Dallas Morning News: Carol French remembers an Easter service when her Methodist pastor strode to the pulpit and said: "Merry Christmas and Have a Happy New Year!"
Seeing the congregation's puzzled looks, he added: "I won't see some of you again before Christmas, so I thought I had better greet you now."
That was years ago, but the pastor was poking fun at a still-familiar group  the people who go to church only at Christmas and Easter.
"C&Es," as they're known, account for big holiday surges at churches.
C&Es have been around as long as the collection plate. But the way churches greet them is changing. Today, few pastors would give C&Es the ribbing that French recalled.
"We'd be appalled if they did," said the Rev. Joan LaBarr, director of communications for the North Texas conference of the United Methodist Church.
Instead, most churches view Christmas as an opportunity, a chance to gently encourage infrequent attendees to come back soon  maybe even before Easter  and get more involved.
