I would like to share my personal testimony regarding the “summer” schedule and the prospect of continuing it indefinitely. When the Elders first began to discuss the idea of having Worship Service, followed by a meal and then followed by a second time of teaching, I was most skeptical and reluctant. I liked the idea in theory, but really wondered about the practicality of such a schedule. Would people be inclined to stay and eat so early? Would people be inclined to stay at church until 1:15 pm? Would such a schedule interfere with people’s previous plans and expectations of church on Sunday? I realize that these are not necessarily spiritual questions, but they are questions I was concerned about. As far as the spiritual questions, I saw the schedule as wonderfully supplying our congregation with a means of practicing meaningful worship and fellowship in accords with Acts 2:42.
But even with all this and with personal prayer, I was hesitant. My two Elders were quite excited about the potential and after several weeks of discussion and prayer, I was inclined to get out of my traditional comfort zone and see what such a schedule might produce.
Remembering that in addition to seeking the fulfillment of congregational activities as outlined in Acts 2:42, I know that practically speaking the new schedule has been a tremendous blessing to those of our congregation that for either economic or time reasons (living some distance from the church) have appreciated being able to participate in the “whole” of the church’s activities on Sundays and not feeling as though they were missing out as an evening service was taking place.
One of the hopes of the Elders in pursuing this schedule was to encourage and stimulate (Hebrews 10:24) the congregation to participate “in” and “with” the type of teaching that was being done in the evening services. We have been blessed with a number of men who desire to communicate the word of God. Each of these men has brought their various styles and experiences to light during such teaching opportunities. Prior to the summer schedule, second hour participation was being decreasingly attended. Believing that any stagnant ministry is a dying ministry, the Elders had prayed that the new schedule might encourage those who had not stayed for the second hour previously to now consider staying. By and large, this has not proved to be the case, but when you put the pencil to the paper, the overall attendance of the second hour teaching time has been better attended than our evening services due to the fact that those who had previously been unable to return to Hope for evening services were able to “hear” and participate in the type of teaching time previously held in the evening.
With regard to our fellowship meal, I must say that one of my main concerns was how the women (and some of the men) would feel about making a meal every week. Would this be asking a lot of such meal preparers? I have been encouraged by so many of the reports. Many meal preparers have shared testimonies along the lines that the fellowship meal helps them out because rather than coming home and trying to figure out what to make for their families, they simply prepare one thing and know that their families’ meal is taken care of. Other testimonies have included how this fellowship time has been economically helpful for some were accustomed to eating out because they would have a meeting or be staying around until evening service. Some have conveyed how this practice has disciplined them to truly preparing for Sunday; both for worship and for fellowship, getting things ready the night before. These are things I was not anticipating hearing. Some have communicated how they thought it would be a burden, but as they have considered it and seen the blessings of it, they have now come to appreciate the time.
In addition to all this, I have heard, and have as my personal testimony as well, that many have come to learn of, be encouraged by, and very much blessed by the opportunity to eat with others from the congregation. This time has afforded a very real way by which to get to know people in the context of church. Some, including my wife, have told me that they prayerfully consider whom they might have lunch with on any given Sunday. Many of our newer families have expressed how such a time has given them a great opportunity to come to know people more easily in the church. During the course of our meals together, I have heard people sharing prayer requests, conveying their joys, expressing their sorrows, encouraging one another and being encouraged. While the timing of our fellowship hour may not be perfect and suit everyone, I have known no other time (except perhaps for our Family Unity Nights) in which the congregation can so actively engage in true Christian fellowship.
At the beginning of this new schedule I was also concerned about the many families with young children. How would we accommodate naps and such? Of course we have been working on getting areas ready for naps, but upon reflection of the issue the reality is that most of the children’s nap schedules have had to be altered only slightly. Previously they were not leaving until about 12:15-12:30 pm, getting home, having a meal and then putting the kids down by around 1:30 or so. With the new schedule, they may not get home until 1:45 or so, but the nap schedule has only been changed by about a half-hour. I hope this is an encouragement to other parents who have had this concern.
I like to think that Hope CBC seeks to be appropriately active. And in our efforts to reach the most people most conveniently, we do have various meetings, events and even outreaches on Sunday afternoons. For many in the church under the previous schedule (myself included), Sundays were a non-stop, whirlwind that began at 8 or 9 am and continued with very little time to pause until about 8:00pm. Then, because little of this time had been engaged in “fellowship” many would get together after that to visit with others. Believe me, this is not a complaint, but my typical Sunday under the old schedule began at 4:30 am and would not generally come to an end until between 10-11 pm. Under the new schedule, the congregation can participate in afternoon activities and events (i.e. Quiz meets, Missions Meetings, Nursing Home Ministry, Youth Staff meetings, etc) and still be done before or by dinner time, opening opportunities for more intimate fellowship and still allowing families to be home at a reasonable hour on Sunday evening before the start of the work week.
I know that children’s ministries have been a concern in this new schedule. Previously, apart from the summer, the children had “Jesus Club” on Sunday mornings and “LiFE Kids” on Sunday evenings. Believing that there is a need to come along side of parents and aid them (not replace them) in the conveying of Biblical truth, we have continued through the Summer with the Jesus Club format, that is a more “one room” type of teaching ministry for the younger children during the second hour as opposed to the more age-oriented style of LiFE kids. If the summer schedule is maintained, it would most likely mean that we would maintain a “Jesus Club” style of ministry for the children, having two or three teachers rotate through a series. This would not preclude the use of the LiFE Kids materials for such a teaching time as this. As I have given much thought and prayer about this, I believe that the “one-room” ministry (or if we were to grow significantly a “two room” – younger and older groups) is in keeping with one of the philosophies of ministry sought by the leadership of Hope CBC for the past decade, a focus on fellowship. I have always believed that Sunday worship ought to be as “congregational” as possible. Sunday is a time for God’s people to come together corporately and worship together, to fellowship together, and to learn together. There are some practical divisions in this. Jesus Club would be a “congregation” of young children. A nursery is needed for the babies and perhaps a toddler class as well. But there is no reason why those from Jr. High up through Senior Adults should not learn to worship together and then interact together. Both the “youth group” and the adults have times throughout the week to focus in on their “level” – so I have come to believe that we should strive to keep Sunday’s as congregational as possible. I know that the future may force us to consider other things, but for this time, such a schedule seems to meet the greatest amount of real needs for the congregation.
The long and the short of it is this; I was the skeptical one. I was the doubtful one. I was the one who looked for all the problems and shortcomings. And while I know that no schedule is perfect, and while I know that no schedule is necessarily permanent, I have come to appreciate and anticipate this schedule, believing it to be the most beneficial to the most people to the glory of God at this time in the life of Hope CBC. I am grateful to the many who, like me, have come to see not only how the schedule might benefit them personally, but how it also has come to benefit so many in the congregation. I know it will not be the most personally beneficial and pleasing to everyone anymore than our previous schedule was the most personally beneficial and pleasing to everyone.
I write this as my personal testimony concerning the new schedule for the church. These are my thoughts, the things I have had to work through asking myself questions like, “Why do we have an evening service?” or “Why do we do the things we do?” I do not believe that one way is more godly than another, but I have come to believe that our current “summer” schedule is the most beneficial to the congregation at this time.
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