CBS Airs Holiday Special ONE CHRISTMAS STORY: PEOPLE RICH IN SPIRIT Tonight

The holiday special ONE CHRISTMAS STORY: PEOPLE RICH IN SPIRIT comes from the Hope Lutheran Church in Reading, Pa. to be broadcast tonight, Dec. 24 (11:35 PM-12:35 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Like many cities in America, Reading, Pa., was once a thriving industrial center, but no longer. They have lost much of their economic base, but none of their spirit. The Christmas story and spirit will be played out in this special with the help of many stories that parallel the Nativity themes of welcoming and helping strangers. Odyssey Networks, a multi-faith, nonprofit organization, and the Collegiate Churches of New York City have worked with the Reading community to create this Christmas Special.

In this CBS Christmas Special, a diverse congregation gathers to share the joyful songs of the season as performed by four local choirs. The words of Scripture are woven through the music along with the readings which are the stories of the people today - stories that illustrate the messages of the Gospel about sharing with neighbors and valuing the spiritual over the material. The Biblical stories come to life through the witnessing of today's stories.

The producers for this special are Rev. Eric Shafer and Carol Anne Dolan; the executive producer for CBS is John P. Blessington.