The growing anticipation that builds during Advent. The singing of favorite hymns and carols. The loveliness of the Christmas Eve candlelight services.

Suddenly, it’s early January, and it’s all over. Christmas has come and gone for another year.

One of the two most important Christian holidays — the other being Easter — has passed.

Surely, there should follow some kind of anticlimax, a stepping back from worship, taking time to catch one’s breath before beginning a new year, a spiritual letdown after the exhilaration of Christmas celebrations, both secular and sacred.

But that’s not necessarily so, according to a handful of Lawrence pastors.

Some of the city’s religious leaders say they take extra care, in the days and weeks following Christmas, to keep worshippers involved in church services and activities.

The challenge for pastors is to make Christmas not just a one-day holiday observance, but rather a feeling of faithfulness and spiritual celebration that lasts all year.

Is there a letdown after Christmas at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church?

“Absolutely not,” says the Rev. Darrel Proffitt, rector of the church at 5700 W. Sixth St.

“One of the things we focused on this year is to understand that Christmas is more than just exchanging presents, singing carols and putting up a tree. It’s about celebrating God’s entry into our world, and the implications of that transcend Dec. 25.”

It’s important for Christians to honor the holiday in their hearts all year long, to maintain a spirit of thankfulness and wonder, he says.

“We really emphasize living a life that reflects the joy and hope that we have in our hearts. Christmas is a lifestyle — learning how to be loved and how to love,” Proffitt says.

“There are people, of course, who have a letdown after Christmas, but I think that has to do more with MasterCard and Visa (bills). For a follower of Christ, Christmas is a celebration that continues.”

There’s always the possibility of a letdown after Christmas, according to the Rev. Jim Dunkin, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway.

“We put so much energy into Christmas Eve. Other than Easter, the most packed service we have is our 6 p.m. Christmas Eve service and a 10 p.m. service of lessons and carols,” he says.

To avoid having the sense of a letdown after the holiday, worship services are combined the Sunday after Christmas at First Presbyterian.

“It feels like we have a real large crowd because we have both our services combined into one. That allows us to have that energy that might otherwise be missing,” Dunkin says.

“It does work. On Sunday (Dec. 29), there was a lot of energy here, even though we had a lot of people gone.”

Dunkin’s sermon that day was titled “Stepping Back from the Frenzy of the Season.”

“I was commenting that for society, Christmas is over. It’s an event, and it’s over. But for disciples of Jesus Christ, it’s the beginning for a great new year for us. It’s foundational for everything we do,” he says.

“There is a (post-Christmas) letdown for our society. But for us, we’re saying, ‘This most holy day is the foundation for who we are, what we do, and our identity.'”