ALTON - You can experience a powerful Christmas Cantata service at Main Street United Methodist Church this weekend.
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At 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, community members are invited to Main Street UMC for the Christmas Cantata service led by Michael and Julia Frazier. Pastor Nick Gleason promises music by local musicians, a retelling of the Christmas story, and a touching experience for everyone in attendance.
“We hope it will enrich the lives of everyone who joins us on Sunday,” Gleason said. “We think it will be a great opportunity for people to experience the Spirit of God this Christmas and also just experience our community and the love and hope that we share with one another.”
Gleason explained that the Christmas Cantata differs from a regular service because of its focus on music. He looks forward to hearing from many local musicians from across the Riverbend region. Additionally, the service will focus on Christmas and Jesus’s birth.
Gleason believes that Main Street UMC offers a loving environment year-round, but this atmosphere is especially heightened during the Christmas season. He hopes the Christmas Cantata will invite people to experience this love.
“Main Street is a place that welcomes all people, regardless of their background and where their journey has been. We’re a place where you can come and belong and find hope,” he explained. “That is also very much the message of Christmas, that when our lives were broken, Jesus came and stepped into it to help us pick up the pieces and find wholeness again. That’s our goal every week, as people come and gather to worship and to celebrate, just to help them find the pieces and put it back together and be whole and be healthy and be happy.”
The congregation truly treats each other like family. They are always welcoming new members or people who want to know more, and the Christmas Cantata service is a great introduction to the church.
Gleason added that Main Street UMC is “one of the best churches” he has been a part of. He hopes many people come out on Sunday, Dec. 14, to experience the church for themselves.
“I think that our hope is absolutely throughout this whole Christmas season is to help people come and experience the Spirit of God this week and the love that God has for us,” he said. “We hope that it will connect people to the wonder of Christmas and to the joy of this blessed season.”
For more information about Main Street United Methodist Church, visit their official website at AltonMainStreetUMC.org or their official Facebook page.
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