SOMONAUK – In a nod to the manger in Bethlehem where Jesus was born, the congregation of St. John’s Lutheran Church, 235 S. Green St. in Somonauk, and community members will gather in a barn to commemorate Christmas.

The Rev. William Weidenbach Jr., pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church, will officiate an ecumenical Christmas Eve service 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The service will be held at the barn on Glen and Cindy Reuter’s farm, 2538 N. 46th Road in Somonauk.

The community is invited to attend the Christian Christmas Eve service. If there are wet or muddy conditions or extreme cold temperatures, the service will be held at the church. Attendees are encouraged to dress for outdoor temperatures, bring a blanket to sit on and a flashlight to help read the worship folder.

Weidenbach met with MidWeek reporter Katrina Milton to discuss St. John’s Christmas Eve barn service, the Lutheran faith and other events held at the church throughout the year.

Milton: What does it mean to be an ordained minister in the Lutheran church?

Weidenbach: To be ordained means that the church recognized that you have both an external calling to be a pastor, as well as an internal calling from God. I went through an approval process with a series of interviews and seminary instruction to prove that I am indeed called and qualified. … I was ordained on June 13, 2014.

Milton: Where did you attend seminary?

Weidenbach: I attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was a four-year program, with three years of classes and one year of internship. My wife, who is a chaplain at the nursing home in Ottawa, received one of her three Master’s degrees from Luther Seminary, as well. I have two children, one in Florida, one in Georgia, one grandchild and another one on the way.

Milton: Are you originally from the area?

Weidenbach: No, I’m originally from Rochester, New York, and I lived in Tallahassee, Florida. After ordination, the bishop assigns you to a region and a church that would be a good match. I’ve been here ever since I was ordained. I started here the next day. … During my internship before my ordination, I was also in a rural location, a town in North Dakota with only 400 people in it. Living in a rural area is very different, very good, but different.

Milton: What did you do before becoming a pastor?

Weidenbach: I was a tax accountant. I’ve felt called since I was 10 years old. It just took me 40 years to answer affirmatively. I actually grew up Roman Catholic, and I converted when I was 18. Before being ordained, I was an enrolled agent, licensed by the federal government to prepare taxes. Although I don’t practice anymore, I still plan on continuing my education and keeping my license. It’s very useful, because I can help the church out with finances.

Milton: Can you tell me more about the Lutheran church and St. John’s?

Weidenbach: There are three main bodies of the Lutheran church: the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), the Wisconsin Synod and the Missouri Synod. St. John’s is part of the ELCA, the largest in America. Our church has about 600 members, and we average 180 people per week.

Milton: Can you tell me more about the Christmas Eve service in a barn?

Weidenbach: The service is held in a barn at 4:30 p.m. We have been doing the service every Christmas Eve for about 20 years. Some years we alternate the location, but most years, it has been held in this location. Inside the barn, we have straw bales for sitting. There is no heat, so people usually dress warm. The barn is uninsulated and rural, so people bring hats and gloves.

Milton: Other than its location, how is this service different from others?

Weidenbach: The service is ecumenical, with people of many different Christian faiths gathering together. Each year, we get a crowd of about 200 people. People come from all over and fill the barn. They bring friends and family, because it is such a unique experience. … Also, this service is different from other Christmas Eve services because we have no candles, because of the straw. There is a candle light service on Christmas Eve at 8:30 p.m. at the church.

Milton: How does the barn setting change the experience of the holiday service?

Weidenbach: Because the setting is different from the typical church setting, with a congregation and church building, the Christmas Eve service lends to a completely different experience. Some churches have outdoor services, like a sunrise service on a hill. … I think that because we are not in a church of one denomination, the people who attend can feel more unified as people, as Christians. It is a neutral setting, and we all come as equal people, not Lutherans, Catholics or Baptists. We come as children of God, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Milton: Do you think that it is important to make church services inclusive and open to all?

Weidenbach: Yes, we actually changed the time of the Christmas Eve service in the barn this year from 5 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. We wanted to have more daylight during the service. It is important to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome. ... Our church has four services a week: a casual service Wednesday nights at 6 p.m. and traditional services Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sunday mornings at 8 and 10:30 a.m. The Wednesday service is held in the church’s welcome center, not the chapel. The purpose of that service and events like the barn service is to reach people not coming to church, to be open to them.

Milton: What are features of an ecumenical service?

Weidenbach: We try to include more dialogue and songs. There will be a reading of the nativity story, a Gospel passage from Luke, Holy Communion and a sermon. There will be a lot of a cappella singing because there will be no instruments. Examples of songs include “Away in a Manger,” “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World.” … One thing I like about the ecumenical service is that since it is held early, people can still choose to go to their own church later at night. We designed it that way, so that it does not conflict with other worship times or services.

Milton: What would happen to the service if there was inclement weather?

Weidenbach: There will be an announcement on the church answering machine to let people know if the service will be held in the barn. The church’s phone number is 815-498-3667. If it is too muddy or rainy, the service will be moved to the church. Two years ago, the temperature was bitterly cold, but we still held the service in the barn. Everyone bundled up that year.

Milton: What other events does St. John’s host throughout the year?

Weidenbach: One of our largest events is an international gift market, a festival with vendors selling items like fair trade chocolate and coffee. … Our church is very involved in mission projects. We recognize that we are called by God to help the underprivileged and oppressed. God has given us plenty, we need to care for others. We help with 32 different missions. We assist Lutheran World Relief, and we recently put together baby and care kits. We collected more than 300 quilts and 800 pounds of soap. We do prison ministry at Stateville Prison, we support House of the Little Ones in Cuzco, Peru, Hesed House in Aurora, PADS in Plano, Habitat for Humanity and many other projects. Our Sharing Pantry, a DeKalb County food pantry, is housed here at the church. We support it financially and volunteers from the congregation help run it.

Milton: How would you describe Christmas in your own words?

Weidenbach: Christmas is about recognizing that God loves me and letting people know that God loves them. For me, what is important about being a pastor is letting people know that they are a loved child of God. God loves you so much, he sent you this boy, a baby, his son. But Christmas is insignificant without Easter. It is because Jesus died and rose again that Christmas has any significance at all.