It wasn’t that long ago that Baptist churches were marked by five key services a week – Sunday School, Morning Worship, Training Union, Evening Worship and Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. Training union was the first to enter the endangered species list, and Sunday night worship is not far behind. I would guess that Sunday night worship is now held at a minority of Baptist churches, but I’ve not seen statistical evidence on that. Certainly, it is true in Iowa.
Wednesday night prayer meeting may be the next on that list.
I am just wondering, as a discussion question, what you do at your church on Wednesday night. We have a children’s ministry (our own creation, based on Children Desiring God materials and some other things woven in), Youth ministry, and for the adults, we have a prayer time followed by a Bible study. We have a handful for prayer at 6:30 and a slightly larger handful for Bible study at 7. Neither is a large group.
What do you do?
- A worship service with music and preaching, like Sunday, but scaled back a little?
- A prayer service?
- Bible study?
- Nothing?
If you have prayer time, have you found a way to move beyond the “please pray for Aunt Hattie’s ingrown toenail” kind of prayer service?
Tell us what you are doing (and whether it is effective.)
We have a meal together, followed by corporate worship. Then, kids go to AWANA, youth go to their activities and Bible Study, and adults have a Bible Study. The youth and adults then break into small groups where they discuss the larger study and pray for each other. We have almost as many on Wednesday night as we have on Sunday morning – sometimes more because we have a lot of young families that tend to be out of town on weekends a lot. It is huge and lasts from 5pm to almost 8pm. We really decided to amp it… Read more »
I have struggled with Wednesday evening prayer time for my entire ministry. Attendance has been in steady decline, so I try to do things to increase attendance. But I have discovered that the only way to increase attendance is to make the substance of the time something other than prayer. If “all we do” is pray, attendance will be few. If we “do something” like Bible study, then attendance might be larger. Currently, we are doing “stations of prayer.” I develop a prayer guide for each night of prayer that guides us through prayer stations. Stations vary, but they include… Read more »
Todd says: I have struggled with Wednesday evening prayer time for my entire ministry. Attendance has been in steady decline, so I try to do things to increase attendance. But I have discovered that the only way to increase attendance is to make the substance of the time something other than prayer. If “all we do” is pray, attendance will be few. If we “do something” like Bible study, then attendance might be larger. Dave says: I see the same thing. The least favorite activity is prayer. Is that a heart problem or a problem with the way we pray,… Read more »
Perhaps a little of both.
As some have said in the comments, I find that many don’t like to pray aloud or pray in groups. This is why I have gone the personal prayer route. Give people a prayer guide and turn them loose. I sure enjoy it much more, and prayer takes on new depth.
Problem with the way we pray? I think there may be an element of this, but I think the big issue lies elsewhere… Problem with the heart? Bingo. But on two distinct accounts: We don’t enjoy praying. Granted. But I think the even greater failing falls on this: Few people offer the requests that are REALLY worth praying for. We have to lay ourselves bare with our brothers and sisters, talking about our spiritual struggles, battles with temptation, witnessing efforts, etc. Yes, we should pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) about all things (Phil. 4:6), but just take a quick… Read more »
David, good thoughts. I think we have this sensibility from the world that says that it’s okay if I ask for prayer for some physical ailment. That’s not really my fault so it’s not a personal failing. But especially in the church, we don’t want to offer up sin struggles because we perceive that A) It’s a sign of weakness, and B) Other people will judge us harshly instead of helping us overcome. The good church members, we think, are those who never sin (except to admit to it theoretically because they are really humble people). If we are struggling… Read more »
Dave, What I dislike about the way prayer is typically done is bowing my head and trying to think of the right thing to say. My mind doesn’t stay in one place long enough and I’m frustrated trying to focus on something that Isn’t in front of me at the moment and keep my mind from wandering when someone else is offering up the words. My prayer at that time is usually, “Lord, forgive me for not being able to pay attention. I’m trying. Really.” My normal mode of prayer is as I’m going along in my everyday life as… Read more »
Jim, I struggle with the same issues of staying focused on the Lord for extended prayer. I also practice the same “on-the-go-pray-without-ceasing” that you describe. I don’t think it can be only the latter and not the former. Jesus did say, “Can you not watch with me for ONE HOUR.” Personally, I am trying to–almost desperately–spend up to an hour at a time at least once a day and two 45 minute sessions twice a day. I am not as successful as I would like. I often get to the point of just wanting to give up. For me, prayer… Read more »
Jim, I just want to follow up with something that further frustrates my efforts in spending a large portion of my ministry in prayer (Acts 6). Many, maybe most, of my congregation do not put a high premium on me praying–unless of course they have a personal need. They put more value on me “having cookies and coffee” with seniors (and I have many seniors in my church), or “having committee meetings and such. The “visible,” practical stuff of ministry. I’m trying to teach (by precept and example) that the most important way I can serve the church is to… Read more »
Thanks, Frank. I certainly don’t want to say that we as Christians shouldn’t pray together publicly. I just think it’s odd that the struggle wouldn’t be with desire as much as with mental or physical limitations. I agree with the importance of the prayer life of a pastor. I’ve taught pastors in India that prayer is key for hermeneutics and homiletics alike. My own struggle with the Word is to eliminate what I want it to say. My big struggle with preaching and teaching is making it understandable to the people I’m seeking to serve. So I seek God in… Read more »
Good words, Jim. That’s encouraging for me.
