Would you/Do you attend a church that does not have a Sun and/or Wed service?

[Greektim]

The church I attend and soon will be an elder has neither a Sun. evening or Wed. evening service. And it is fabulous!!! I used to pastor a church w/ the typical 3 (4 counting SS) services a week schedule. I hated it as a pastor. Now that I am ministering in a slightly different way, as well as just a member at large, I think it is awesome getting away from the ridiculous tradition.

And isn't it interesting that the evening services are the more casual styled service? Do we inherently recognize that it is not as important??? How we fool ourselves.

 

[mont974x4]

We have an SBC church that only meets Saturday evening. The pastor is a friend, and sat on my ordination council. There are two others meet Sunday and Wednesday but also have a Saturday evening service. There is also a church I know here in Montana that meets in the evening during the week. I would at least visit this one if it was closer.

The out-of-norm services do great, and yes they are less formal.

 

[SolaSaint]

I guess that depends on what replaces these services if anything at all or if anything is needed. Is there a time for bible study or prayer services?

We left a church 8 years ago that stopped Wednesday night and Sunday night services in favor of small groups in homes. That wasn't why we left, it was the Purpose Driven methods adopted by our Pastor. I have no problem meeting anytime during the week as long as it sound teaching or preaching.

 

[annsni]

We don't have any Sunday night services. Wednesday night is "family night" - where we have classes (like Sunday school classes) for adults, youth group for the teens, Pioneer Girls and Boys' Brigade for the kids and nursery for the littles. It's a great way to do it, IMO!

 

[SaggyWoman]

The church I currently attend meets on Sunday morning and has small groups throughout the week. On rare occasion (like Christmas eve) there is another service during the week.

 

[webdog]

Two Sunday morning services, no evening...and Wednesday is for prayer.

 

[Mexdeaf]

I'm not sure when the tradition of "three to thrive" started, but it's a fact that for many years most churches only had a Sunday morning service and some only had a service once a month when the circuit-riding preacher could be there.

Of course back then the Methodists and the Baptists sometimes even fellowshipped together- imagine that!

 

[Baptist4life]

I'm 62 years old. Been a member of a Baptist church since about age 6 (well, not a "member" until teenage years, but parents were members), and I've never attended a church that doesn't have Sunday/Weds. night services. Sunday nights are usually less attended, but the people who attend on Sunday nights are the "core" members of our church. The ones who are every week attenders, Sunday schools teachers, AWANA leaders, church workers, etc., not the once in awhile attenders. We tend to have business meetings after Sunday night services for this reason. Weds. nights are for children ministries, AWANA, teen groups, and adult Bible study and prayer. Wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[Yeshua1]

The church I attend and soon will be an elder has neither a Sun. evening or Wed. evening service. And it is fabulous!!! I used to pastor a church w/ the typical 3 (4 counting SS) services a week schedule. I hated it as a pastor. Now that I am ministering in a slightly different way, as well as just a member at large, I think it is awesome getting away from the ridiculous tradition.

And isn't it interesting that the evening services are the more casual styled service? Do we inherently recognize that it is not as important??? How we fool ourselves.

My Church has 2 Sunday services, one more of a teaching style, other main assembly, Wed nights JUST for youth services...

think that whenever a Christian groups gathers, regardless of the day, if devotd to praise/worship/teaching of the Word, thats "Church"

 

[saturneptune]

Our church has all three services a week. I can see that changing in the near future. Yes, under those circumstances I would continue to be a member of that church. Leaving a church is more of a disagreement about doctrine to me. There is nothing in Scripture that has anything to say about a Wednesday night service or prayer meeting. In our church, Sunday night attendance is about half of Sunday morning, and Wednesday night is about half of Sunday night.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I'm not sure when the tradition of "three to thrive" started, but it's a fact that for many years most churches only had a Sunday morning service and some only had a service once a month when the circuit-riding preacher could be there.

Of course back then the Methodists and the Baptists sometimes even fellowshipped together- imagine that!

What kind of Methodist & what kind of Baptist?

 

[saturneptune]

What kind of Methodist & what kind of Baptist?

My guess would be if Methodists and Baptists are worshipping together, they are free will Baptists.

 

[Monster]

We attend a church with Sunday and Wednesday evening services but are not able to attend either. We get up at 4-dark-30 for work.

Oddly enough, I feel like I am less a member or part of the body as a result. This isn't the fault of the church, it's just the circumstances of life. If we had a more moderate work schedule we'd probably attend a mid-week evening service. Two times on Sunday is too much sitting for me, just being honest here.

I'd rather our church focus on more social/body-life activities than on more traditional Sunday "stuff" during the non-Sunday morning meetings. I think we're living in a time of social isolation and detachment. Where else can the Christian go but to the church for edifying fellowship? (this last question is somewhat rhetorical). We find ourselves wondering how we can belong to a portion of the body of Christ and feel so lonely. I suspect we're not alone in this either.

***edited to add "during the non-Sunday morning meetings" ***

 

[Jerome]

back then the Methodists and the Baptists sometimes even fellowshipped together- imagine that!

what kind of Baptist?

