The Rev. Ted Estes and a committed team of volunteers will host the first Blue Christmas Service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Lee’s Summit on Saturday, December 22 at 5:00pm. The Blue Christmas service uses music, scripture, quiet reflection, hope, and light to help people find some peace during the holidays.

December in Lee’s Summit can seem like a Holiday Marathon of Christmas markets, craft fairs, parties, celebrations and time with family and friends. Fr. Estes, pastor and licensed family therapist, says: “The holidays find many people feeling stressed by increased work, money, and social pressures. Some experience sadness, loneliness, or anger due to mourning loved ones, losses of relationships, poor health, or lost jobs. These negative feelings often seem sharper against the background of the festive season.” Fr. Estes explains that “These stresses affect us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The Blue Christmas service is designed to acknowledge these pressures and feelings and to deal with them by taking the time to quiet the body, still the mind, calm the heart and open the spirit. The goal is to begin the process of finding peace.”