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Does anyone have any thoughts on the cancellation of either one or both services yesterday, as Christmas coincided with the Lord's Day?
Our elders saw it fit to move our normal time later so they could accommodate the early morning recreation that accompanies Dec. 25th. What was interesting that this did not help, in that attendance for our worship service was about 25% of our normal for this time of year. Also what really hurt is that on Dec. 24th we had 2 worship services in the evening, and I suspect many thought it took the place of Sunday morning. Just when I though most of our congregation were former Baptists, it appears most of them are former RC's. Of course this is speculation, but I have been around enough to what I believe is true.
It seems to me we (PCA and evangelicalism in general) are now no better than large town congregations 100 years after the Reformation in Scotland. James Durham preached to a portion of Glasgow and pretty much thought a good portion of them were lost and didn't even know the basics. Or if they did know the catchism it was by rote to pass muster at examinations for communion or some other carnal reason. At least they taught the catechism.
Our elders saw it fit to move our normal time later so they could accommodate the early morning recreation that accompanies Dec. 25th. What was interesting that this did not help, in that attendance for our worship service was about 25% of our normal for this time of year. Also what really hurt is that on Dec. 24th we had 2 worship services in the evening, and I suspect many thought it took the place of Sunday morning. Just when I though most of our congregation were former Baptists, it appears most of them are former RC's. Of course this is speculation, but I have been around enough to what I believe is true.
Interesting thread. This Lord's Day our church's attendance was augmented by probably 25% from family being in town. It was unthinkable for everyone I knew not to come to Church. I can't imagine. There is a Ref21 article on this awful skip-church-for-Christmas phenomenon put in the context of an overall withering Lord's Day observance.
Christmas happening to fall on a Sunday is an opportunity, and churches ought to take advantage of it. People who don't normally hear the gospel will come to church for a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service. We should take the opportunity to preach to them.
Personally, I look forward to my little Sunday school class for kids when it falls on or very near Christmas Day. Some kids will be missing, of course, often because they are out of town. But I also usually get visitors. I meet cousins of the kids I teach, and get to know them, and we all enjoy learning together (usually something about Christ's birth, but it doesn't have to be). There tends to be a good vibe, good energy. For this reason alone, I fail to see why even a church that isn't Sabbatarian would want to cancel services when they fall on Christmas Day.
Interesting thread. This Lord's Day our church's attendance was augmented by probably 25% from family being in town. It was unthinkable for everyone I knew not to come to Church. I can't imagine. There is a Ref21 article on this awful skip-church-for-Christmas phenomenon put in the context of an overall withering Lord's Day observance.
Christmas happening to fall on a Sunday is an opportunity, and churches ought to take advantage of it. People who don't normally hear the gospel will come to church for a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service. We should take the opportunity to preach to them.
Personally, I look forward to my little Sunday school class for kids when it falls on or very near Christmas Day. Some kids will be missing, of course, often because they are out of town. But I also usually get visitors. I meet cousins of the kids I teach, and get to know them, and we all enjoy learning together (usually something about Christ's birth, but it doesn't have to be). There tends to be a good vibe, good energy. For this reason alone, I fail to see why even a church that isn't Sabbatarian would want to cancel services when they fall on Christmas Day.
I think it is because the "leadership" of said churches wants to bail...so they can have the day off man. Come on!
Christmas happening to fall on a Sunday is an opportunity, and churches ought to take advantage of it. People who don't normally hear the gospel will come to church for a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service. We should take the opportunity to preach to them.
Personally, I look forward to my little Sunday school class for kids when it falls on or very near Christmas Day. Some kids will be missing, of course, often because they are out of town. But I also usually get visitors. I meet cousins of the kids I teach, and get to know them, and we all enjoy learning together (usually something about Christ's birth, but it doesn't have to be). There tends to be a good vibe, good energy. For this reason alone, I fail to see why even a church that isn't Sabbatarian would want to cancel services when they fall on Christmas Day.
I think it is because the "leadership" of said churches wants to bail...so they can have the day off man. Come on!
Most of the churches that I have seen canceling services on Christmas have been fairly large. A big part of why they cancel on this day is that they are putting on such a big production, requiring a hundred or more volunteers each week, that even if just 10% of those volunteers were not there, the show would grind to a halt. It is indeed a sad commentary on modern Christianity when the production becomes more important than God.
This is just anecdotal evidence on my part but I think the era of the "C and E" Christian is coming, if has not already, to an end.
There is very little societal pressure to pretend like you go to church as there was even 15 years ago and as the center-town mainline churches continue to die and close up shop so to do the last vestiges of what can even be considered the community churches where you had to be seen every now and then.
That kind of thing still exists to an extent here in the Deep South, but in speaking to my pastor friends in the SBC churches (which function like the mainline church does in the Midwest/North) they do not see any real appreciate uptick on services around the man-made days.
That kind of thing still exists to an extent here in the Deep South, but in speaking to my pastor friends in the SBC churches (which function like the mainline church does in the Midwest/North) they do not see any real appreciate uptick on services around the man-made days.
This is just anecdotal evidence on my part but I think the era of the "C and E" Christian is coming, if has not already, to an end.