WHY HAVE A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY OR WORSHIP SERVICE

Have you ever wonder why a church has Wednesday Night Bible Study? If you haven’t wondered, I have.

You may be wondering now, why is he writing about Wednesday night bible study? It’s a simple complicated answer to your inquiry, people stopped coming to Wednesday night bible study.  In generations past, Wednesday night attendance was approximately 60% of a Sunday morning worship service (this is my approximation because I couldn’t find stats online that made sense to me so I used my experience). Now, attendance for Wednesday night bible study in general is more like 30-45% in attendance of Sunday morning worship service. Why is that? I could find many reasons as to why people don’t attend Wednesday night bible study or worship service because I’ve heard them all. However, I believe the bottom-line is that people don’t see the relevance of attending a mid-week service especially when their lives are so busy daily.

So, why have a Wednesday service and where did it come from?

No historical facts have been found that relate when and why Lord’s Day evening and Wednesday evening services began. Too much speculation so I will not try to sort through it all to draw a conclusion.

Therefore, I will reach back to my early days of attending mid-week service. Wednesday night meetings were originally called “prayer meetings”. This was a special time in life of the church to strategically pray for the pastor, the church, and the sick / shut-in. The service would start out with hymns, prayer, and a bible lesson. From my recollection, it took place in a small room and it was some of the best services ever. We had church in that small room. As it grew, we went to the sanctuary to have prayer meeting still consisting of hymns, prayer, and a bible lesson. It quickly transformed from a prayer meeting to worship service which included praise/worship, call to worship, scripture reading, prayer, song of preparation before the message, message, invitation, offering, and the benediction. There’s nothing wrong with the transformation. However, I just believe that we can’t forget the key element of a mid-week service that had so much impact on the church and it's effectiveness in the community which was prayer. Not just any prayer or praying but strategic prayer! 

Paul says in Philippians 4: 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The strength of the church lies in its’ prayer life! Just as a believer is strengthened from a strong prayer life so is the church. When believers come together in prayer great things happen, TOGETHER!

While I believe prayer is essential to a mid-week service that’s not the only important reason for attending mid-week service. I also believe….

• It follows the Early Church Pattern: One of my favorite passages of scripture on the church is housed in Act 2:42-47. Verse 42 sets the principle method of doing church: “And they continued steadfastly in the Apostle’s doctrine, in prayers, and breaking of bread from house to house”. Throughout the book Acts you will notice that the people did not go to church for fear of being killed but that didn’t stop them from having bible study and prayer meeting from house to house. It was important to the NT church to be rooted in sound doctrine and it is important to the church today, corporately and individually, to share the same mindset of the NT church. Church’s I’ve attended and even when pastored a church, most of my strategic doctrinal teachings were done during a mid-week service. I used Wednesday night worship service for systematic teaching on core Christian values. The platform afforded me and the congregation an opportunity to engage to together in a discussion for learning.
   
• It follows the instruction of the Great Commission: Matthew 28: 19 says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples….” Here’s my conviction of disciple-making, the church has a responsibility to make disciples and disciples has the responsibility to make more disciples. In addition, I have a five-fold “P” principle in disciple-making: · Discipleship is PERSONAL—Discipleship just doesn’t happen, it’s a personal pursuit. · Discipleship is a PROCESS— Spiritual maturity starts with knowledge that leads to change but take it one step at a time. · Discipleship is PURPOSEFUL— Finish what you started! · Discipleship is about PEOPLE— Effective discipleship is relationship building. · Discipleship is POSSIBLE— Discipleship is possible to achieve, just stay in your lane.

 

-        It insures a commitment to the sharing of common goals, values, and principles: If you go back to Acts 2:42-47, you will notice that the people went to work after verse 42. The key verse is verse 44; “All the believers were together and had everything in common”. I believe Wednesday Night Bible Study (or worship) is the glue that makes everything and everybody stick together as an effective healthy church. What is the guarantee of sharing common goals, values, and principles? Verse 47; “They praised God and had favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved’.