US: A number of megachurches across the US have cancelled services on Christmas Day, which falls this year on a Sunday, because many worshippers would prefer to stay at home with their families.
Willow Creek community church near Chicago attracts 20,000 people to Sunday services, but instead of going to church this Christmas, its congregation will receive a devotional DVD.
"They'd be much more likely to take the DVD we're producing and pop it into the player some time over the holidays and hopefully hear a message that will be reinforced to bring them back in January," church spokeswoman Cally Parkinson said.
Willow Creek and many other megachurches depend on hundreds of volunteers and paid staff to make Sunday services run smoothly, but many members say they prefer to celebrate Christmas around the tree. Willow Creek's pastor says cancelling services is about "decentralising the church at Christmas".
Some traditional Christians accuse the megachurches of embracing consumerism and pandering to the individualism of American culture.
Churches such as Willow Creek and Fellowship Church, near Dallas, which is also closing for Christmas, have been attracting worshippers from traditional churches in greater numbers each year. Many are suburban community centres with sports clubs, evening classes and support groups as well as weekly services.
Ms Parkinson said Christians did not have to go to church on Christmas Day to understand its true meaning. "You don't have to be in a church to experience God. You can experience God in the living room," she said.