Pastor's Corner

22 Mar
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Mid-Week Challenge

Anyone who has attended one of our Wednesday evening gatherings will tell you that it is very different than what we do on Sunday mornings.  And in some ways, more fun and engaging.  At midweek we realize that people have worked hard all week, those with children have homework and activities to account for, and Thursday schedules come at us when the morning alarm goes off if we are ready or not.  Taking all of that into account, we still have about half of our Sunday congregation show up at 6PM to experience and participate in another midweek activity.  Those that attend will tell you that after attending one midweek they, and their family members, see it as something that helps them recharge and reload for the end of the week.  Even though we have so much going on, pausing at midweek gives us the energy and renewal to make it to the weekend!     

Reading the headlines this week I ran across an article by Aaron Earls, senior writer at Lifeway Research.  Earls reports the findings of 2019 survey on Wednesday evening church activities.  https://research.lifeway.com/2019/09/10/wednesday-night-still-a-church-night-for-most-congregations/

He reports:  Nine in 10 Protestant pastors say they have some type of activity on Wednesday night, according to a new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research. Only 10% say they have no regular events on Wednesday evening. “Church leaders frequently discuss the difficulty of getting people to participate in church activities multiple days each week,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Yet the vast majority of churches are still open and active on Wednesday nights.”

While the historic roots of Wednesday night church gatherings centered on prayer, the study found the modern usage of a midweek service stretch beyond that. Sixty percent of churches have small group adult Bible study classes, most have some type of student ministry or youth group gathering, 48% say they have children’s activities and 45% use the night for a prayer meeting.  Twenty percent of churches have choir or worship team rehearsals on Wednesday.  It’s exciting to report we offer all of these! 

McConnell went on to say in the article, “The church exists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of whether the doors to the building are open or not. But research demonstrates that church buildings are welcoming people much more frequently than one hour on Sunday morning. In fact, it is rare to find a church closed on a Wednesday night.”

I love to hear that God is very much at work in churches around the country, just like He is at our gathering on Wednesday evenings! When we hear about all the activities that compete with the Church at midweek, it is great to hear that other churches are experiencing similar challenges that we have in our fellowship. What’s more encouraging is to hear about the spiritual successes that are happening in the midst of all these things that seek to compete with what we have to offer.  Anyone who has made the sacrifice of giving up a couple extra hours to church at midweek have all reported back that it is well worth the effort.  When we give ourselves to God it is miraculous what He gives us back in return!  

See how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony!  Psalm 133:1

Serving the Savior,

Bro. Jonathan

By: Dr. Jonathan Richerson

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