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A little disappointed this morning

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by gators_2006, Apr 8, 2012.

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  1. gators_2006

    gators_2006 New Member

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    While sitting in the choir loft this morning, I sat looking at a full house this morning. I mean standing room only. We might have an average 240-260 on any given Sunday. But today it was 400-450. My only thought was how sad it was to see this many people on this morning. Now I am glad they were there. It was just disheartening to know that Christ died for all, and most of the people in attendance can only give him one worship service, once a year. I hope I'm not the only one who may have had that thought today. I just wish it was standing room only at every service.
     
    #1 gators_2006, Apr 8, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 8, 2012
  2. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    We had a number of new people today (8) but not one of them were regular attenders - and 3/4 of them were not saved. However, with 3 people, that changed. :) Praise the Lord!!! :D

    You can look at this two ways: These people don't WANT to be in church every Sunday and they don't "hear" what is being said anyway. The question I have for that is this: Are they saved? Many who only attend church on Easter and Christmas are not saved, IMO.

    The other is that these people came to church today, not realizing that they were coming face-to-face with their Savior and because of today, lives will be changed. If they were not saved, seeds were planted. If they are saved, maybe growth will occur.
     
    #2 annsni, Apr 8, 2012
  3. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    Me too...

    ...as a pastor, I always knew that on Christmas and Easter, I could expect overflow crowds, and like you, I only wish I had some way of getting those people back to the other 50 services during the year.

    If we both felt bad at what we observed, just imagine how much worse God felt looking down at the holiday only crowds? :tear::tear::tear:

    However, I'm sure your pastor did like I did, and preached the best message possible (with the help and assistance of the Holy Ghost) to draw as many of those holiday worshippers to Jesus just in case it would be the last time they saw the inside of a church, except for a funeral.
     
    #3 righteousdude2, Apr 8, 2012
  4. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    I guess I'm a glass full kind of guy...our Easter service attendance means we need to add two additional services and open overflow rooms. It's not a bad thing, and really an opportunity to see our entire church come together on one Sunday and an opportunity to bring in guests and visitors who might not otherwise attend a service.

    In general we have a pretty high rate of movement from week to week in our church. Often we see families and individuals who attend about twice a month, yet almost all show up on Easter Sunday. So it's a great day for us.

    People have a lot of reasons for their attendance patterns and are often looking for a better way to connect with a church. We want to leverage those opportunities on Easter.

    Maybe it's a way the see the crowds.
     
    #4 preachinjesus, Apr 8, 2012
  5. mcdirector

    mcdirector Active Member

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    It is how people are. I too am grateful that we get some to come and hear the gospel at times when they normally would still be in bed.
     
    #5 mcdirector, Apr 9, 2012
  6. DiamondLady

    DiamondLady New Member

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    We had an Easter breakfast yesterday instead of Sunday School. My comment was, "I wish there were this many people here on time for Sunday School each week." There were people there for breakfast I haven't seen in Sunday School for more than a year! I heard piped back at me, "we should have breakfast EVERY Sunday."

    I told the preacher, after the blessing, that it was a bit like a ball game. After the invocation the umpire yells, "play ball." In a Baptist Church, after the blessing, the preacher should yell, "let's eat!"

    I too wish people took the Biblical admonition not to forsake the gathering of themselves together much more seriously, and not think it only means Christmas and Easter Sundays.
     
    #6 DiamondLady, Apr 9, 2012
  7. Ed B

    Ed B Member

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    This year I am seeing this in a glass half full way too. We broke records yesterday with ~2700 over 4 services. Our pastor preached a very good Gospel message to hundreds who are either unchurched or lapsed in their walk with Christ. While God knows the hearts of all the attendees, for us only time will tell how many lives are changed because of hearing the Gospel preached yesterday.

    I would like to see all those attending each week too, but perhaps Easter and Christmas are a big part of our local Evangelical mission opportunity.


     
    #7 Ed B, Apr 9, 2012
  8. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

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    As a pastor, I am glad whenever they come and whatever the reason they come. We try not to have some special, big day events on easter and/or Christmas because we want people to see us as we do church the other 51 Sundays and not think that a regular service is a let down after we put on the "big show".

    We usually can see a gain over the next weeks from people who gave our church a try on easter.
     
    #8 Tom Bryant, Apr 9, 2012
  9. Jkdbuck76

    Jkdbuck76 Well-Known Member
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    Glad the extra people came.

    I wonder: would it be rude to put "we are open on the other 51 Sundays this year" in the announcement section in the bulletins?
     
    #9 Jkdbuck76, Apr 9, 2012
  10. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    I think it would be funny. Not sure how others would take it though. :thumbs:
     
    #10 annsni, Apr 9, 2012
  11. mcdirector

    mcdirector Active Member

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    Ha! Love it!
     
    #11 mcdirector, Apr 9, 2012
  12. gators_2006

    gators_2006 New Member

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    Don't get me wrong, I am glad that many people came to church yesterday morning. Hopefully some hearts were changed and some doors were opened.

    I know that over the next few weeks our numbers will be higher than normal, but after about a month, they start to fall off. I just wish that people, I say people in general, would give more than one service a year for our risen Savior. I don't want to make this a numbers game, but it's hard seeing that many people on one Sunday, and then not the others through out the year.

    I just don't like seeing a holiday like Easter and Christmas being the only time a church can have a packed house. The message people hear when they attend holiday services doesn't change for any other service through out the year. Christ was born, He died on the cross and was resurrected, and God alway was, is and will be.

    I just fell like there are a lot of people, saved and not saved, that fell like if they attend at least Christmas and Easter service, they fell better about themselves and can justify it as "at least I went to church on Eater/Christmas" and fell like they are "covered" for a while. Or they use it as a social "I saw so-and-so" at church. If they went and was seen then they can use that as the "well I attend church at so-and-so and if you don't believe me ask Mr. ?"

    Like I said, I'm glad each and everyone of those were there for the sermon on Sunday, I just don't like knowing that some where there for every other reason than the right reason and with a right heart. I'm hopefull some lives were changed, but the reality of what others do, I can't deny. I try to find every answer I can so that when I talk to these people later and these are the answers I get when I ask why they don't come more often, I know how to better answer them as lovingly as possible without coming over as a "hell and brimstone" preacher.

    Well that's my thought, glad to see others points of view as well.
     
    #12 gators_2006, Apr 9, 2012
  13. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    Great idea! I'm going to do it.
     
    #13 Mexdeaf, Apr 9, 2012
  14. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    BUNNY RABBIT CHRISTIANS-------They come hoppin' in every Easter!!!!

    :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
     
    #14 blackbird, Apr 11, 2012
  15. mcdirector

    mcdirector Active Member

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    ha! what do you call the Christmas ones? ;)
     
    #15 mcdirector, Apr 11, 2012
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