Podcast Episode #547
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We’ve discussed Sunday evening services before on the blog and podcast, but things haven’t changed much in local churches. The services are still declining on the whole. Today, we update you as to why that is.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- The number of churches offering Sunday evening services is still declining and the number of people coming is still declining.
- Churches with off-site groups are turning to Sunday night groups and finding more success.
- Sunday night worship services that are duplicates of Sunday morning services are likely to be the most well-attended types of Sunday evening services.
- Much of the traditional support for Sunday evening services is waning because many in the generation who has pushed for it for so long are dying off.
The eight updates we discuss are:
- Still declining
- Most recent poll: 36% of churches have unique Sunday evening services
- Typical return rate from Sunday morning is one-third
- More churches moving groups to Sunday evening
- More common in older and smaller churches
- Sunday evening often used for special occasions
- Sometimes used as an alternative to Sunday morning services
- Opposition to discontinuing is waning
Resources mentioned in today’s podcast
- Whatever Happened to Sunday Evening Services?
- WooMarriage.com/freetrial – Use offer code LEADERSHIP at checkout
Rainer on Leadership is a member of the LifeWay Leadership Podcast Network
Episode Sponsors
Today’s episode is sponsored by Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Midwestern offers more than 25 degrees at both undergraduate and masters level that are fully attainable online. From Business to Bible, Counseling to Christian education, prepare for your future at your own pace and in your own location.
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If you go into liturgical churches in cities, you will find that they still say mass or Evensong (an ancient hybrid of compline and vespers) at 4 or 5 pm. Those services are still attended and with multiple clergy on staff and retired clergy available, there is no shortage of officiants.
Is there evidence to support the idea that, according to the history of spiritual awakenings in America, massive revival drew people to church almost every day and night, which means that Sunday night assembly is a last remnant of that period?
If so, another Great Awakening might bring back a different outlook concerning the value of the assembly.
I always appreciate you guys.
Undoubtedly, you are correct about where evening worship stands. Nevertheless, when you suggest that the decline in attending evening worship is cultural rather than theological – an obvious theological issue jumps to mind: The Sabbath Day
Isn’t the decline in evening worship related to the fact that few American Christians believe in anything like a Sabbath day for Christians? If people are spending their Sundays resting and in public and private worship – then Sunday evening worship would probably be the norm. If people are spending their Sunday afternoons at sporting events, shopping, or fixing things around the house – then it makes sense that Sunday evening worship would decline. Obviously, the trend is toward the latter. But isn’t this really a theological issue?
BTW – Up here in New England, evening worship is exceedingly rare. I think that this part and parcel of how secular New England has become (we are the least churched part of the nation). Correlation isn’t causation, but it does make me less sanguine than you are about getting rid of evening worship. Signaling that gathering for corporate worship more than once per week is somehow a burden rather than a joy may be inadvertently encouraging church members to develop a more secular view of life.
Points well made, David.
Unlike the nation of Israel under the Law, the church has never been commanded to observe the Sabbath.
I have to agree with David. Church is just not the priority in people’s lives that it once was. I don’t like it, but that’s the reality.
I have been at this church for 9 1/2 years. The Sunday evening service was not well attended. We still have Sunday evening service, but I decided to make it a Bible Study rather than a “church service.” We start at 6:00 pm with a Q&A over the am message. Then I teach until 6:45 pm. Our Sunday evening service has doubled in attendance.
Sunday evenings at our church are more casual, held in the fellowship hall where coffee is brewed and people begin gathering about 30 minutes early to fellowship before we begin Bible study. Sometimes we sing and sometimes we don’t. It isn’t another church service, but our pastor does teach through a book of the Bible similarly to the way he teaches on Sunday morning. Your statistic about 30% of the congregation returning is probably about right for our church though.
We have our AWANA program on Sunday evenings as well.
It does make things a little unpleasant when we get home and need to still eat and get kids to bed to be ready to start the week, but it is worth the sacrifice to be with our church family in a more intimate setting to end the Lord’s day.