Sunday Night services

Emotion is not substitute for action. Action is not substitution for production.

Satan like to get the Christian busy, busy, bus and not producing.

The church I worked to turn around had loads of activity. So much that they were tired and discouraged. They did not even know their neighbors. I discovered that when I first came and asked them about their neighbors. So I killed most everything and told them to start inviting their neighbors over to get to know them. Within a short time they began to know their neighbors.

During the week I met with them to teach them to make disciples and study their Bible. Most of them were not having a devotional life. Everything was about Sunday and nothing about having a heart for God. They spent an average of about 7 hours each week studying their Bible and attended Sunday School and church on Sunday. After awhile it was like me feeding corn to chickens. They were hungry and wanted more of it. At the end of two years I told them that I was done with what I planned. Their response was "We need this."

The following is the plan I followed.

[FONT=&quot]Leadership Training Plan[/FONT]​

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[FONT=&quot]You cannot teach what you do not possess. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]We want to have prepared leaders for success in the ministry God has for them. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Leaders are to be proven men of God, who have been tested and found trustworthy. That happens through ministry in both the practical and theological. Leadership training takes time and practice. We want to train men both theologically and practically. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The plan is to train men who are [/FONT][FONT=&quot]F[/FONT][FONT=&quot]aithful, [/FONT][FONT=&quot]T[/FONT][FONT=&quot]eachable, and [/FONT][FONT=&quot]A[/FONT][FONT=&quot]vailable (Future Teachers of America). They must be men who show promise in the basic essentials, in that they want to learn and grow in both the theological and practical aspects of their lives and ministry. Too many men have been ruined, and ruined churches by not being prepared and tested in these two areas. We must begin now, if we expect to train people without them wandering around with a lack of direction and haphazardness. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Before giving anyone a ministry where they are the leader, we must train them for godliness and success. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Through Studies[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Doctrine Studies [/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Interpreting Scripture[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Survey of OT[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Survey of NT[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Character Training[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Through Small Groups[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Provide theological and practical training through mentoring by the small group leader[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Through Personal Discipleship[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Dealing with personal issues and hindrances to growth.[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Teaching God's plan for the person and church.[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]How to reach people in any situation they are placed. [/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Teach how Jesus reached people. [/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Teach the How To's[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Read the Bible[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Prayer[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Fellowship[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Obedience[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Focusing on Christ[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Evangelism[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Through The Body[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Worship[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Corporate Prayer[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Corporate Fellowship[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]The exercise of gifts in the body[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Listening to the sermon[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Serving the body [/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]How to lead the body [/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Communion[/FONT]
· [FONT=&quot]Teaching and preaching in the body[/FONT]

 

I voted "very important" instead of "extremely important" simply because there are legitimate reasons for missing a service.

But my pastor spends a lot of time preparing sermons and lessons and I learn very much from him at every service, so I would be foolish to stay home and deliberately miss church. I also need the fellowship with other Christians and am strengthened by it. It's part of my over all life and I would be missing out on many blessings if I did not go.

 

I used to love Sunday nights as well, although many churches in recent past do not have night services or are sporadic at best.

 

I can agree with that, sounds as if they were incapable of Sunday nite services. I sure hope that numbers are not the most important thing tho.

 

The church I attend has three Sunday morning services. Our pastor has left Sunday evening open so that we can spend time with our families (or do whatever it is we need / want to do). He has also stated, on occasion, that he needs to "rest up" from all the preaching and activities that take place during the morning.

There was talk a while back that perhaps the church would be open in the evening for anyone wanting to get together for an informal Bible study or prayer time. Not sure where that stands at the moment though. Haven't heard anything about that in a month or so.

Would I go if there was a "formal" Sunday evening service? Probably not. I live quite a ways from my church, and doing the drive twice wouldn't be good for my gas tank. (used to live a lot closer before I moved to Indiana)

 

I agree... We've kept our people inside the church building WAY too much. The "church" is the people out in the world, doing what Christ told us to do, not just a gathering in a building with a steeple on top.

Our church also has no Sunday school. We DO meet in individual homes during the week (community groups) where we actually do the work of ministry, evangelize our neighborhoods with various means, reach out to hurting people with help, etc., and deal with moral failures, etc.

We have multiple Sunday meetings on 3 campuses (5 right now, with a 6th to start in a couple weeks) and some of those services are on Sunday night, but they are identical to Sunday morning services, not a special Sunday night event. Any member can attend any service they wish, and many attend one and serve the congregation in some fashion during another.

 

Yes it is imporptant. The church today being under attack as it is needs all the time it can muster in teaching the word of God and up lifting those who call on the Lord.

