One gathering or multiple gathering

[s1n4m1n]

What does the Bible say about scheduling more than one gathering (worship service) on Sundays?

For example there is a Methodist church in town that holds two morning services, 8:00am and 10:00am. The members can choose which one to go to and aren't obligated to attend both. Most CoCs I'm familiar with have a morning and evening gathering but I think it is generally assumed that members should be at both gathering is at all possible, even though that is never the case.

So is it Scriptural to schedule a worship service and not have the whole church at once?

Ken

[Livelysword]

What does the Bible say about scheduling more than one gathering (worship service) on Sundays?

For example there is a Methodist church in town that holds two morning services, 8:00am and 10:00am. The members can choose which one to go to and aren't obligated to attend both. Most CoCs I'm familiar with have a morning and evening gathering but I think it is generally assumed that members should be at both gathering is at all possible, even though that is never the case.

So is it Scriptural to schedule a worship service and not have the whole church at once?

Ken

Lively:  I believe the bible is silent concerning more then one worship service on the first day of the week...  Most churches of Christ do not have two worship services in the morning.. one following the other...  all that I have heard that did have such... it is because they do not  have the room in the building they currently have to accommodate all its members...  When examining the bible, I see only one worship service offered on the first day of the week...  Multiple services for the most part have its beginnings from war...  having members who are a part of the war in one form or another...  not all could make the regular worship service which had been held once during the first day of the week... so a second service was added in many congregations to accommodate such...  from that, having two services on the first day of the week... congregations who got larger then their buildings figured... well what is the difference if we have two services in the Morning as long as we are as the Lord's church having more then one service in the Lord's day anyway...  that way they could keep their smaller building and grow to twice the membership the building could accommodate...  I believe such is not taught anywhere in scripture... in fact, just the opposite... that all are to come together upon the first day of the week...  when the whole church come together into one place...  not just half the church...  Most churches I have been a part of have had morning and evening worship...  one church I was at went from both morning and evening worships to just morning... mostly because there were not a lot of members...

If one was to ask me and follow what I find in scripture... there would be one worship on the first day of the week, and it would start at 3PM... and here is why...

Peter and John in Acts 3 went up to the temple at the ninth hour of the day... that is 3PM... which was also the hour of prayer...  question is, is such an example binding...  later in Acts 20 when they met in Troas... it does not state when they came together... but Paul did continue his preaching til midnight...   I highly doubt they started service at 10:00AM and continued til midnight...  but that is just me following what I believe the bible teaches...  Acts 3 is the only place I see where the term hour of prayer is used... and that associated with the 9th hour...  is there any significance to it?  Well, if one realizes the Lord died on the Cross at the ninth hour of the day... perhaps there may be some significance... or perhaps its just a time the Jews had determined...  but it is a positive statement... it is an example... that is when they came together...  it certainly is not spoken against, or as something not to do...  Hopefully I have given you something to think about...


How are things going for you now days?

[HRoberson]

Is it Biblical to have multiple Sunday morning services? No.
Is it anti-Scriptural to have multiple Sunday morning services? No.

We have a gathering at 8:15, and one at 10:45. Classes are held in the building at 9:30 (also a non-Biblical activity). You can pick which one you'd like to attend.

We do this because we want to.

[DCR]

Most large CofCs in my area have two morning worship services.  It's pretty much the norm. 

We have one at 8:00 and the second at 10:30.  Sunday School is at 9:30 between the two services.  For a year or two, they actually tried doing three morning services.  But, then we went back to two.

[Bocephus]

Sounds denominational.

[s1n4m1n]

What does the Bible say about scheduling more than one gathering (worship service) on Sundays?

For example there is a Methodist church in town that holds two morning services, 8:00am and 10:00am. The members can choose which one to go to and aren't obligated to attend both. Most CoCs I'm familiar with have a morning and evening gathering but I think it is generally assumed that members should be at both gathering is at all possible, even though that is never the case.

So is it Scriptural to schedule a worship service and not have the whole church at once?

