Churches find empty pews at Sunday evening services
Doug De Vries describes Sunday evening worship as “a lot less formal” than the morning service at Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church.
It’s also a lot less crowded.
Plymouth Heights is in step with a larger trend of declining evening attendance in evangelical denominations that long have cherished a heritage of worshiping twice on Sunday. Some evening services are more intimate; others have been cancelled or replaced by an alternative.
BOB wrote: Does anyone know the history of the evening service?
"The history really began in the sixth century when the church at Rome began to have regular prayer and worship times throughout the day at the local churches and monasteries. These times were known as "Canonical Hours" with the following names: MATINS; PRIME; TERCE; SEXT; NONE; VESPERS.
For instance, NONE was held at midday and from it we get the word "noon".
After centuries of having these worship times it seems that most of the members of local churches began to attend only those which were most convenient. Ecclesiastical chapels continued holding services for themselves and still do in monasteries and seminaries in this country.
Some congregations, including Protestant ones, still have Matins(morning) and Vespers (evening) services on special occasions. But the popular times are in the morning on the day of Jesus' resurrection....Sunday morning." From Here Also at
Does anyone know the history of the evening service? I go to work very early therefore I'm usually climbing in the bed on Sunday night about the time most Sunday night services are getting going good. I have friends that attend churches that have dinner on the grounds, etc instead of a evening service...this allows them fellowship together and they only make one trip.
Allnight wrote: According to Paul: Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Acts 20:31 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Acts 26:7 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 1Thes 2:9 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 1Thes 3:10 Bible night-shift seems to be pretty busy.
Right on Brother Man! I was hoping someone would vidicate the night service.
Misconblubreated wrote: Going to church a second time, on Sunday nights is wrong, because it is not commanded in the New Testament. Also if you go to church on Sunday night, that Proves you are trying to be justified by works.
According to Paul: Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Acts 20:31
Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Acts 26:7
For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 1Thes 2:9
Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 1Thes 3:10
Misconblubreated wrote: Going to church a second time, on Sunday nights is wrong, because it is not commanded in the New Testament. Also if you go to church on Sunday night, that Proves you are trying to be justified by works.
Besides that,during football season,it causes you to miss the pregame show for the early games. And half or more of the sunday night game. LOL
“The two services is a way to frame the whole day as belonging to Lord,” Rienstra said. “The decline of Sunday evening worship is a marker alongside many that our culture is becoming more popularly secular. We’ve lost a sense of sacred time that is being offered back to God.”
This excuse blaming culture is just that an excuse. What on earth is "a sense of sacred time" And does that illustrate why the church is in decline? Did anybody go to church to "offer sacred time to God?" Is that why the congregation gathered? How arrogant can a miserable sinner get?
Church is obedience to God, obedience to Scripture and for the worship and praise with thankful hearts to God our creator.
The reading and preaching from God's Holy Word is to bring the truth into our hearts and teach the Called that God is gracious even to the evil hearted sinner. Teaching the Called that Christ bought and paid the price of our life unto salvation. Teaching that one as unworthy as we are is justified before God, only by His Son, - not by anything man can offer. And teaching the elect that they have escaped righteous judgment to hell, only because of the Crucified Christ.
"the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."
Right across the western nations church decline has been going on for 50/60 years. In the old photo's of one of our local churches I can see more men in the 1930's choir than there is today in the congregation. Whilst we observe the moral decline of the western nations we also note the corresponding decline in the church.
I notice this church is CRC, that means Liberalism is preached instead of the Bible. God does not build Liberal houses.
Prov 29:16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.
Psalm 12:8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.
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Dr. Joel Beeke | 1/3/2010
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jim lincoln from nebraska: "s.f. john, actually no disagreement. as i pointed out,..."
