church attendance

[JrChurch]

My pastor doesn't even go to Sunday PM service or Wednesday service.

Let me guess……your church doesn't have Sun/Wed evening services. 

 

[JrChurch]

The first Wed. evening of the month we meet at 5:30 to collate John & Romans before the service.  We have a meal so people can come straight from work.  Love it!  Well,  I cook the meal so that part isn't my favorite, but it allows more people to help put together Scripture portions. 

 

[wtyson]

While Christians all across America sit on the edge of their seats in anticipation of a touchdown or home run or a basket, many of those same Christians don't have that same excitement and sense of anticipation when going to the church house. Why? Because they don't expect anything of significance to happen there. It is a duty, a habit, it's what is expected of them.

We need a fresh and vibrant relationship with the Saviour that does not begin when we walk into church but rather starts as we fellowship with Him on our own. We ought to show up to church house hungry for the Word of God, looking to hear it preached, excited to see men and women, boys and girls making decisions for Christ.

I don't have to go to church...I get to go. It is a privilege and honor to worship Him with His people. Sadly if the preacher goes over His allotted time, we look at our watches and start to yawning. No wonder we are apathetic in America. No wonder we see  nothing happening in our churches. We are simply punching a clock rather than charging the gates of hell with the gospel.

I am not directing this post to anyone here...frankly i have not read many of the posts here on this subject but merely wanted to share my heart. I wish you all well. Our nation needs us to step up. Our communities need us to step up. Our families need us to step up. Our friends need us to step up. Our co-workers need us to step up. While we debate door to door soul winning the JWs and the Mormons are reaping the harvest. I ask you, I beseech you, Is there not a cause?

 

[freelance_christian]

My pastor doesn't even go to Sunday PM service or Wednesday service.

Let me guess……your church doesn't have Sun/Wed evening services.

No scheduled service, but there is usually something scheduled (like a small group) every day of the week at some point.

 

[Binaca Chugger]

What scriptures do Pastors refer ppl to when telling them that they must attend church twice on Sunday and Wednesday night prayer meeting?  Who made those rules? Did it originate because Christ was crucified on Wednesday and arose on Sunday?

My pastor doesn't even go to Sunday PM service or Wednesday service.

Well then, I guess he is not thriving.  8)

 

[ALAYMAN]

This bears repeating...

While Christians all across America sit on the edge of their seats in anticipation of a touchdown or home run or a basket, many of those same Christians don't have that same excitement and sense of anticipation when going to the church house. Why? Because they don't expect anything of significance to happen there. It is a duty, a habit, it's what is expected of them.

We need a fresh and vibrant relationship with the Saviour that does not begin when we walk into church but rather starts as we fellowship with Him on our own. We ought to show up to church house hungry for the Word of God, looking to hear it preached, excited to see men and women, boys and girls making decisions for Christ.

I don't have to go to church...I get to go. It is a privilege and honor to worship Him with His people. Sadly if the preacher goes over His allotted time, we look at our watches and start to yawning. No wonder we are apathetic in America. No wonder we see  nothing happening in our churches. We are simply punching a clock rather than charging the gates of hell with the gospel.

I am not directing this post to anyone here...frankly i have not read many of the posts here on this subject but merely wanted to share my heart. I wish you all well. Our nation needs us to step up. Our communities need us to step up. Our families need us to step up. Our friends need us to step up. Our co-workers need us to step up. While we debate door to door soul winning the JWs and the Mormons are reaping the harvest. I ask you, I beseech you, Is there not a cause?

Christ gave himself for the church, and the local manifestation of it is a tangible way that Christians show they love Him when they gather with fellow believers when they covenant to be together.  Again, a man who loves his wife doesn't need or want to find excuses to be away from her as much as theoretically possible.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

Christ gave himself for the church, and the local manifestation of it is a tangible way that Christians show they love Him when they gather with fellow believers when they covenant to be together.  Again, a man who loves his wife doesn't need or want to find excuses to be away from her as much as theoretically possible.