I try to remember that my struggles are really not all that unique, especially when it comes to prayer, “private and public.”
I’ve come to accept that it is better to “pray imperfectly than not pray at all.” It is humbling to struggle so much even after 35 years in ministry — but humility isn’t such a bad thing.
I serve as pastor of a semi-rural church on the outskirts of town. We draw suburban and rural dwellers. We have a dinner at 5:30 p.m. followed at 6:30 p.m. by a Children’s Ministry activity (modeled after Team Kids), a Youth worship rally, and Choir practice. The remaining adults attend the Bible study/prayer meeting. At the prayer meeting, we begin with some congregational singing, I lead a 25-30 minute Bible study followed by prayer request and a time of corporate praying. I suppose this qualifies as the more traditional motif. I have found over the years that very few adults… Read more »
Dave,
On Wednesday nights, We begin with a song, announcments, then we have prayer requests, both spoken and unspoken, this gives everyone an opportunity to speak their heart, then we pray. We pray sometimes at the altar and sometimes remain seated, however the Lord leads. Then we go into bible study.
I prefer praying at the altar. Here is the reason why, Abraham built an altar and pitched his tent. Today many have built a tent and pitched the altar. The same with Sundays and Sunday nights, except instead of bible study, I preach.
Our church quit Sunday evening worship some years ago. Our prayer meeting became an adjunct to the fellowship suppers, and is generally poorly attended.
We did have a small band of 12-15 folks who used to meet on Thursday evenings, put on some worship music, and just prayed for an hour. Sometimes it ran on to 2 and sometimes 3 hours. It never did get much over 20, and gradually interest in that eroded until it was just 2 couples.
For what is to be known as a house of prayer, I’m afraid we fall short.
Wednesday nights are very important to me. Someone once said that Sunday mornings represent the popularity of the preacher, Sunday nights represent the popularity of the church, Wednesday nights represent the popularity of Jesus. Why do I believe this is true? But what we do is very effective.
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Colossians 4:2-4 (NASB) Our (Eastside Baptist Church, Twin Falls, ID) Wednesday night gathering used to be what has become the norm — segregated meetings, busy, exhausting, logistical planning … about two years ago we decided to… Read more »
A few years back both Sunday evening and mid-week services had dwindled and died. 3 years ago we began Sunday evening service again and 2-1/2 years ago the mid-week service. Attendance Sunday evening is between 1/3 and 1/2 of Sunday morning, mid-week about the same or a few less. Those who attend both services are enthusiastic and urge others to come also. Sunday evening is less formal than Sunday morning but the same basic order of worship; also, we sing hymns and psalms a capella in the evening which is a nice change! At our mid-week prayer service, we open… Read more »
if communal praying is an awkward time, perhaps having a reader read from the Psalms a bit (a thought ‘unit’)
and then pause for a moment or so for people to quietly reflect on what was read aloud . . .
the Psalms themselves were the prayer-book of Our Lord, as they were of all the Hebrew people of His time on Earth . . .
the Psalms have about them that which is conducive to prayer and reflection . . . they inspire people to lift their hearts up to the Lord
As I am not currently a pastor, I am not going to talk about the church where I am a member (though we do some interesting things on Wednesday night which are fairly well attended). I don’t want this to come across as super-spiritual or judgmental, but one of the most disappointing things I have noticed in churches in general in the States since coming home from “the mission field” five years ago is the lack of emphasis given to prayer meetings. In my opinion, a good prayer meeting should give opportunity for people to pray out loud in a… Read more »
Jim Cymbala grew his church under the principle that the prayer service was the most important service of the week.
Dave,
Our Wednesday looks very similar to yours.
