A lot of churches that borrowed from the Moravians the idea of holding a lovefeast during Advent have already held their annual events, featuring sweet buns with coffee and lighted candles symbolic of the coming of God's light into the world in the form of an infant, the baby Jesus.

Moravians hold lovefeasts on Christmas Eve. In Moravian Churches, however, it is not uncommon to hold lovefeasts at other times during the year to mark significant happenings in a congregation, like the installation of a new pastor, or to commemorate the Aug. 13 anniversary of the first lovefeast, held more than 275 years ago.

It takes the whole congregation at Christ the King, Durham's only Moravian Church, to prepare and serve this simple meal, said Pastor Frank Venable.

For church member Larry Michael, who makes the beeswax candles, members of the church's brass band who accompany the singing and the "dieners," and the men and women who serve the warm, slightly sweet rolls, it's part of that team effort. The result will be two beautiful services on Sunday at 4:30 and 7 p.m.

Venable said the service is a joyous one, but, depending on the particular circumstances, it could be one of quiet meditation and tears as well as one of laughter and singing.

The brass band that is so much a part of worship in the Moravian tradition will include the traditional trombones, as well as any other instruments played by members. Expect to see trumpets, flutes and maybe some strings, the pastor said.

The liturgy for the service calls for lots of music as well as the spoken word. This year, Youth Pastor Cory Whittaker will give the homily, a short message based on the Christmas scripture from the Gospel of Luke.

For those who've never attended a Moravian Lovefeast, expect a lot of music, including many familiar Christmas carols and a few less-familiar Moravian hymns. Also, the worship team will add some contemporary music to the mix.

The warm rolls and coffee, as well as candles, are passed to worshippers who remain seated. Venable said that parents of young children should be careful because the coffee is hot and lighted candles are not safe in the hands of the very young. The coffee won't be designer and may even be Maxwell House, Venable said, but the blend is not important in this scenario.

"What we serve is a little bit of coffee, decaf, with a lot of cream and sugar," he said.

Michael, the candlemaker -- whose 500 beeswax candles are trimmed with red paper cut and wrapped to look like a ribbon -- won't attend the service this year. He's driving to Bethlehem, Pa., to celebrate the holidays with his 91-year-old father.

"My father," he said, "has been involved in the candle-making process way before my time. For four Tuesdays after Labor Day he and some retired old guys got together and made candles. This year about 12,000 that will be used primarily in Moravian Churches in the Bethlehem area."

Michael said making candles for Christ the King is a way of helping preserve the tradition. "It's my connection to the 279-year-old tradition in Moravian Churches. We use a tradition like this to worship the savior."

Moravians held the first lovefeast on Aug. 13, 1727, in a Moravian community called Hermhut in what is now Germany. The people were together and experienced what has been described as an outpouring of the Spirit of God, leading to a great revival in the community.

"The lovefeast is a commemoration of that presence of the Holy Spirit during worship," Michael said, "and for me it is a way of integrating the idea of worship and sharing a meal."

Christ the King -- at 4405 Hope Valley Road -- bills the annual event as a community service. The 4:30 p.m. service will fill up early, Venable said, because it attracts lots of families with children. He recommends getting there about 4 p.m. to get seated. The 7 p.m. service is not as crowded, but usually fills up, too.

"I grew up doing this," he said. "My mom sang in the choir, my dad served coffee. My life at Christmas was always with the church family worshipping the Lord. I would not want it any other way."