I went to a movie last week.  I'm sure there were some believers there.  I didn't really know anyone except the people I was with. 

That was pretty much the same thing as going to church, except it was an entertaining movie instead of a boring sermon. 

 

[subllibrm]

This bears repeating...

<snip>

Christ gave himself for the church, and the local manifestation of it is a tangible way that Christians show they love Him when they gather with fellow believers when they covenant to be together.  Again, a man who loves his wife doesn't need or want to find excuses to be away from her as much as theoretically possible.

Except for maybe the tomato I haven't seen anyone suggesting church attendance was a bad or negative thing. My point is that the heart shared by wtyson (and quoted by you) makes more sense than attendance charts and berating people into attending. Encourage them to want to attend. Browbeating is poor leadership IMO.

 

[Izdaari]

This bears repeating...

<snip>

Christ gave himself for the church, and the local manifestation of it is a tangible way that Christians show they love Him when they gather with fellow believers when they covenant to be together.  Again, a man who loves his wife doesn't need or want to find excuses to be away from her as much as theoretically possible.

Except for maybe the tomato I haven't seen anyone suggesting church attendance was a bad or negative thing. My point is that the heart shared by wtyson (and quoted by you) makes more sense than attendance charts and berating people into attending. Encourage them to want to attend. Browbeating is poor leadership IMO.

And I have not suggested church attendance is bad or negative. Quite the opposite, I very much enjoy my church. But the Sunday evening service I attend IS our main service... and it is sufficient. I don't need to be there 3 times a week, nor does my work schedule permit it.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

This bears repeating...

<snip>

Christ gave himself for the church, and the local manifestation of it is a tangible way that Christians show they love Him when they gather with fellow believers when they covenant to be together.  Again, a man who loves his wife doesn't need or want to find excuses to be away from her as much as theoretically possible.

Except for maybe the tomato I haven't seen anyone suggesting church attendance was a bad or negative thing. My point is that the heart shared by wtyson (and quoted by you) makes more sense than attendance charts and berating people into attending. Encourage them to want to attend. Browbeating is poor leadership IMO.

Fellowship with believers for mutual edification and the building up of the saints is a wonderful thing.  "Going to church" is an entirely different animal, unless you have a particularly good church.  And some here do. 

 

[Ransom]

While Christians all across America sit on the edge of their seats in anticipation of a touchdown or home run or a basket, many of those same Christians don't have that same excitement and sense of anticipation when going to the church house. Why?

Because:

• I don't go to church to get excited; and
• the kinds of pastors who complain the most about Christians not having "that same excitement" generally aren't the kind of pastors who can instill it.

 

[wtyson]

While Christians all across America sit on the edge of their seats in anticipation of a touchdown or home run or a basket, many of those same Christians don't have that same excitement and sense of anticipation when going to the church house. Why?

Because:

• I don't go to church to get excited; and
• the kinds of pastors who complain the most about Christians not having "that same excitement" generally aren't the kind of pastors who can instill it.

Exactly what I mean...you ought to have a sense of excitement about the things of the Lord before you walk into the church house.
Your prayer closet and your personal walk with God should be new and fresh, not stale and old.

If the pastor has to cheer you up and motivate you to be stirred up for God something is wrong.

What happens in the church house is far more important than what happens in the sports arena.

 

[ALAYMAN]

My point is that the heart shared by wtyson (and quoted by you) makes more sense than attendance charts and berating people into attending. Encourage them to want to attend. Browbeating is poor leadership IMO.

Who suggested browbeating them to attend?

I merely said that church ought to be a priority for people, and those that regularly absent themselves from it for frivolous reasons should do the same for the wives in order to be consistent.

 

[Ransom]

Exactly what I mean...you ought to have a sense of excitement about the things of the Lord before you walk into the church house.