Ken

Lively:  I believe the bible is silent concerning more then one worship service on the first day of the week...  Most churches of Christ do not have two worship services in the morning.. one following the other...  all that I have heard that did have such... it is because they do not  have the room in the building they currently have to accommodate all its members...  When examining the bible, I see only one worship service offered on the first day of the week...  Multiple services for the most part have its beginnings from war...  having members who are a part of the war in one form or another...  not all could make the regular worship service which had been held once during the first day of the week... so a second service was added in many congregations to accommodate such...  from that, having two services on the first day of the week... congregations who got larger then their buildings figured... well what is the difference if we have two services in the Morning as long as we are as the Lord's church having more then one service in the Lord's day anyway...  that way they could keep their smaller building and grow to twice the membership the building could accommodate...  I believe such is not taught anywhere in scripture... in fact, just the opposite... that all are to come together upon the first day of the week...  when the whole church come together into one place...  not just half the church...  Most churches I have been a part of have had morning and evening worship...  one church I was at went from both morning and evening worships to just morning... mostly because there were not a lot of members...

If one was to ask me and follow what I find in scripture... there would be one worship on the first day of the week, and it would start at 3PM... and here is why...

Peter and John in Acts 3 went up to the temple at the ninth hour of the day... that is 3PM... which was also the hour of prayer...  question is, is such an example binding...  later in Acts 20 when they met in Troas... it does not state when they came together... but Paul did continue his preaching til midnight...   I highly doubt they started service at 10:00AM and continued til midnight...  but that is just me following what I believe the bible teaches...  Acts 3 is the only place I see where the term hour of prayer is used... and that associated with the 9th hour...  is there any significance to it?  Well, if one realizes the Lord died on the Cross at the ninth hour of the day... perhaps there may be some significance... or perhaps its just a time the Jews had determined...  but it is a positive statement... it is an example... that is when they came together...  it certainly is not spoken against, or as something not to do...  Hopefully I have given you something to think about...

So you are saying that is is not Scriptural for a church have more than one meeting on Sundays?

How are things going for you now days?

Problems here and there.

[Livelysword]

What does the Bible say about scheduling more than one gathering (worship service) on Sundays?

For example there is a Methodist church in town that holds two morning services, 8:00am and 10:00am. The members can choose which one to go to and aren't obligated to attend both. Most CoCs I'm familiar with have a morning and evening gathering but I think it is generally assumed that members should be at both gathering is at all possible, even though that is never the case.

So is it Scriptural to schedule a worship service and not have the whole church at once?

Ken

Lively:  I believe the bible is silent concerning more then one worship service on the first day of the week...  Most churches of Christ do not have two worship services in the morning.. one following the other...  all that I have heard that did have such... it is because they do not  have the room in the building they currently have to accommodate all its members...  When examining the bible, I see only one worship service offered on the first day of the week...  Multiple services for the most part have its beginnings from war...  having members who are a part of the war in one form or another...  not all could make the regular worship service which had been held once during the first day of the week... so a second service was added in many congregations to accommodate such...  from that, having two services on the first day of the week... congregations who got larger then their buildings figured... well what is the difference if we have two services in the Morning as long as we are as the Lord's church having more then one service in the Lord's day anyway...  that way they could keep their smaller building and grow to twice the membership the building could accommodate...  I believe such is not taught anywhere in scripture... in fact, just the opposite... that all are to come together upon the first day of the week...  when the whole church come together into one place...  not just half the church...  Most churches I have been a part of have had morning and evening worship...  one church I was at went from both morning and evening worships to just morning... mostly because there were not a lot of members...

If one was to ask me and follow what I find in scripture... there would be one worship on the first day of the week, and it would start at 3PM... and here is why...

