It was a colourful celebration of unity and diversity as the Diocese of Leicester hosted its annual Global Carol Service (GCS) for 2025 at St Paul’s Church in Oadby.
The evening, themed “Explore Love, Experience Joy, Embrace Unity,” drew congregations, schools, chaplaincies and a diverse range of communities from across the diocese for an evening of worship through music, dance, poetry and prayer.
Seventeen languages filled the church with carols and readings reflecting the global character of Christmas, in a service that showcased the gift of intercultural worship and the hope found in Christ.
The evening opened with a welcome from the Revd Steve Bailey, Rector of St Paul’s (one of our IWCs), and Jessie Tang, Intercultural Ministry Director.
They greeted the dignitaries—including the Lord Mayor of Oadby and Wigston and the Bishops of Leicester and Loughborough—along with all those gathered. They also led a prayer, emphasising the importance of Intercultural Ministry in our shared worship.
A Christmas greeting, shared in a video song in Urdu by Javed Inayat, drew the congregation into a vibrant celebration of Pakistani culture.
The GCS theme was beautifully introduced by three voices—Theresa, Matilde, and the Revd Debo—who each invited everyone to reflect on the heart of Christmas: love, joy, and unity.
From that moment, the Christmas story unfolded not only in words but through music, rhythms, languages, and movement from around the world.
Throughout the service, Jessie led a dedicated worship band made up of musicians and vocals from various IWCs and partner churches, who joined together to lead songs in multiple languages, offering a glimpse of heaven.
“Joy to the World” was sung in Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and English, allowing everyone to rejoice together in the good news of Christ’s birth.
The St Paul’s Malayalam Choir lifted hearts with a powerful song celebrating the greatness of the one true God—the God of love who came to earth as a human being and offers eternal life.
Laughter and excitement filled the room as the Martyrs Young Adults led a fun and interactive “Christmas Around the World” quiz, reminding everyone just how universally loved and celebrated Christmas truly is.
The familiar carol “Silent Night” took on new beauty as the St Mary’s Choir sang it in English, French, German, Portuguese and Chinese. This was followed by a joyful Igbo Christmas song led by Peter and the band. Next, a vibrant Telugu folk Christmas song, complete with dance movements, invited everyone to join in celebrating and responding to the message of Christmas—to welcome Jesus as Saviour.
Scripture from Luke’s Gospel was read in Ukrainian and Farsi, powerfully reflecting the global relevance of the Christmas story.
Bishop Martyn then shared a deeply moving message on the importance of joy and unity—especially in a world that so often feels divided. His words reminded us that the birth of Christ calls us to be people of hope, peace, and togetherness.
The Revd Dr Sarah Gill led prayers in Urdu, drawing those gathered into a moment of shared intercession. This was followed by a beautiful rendition of “O Holy Night” in Farsi and English, and then a lively Punjabi Christmas song that filled the room with smiles and energy.
The band led them in “Go Tell It on the Mountain” in Swahili and English, encouraging everyone to carry the joyful message of Christmas to the world, followed by a Tamil Christmas carol by the St Paul’s team.
The celebration continued with a colourful and rhythmic Gujarati Christmas Garba, led by Leona and her team from All Saints Belgrave. And finally, the service drew to a close with the poem “Look Who Showed Up” and a heartfelt blessing from Bishop Saju.
Afterwards, over Indian-Chinese snacks in the Barnabas Centre, people lingered, talked, laughed, and connected across cultures. It was a wonderful reminder that Christmas is not only something we celebrate, but also something we share.
Talking about the service, Michael Ravuri, Intercultural Ministry Enabler said: “As an IWC team, we are thankful to God for this opportunity and to those who invested their time and gifts to make this Global Carol Service a powerful testimony to the beauty of diversity and the unity we find in Christ, our Lord and Saviour.”
The Mayor of Oadby and Wigston, Cllr. Jasvir Chohan, said: “O what a beautiful world when we all come together. The worshippers at St Paul’s Church came together to rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ and sang Christmas carols in different languages of the world. May peace be upon earth as it is in heaven.”
The Revd Steve Bailey added: “What a glorious collection of vibrancy, colour, language and song as we gathered together to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Seventeen different languages were used during the service and people appreciated the variety of worship, united by our love for Jesus.”
People who attended also shared their experiences, saying they loved being part of the service and how beautiful it was - a true celebration of Christmas that brought together people from many cultures, languages, and church communities to worship as one family.
*You can watch a video of people talking about their experiences of the Global Carol Service here. https://youtu.be/LdeFvdSPIX0
BBC East Midlands Today also attended the service, which was broadcasted as part of an interview with Bishop Martyn.
The GCS is an annual celebration in the diocese, inspired by the vision of our Intercultural Worshipping Communities (IWCs). Each year, we warmly welcome everyone to participate, and each year the GCS brings fresh ideas and renewed energy through an array of Christian, creative and artistic gifts.
Rooted in Christ’s love, peace, joy, and hope, the event reflects these central themes in every way. Encouraged by our IWC churches across the diocese, the service continues to expand its reach, inviting all of our congregations and communities to share in this vibrant celebration.
The music at this service was performed by singers, musicians and friends of Intercultural Worshipping Community, Partner Churches, and beyond within our Diocese: Deborah Bryan (Violin), Kevin Pearce (Acoustic Guitar), Steven Christopher (Keyboard), Erol Melbourne (Bass Guitar), Harry Williams (Drums), Steve Adron (Saxophone); Peter Eluojomokwenye, Khashayar Ahari, Michael Harry, Shobha Gosa & Jessie Tang.
Choir from St Mary's Church.
Global Carol Service 2025 organising Team:
Theresa Jackson, Matilde de Sousa Fernandes, Graham Neville, Jan Barlow, Shobha Gosa, Revd Adebowale 'Debo' Adelaja, Michael Ravuri & Jessie Tang