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