I agree with Alistair Begg 100%!
I get up at 0500 to go drive a school bus and still have a Sun. night service.
I still remember the words of Jack Wood (Shady Acres Baptist Church, Houston TX). I considered him to be my "Pastor" in the 80s whenever I was home on leave visiting my family.
As you read this, think of an old gravely voiced preacher who goes into high-pitched shrieks whenever he yells and you will have a good mental picture of the man.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
You lack sufficient context to make that judgment, but that’s ok.
Church attendance being at an all time low is one of the symptoms of the problem. It demonstrates that people are not sufficiently invested in what we generally know as “church”. The Sunday evening elimination of services is just one more symptom which shows the secularization of our country is very real.
How does the country's secularization cause the elimination of Sunday evening services? Could there be other causes?
Lol, I had already spilled enough ink/type when I wrote that and didn’t feel like doing the heavy lifting to explain it
. That was the fundy in me, and it relates to the statement I made in the other thread about capitulation of the church to the culture. So being brief again, where we evangelicals believe we have to maintain relevance through imitation we began to adapt to worldly philosophies of entertainment, in terms of our worship style and approaches. But yes, I also believe that there are other reasons why evening services are going the way of the dodo bird. Those reasons would take a lot more ink again, and I’ll just stop right here, unless you would like me to elaborate further on them?
I've heard this man! Great preacher. I had friends who used to go to this church years ago. They've moved from Houston to Tampa (transferred for job) and they had recordings of him. I believe I still have some copies in my boxes of tapes out in the garage.
Though not a fan of Paul Chappell, he does at times have good, honest information that should be used. My ex-BIL and sister used to be employed by his church and the college there in CA. I think he's right on the money on this subject.
If there are churches that are thriving on just one service a week, then that's okay, too.
I agree in principle but Paul Chappell seems good from afar off but I would not recommend this church or his ministry to anyone!
You know, good Churches really are getting fewer in number and I am afraid it is only going to get worse. Perhaps one of the problems is that Churches are too "Personality Driven" and dependent upon some dynamic "Senior Pastor" leading everyone from multiple campuses and so forth? I am all for good pastors and supporting them but good pastors train others to do their job and enable members to "Feed themselves" so they don't feel so needy! We need the Church to be strong on every level.Paul Chappell makes a good case for evening services. I would encourage Lancaster Baptist, and all other churches with evening services, to continue them, as long as there are people who want to attend, and it's working for them. If their people like small groups, they can always add them to the schedule, on a voluntary attendance basis. instead of using them as an excuse to cancel the evening services. I can't help mischieviously wondering, though - if "Three to Thrive" is good, then why not "Five to Thrive?" It even makes a better rhyme.
I have to wonder - as gasoline prices go up (although they are down temporarily) how will this affect congregations where most of the people are driving in 3 or 4 times a week (including visitation night) from long distances, because that church is the self-proclaimed "only good church around?" There are many small IFB churches that are in that position - they attract few people from their own communities - they are composed mainly of people who drive in from 20 or 30 miles away in search of doctrinal purity. If they can maintain their attendance in the face of higher gas prices, then more power to them, but at some point, people may start to look for a reasonably good church that is closer to home.
I lost my "warm-fuzzies" for Paul Chappell long before my sister and her ex went there. His overbearing brand of IFBx was too much for me....it's one reason my wife and I never went out there to finish college, though we were encouraged to time and again by friends and family alike. Most of those hard-boiled types eventually end up caving into modernism, CCM, etc. I've learned to let them do it, and let them decide their own fate.
I guess God was stirring things up for me back in the mid 90s when I first joined his Church. I left a "Ruckmanite" Church and was trying to find something a little better balanced and ministry oriented like I had down in San Diego. I guess I was somewhat "Caught up" in all the hype. I was thrilled when he announced the opening of the Bible College and thinking this would be a great opportunity to continue my education and graduate from his college. I don't think I particularly "Fit his mold" though nor were my lips as firmly pressed to his butt cheeks as they should've been but he did have my respect. I don't really blame him for this though, my marriage would've never survived such an environment had I pursued the "Ministry" in such an environment (It didn't anyway but that is another story) plus the Lord really was impressing upon me that there may be some good things outside of the IFB world I had locked myself into. Of course you had all of the nonsense with Hyles and his ilk among a few other things but I was still trying to find some "Terra Firma" within the IFB world and pursue whatever calling the Lord had for me. Pursued a secular degree, tried to keep my mouth shut, and did my best to conform but the Holy Spirit kept "Poking the Bear"
LOL and would not allow me to be content and I was also watching my family suffer so I knew I would probably be better off out of Church than remaining in such an environment!