Midweek Service

[rockytopva]

Few churches have midweek services these days. It is nice to go to church on a weeknight and worship as a congregation and then have some kind of class for a half hour or so.

 

[Nancy]

Few churches have midweek services these days. It is nice to go to church on a weeknight and worship as a congregation and then have some kind of class for a half hour or so.

I SO agree with this rocky,
We had a midweek service back in the early 90's and I loved it. Gave me something to look forward to! And, it would be nice if more Church's had a mid week bible-study just to stay connected but, many just have Sunday School which I find to be silly. Go from one room to another after half hour of "teaching". My last Church did this but, it was not accepted form for ALL to participate...I did not care for that. Then, they had NOTHING (well, other than Celebrate Recovery) for the rest of the week. They did a men's breakfast that started at 5 A.M. Well, that did not last long.

 

[reformed1689]

I agree, Sunday night services as well.

 

[Candidus]

Though there is no mandate in Scripture to have supplemental services, they served a vital purpose when that was the norm. If you love something, it becomes your priority; it is hard to drag you away from it. The Church as Scripture describes it, is marked by an unmistakable and overt mutual love for one another, and genuine caring for one another. True love desires to be around each other as much as possible. We would call that true fellowship (not what we flippantly call "fellowship" today). I believe that the Early Church automatically had that sense of love and community, and that you did not have to schedule an event to get people to want to be together. Early on, most did not have any designated building they called "the Church", so such a schedule was unlikely to be needed.

Yet, here we are today. Most of us live busy lives in large communities where we rarely see fellow Christians during the week that we worship with on Sundays. I think that supplementary services were scheduled to encourage fellowship, and it was a response to what people wanted. Unfortunately, it may have devolved into being viewed as a forced schedule, and to some... a means of implying who was committed, and who was not. Personally, I liked the supplemental services. I have been in places where true fellowship actually happens apart from a schedule of Church endorsed events; this sadly, was a rare experience.

 

[Windmillcharge]

May I suggest that you ask around, who else would commit to attending a mid week meeting at either a house or at the church?
If there are enough people ask if a Bible study and prayer meeting could be set up for those interested.

If there are other churches in town, try asking if some of them would like to attend with meetings alternating between the different churches members houses?

 

[reformed1689]

Though there is no mandate in Scripture to have supplemental services, they served a vital purpose when that was the norm. If you love something, it becomes your priority; it is hard to drag you away from it. The Church as Scripture describes it, is marked by an unmistakable and overt mutual love for one another, and genuine caring for one another. True love desires to be around each other as much as possible. We would call that true fellowship (not what we flippantly call "fellowship" today). I believe that the Early Church automatically had that sense of love and community, and that you did not have to schedule an event to get people to want to be together. Early on, most did not have any designated building they called "the Church", so such a schedule was unlikely to be needed.

Yet, here we are today. Most of us live busy lives in large communities where we rarely see fellow Christians during the week that we worship with on Sundays. I think that supplementary services were scheduled to encourage fellowship, and it was a response to what people wanted. Unfortunately, it may have devolved into being viewed as a forced schedule, and to some... a means of implying who was committed, and who was not. Personally, I liked the supplemental services. I have been in places where true fellowship actually happens apart from a schedule of Church endorsed events; this sadly, was a rare experience.

Supplemental services? You realize the church at its inception met daily right?

 

[Willie T]

We attend church "study" classes a couple of nights during the week. I find that probably six times as fulfilling as the typical Wednesday night service we once attended the CoC.

 

[Willie T]

BTW, I personally think you are pushing the benefit of mid-week classes if your attendance exceeds much more than 8-10 people. It should not be allowed to devolve to the level of just another guy preaching to an audience. This is total interaction time, and everyone should contribute.

 

[reformed1689]

BTW, I personally think you are pushing the benefit of mid-week classes if your attendance exceeds much more than 8-10 people. It should not be allowed to devolve to the level of just another guy preaching to an audience. This is total interaction time, and everyone should contribute.

Not sure I agree with that. This often falls into "This is what the Bible means to me...."

 

[bbyrd009]

fwiw i would suggest that what we now call "worship" are actually what Scripture calls "love-feasts," not sure where Bible study would fall in there, though; prolly under "much study?"

 

[Willie T]

Not sure I agree with that. This often falls into "This is what the Bible means to me...."

As it should in such a class setting. This is "relationship" time, and it should be a time when you leave that evening together knowing more about the people sitting silently around you in the pews Sunday morning. God forbid that our weekday classes ever sink to the level of people just sitting there, listening to one more sermon from a guy telling them "what the Bible should mean to them" and then going home...……… "Home", where most of our Bible Study really happens, anyway.

 

[Willie T]

If I was forced (God forbid) into having to give up either the Sunday morning audience scene, OR our closely knit Weekday gatherings, there would be nothing to even think about. The Sundays would have to be the ones to have to go.

 

[reformed1689]

As it should in such a class setting. This is "relationship" time, and it should be a time when you leave that evening together knowing more about the people sitting silently around you in the pews Sunday morning. God forbid that our weekday classes ever sink to the level of people just sitting there, listening to one more sermon from a guy telling them "what the Bible should mean to them" and then going home...……… "Home", where most of our Bible Study really happens, anyway.

The thing is, I don't care what the Bible "means to you" I care what the Bible means. These "what does the Bible mean to you" studies only leads to theological error.

 

[Pearl]

Few churches have midweek services these days. It is nice to go to church on a weeknight and worship as a congregation and then have some kind of class for a half hour or so.

My church, which is a New Testament church, doesn't have a formal midweek 'service' as such but people meet informally in small groups to study the bible and pray together and then once a month the church comes together - again informally - as a whole to pray.

 

[Jay Ross]

The thing is, I don't care what the Bible "means to you" I care what the Bible means. These "what does the Bible mean to you" studies only leads to theological error.

I assume that is in your humble opinion. So what happens in your case is that only one person can tell all of the others attending what the bible means to them.

Usually, when more that one person is contributing, correction in understanding is more possible.

 

[reformed1689]

I assume that is in your humble opinion. So what happens in your case is that only one person can tell all of the others attending what the bible means to them.

Usually, when more that one person is contributing, correction in understanding is more possible.

I don't care what the Bible means to a person, I care what it means.

 

[Jay Ross]

I don't care what the Bible means to a person, I care what it means.

Thanks, you have just proved my previous point.

 

[reformed1689]

Thanks, you have just proved my previous point.

Actually what I said is distinctly different than what you tried to project on me.

 

[Jay Ross]

Actually what I said is distinctly different than what you tried to project on me.

And confirmed it again with this post.

 

[reformed1689]

And confirmed it again with this post.