Folks Planning to Attend Christmas Services, Left Disappointed

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Updated: 3:01 PM Dec 25, 2009 Folks Planning to Attend Christmas Services, Left Disappointed The story all week long has been the road conditions. The saga continues Christmas Eve as some church services were canceled because folks were unable to park at their local congregation. Posted: 8:50 PM Dec 24, 2009 Reporter: Jessica Jaglois Email Address: Jessica.Jaglois@newsplex.com

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December 24, 2009

Christmas Eve is celebrated by placing milk and cookies on the fire place for an impending visit from Santa. But it's a night that folks in the Charlottesville-area also like to celebrate in church.

However, the roads around Charlottesville have been a problem for nearly a week. On Christmas Eve, folks looking to go to church couldn't park at their local congregations.

"I've noticed that a lot of the parking lots are still iced over," said congregate Kim Villio. "You can't even get into the parking spaces!"

Pilgrim Baptist Church canceled their services, as did Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Trinity Presbyterian Church decided to cancel their services because their parking lot hadn't been cleared.

If the parking lot isn't cleared by Sunday, Trinity says, they may need to cancel service again.

But the snow and ice didn't keep all church-goers away. A last minute home gave one congregation a place to sing their praise.

For the past year, First Christian Church has held services at Stone Robinson Elementary School in Albemarle County for the past year, while their new church is being constructed.

Christmas Eve was supposed to be the first service held in their new church. But the weather halted the project. So, Stone Robinson allowed the church to have their annual Christmas Eve service in their gymnasium.

"Everything came to a screeching halt, " says First Christian Church's Pastor, Jeff Villio. "The [parking] lot's not plowed, some construction things weren't able to come together."

But the one thing that was able to come together, was their congregation to sing praise.

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