Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Is The Mid-Week Church Service Important?


Unfortunately, many churches that once had a Mid-Week Service or “Call to Worship” have eliminated the Mid-Week Service altogether, mostly due to low attendance. Here at Bethel Family Worship Center we still have a Mid-Week Service because we still believe that it is important.

Why is it important?  Isn’t meeting together once a week on Sunday Mornings enough, some may ask? I’m skeptical. I realize that some may work beyond service time on Wednesdays and are unable to attend. The same is true for Sunday Mornings, not everyone can attend a Sunday Morning Service due to required work, which is one of the reasons a Mid-Week Service is vital.

Other reasons that I think Mid-Week Service is important are:

1. When we look at church practice in the Bible we see that the early church met together regularly, most likely more than once a week, and as they did, it grew the church.

For example in Acts 2:42 it says “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” And in Acts 2:46-47 “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

2. The writer of Hebrews exhorts the Christian “not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together which is the habit of some but rather to encourage one another and all the more as we see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Attending the Mid-Week Service is a way that we can follow this exhortation and encourage one another as we see the day of the of the rapture of the Church & the return of our Lord, Jesus Christ drawing near.

3. Attending Sunday Morning Services is good but the Christian is called to excellence.

Philippians 1:10 says “approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ…”

How excellent would it be for the church if the Mid-Week Service was as well attended as the Sunday Morning Service? How would God respond? How would the surrounding community respond?

4. What about a new Christian who attends our church?

All Christians need to be discipled and learn the Word of God, especially new believers. However, if they come out to the Mid-Week Service and see that it is not very well attended, what impression does it give them?

These are a just some of the reasons why I think the Mid-Week Service is important. Having said these things, I am not saying that attendance is a sign of righteousness or spirituality, or even spiritual maturity. Our righteousness is in Christ alone. We gather together as His church to worship Him, to wait on Him to build up His body (the church) for the work of the ministry, to impact the community, and all for His glory.

Join us on Wednesdays at 7pm for Worship, Bible Study & Prayer at 24 S Lynhurst Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46241

Hungry for more,

Pastor Hylton