My guess would be if Methodists and Baptists are worshipping together, they are free will Baptists.

Guess again.

Account of the first meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention:

http://books.google.com/books?id=VR...e ministers attending the Convention"&f=false

on Saturday afternoon the business was so nearly completed as to free the minds of the members from care, and leave them to the undisturbed enjoyment of the Lord's day privileges. . . .Long will the services of the Sabbath be remembered in this city. . . .The churches of all the evangelical denominations, except the Episcopal, were occupied by the ministers attending the Convention. On Monday morning, the Convention, invigorated by the rest, and refreshed by the religious services of the Lord's day, met to close their business.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

My Welsh ancestors (all on Dad's side) were Particular Baptists & Calvinistic Methodists / via George Whitefield influence --- there was one Anglican on record but he was English & so the family pretty much disregards him as a relation through marriage. LOL

When they hit the shores here, they set up churches & went to each others (the Welsh speaking kind) to support one another ..... many of the older ones preferred the Welsh Language & so provisions were made for it. As the Calvinistic Methodists blended into the Presbyterian & Congregational Churches & the Reformed Baptist Churches, there commonality was race & Doctrines of Grace beliefs. I can still go to the Anthracite Coal Mining towns in Pennsylvania & find churches that teach the old language.

 

[SaggyWoman]

We attend a church with Sunday and Wednesday evening services but are not able to attend either. We get up at 4-dark-30 for work.

Oddly enough, I feel like I am less a member or part of the body as a result. This isn't the fault of the church, it's just the circumstances of life. If we had a more moderate work schedule we'd probably attend a mid-week evening service. Two times on Sunday is too much sitting for me, just being honest here.

I'd rather our church focus on more social/body-life activities than on more traditional Sunday "stuff" during the non-Sunday morning meetings. I think we're living in a time of social isolation and detachment. Where else can the Christian go but to the church for edifying fellowship? (this last question is somewhat rhetorical). We find ourselves wondering how we can belong to a portion of the body of Christ and feel so lonely. I suspect we're not alone in this either.

***edited to add "during the non-Sunday morning meetings" ***

I think your feeling is common among some churches. They focus on your presence "every time the door is open" and if you aren't there, you are a lesser person.

NOT SO!!

 

[saturneptune]

Guess again.

Account of the first meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention:

http://books.google.com/books?id=VR...e ministers attending the Convention"&f=false

Wrong again, theological breath. Methodists admire their belief in no eternal security and anti Doctrines of Sovereignty. Therefore, free will Baptists is a perfect match. If Presbyterians and Baptists worshipped together, i would expect primitive or Southern Baptists.

 

[Jerome]

Huh?

The Southern Baptist journal reports that the ministers attending the Convention worshiped on Sunday at the churches of "all the evangelical denominations, except the Episcopal".

Sounds like they might have been at churches other than Presbyterian, undoubtedly including [horrors!] Methodist.

 

[preachinjesus]

Getting back on track to the OP...

I attended churches that had all three services from when I was an infant through until I was in college. Sort of did it when I was in seminary, but also added a Thursday night for a college ministry service I led.

Since seminary I have not served in churches with Sunday night services. One or two had Wednesday services and programming, but the others have not had significant integrated programming on Wednesday nights.

Honestly, you'd have to hold a gun to my head to make me go back to Sunday night services all the time. I don't think they work, I don't think they are a good stewardship of our resources, and I don't think produce meaningful results to align with our distinctives and strategy. I will, however, occasionally offer a Sunday night Lord's Supper service where we can do it properly, somberly, and appropriately. (Too often it gets quished into a Sunday morning routine.)

I don't mind churches that do Sunday and Wednesday evening. It just doesn't work for us. Where we are our biggest battle is getting folks to show up more than twice a month. Too many families are pulled in too many different directions.

One of the things we've been messing with recently is offering a Sunday afternoon service programming. If I were starting a church these days I would have my entire Sunday programming offering in the afternoon. Go from 2 to 5 or 6. Just seems to be more sensible.

 

[Tom Bryant]

The church I attend and soon will be an elder has neither a Sun. evening or Wed. evening service. And it is fabulous!!! I used to pastor a church w/ the typical 3 (4 counting SS) services a week schedule. I hated it as a pastor. Now that I am ministering in a slightly different way, as well as just a member at large, I think it is awesome getting away from the ridiculous tradition.

And isn't it interesting that the evening services are the more casual styled service? Do we inherently recognize that it is not as important??? How we fool ourselves.

I guess I am not sure why you assume that a service that is more caual is inherently recognized as less important. Our Sunday morning services are pretty casual, does that mean they are less important than a church that is very formal?

We have both a Sunday night and wednesday night prayer meeting. Our Sunday night service is around tables and is more interactive with questions for those around the table to search for. It begins with making an introduction and comments and ends with some action points.

Wednesday night is when we take prayer requests and pray for people. If time, there is a short devotional thought.

If all 3 services were the same, i could understand why it would be silly to have them all.