2 major Calif. churches going Back to Sunday Nights

[Pastor Keith]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

This is absolutely the most profound thing I've read on this forum - EVER. You have hit the nail squarely on the head, my friend.

Coming from you that means something, you are no lightweight, now I must go and repent for pride!

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by MrsBOOMM

I have enjoyed reading the discussion. I have been concerned for awhile about churches reducing the amount of services they have. In my time, I have watched as trends have continually gone downhill. Shorter services, fewer services, services with no meat or substance to them, seems like we are getting a little lazy folks. I am thankful however that, at our local church we are on the upward climb and we have been having great services, enjoying the presence of God and watching God work in many different forms.

I've read a lot on this thread about how we, i.e., the saved ones enjoy coming to church to worship. However, I haven't seen much about evangelism mentioned here. In other words, church is great if it inspires you to go out and reach your world with the gospel, but if it's just something we enjoy doing for our own edificaition, we've missed the purpose of church.

Church should not be a simply a social club where we come week after week, and fall into our routines, and enjoy our comfort zone - it should be a place of preparation from which we go out and preach the gospel.

School is great, teaches us basic skills. College is great, teaches us how to develop skills which will make us productive members of society in the professional world. But, eventually, we need to leave the training session and go out and put into use what we've learned. Nothing wrong with continuing education, but the education shouldn't become our focus - it's what to do with our education that should take preeminence in our lives.

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by keith4him

Coming from you that means something, you are no lightweight, now I must go and repent for pride!

Nothing to repent of, my friend, the Bible teaches us to give honor where honor is due, and this is definitely and "honor worthy" statement!

[CC1]

Originally Posted by MrsBOOMM

I have enjoyed reading the discussion. I have been concerned for awhile about churches reducing the amount of services they have. In my time, I have watched as trends have continually gone downhill. Shorter services, fewer services, services with no meat or substance to them, seems like we are getting a little lazy folks. I am thankful however that, at our local church we are on the upward climb and we have been having great services, enjoying the presence of God and watching God work in many different forms.

Perhaps the UPC can pass a resoloution at GC that will require all pastors holding license with the UPC to sign an affirmation statement that they will have a minimum of two services on Sunday, each no shorter than two hours in length.

[Rhoni]

I have never understood how churches can stay afloat with only one Sunday service for tithes and offerings!

[Carpenter]

Originally Posted by keith4him

We know enough leaders to handle and assimilate the 3000 that were converted on the Day of Pentecost.

Jesus never told us to build churches, he told us to make disciples, because we have disobeyed him, we are stuck with a bunch of weak, underdeveloped believers who become dependent upon the system for survival.

After what M.F. said, I had to go read it myself. This indeed is a tremendous observation and so very simple.

I agree with all my heart regarding the hyper-emotional, spiritually shallow (I am putting words in your mouth here Keith ), biblically ignorant and underdeveloped saints that are dependent on the system and culture for survival! Churches are good, and they serve a great purpose in the community, but to make people corporately and socially dependent on them is a travesty.

There is a commercial on television for a bank where several bankers dressed very nicely in 3 piece suits are together looking up lapping their tongues like little birds in a nest. It occured to me this is how many many folks in the church receive their daily...strike that...weekly bread.

[CC1]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

I have never understood how churches can stay afloat with only one Sunday service for tithes and offerings!

Perhaps happier saints give more?

[Pastor Keith]

Originally Posted by Carpenter

After what M.F. said, I had to go read it myself. This indeed is a tremendous observation and so very simple.

I agree with all my heart regarding the hyper-emotional, spiritually shallow (I am putting words in your mouth here Keith ), biblically ignorant and underdeveloped saints that are dependent on the system and culture for survival! Churches are good, and they serve a great purpose in the community, but to make people corporately and socially dependent on them is a travesty.

There is a commercial on television for a bank where several bankers dressed very nicely in 3 piece suits are together looking up lapping their tongues like little birds in a nest. It occured to me this is how many many folks in the church receive their daily...strike that...weekly bread.

I know, it's a uphill battle, it as though someone put the wrong original in the copy machine and we have been making copies from it since, I did, they handed it to me in Bible College, if you want to build an Apostolic church this how you do it.

Get a building, get a crowd, organize, organize. Lead them to attend so that they pray, pay and obey, walla you have a church that looks like the apostolic church, NOT!

No one ever went back to the original copy to question whether it was the correct one. So we are stuck with bad copies spread all around the country.

[revrandy]

Originally Posted by CupCake

The Redding Calif church held Sunday service at 2:00 PM this included singing and testifying, more singing and church invents, etc. Then Sunday school was at 3:00 PM were as the kids would go to their assign class and the adults 18- through would stay and the pastors would preach until 4:30 PM followed by a 20 min snake break. The 4:50 PM was the worship service preaching, singing, invited guessed would show up for this. This service would go on until 9:00 PM most Sundays and a few even went as long as 11:00 PM, were as we all go to dinner afterwards or to someone home for supper, for fellowship. There was 200 member then. At one point they talk about having a 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Sunday School followed by an evening worship 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM but the church member voted against it. We were there for nine years.

We've travailed alot during our preaching days with the UPCI, and out of all the schedules I perter the Redding Calif setup by far.

How many members now?

[revrandy]

Originally Posted by Thad

so one service a week on sunday morning is enough ?

I've often wondered if those who were paid to be in church might feel differently....if they weren't paid to be there???

Husband and Wives working 60+ hours a week.. at church usually Sundays.. and Wednesday Nights... and any other prayer night or task night during the week...

I think Sunday Evening is a great time for Family in my opinion...

I like One Service on Sunday.. The Pastor is not worried about preaching TWO sermons... the people don't get wore out...

I've talked with some local pastors that would love to go to one service on Sunday but are forced by the More traditional saints to two... but are looking to go to one...