Peter and John in Acts 3 went up to the temple at the ninth hour of the day... that is 3PM... which was also the hour of prayer...  question is, is such an example binding...  later in Acts 20 when they met in Troas... it does not state when they came together... but Paul did continue his preaching til midnight...   I highly doubt they started service at 10:00AM and continued til midnight...  but that is just me following what I believe the bible teaches...  Acts 3 is the only place I see where the term hour of prayer is used... and that associated with the 9th hour...  is there any significance to it?  Well, if one realizes the Lord died on the Cross at the ninth hour of the day... perhaps there may be some significance... or perhaps its just a time the Jews had determined...  but it is a positive statement... it is an example... that is when they came together...  it certainly is not spoken against, or as something not to do...  Hopefully I have given you something to think about...

So you are saying that is is not Scriptural for a church have more than one meeting on Sundays?

How are things going for you now days?

Problems here and there.

Lively:  I do not see or hear of any church in the NT having or being authorized to have more then one worship service...  I do not see the biblical authority for it...

[DCR]

Lively:  I do not see or hear of any church in the NT having or being authorized to have more then one worship service...  I do not see the biblical authority for it...

So, you believe it is only proper to have one service on Sunday with no return Sunday night service?

How about the midweek service?  Is there biblical authority for that?

[James.]

Form follows function.  What's the chief purpose(s) of coming together?  Answer that first, then tackle whether or not it can be done in two separate services.

For example, if the chief aim is to get everyone into a single room for a headcheck for the week, no you can't.  If the chief purpose is to lift up Christ and edify as many as possible in the faith...

[OldDad]

Is it Biblical to have multiple Sunday morning services? No.
Is it anti-Scriptural to have multiple Sunday morning services? No.

This pretty much covers it.  It was "church" whether they met "house to house" in multiple groups, or "in the temple" in one large group.

When an auditorium/sanctuary is 70% full, people will stop attending, inviting their friends, etc.  A church should have enough services to keep each below that threshold - if they want to continue to reach people.

[Livelysword]

Lively:  I do not see or hear of any church in the NT having or being authorized to have more then one worship service...  I do not see the biblical authority for it...

So, you believe it is only proper to have one service on Sunday with no return Sunday night service?

How about the midweek service?  Is there biblical authority for that?

Lively:  One service on sunday... any amount of bible classes as agreed upon by members on any day...

[Livelysword]

Form follows function.  What's the chief purpose(s) of coming together?  Answer that first, then tackle whether or not it can be done in two separate services.

For example, if the chief aim is to get everyone into a single room for a headcheck for the week, no you can't.  If the chief purpose is to lift up Christ and edify as many as possible in the faith...

Lively:  The disciples are commanded to come together upon the first day of the week to worship...  the bible does not state if this is to happen just once or can be repeated more then once upon the first day of the week... but as example of NT Christians... I only see them coming together once upon the first day of the week...  a good example of such is Acts 20:7, upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread...  they came together and were there for the day... there was no second worship service...  nor does any other example show a second worship service...  yet we are still commanded to gather to study the word as well... but no time is set for that... we find many times in Jerusalem... they came together daily...

[DCR]

Lively:  I do not see or hear of any church in the NT having or being authorized to have more then one worship service...  I do not see the biblical authority for it...

So, you believe it is only proper to have one service on Sunday with no return Sunday night service?

How about the midweek service?  Is there biblical authority for that?

Lively:  One service on sunday... any amount of bible classes as agreed upon by members on any day...

If members can agree upon any amount of Bible classes on any day, then why couldn't they do the same about services?

[Livelysword]

Lively:  I do not see or hear of any church in the NT having or being authorized to have more then one worship service...  I do not see the biblical authority for it...

So, you believe it is only proper to have one service on Sunday with no return Sunday night service?

How about the midweek service?  Is there biblical authority for that?

Lively:  One service on sunday... any amount of bible classes as agreed upon by members on any day...

If members can agree upon any amount of Bible classes on any day, then why couldn't they do the same about services?

Lively: Well, I think they have made agreement to have more worship services...  my point was I only see one worship service on the first day of the week within NT bible text... so the question becomes, is it biblical or does the bible authorize more then one worship service...

[James.]

Gnat straining and belly button lint.