PROCTORVILLE - Many people choose to celebrate the start of another year at church — by praying in the New Year.

Carl Black, pastor at Community Chapel Church in Proctorville said the church has held a New Year’s Eve service for several years.

“It is a celebration of what the Lord has been to your family throughout the year and what he’ll be to you in the future,” Black said.

The service, which begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday evening, begins as a normal church service; with prayer, songs by the choir, testimony and a sermon.

At about 10 p.m. they have refreshments, another short service and prayer around midnight.

“We try to pray the old year out and the New Year in,” he said.

Attending church on New Year’s is a celebration, Pastor Black said, of worshipping the Lord and celebrating what he has blessed you with the whole year and what he will bless you with in the New Year.

Black said the church family has a lot of love and that his hope for the New Year is that the church will continue to grow and more people will be saved as a result of that growth.

Many local churches have New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Watch services; for those who wish to spend the evening worshipping with their friends and family.