Thousands of Leelanau County residents will celebrate Christmas by attending church services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Not all churches in the county offer Christmas Day services. For the Rev. Rick Miller, pastor of Northport Covenant Church, it makes more sense to have a big Christmas Eve service since he said that’s when more families go to church to commemorate the birth of Christ.

“They want to spend Christmas Day together, so they all come on Christmas Eve,” he said. Northport Covenant has not offered a Christmas Day service in 10 years, Miller said, because it only attracted a small number of participants.

Christmas will be celebrated with church services and musical performances around Leelanau County. Following is a list of church services:

• St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Beulah, Christmas Eve service of Lessons and Carols, 7 p.m.

• Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Glen Arbor, Christmas Eve service, 7 p.m.

• Glen Lake Community Reformed Church, Burdickville, Christmas Eve candlelight service with communion and nursery available, 7 p.m.

• Holy Rosary Church, Cedar, Christmas Eve Mass, 4:30 p.m., Christmas Day Mass, 9 a.m.

• Empire United Methodist Church, Empire, Christmas Eve candlelight service, 7 p.m.

• St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, Empire, Christmas Eve Mass, 7:30 p.m., Christmas Day Mass, 11 a.m.

• St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Good Harbor. Christmas Eve service of Solemn Vespers, Hymns and Reading, 7 p.m., Christmas Day Divine Service, 9:30 a.m.

• St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Lake Leelanau, Christmas Eve Masses, 4 p.m. and 11 p.m., with carols at 10:30 p.m., Christmas Day Mass, 10 a.m.

• St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Kolarik Road, Gills Pier, Christmas Eve Mass, 5 p.m.

• Leelanau Community Church, Lake Leelanau, Dec. 23 Special Program, 7:30 p.m.

• Immanuel Lutheran Church, Leland, Christmas Eve Service 7 p.m., Christmas Day Service, 10 a.m.

• Leland Community United Methodist Church, Leland, Christmas Eve Family Service, 5:30 p.m., Choral Worship, 7:30 p.m., Candlelight and Communion Service, 11 p.m.

• Bethany Lutheran Church, Northport, Christmas Eve candlelight service, 10 p.m.

• Trinity United Church of Christ, Northport, Christmas Eve candlelight service, 7 p.m.

• Northport Covenant Church, Northport, Christmas Eve candlelight service, 9 p.m.

• St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Northport, Dec. 23, Service “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in the Anglican Tradition,” 9 a.m., Christmas Eve Nativity Service with Holy Eucharist, 3:30 p.m.

• St. Gertrude’s Catholic Church, Northport, Christmas Eve Mass, 8 p.m. Christmas Day Mass at St. Michael's Catholic Church, Suttons Bay, 9 a.m.

• Immanuel Lutheran Church, Suttons Bay, Christmas Eve candlelight services at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., with choral music performed prior to the start of the 8 p.m. service by the Sanctuary Choir.

• St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Suttons Bay, Christmas Eve Mass, 5 p.m., Christmas Day service, 9 a.m.

• First Evangelical Lutheran, Suttons Bay, Christmas Eve service, 7 p.m., Christmas Day service, 10 a.m.

• Keswick United Methodist Church, Suttons Bay, Christmas Eve, 5 p.m.

• Suttons Bay Congregational Church, Suttons Bay, Christmas Eve candlelight service, 7 p.m. with carols and music starting at 6:45 p.m.

• West Bay Covenant Church, Greilickville, Christmas Eve, 6 p.m.

• Northland Community Church, E. Fouch Road, Elmwood Township, Christmas Eve candlelight service, 6 p.m.