Another Change in Service Times
After striking out at two churches who changed their starting times and dismissing three more, I remember Church #4.
Next door to Church #5, I think they have a 10:30 service, and my notes confirm that. We agree to go there, more as a default option than anything else.
With many cars in the lot, the sign out front confirms a 10:30 service.
Though two minutes after their starting time, greeters still stand at their post. We exchange pleasantries and receive bulletins. Music flows from the sanctuary, beckoning us in; another family arrives after us and follows.
The service just started. I spot a friend who volunteers at the food pantry with me. He’s pleased to see me, with his wife pleasantly surprised at our presence. We scoot into a back row, right in front of the sound booth.
A contemporary praise band leads us in song, mostly choruses. The song leader plays guitar, with his wife on backup locals. His dad, who’s also the minister, plays bass, plus there’s a keyboardist, but there’s no drummer.
Phasing Out Announcements
After the song set is announcements.
The first announcement is that they are phasing out announcements, since the information appears in the bulletin, in their newsletter, and on the screen before the service. I applaud this. Announcements interfere with the flow of worshiping God.
Yet a string of announcements follows anyway. I tune them out, yet one catches my attention. This church and Church #2 will work together to hold vacation Bible school this summer.
I’m excited they’ll combine resources for the common goal of reaching out to the community.
Next comes a reminder that today is Pentecost Sunday. A pianist plays as we sing with hands raised, inviting the Spirit of God to fall afresh on us, to melt, mold, fill, and use us.
In my experience, so few churches make any effort to acknowledge Pentecost. I’m glad this one does and am happy to experience it.
A Vote to Change Service Times
Ironically, this church is considering changing their starting time. They pass out ballots for the congregation to vote, which they later collect with the offering. After the children’s message, the kids leave for their own activities.
Using Solomon’s dedication of the temple, found in 1 Kings 8:22, as the key text, the message considers the question, “Who is God?”
After reminding us that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, the minister pulls other characteristics of God from the text, as well as from other passages.
“It doesn’t matter what God looks like,” he says. “What matters is who he is.” The appropriate response is for us “to be totally abandoned to God.”
We conclude by singing hymns with piano accompaniment. There are refreshments afterwards. As we mingle, I tell the minister about our ordeal this morning of churches changing service times.
That’s when we learn the result of the vote: they’ll change their time to 10:00.
He’s dismayed. Eleven o’clock, he says, is the ideal time for a seeker sensitive service, but this congregation wants an earlier time to meet their preferences. They’ll announce the change next week and switch the week after that.
I hope they’ll do a thorough job of communicating the new time and not confuse visitors, as two other churches did with us today.
Takeaway
It’s critical to fully communicate changing service times and seasonal schedules. Don’t leave visitors driving around and disappointed.
My wife and I visited a different Christian Church every Sunday for a year. This is our story. Get your copy of 52 Churches today, available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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