Christmas in Christ Chapel, the annual celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Gustavus Adolphus College, will be held Dec. 5-7 and is themed “Tender Rose, Starry Night.” Through these worship services, the College will continue its 42-year tradition of helping people prepare themselves for Christmas by telling the story of Jesus’ birth through innovative, beautiful, and spiritually moving musical, dance, and spoken word presentations.
This year’s worship services will ponder the cosmic significance of Jesus’ humble birth in light of scientific discoveries about the vastness and magnificence of the universe.
“Since the first century of the Common Era, Christians have made cosmic claims about Jesus: that in him the Word of God, present with God in the creation of the universe, became incarnate in a material body,” Gustavus Chaplain Siri Erickson said. “And that, through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God is at work redeeming the whole creation. The Nativity has always been a cosmic story, not just a human one.”
Dates and times of the services for Christmas in Christ Chapel are as follows:
- Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, December 6 at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, December 7 at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Ticket Information
Tickets for both Saturday services are SOLD OUT. A limited number of tickets remain for Friday’s service and both Sunday services. Tickets are $30 apiece and can be purchased online at gustavustickets.com or by calling the Gustavus Office of Marketing and Communication at 507-933-7520.
Live Stream Information
For the first time in the 42-year history of the event, Christmas in Christ Chapel will be live streamed to the public on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 6. Heroic Productions, which annually provides audio, video, and lighting solutions for both Christmas in Christ Chapel and the Nobel Conference, will produce the live stream with the use of at least six different cameras.
“While there is nothing like attending Christmas in Christ Chapel in person, we now have the technology available to share this beautiful event all over the world,” President Rebecca Bergman said. “We hope this will allow alumni and friends of the College who live in all corners of the world as well as families of students who perform in the service to enjoy this special Gustavus tradition.”
If you plan to live stream the service on Saturday evening, you can access the video player by going online to gustavus.edu/CinCC. Please note that due to copyright laws, the service on Saturday evening will not be archived for viewers to watch at a later date. A test page has been set up at gustavus.edu/events/ccc/video/ so viewers can determine if their computer and internet connection can support the live stream.
Program PDF
You can view a PDF of this year’s 24-page Christmas in Christ Chapel Program on the event page.
Preview Video
Gustavus students in music and dance ensembles spend countless hours during the Fall Semester preparing for Christmas in Christ Chapel. In the video below, you can hear from several of the students and conductors participating in this year’s services talk about what the experience of Christmas in Christ Chapel means to them.
About Christmas in Christ Chapel
A tradition since 1973, Christmas in Christ Chapel is a time for the Gustavus community to celebrate the holidays with one another through music, spoken word, and prayer. Approximately 350 students, faculty, and staff bring the program to life each year through the use of music and visual art. A new theme is chosen each year in order to educate participants and audiences alike about faith and cultural traditions. Choirs and orchestras lead the five services, with approximately 1,200 people attending each one.
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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510