What’s the point?
All across the United States churches are closing there doors on Sunday night services. And I, for one, have cheered the decline. Isn’t there better things we can do with our time. What’s the point in another sermon – another time of worship?
But I’ve changed my mind about Sunday nights. Here’s why.
It’s been years since I’ve attended a Sunday night service. All across the United States churches are closing there doors on Sunday nights. And I, for one, have cheered the move. What’s the point of a Sunday night service? Isn’t there better things we can do with our time. Why do we need a repeat of Sunday morning service – another sermon, another time of worship? But I’ve changed my mind about Sunday nights. Here’s why we need Sunday night services.
What’s the point of Sunday night service? I think that’s the general reason people have closed the doors. If it’s just another reason to have another service, just another time to pass the offering plate then of course close the doors! There’s no point in doing that! Especially when there’s better things on TV at home. We can entertain ourselves in a plethora of different ways today. Why expend the effort in putting on a Sunday night service? Why take people away from there families and other ministry opportunities that they could be doing?
Why have we abandoned Sunday night service
- Better things to do
- Low attendance
- Not worth the effort
- Just a repeat of Sunday morning – lacks purpose
Why we need Sunday night service
- A time for believers!
- A time for communion!
- A time for worship!
- A time for prayer!
Did you know the early church had two seperate services? One for seekers and believers and the other just for believers.
- It’s a repeat of Sunday morning
- it’s got low attendance
This article…
The people who are exploring Christianity are not typically accustomed even to weekly worship a single time. So to put forward some kind of a community-based expectation that you do this twice a Sunday would be extraordinary.
What’s the point?
The most memorable sermon I ever heard was delivered on a Sunday night. After a time of worship, Jim Davenport rose to the podium and help up a cream colored file folder and said
this is probably the best sermon you will ever hear. But God told me not to speak it. Love one another. You are dismissed.
It certainly the shortest message I’ve ever heard. And that’s probably why it stands out to me twenty years later.
That was Sunday nights!
Today, however, churches have largely abandoned Sunday night services. I know I for one have cheered the decline. Why do we need a repeat of Sunday morning? Isn’t there a better way to spend our time? And besides Sunday nights never matched the attendance of Sunday mornings. I more or less thought in terms of this person in this article when he said
But I see it differently today.
It might look like Sunday mornings. There was always worship and a sermon. But the difference wasn’t in form. It was atmosphere. Sunday nights felt natural. Cultural dress codes were dressed down and all appeals to the clock were abandoned. The agenda was simply to experience the power and presence of the Holy Spirit and fellowship with other believers.
I’ve changed my mind since then. Here’s why.
It just isn’t successful in the way it used to be. And we’ve begun to ask ourselves what’s the point of a repeat of Sunday morning? It really is a mission focus that has changed. We don’t go to Sunday night because we think it is a repeat of Sunday morning. And that is true. At it’s worst Sunday morning was just a repeat of Sunday morning – a time to hear another sermon, sing some songs etc. But at its best Sunday nights were freeing time to enjoy the Spirit’s presence and fellowship with one another.
A service for seekers on Sunday Mornings. That’s what were left with. A shallow time of preaching to the unsaved or uncommitted. Christmas and Easter services are given over to such people. Like a politicians we play to the independents. Forget those who are committed and want to truly go deeper.
There have been times that I’ve been grateful for Sunday night services and times where I felt it was it would be better for it to go the way of the Dinosaur.
We need it precisely because it isn’t Sunday morning! Sunday morning is a time believers, unbelievers and seekers to come together. Services are more formal. Time is of the essence. Many people come to Sunday morning for a shot in the arm for there daily routine. People come to check out a church. They come to try it out. Sunday nights, however, are a time for the church to be laid back and let the Spirit move. To allow for extended times of prayer and fellowship.
I use to think it was a trend here in the Northwest where historically the Church has not been as socially influential. But with this article I’m beginning to think its more of a national trend which I believe is due to the proliferation of alternative entertainment options. It’s a bottom line thing.
But I think this comes from a misunderstanding of what Sunday Night is all about. I for one used to not want a Sunday Night Service. When I thought that Sunday Night was just a repeat of Sunday Morning. But it’s not. If that was the cause then of course there might be good reason to abandon Sunday nights.
Here’s an article on the trend published September 18, 2010.
Is Sunday morning a time for evangelism or discipleship? Is it a time for believers or unbelievers?
Mudding the waters. We assume that believers are being discipled by what we do. What’s the purpose and point of Sunday morning service? Why do we do what we do?
Do you remember Sunday night services? When I was growing up it was a vital time of Christian community. We don’t have Sunday Night services any more. At least in the churches I’ve attended in the last ten years. Even the churches I grew up don’t have Sunday night services any more.
Balancing the needs of the local church
Can these be done at the same time and in the same place – namely Sunday morning. How do we take pagans from the surrounding society and disciple them into the Christ honoring followers today.
What was a service like in the second century. They had two different services – the first for believers and seekers and the second for believers only. It striking to me how much the service hasn’t changed that much in 2,000 years. Worship and then sermon. But what did strike me is the fact that they had a second service – a service to which only believers were invited. And it was during this time that they had extended time of prayer and communion. The second service was washed out when the empire became Christian. When there simply were more Christians then unbelievers. But now we’re moving back into a time of unbelief and all we offer Christians is a muddied seeker sensitive service.
Part 1: Service of the Word
1. Opening greeting by bishop and response by the congregation. Often, the bishop would say “The Lord be with you” and the congregation would respond, “And with your spirit.”
2. Old Testament Scripture reading. Usually read or chanted by a deacon.
3. Psalm or hymn (I). Chanted or sung.
4. New Testament Scripture reading (I). This first NT reading was from any NT book outside the gospels.
5. Psalm or hymn (II).
6. New Testament Scripture reading (II). From one of the four gospels.
7. Sermon. Delivered by the bishop, while seated.
8. Dismissal of all but baptized believers.
Part 2: The Eucharist
1. Congregational prayers. The prayer leader—the bishop in the West; senior deacon in the East—would announce the first topic. The congregation prayed silently for a while. Then the leader summed up the petitions with his own spoken prayer. Then he would do the same pattern again with a new topic. This was a lengthy part of the service. Early Christian art suggests that a typical posture from praying was standing, looking heavenward, with arms outstretched and palms up.
2. The Lord’s Supper. Here’s the order: (1) the bishop offered a greeting; (2) the congregation responded; (3) there was a “kiss of peace” (men to men, women to women); (4) church members brought their own small loaf of bread and flask of wine from home; the deacons took these and spread them out on the Lord’s table, emptying the flasks of wine into one large silver cup. (5) The bishop and the congregation engaged in a liturgical “dialogue” with the congregation; (6) the bishop led the congregation in prayer; (7) the bishop and the deacons broke the bread and distributed the cup to the congregation. (8) Something would be said to each member as he or she received the elements (e.g., “The bread of heaven in Christ Jesus,” with the response of “Amen.”) Unconsumed bread and wine would be taken home by church members to use for celebrating communion at home during the weekdays.
3. Benediction. E.g., “Depart in peace,” spoken by the deacon.
