Wednesday Evening Services

Depends on the context really. What are you doing on Wednesday night, and how does it differ (if at all) from Sunday? What other activities are going on on Wed nites?

 

Our church, an SBC church, doesn't have much on Wednesday nights, especially during the summer, so my wife and I don't go on Wednesdays. At the IFB churches we attended for 20 years, if we weren't in church we were labeled as heretics, or unbelievers, or "unfaithful". Well, if it's just a country club type gathering with no real preaching, teaching or impact, why waste our time?

AVL1984

 

Wednesday night prayer "meeting" became "just the way we do things around here" and had degenerated into a single cell of those who came more out of habit . We stopped this concept about two years ago when some of the senior members were placing themselves in danger by coming out during cold, slippery winter nights.One of the younger women now meets with them in one ladie's apartment on Tuesday morning as a prayer group.This attracted another lady who isn't a member of our church, and she joined the group. I continue to lead a new prayer group on Wednesday night in a short Bible study and really great prayer.We have added two new attenders. Two ladies, one who cannot get out on Wed.night easily and the other who lives a distance away. have a telephone prayer "group" on Wed. night.We haven't changed the function, but we did change the form. That has been our experience, while it may not be an answer for others.
Blessings.

 

The church I am attending is getting ready to rev up Wednesday nights by making it a night of discipleship.

Three new discipleship classes will be starting up in a few weeks, and those who do not attend those will go through a general discipleship series with the pastor. At the end of the evening, everyone comes back to the main sanctuary for prayer service!

I am really looking forward to it.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

Wednesday night services are personal times of discipleship and fellowship for us. On Sun morning it is an unwritten law that worship must be formal and proper, wednesday night is a time of everyone putting in their input to the study and a time of great prayer where the congregation prays with the pastor.

More tears of brokenness and joy are given in our wed night services than sun morning.

 

Since we don't do Sunday Night. Wednesday Night is well attended in our church. We do special things on the first Wednesday night. This last First Wednesday we invited the nearest Afro-American Church for supper followed by preaching by both Pastors of our two churches. It was a great time of fellowship and praise.

 

Wow, Hardsheller, that's a great idea! How's it working? I've always thought it was a good idea to be intentional in matters of racial reconciliation.

As for our Wednesday night, we do a more detailed bible study, with an informal atmosphere - similar to GODzThunder's midweek services. I only wish though that our core group would share tears of joy and brokenness. Out here in rural Missouri, stonewalling seems to be the way to do business.

 

We do different things on Wednesdays, usually rotating between an all group Bible study on some topic, men's and ladies' Bible studies, and straight prayer time. Each section usually lasts 6-8 weeks depending on various factors. They are fairly well attended. The prayer times are the least attended unfortunately. We changed to this this year and people who were hesitant at first seem to really like it.

 

We sing a hymn, have prayer and Bible study. Wednesday evening is poorly attended, no Sunday school teachers and very few deacons. Committee and choir members will wait to come in after the study, meet and sing.

We had over 100 kids per night for VBS. We have no programming for children or youth on Wednesdays.

 

Good ole tradition is hard to beat. Often it's uneffective, but it's something they can hang on to.

 

Because it fits our purposes of fellowship and teaching.

The fact that it is tradition is not bad. We are really lazy compared to the first century tradition of meeting daily. Two days a week is laughable commitment in comparison to that. Traditions do not need to be dispensed with. Traditionalism does.

Some folks do want to replace their spiritual life with church services. That is wrong. ON the other hand there are those who want a spiritual life with little or no involvement in the spiritual body. That is equally wrong (not mention impossible).

If the body of Christ is having something, why wouldn't you be there?

 

That's what I'm saying, Pastor Larry. As Dr B states, many use church services to replace their relationship with God - and they don't even know it. But a midweek service doesn't have to be cold and unspiritual.

Unfortunatley, in many cases, churches have given up on the midweek service simply because they can't motivate people to come.

I don't believe these meetings moved to the churches because of control issues. There are many people in my neck of the woods that just love to be "in church" (meaning the church building) with the faithful (meaning "the church"). Nothing wrong with that!

 

Our Wed night crowd consists of the main core group. The youth have a good study, but most families with children in school do not come on Wed. The pastor (my sweet hubby) has discussion type teaching sessions - lately focusing on the purposes of the church programs. Then there is a group (sometimes small groups) prayer time. Then choir. Then we hit the Mexican restaurant. People seem to be interested in it - those who come.