Why two services on a Sunday?

Charles Arn wrote a book entitled "How to Start a New Service: Your Church Can Reach New People".

It's one of the best studies I've read about both the advantages of adding a service(s); and also many practical considerations about how to actually go about doing it.

Too many good insights for me to cover here, but I'd really recommend reading the book for a well-laid out answer to your question.

 

I may be all wrong here, but I offer my opinion on the matter for your consideration. You are much more likely to have guests and less committed Christians in attendance at the morning service, while your loyal core group will show up on Sunday night. While the gospel is always presented at both services, I find that I'm able to deliver a message more tailored to faithful (at least in attendance) Christians at night.

 

I don't know why but I'm glad there are. I've always enjoyed Sunday evening serices much more than the morning ones.

 

O.K. I'll play devil's advocate.

Being a P.K., I was always in church on Sunday night. But we often lamented that the group was smaller--the less committed stayed home. Sometimes it was downright depressing!

But now I wonder if we didn't comfort ourselves by having just a twinge of self-righteousness for our greater level of commitment.

I'm also wondering if Sunday nights might be better spent having fellowship in each others homes, maybe having a home Bible study, rather than going to another service. It would give us a chance to relax and get to know each other more personally.

In Christ,

Tim

 

It's also been written that church members have been voting with their feet for years by avoiding Sunday night services. Other nights of the week are typically better, such as Saturday or Wednesday.

 

Of course, the early church met on Sunday night because Sunday was a work day for them. As I understand it, here in the good ol' USA, the Sunday night service was originally the "evangelistic" service of the week. Back in the day... there were far more likely to be visitors/unsaved in the evening service.

In many rural areas, it began with a Sunday afternoon service after a dinner because of travel distances and times - not feasible to go home and come back later.

 

I've never been a part of a church that has'nt had a Sunday evening service. I agree, that at least in those churches, it was the core group that came back on Sunday evenings.

Our church now will average 15-20 folks coming back. We usually average 80-85 in the am. Wednesday evenings 10-15. I don't question why are we having church, rather where are our Sunday school teachers, deacons and organizational leaders during that time. They're not at church. They don't want to drop the service or do something different, they just don't want come.

I would like to spend more time in fellowship and home Bible study during that time.

 

LOL, you think your question is mind blowing how about this one?

I do believe in a Sunday worship because that is the Lord's day (resurrection). I understand Churches that only have one service instead of two on that day... BUT, who says that it must be a MORNING service?

oh, I think I will create a subject on this one...

 

In our church we had a very small number of folks coming back for sunday night. Then we tried something new (for us) - we went to a short praise and worship time, then into discipleship groups. We will usually have an OT class, a NT class, a teachers training class, a few youth and childrens discipleship classes. We give certificates of completion to people that meet the requirements of the different classes.

Our attendance usually runs about 400 on a sunday am, and 150-200 on a sunday pm. We have been doing this for the past two years or so.

 

A service on sunday morning and the 2nd one sunday afternoon. A service on sunday evening is naturally unthinkable in any Godfearing Dutch church, a sure sign of the crudity and decadence of the English speaking infidels. Evening services are to be held on saturdays.

 

Quite afew years ago I attended a church that had evening services every Sunday except for the rare month that had 5 Sundays in them. And of course, we didn't have a service on Super Bowl Sunday. Our pastor, godly man that he was, was an avid football fan and "just had to" watch the game. (As a side note, some of the congregation were cool with it, and some were not).

The Church I attend nowadays doesn't have a evening service, but we have 2 morning services; one at 9:00am, and the other at 10:40am. Why? Too many people and too few seats. We hope to have a new building someday, but that's still a few years off.

God Bless!!!

Adam

 

Our 5th Sunday night is always a singing or talent type singing and ice cream social.

Many of our Sunday Night services are aimed at the teens and college aged youth and I don't attend those. I don't like the loud modern music and, honestly, don't want to expose Nick (almost 9) until I have to. I want him to learn to enjoy hymns.

Diane

 

The pastor liked to call the 5th Sunday "Family Night." Stay home with your family and play a game; have a good conversation; a home bible study; or whatever. I always thougth it was a great idea.

God Bless!!!

Adam

 

Actually, it had been my understanding that the early church met on the first evening of the week (i.e., the night of the first day of the week), which was Saturday night. Days ran sunset to sunset, not midnight to midnight. If they'd met on Sunday night, that'd have been the second day of the week.

 

I am not sure who the first person to instigate Sunday evening services was, but I would sure like to get a hold of him. He is the probably the same guy that created neckties.