Christmas time is supposed to be a time for joy, but for Jeff Linderman, financial struggles have left him down and out.

"The Christmas season is busy," he said. "There are a lot of reminders of happiness and joy, and sometimes it's not easy to feel that way."

University United Methodist Church in East Lansing hosted a service Saturday called Blue Christmas. It's was for people like Jeff who feel lonely or depressed this time of year.

"This is a way of providing people with a safe place to come for quiet meditation and spiritual center," Pastor Kennetha Bigham-Tsai said. "It's a way to show them how their faith can get them through a struggle."

The service was sponsored by the Stephen Ministry. A national, non-denominational program that links trained advisers from congregations with people who just need someone to talk to.

"Stephen ministers are trained to be a Christian listening ear, a shoulder to lean on, or cry on while you're going through a tough time," Barb Doyal, a Stephen Minister, said.

Candles were lit at the end of the ceremony symbolizing the struggles people face.

Linderman hopes his prayers will be answered and his problems will be extinguished.

"I'm hopeful they will improve next year," he said. "Tonight is a time to come and quietly worship and think about the future and hope. Tonight is about hope."

A message that transcends seasons.