Holidays

The C&MA affirms the celebration of Christian holidays, particularly Christmas and Easter, as important occasions for remembering and proclaiming the central truths of the gospel. Christmas celebrates the incarnation and the birth of Christ as Savior. Easter celebrates Christ's resurrection and the victory over sin and death. These holidays are considered appropriate times for special services, teaching, and spiritual reflection on these foundational doctrines.

While affirming these historical Christian celebrations, the C&MA does not teach that the specific dates or elaborate liturgical observances are biblically mandated. The denomination has flexibility in how Christmas and Easter are observed, emphasizing the spiritual realities they commemorate rather than requiring adherence to specific traditional practices. Some C&MA churches use traditional liturgies during these seasons; others emphasize contemporary worship and teaching without formal liturgy.

Beyond Christmas and Easter, the C&MA is generally flexible regarding other holidays and observances. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and other cultural holidays are viewed pragmatically: they may be occasions for Christian witness and celebration, but they are not binding on believers' consciences. The C&MA encourages churches to be culturally sensitive and missionally wise in how they engage with cultural celebrations, neither condemning them as sinful nor requiring that all believers participate in them. The focus remains on Christ's redemptive work and the believer's sanctification.