Why?  Why excitement? Why not some other emotion?

Why should I be excited in the same way about two events that are not the same thing?

Your prayer closet and your personal walk with God should be new and fresh, not stale and old.

Which means what - that I should remix my theme music every couple of seasons?

If the pastor has to cheer you up and motivate you to be stirred up for God something is wrong.

If I weren't "stirred up for God," I wouldn't be motivated to go to church in the first place.  I just don't measure my piety by my heart rate the way you appear to.

What happens in the church house is far more important than what happens in the sports arena.

Exactly. So why would I want the same superficial emotional experience in the church house that I find in the sports arena?

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

What happens in the church house is far more important than what happens in the sports arena.

More important, yes.  Entirely different, no.  I see it as a match between the congregants.  Congregants get points for staying awake.  They lose points for sleeping.  They lose extra points for snoring.  They get extra points for sleeping but appearing as if they're awake.  The congregants with the most points at the end of the match win. 

 

[Ransom]

Congregants get points for staying awake.  They lose points for sleeping.  They lose extra points for snoring.  They get extra points for sleeping but appearing as if they're awake.  The congregants with the most points at the end of the match win. 

You get one point, but it's for your pony's one trick.

 

[MrsRow]

Exactly what I mean...you ought to have a sense of excitement about the things of the Lord before you walk into the church house.

Why?  Why excitement? Why not some other emotion?

Why should I be excited in the same way about two events that are not the same thing?

Your prayer closet and your personal walk with God should be new and fresh, not stale and old.

Which means what - that I should remix my theme music every couple of seasons?

If the pastor has to cheer you up and motivate you to be stirred up for God something is wrong.

If I weren't "stirred up for God," I wouldn't be motivated to go to church in the first place.  I just don't measure my piety by my heart rate the way you appear to.

What happens in the church house is far more important than what happens in the sports arena.

Exactly. So why would I want the same superficial emotional experience in the church house that I find in the sports arena?

Ransom this is EXACTLY how i always felt when we'd be getting scolded during preaching hour for not being as excited as we would be at sports events.  I found it odd that a total non spiritual event was being compared to spiritual and that we were being rebuked because we weren't acting like sports fans at a football game while in church.  I think just to make the Pastor happy, the occasional guy would hold up his bible and get up and run around sometimes, weird times.

 

[subllibrm]

My point is that the heart shared by wtyson (and quoted by you) makes more sense than attendance charts and berating people into attending. Encourage them to want to attend. Browbeating is poor leadership IMO.

Who suggested browbeating them to attend?

I merely said that church ought to be a priority for people, and those that regularly absent themselves from it for frivolous reasons should do the same for the wives in order to be consistent.

Would you prefer manipulate/guilt them into attending? Three to thrive is a manipulative sales tactic.

And as long as we are putting words into each others posts, who suggested it was okay to abstain for frivolous reasons?

 

[subllibrm]

Ransom this is EXACTLY how i always felt when we'd be getting scolded during preaching hour for not being as excited as we would be at sports events.  I found it odd that a total non spiritual event was being compared to spiritual and that we were being rebuked because we weren't acting like sports fans at a football game while in church.  I think just to make the Pastor happy, the occasional guy would hold up his bible and get up and run around sometimes, weird times.

Cheerleaders down front would be a nice touch. And don't forget the concessions stand!  ;D

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

Ransom this is EXACTLY how i always felt when we'd be getting scolded during preaching hour for not being as excited as we would be at sports events.  I found it odd that a total non spiritual event was being compared to spiritual and that we were being rebuked because we weren't acting like sports fans at a football game while in church.  I think just to make the Pastor happy, the occasional guy would hold up his bible and get up and run around sometimes, weird times.

Cheerleaders down front would be a nice touch. And don't forget the concessions stand!  ;D

Also, the greeters who hand you a program should shout, "Programs! Programs! Can't see the show without a program!"