 

I personally think having 3 services a week puts a strain on the pastor to produce quality sermons. It causes him to have to produce quantity instead of quality material. I know I personally have to spend at least 20 hours a week on a particular sermon before I feel it is adequate enough to preach. Thus, 3 sermons a week would hinder my ability to spend the sufficient time needed to prepare. Further, the pastor really is not spending time with his family while he’s a church-b/c the fact is-- he’s at work & has to focus on his job, how many of you really think you could spend quality time with your family while your at work/job? While its easy for the church member to say we need Sunday night service—this often overlooks the strain it puts on the church leaders. Not to mention, how many of the members who are so adamant about having church as many times as possible a week, are often the ones who miss when the church doors are actually open. At least that’s been the case with many churches I’ve worked with over the years. While I’m not opposed to Sunday night services—I think the time could be used in other ways that glorifies God—whether this be small group bible study time, designated family time, or simply a time for the church staff to rest & get prepared for the coming week.

 

This is where most pastors don't do their job. There was another thread dealing with pastirs who just present the gospel sunday after Sunday and never train up their people. If pastors were teaching others to be able to step in and preach they could do one service and someone else another. Those others do not have to be paid or seminary students. Just godly men who step up and serve the Lord in the area of preaching and teaching.

 

I do. It isn't commanded in scripture, but it's very important to us because it's more an informal time of instruction and teaching than the Sunday am services.

I, personally, like it because I'm a teacher by nature and I can get into a little more depth than I can in the morning service.

 

Definitely.

This hasn't been a problem in our church because I share the preaching duties with two other men, plus, we have three young men we're mentoring for ministry. So, while we have more services and classes than most churches, if anything, I preach less than most pastors.

 

I completely agree—as long as its getting recognized that the pastor does not need to be responsible for all 3 services then I have no problem. But many churches do not have the personal to help out, & the sermons fall on the pastor or other church staff, who are already bogged down with other duties & don’t have the time to prepare for adequate Bible teaching. There has to be adequate time given to sermon preparation—if not then certain truths revealed in Scripture can be missed & the audience is getting water downed material instead of legitimate scriptural truth. If the church has the personal to have 3 services where the church staff does not have to lead then that’s great, but unfortunately ever church does not have this benefit & only continues Sunday night services b/c it’s the traditional thing to do. I personally think the Sunday night service should be up to the individual church, but I’d rather allow the pastor & church staff the time to spend with family—b/c the way their schedule is set up—they often only get Fridays off-- a time when their family members have other obligations & they cant spend the needed time with them that having the weekend off allows none church leaders. I hear a lot of people saying that there’s no better time than church to spend with family, but these same people have other days to spend with their families while the church staff is still working on Sundays—I just don’t think the average church member realizes the hardship that Sunday night services present to the church staff.

 

Now that is a great idea—if our church had the personal to do this—then this would be a carbon copy of how I’d want things done. Although we don’t at the present time, I do like that set up & think it recognizes the importance of limiting the pastor to quality material.

 

Now this is lame.
Compare this to the secular world.
Our elementary teachers must be prepared to teach every subject every day five days a week--a total of 30 hours a week, and she must have her material mastered. Have you seen "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Greater," recently?
A high school teacher, teaching his subject (whether history, math, biology, etc.) must teach about four hours a day, five days a week, or at least 20 hours a day, and must have his material mastered.
A university professor must teach every day five days a week and must have his material mastered. He also (like other teachers) hands out assignments. Often he is the one to correct them. Academically he has far more work to do then a pastor.

Preparing two or three sermons compared to any of the above occupations, ought to be easy, and a pastor who can't ought to be ashamed. In the past we had circuit riding preachers who preached every day. Preachers like Wesley and Spurgeon often preached every day. I don't think anyone would fault Spurgeon's sermons as being lacking in preparation. The early church met every day.

Why is it that we expect more out of our secular world than we do from our own spiritual leaders? Put the shoe on the other foot. When revival services are held, and there are meetings held every day for a week, it is difficult to get all the members out every night, and yet the preacher preaches.

I know of one pastor who has been in the pastorate for more than 30 years and has never preached the same sermon twice. The church has three services a week; he preaches at youth activities; in chapel at a Christian school; and is well known as an evangelist. How to be an evangelist and balance the pastorate of a church is difficult, but he has help.

Preach the Word, be instant in season out of season...
Not just two or three times a week.

 

Amen!!! Try preaching and being a high school teacher. I'm at services at least three times a week if not more and I prep for 3 different subjects taught in 6 periods a day.

 

I find your examples amusing b/c I’ve been a high school teacher, I’ve worked as a university substitute teacher, & I’ve been a pastor (head, youth, & associate). With any secular job I was given at least 2 days off a week & did not have to worry about if my ability to adequately teach would impact something as important as genuinely understanding God’s Word. When I was a teacher in a secular setting I was not on call 24 hours a day (like a pastor has to be) & I had State mandated lesson plans to follow that helped determine what needed to be taught. I challenge you to find any teacher that just isn’t teaching the same material every year to the point that it becomes redundant to them They may alter it some—but its nothing like writing a sermon where spiritual maturity & growth in biblical understanding often impacts the direction the sermon takes. I applaud the pastor who has preached for 30 years without teaching the same sermon—but this is something secular teachers are not doing (for the most part) b/c all they do is repeat the same material year after year—so your example falls short. The job of a pastor is unique & really cant be compared to any secular job-b/c if a pastor gets it wrong, then he very well could lead others into heresy, whereas if a secular leader gets it wrong the impact is far less severe.