WARSAW — Star Wars mania is sweeping the land in anticipation of the newest installment in the saga, “The Rise of Skywalker,” in theatres Dec. 19.

Rather than compete, a local church has decided to embrace the hype by incorporating themes from the iconic movies into its Sunday worship, said a news release from First Christian Church.

First Christian Church. InkFreeNews photo by Kory Stoneburner-Betts.

First Christian Church’s new series, The Star Wars of Christmas, explores the cosmic forces at play behind-the-scenes during the time of Jesus’ birth. The idea is the brainchild of Lead Minister Matthew Rogers, a huge Star Wars fan since childhood.

“While most people are familiar with the Star Wars saga, many don’t know the true details of the Christmas story. The Star Wars movies are actually a great jumping-off point to begin conversations about the reality of Christmas and the new hope we have because of this event,” said Rogers.

The series begins Sunday, Dec. 1, and each week’s message will tie into the movie franchise. Stage design, movie clips, skits and costumed characters will all celebrate Star Wars while also exploring a piece of the biblical story of Christmas. The highlight of the series will be the Christmas Eve service on Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 4:30 p.m. The message theme, “A New Hope,” will be a celebration of Christmas and the promise of peace it brings to all.

First Christian Church is a non-denominational church located at 115 Park Ridge Drive, Warsaw. Sunday worship service takes place at 9:30 a.m. each week, with nursery ages 0-2 and children’s church available for children age 3 through sixth grade during service. Sunday School available at 11 am for all ages. Find out more about the church at www.fccwarsaw.com, or by calling the church office at (574) 267-8952.