Issue 994
A Saturday Night Service at Bethany?!? Dr. Ritch Boerckel
Senior Pastor
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Bethany exists as a church to glorify God by proclaiming Jesus as Lord and by preparing God’s people to worship Him forever! The elders of Bethany are always looking for ways that we might fulfill that mission. One of the initiatives that we have been discussing recently is the addition of a Saturday evening worship service. We are currently making plans for the offering of this additional worship service to begin in January. We are planning two preliminary Saturday worship services on November 15 and 22. These two services will help us learn how we might best glorify God and encourage His people through these worship services. The creation of a Saturday evening worship service has taken me by surprise, even as I have been one of those proposing it. For years I had been opposed to this idea when it entered our conversations, as I was concerned that it might entice people into a superficial
commitment to Christ. I feared that many might do what I heard some say, “It is great that our church has a Saturday night service because now I can go to church on Saturday night and then have all of Sunday for myself.” This is an attitude that views corporate worship as a weekly obligation to fulfill rather than a rich opportunity to enjoy. It is an attitude that pushes God to the periphery of one’s life, rather than the center where He belongs. Through prayer and biblical consideration, I have become convinced that the opportunity to glorify God in a Saturday evening service is greater than the possibility of dishonoring Him. I admit that my concern is not completely removed, and it will shape the way we shepherd those who participate with us in worship on Saturday nights. Two questions are natural to ask as we think about a Saturday evening service: Why are we doing it? And what will it look like? Continued on page 2