4 thoughts on “This is nuts… (why aren’t the conservatives upset about this?)”
Our church is also not having Sunday morning service. We are having a longer extended candlelight service that evening. The idea is that we are hoping that since many people will be having family members from out of town or who normally don’t go to church with them on Christmas day they might be encouraged to bring them for the evening service and have the day end with the true meaning of Christmas.
Attendance wasn’t the issue for us because we are small anyway, but really it was more for the family communion that is done on Christmas morning that we feel needs to take place. Sure this could be done after morning service and not have an evening service but I think it will be a good way to end Christmas day with a beautiful worship service; a way to remind everyone what it’s all truly about in the end.
That said I think I would rather the Church at least be open Sunday morning for song, prayer, and fellowship for those who would like to come together, no planned sermon necessary just a place to come to. A good many people will be out of town and not able to make it to a morning service but those that could, and would like to, should have a place to go.
We are a small church and a very close church family and also tend to not be too formal in a set structure for worship services. Sometimes there are evening services and sometimes it has a sermon while other times it’s a classroom type setting and sometimes it just worship and singing etc… Sunday morning is pretty structured but most of the time, because we are a close community of people, we tend to think more as a family and become very flexible and unstructured in our approach but it also a feeling that we want to allow space for people to do what God calls them to do and sometimes that means doing things differently. There is something happening every night of the week at our church and it’s all because someone is willing to do it.
But mega churches are on the opposite side of that and rigidly structured and controlled. They tend to function too much like a business than a community of worshipers.
I can see the good and bad in not having Sunday service for Christmas.
hehehe, it’s funny how one’s perspective changes, because now I think of Shekinah as being a big church, but of course that’s because Joy Mennonite only has 15-20 for our average attendance.
I think what your church doing though is good. There’s still a Sunday service, just at a different time. (which actually seems like a good idea to me) I don’t like the idea though of cancelling church altogether, particularly for Christmas which should be a religious holiday.
I kinda looking forward to it this year, particularly I get to preach the sermon on Christmas day. Now I just have to find the right thing to say. (I’m definitely praying for some inspiration. I want this to be a good service for sure)
That is cool, congrats. It has to be very special to get to preach on such a holy holiday as the celebration of our savior’s birth.
We are not much of 150 to 200 but that is only twice as big as our graduating class in high school. Still a pretty small community of people compared to most churches. I like it that way though. It’s nice to be a good size and have the resources to do more but personally for me the smaller the better.
That is a very good size. Small enough that if you stay long enough you’ll actually get to know everyone.
I do need to come back and visit after I get done with school. It has been too long since I’ve been there (and would love to see Pastor Roger & Dolly again)
Our church is also not having Sunday morning service. We are having a longer extended candlelight service that evening. The idea is that we are hoping that since many people will be having family members from out of town or who normally don’t go to church with them on Christmas day they might be encouraged to bring them for the evening service and have the day end with the true meaning of Christmas.
Attendance wasn’t the issue for us because we are small anyway, but really it was more for the family communion that is done on Christmas morning that we feel needs to take place. Sure this could be done after morning service and not have an evening service but I think it will be a good way to end Christmas day with a beautiful worship service; a way to remind everyone what it’s all truly about in the end.
That said I think I would rather the Church at least be open Sunday morning for song, prayer, and fellowship for those who would like to come together, no planned sermon necessary just a place to come to. A good many people will be out of town and not able to make it to a morning service but those that could, and would like to, should have a place to go.
We are a small church and a very close church family and also tend to not be too formal in a set structure for worship services. Sometimes there are evening services and sometimes it has a sermon while other times it’s a classroom type setting and sometimes it just worship and singing etc… Sunday morning is pretty structured but most of the time, because we are a close community of people, we tend to think more as a family and become very flexible and unstructured in our approach but it also a feeling that we want to allow space for people to do what God calls them to do and sometimes that means doing things differently. There is something happening every night of the week at our church and it’s all because someone is willing to do it.
But mega churches are on the opposite side of that and rigidly structured and controlled. They tend to function too much like a business than a community of worshipers.
I can see the good and bad in not having Sunday service for Christmas.
hehehe, it’s funny how one’s perspective changes, because now I think of Shekinah as being a big church, but of course that’s because Joy Mennonite only has 15-20 for our average attendance.
I think what your church doing though is good. There’s still a Sunday service, just at a different time. (which actually seems like a good idea to me) I don’t like the idea though of cancelling church altogether, particularly for Christmas which should be a religious holiday.
I kinda looking forward to it this year, particularly I get to preach the sermon on Christmas day. Now I just have to find the right thing to say. (I’m definitely praying for some inspiration. I want this to be a good service for sure)
That is cool, congrats. It has to be very special to get to preach on such a holy holiday as the celebration of our savior’s birth.
We are not much of 150 to 200 but that is only twice as big as our graduating class in high school. Still a pretty small community of people compared to most churches. I like it that way though. It’s nice to be a good size and have the resources to do more but personally for me the smaller the better.
That is a very good size. Small enough that if you stay long enough you’ll actually get to know everyone.
I do need to come back and visit after I get done with school. It has been too long since I’ve been there (and would love to see Pastor Roger & Dolly again)