Traditional Christmas Eve services often end with lit candles held high and a triumphant rendition of “Joy to the World.”

        But for some, the death or illness of a loved one, loss of a job and even the aftershock of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks dim Christmas joy.

SPECIAL SERVICES

• 4:30 p.m. today at John Wesley United Methodist Church, 1927 W. Kemper Road, Springfield Township.     • 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Greenhills Community Church, Presbyterian, 21 Cromwell Road.     • 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Disciples Christian Church, 3401 Hamilton-Mason Road, Hamilton.     • 5 p.m. Dec. 23 at Springboro United Church of Christ, 5 W. Mill St.

        Some local churches are reaching out to those for whom the holidays aren't happy.

        “Blue Christmas” services “provide an environment where people can come in and celebrate the birth of Christ while still grieving for their own personal losses,” says the Rev. Barb Hobe, of Springboro United Church of Christ.

        Boxes of tissues will be in every other pew as a sign that crying during Christmas is OK. The service will have a time of remembrance where people can pray for their troubles and losses.

        Sometimes five people come to the Longest Night Service at Greenhills Community Church, Presbyterian. Other times, there's30.

        “The Longest Night service really is more what the church is about,” the Rev. Thom Shuman says.

        The Rev. Mr. Shuman knows Christmas can be a difficult time. The constant celebration and family gatherings remind him of his own dashed dreams.

        When he and his wife adopted a son with fetal alcohol syndrome, they were told he suffered from minor disabilities. Today 16-year-old Teddy has severe disabilities and lives in an assisted-care facility.

        “I'm aware of the fact that there's a lot of grief involved, dreams that are not realized and hopes that won't take place,” the Rev. Mr. Shuman says. “How do you talk with people about (their grief) when everybody's going to parties and singing Christmas carols? ... This is an opportunity for the church to say, "We recognize this can be a very painful and very lonely time for people.'”

        The special services offer comfort to people who need it most, says Ken Czillinger, a bereavement manager at VITAS Hospice in Sycamore Township. “It gives them some time to really focus on whatever the issue they're dealing with,” he says. “It acknowledges that not everybody is happy and together this time of year.”

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