I have a confession: I love Sunday night church assemblies. There, I said it. I know it’s beginning to sound old-fashioned. I also know it’s going above and beyond the “minimum requirements” God has asked of His church on the Lord’s Day. But Sunday evenings are incredible opportunities for God’s people and are full of potential for the work of God.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can share with you why I believe our congregation is stronger because of our Sunday evening services.
I believe our sense of family is stronger because of our Sunday evening services. Compared to Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings often have a slower pace, providing invaluable time for catching up with each other’s lives. Relationships are strengthened with those who simply can’t attend on Sunday mornings and are deepened through occasional fellowship events after evening worship, such as ice cream socials. When you read Acts 2:42–47, you get the feeling that the early Jerusalem church simply loved to be together – they were truly a family. If you’re trying to build a sense of family in the church, you simply must have time together.
I believe our ministries are stronger because of our Sunday evening services. Ministry communication is better because Sunday evenings provide another opportunity to update announcements regarding our members and church events. We also find open doors for ministry in the lives of visitors who attend on Sunday evenings.
I believe our faith is stronger because of our Sunday evening services. I’ve often thought that if I were planting a new church in a foreign land and at some point half of the church said they would love to come back a second time on Sunday for another hour of worship and studying God’s Word, I would be overjoyed. Wouldn’t it show a love for God’s Word and a desire to grow in faith? Wouldn’t it be well worth the effort even if “only” half as many people came?
Personally, I wish everyone returned for Sunday evening services, but let’s see the glass half full. Here we have a group of people who are committed to know God more deeply. It seems to me that we should work to make that time as meaningful as possible so the powerful Word of God can continue to build our faith (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 4:12).
It’s easy to forget why we do what we do. But if we have allowed ourselves to view Sunday evening assemblies as something we “have to do,” we have made a mistake. That type of thinking not only produces dry, grudging Sunday night assemblies, but it also encourages the pendulum-swing criticism that claims Sunday evening services are nothing more than empty tradition. Instead, we need to reflect more deeply – and more optimistically – on our Sunday evening assemblies as a valuable time for the church to build family and faith and further the work of God.
I realize they’re not required in Scripture. I realize they mean more work for those of us in leadership roles. And I realize Sunday evening services aren’t always practical in locations where members must drive a long distance to be together. But for those of us in places where many can return, I believe the opportunities to build up God’s kingdom through the Sunday evening assembly are simply too good to pass up. I love Sunday evening assemblies, and when we participate in them the right way for the right reasons, I can’t help but think that God loves them too.
Tim Alsup Gospel Advocate April, 2012