I’ve pastored my church for over twelve years. We’ve always had two morning services, and I never gave them much thought. And even if I did think about them, I thought of them positively. To me, they were both a marker and a means of growth. More Sunday services meant more success.
They also served as a pathway to success. I remember one staff meeting in which we debated if we should add yet another morning service, a third. The potential change was partially driven by our growing numbers. But beneath the surface lurked the idea that this change would bring still more numbers. I remember some saying “If you give more options, more people will opt.”
Today, my church still has two services on the Lord’s day. Our building cannot house all of our members at one time. But we’re beginning to explore possibilities to make sure that, in the future, our one church has one meeting.
Why the change? What convinced us that one church should have one gathering?
Let me explain two convictions which began to move our ecclesiological assumptions about Sunday mornings.
1. The nature of membership requires one gathering.
Last Sunday, Carol read a passage
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