One thing we did over the summer was have a Saturday evening prayer and worship service. We didn’t take prayer requests. We developed a theme for the night, sang songs related to that, read Scripture related to the theme, then we broke off into small prayer groups and prayed for a few minutes on a focused direction related to the theme, then we sang, Scripture, prayed, etc, again. 3 sets of this for about an hour. The people loved it.
I’m a membert at one of the Metro Atlanta SBC megachurches, though work has kept me from Wednesday night activities for awhile. Wednesday night is fellowship dinner, plus there are Bible study groups and classes scheduled for Wednesday night. There is no prayer meeting, per se, but there is a very effective prayer ministry. Prayer requests are taken via a variety of ways (requests handed in with the offering, over the phone, via email, over the web, etc.), and are available for members who feel called to this to pray over. I believe those who are involved in this commit… Read more »
That’s member, not membert (is a membert something like a Q*bert?).
We’ve still got all five.
Training union? Really?
Yep. And most of the people who go to it still call it training union, or even what it was called before that (I always forget that name).
Before Training Union was BYPU, I believe. Baptist Young People’s Union? I’m really not that old. I’ve heard things. Really. I don’t even think I was born yet.
Regular weekly schedule goes:
Sunday, 9:45 Sunday school; 11:00 morning worship; 5:00 discipleship training; 6:00 evening worship.
Wednesday, 5:15 fellowship meal, 6:15 prayer meeting/Bible study, 7:00 choir practice.
Last church I pastored didn’t have all these. Prior to that I did interim work at a very rural church in MS that had a very similar schedule, including discipleship training/training union.
One of the ways to boost attendance for the mid-week service is simply not have the service on Wednesday night switch it to Tuesday, or Thursday and make it known all over the county. This gives other churches an opportunity to check you out. It also gives you and your members a chance to see what goes on in other churches and mabe learn from them. Your church can have a special singer maybe from another church to bless your church, or even a guest speaker. There are so many possibilities. I’ve learned you cannot force prayer on folks It… Read more »
The Sunday night service in this area is about gone, too. I am to supply a pulpit for a pastor this coming Sunday, a very small rural church, where they still have an Evening service. I attended it this past Sunday. The Attendance was about 10-11, including me. The pastor, a former worker in textiles, never attended college or seminary. I helped ordain him a few years ago. His message was really worthwhile. In fact, it was way better than could be expected, and he did not know I would be there. Our services in all of the churches are… Read more »
Ours was the typical schedule. Sunday School had too many prayer request and announcements that limited the teacher. Discipleship used DVD’s in place of gifted teaching and Wednesday night was a typical illustrational sermon that did not reach the crowd. We need a change. Sunday morning service was exceptional. There was an imbalance.
We have separate men’s and ladies bible studies on different nights. The men tend to dig deeper and the women have better food.
We have Bible study for adults, youth and children.
Wednesday night:
Fellowship meal starts at 5.
Youth starts worship at 6 followed by Bible classes at 6:30.
Children have a choice between children’s choirs (“Equipping to Praise”) and “Team Kids” where sports are used in conjunction with Bible teaching.
The adults have “Equipping University” where a variety of classes are offered, some of which we have been able to add as credits for continuing education. There are Bible study classes, theology, Christian living, worldview, conversational languages for mission teams, etc.
Regular choir and orchestra rehearsal is at 7:45.
We no longer do Wednesday night. (It was me and one deacon, and he decided he was tired of showing up when no one else would.) Sunday night has gone to home Bible study. More people show up there than ever came to Sunday night service. Our Sunday School is just a handful of people, but weekly home Bible study groups are picking up the slack on that. It seems that, for us, home groups are the way to go. We can’t get people to come to Sunday School or bring their kids to Sunday School. It’s been that way… Read more »
We have Prayer Meeting/Bible Study. We sing a hymn…then, we go over a prayer list….then, we pray….then, I teach and preach. I try to do different things every Wed. night. Sometimes, I will guide them in prayer….leading the congregation to pray about different things..together. Other times, I will ask whoever feels led to pray, then I’ll end the prayer time. Other times, like last night, I get everyone to break up into groups of 4 or 5, and pray together…..and I stress that not everyone had to pray out loud….that it’s okay to just pray along silently with the others… Read more »
I’m sorry…our AWANA meets from 5-7 on Sunday nights.
We have in-home Bible Reading Groups. This is inductive Bible study following the format Dr. McDill promotes as “A Plan for Home Groups in church planting strategy” and we apply principles from his book “Making Friends for Christ” (links below). This is the main outreach arm of our church and has been very effective in engaging church members in Bible study, in teaching them how to study the text for themselves, building fellowship, and has proven to be a great way to introduce lost friends/family to Christ. People will come to a friend’s house that will not come to a… Read more »