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I didn't wish to hijack the discussion about a particular church reinstating Sunday Night service but it did make me have a question. Perhaps you can help.My church has a pretty old school schedule. We have Sunday school at 9:45am, morning worship at 10:45am, evening worship at 6:00pm, prayer meeting Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday night bible study at 7pm. Attendance, as you can predict, is high on MW, average on SS, EW and WNBS with prayer meeting being less than 1% of the membership in attendance.So my question is... why do we do this? Especially with regard to Sunday. Why do we have 2 services on Sunday? I've always wondered where the tradition was born and why (since I feel pretty sure there is no biblical mandate for meeting twice on Sundays)

Great question.Did AJT set the course for this?Was it in the Evangel?I would like to know also

Great question.Did AJT set the course for this?Was it in the Evangel?I would like to know also. The thing is, I am so exhausted on Sunday night when I get home after two services (plus we usually have choir practice at 4pm BEFORE the night service) I can barely function. I'm not the pastor or even a preacher. Just an active member. I can't imagine how the pastor feels after delivering two messages, praying with people, etc.When is our day of rest? I have yet to take one

From what I understand, evening services were initially observed when we were an agricultural society. Farmers typically worked 6 days a week. They would have the morning service, have a meal and fellowship, and then meet again for worship before returning home. I have also heard that during WWII, many men (and women ) worked 7 days a week to keep up with production demands. The Sunday evening services allowed these laborers to still attend worship services. Today, they tend to be believer meetings. Very few unsaved people in attendance. As you referenced, many from within our congregation would like to have Sunday evening services. I think every congregation is different. Seems to work for some, and others prefer to have the night off. For others, it is simply a sacred cow. But you summed it up well. It certainly makes Sunday anything but a day of rest.

Sunday night services also used to begin at 7:30pm instead of 6pm, when I was growing up, so you really did have time to chill for a while between services. I used to be faithful to Sunday night, but we stopped having it regularly when my pastor developed health problems. We had to make some changes. Once we stopped having the services, I have wound up taking a 2-3 hour nap Sunday afternoon/evening. I thought I would attend elsewhere, but that rarely happens. And there aren't many churches that have them anymore. Now I wonder how I used to do all that every week!I try to take Friday night & Saturday morning as my Sabbath. I agree, Sunday is not a day of rest for most people who are active in church More of Him...less of me.twitter.com/camiracle77www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=691241499&ref=name

From the beginning of time (that I can remember) it has been preached STRONGLY 'Fair not to assemble yourselves together'. That was interpreted to mean, Be in church every time the doors are open! Honestly the folks that made all 6 or 7 services looked with disdain on those who did not.THAT WAS NOT FAIR NOR A GOOD CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE, but it was the truth. The pastor would fall short of calling the 'slackers' back slid-den, but he would come as close as he could with out REALLY insulting his members and tithe payers. Honestly folk who attend Sunday night services should meet in a class room for fellowship and prayer. JMHO Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/

Sunday night is our worst service of the week, statistically and spiritually. Very, very seldom does a person show up on Sunday night, that wasn't there Sunday morning. They are usually worn out, worn down, and in no mood for a worship service.People want and need to have a little down time, but having a Sunday morning and night service doesn't allow that.Sunday night is a problem, I've never been able to solve.Have services and its like pulling teeth. Everybody looks tired and disinterested. Nobody wants to be there, or so it seems.But if you decide to cancel PM services, those 5 people, who wanted to keep them going, are going to make your life miserable. But secretly....they'll be glad you killed that service, just like everyone else

dismissed the evening services. Every single person gladly accepted this. we had families that worked hard all week and had to fit some type of family activity between 12 and 6 PM and then hurry up and get back for the PM. Many of them coming early to AM music practice.So our Pastor believed that dismissing the PM would actually create a better quality AM. It worked and we never looked back!One thing that we do, is we have an occasional PM service. Our Church loves it!