     Financial support for the broadcast and the service is being
provided by the ELCA Department for Communication, the ELCA
Metropolitan Chicago Synod, CBS-TV, the Evangelical Lutheran Church
of Saint Luke and Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the
ELCA.  Augsburg Fortress is providing support for music, Stoldt said.
---
     Information about "This Holy Night" and promotional materials
can be found at http://www.elca.org/co/holynight.html
on the ELCA Web site.

               Information and promotional materials specific to the
Central Time Zone and the Chicago area can be found at
http://www.mcselca.org/christmas.html on the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago
Synod Web site.

     Information about the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Luke
can be found at http://www.stlukechicago.org/ on the congregation's
Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html