what is your church service like?

[xino]

Ok I've been travelling around to different churches and many of the churches have been too all have the same similarity process. There are 2 particular churches I went to that feels completely different to other churches!


First of all the first church I went too that made me want to stay
*everyone talks to each other about anything for 15min
*song praise
*we pray for being in church that day (today)
*everyone greets all their neighbour and talks to each other
*sermon time
*prayer
*breaking of the bread (every week)
*tiding/money offering
*information misc
*closing song
*people talk and other leaves.


Now for the second church I went to that a friend was recommending me.
*few people talk together while others keep quiet
*song praise
*prayer
*testimony from anyone about their experience in the past week
*song praise
*little teaching and little sermon
*prayer or not, but if not then song praise.
*closing...people people or leave
*(breaking of the bread happens rarely but once a month I think)


I've only being to the second church twice and I believe THIS is how every church should be.
When I observe all other churches, they do SIMILAR things like the first church!
I mean I love the first church because they show more love than other churches and more than the second church.
The first church treated me like a real brother and a best friend...NO ONE is highly of you. Even a 45yr husband will talk to you like he knows you for 15yrs.
Each time I go to the church...I am just joyful to see these people!


My point is...what is your church like?
anybody can form a church and if all churches are the same then we are all doing something wrong.

when you compare my first church service, it is EXACTLY like 75% church services out there.
There's no disciple interaction, or faith sharing testimonies.
--Many people just go to church, do their own worship, listen to sermon and depart their own way and go back home doing their thing.--
This is not how the bible taught us.
Why must we keep giving our offering every week? I like the second church because you can go to the offering place anytime and just give your offering. Without people passing baskets around during worship. Just another tradition rule formed by man.
People should not be pressurised to put something in the basket all the time, each week. They should have a freedom to pay the church whenever they feel!

The only problem with the second church is that, they SING TOO much man:/ I am not a fan of the singing but of the sermon...sermon makes me learn things. And for the part I bolded, people share their experience they had in the past week, something God did for them.


The point of going to church is to worship in the presence of our Father. The second church, people talk about signs, miracles and visions experiences. But other churches I see none of that.
This woman gave me a vision the lord showed her and the message makes sense for me. The friend who invited me to the second church told me how the Lord poured grace on him last week.
I think if we can experience a heavenly sign/blessing in a church then we are in the right church and others void.

I haven't experienced anything in that second church yet because I've only been there twice.
But if the Lord touches me on my third go....I know this IS the right church

 

[starfield]

My church is pretty large and the service is quite long but it is fun . Although this is the general schedule, it changes slightly when we have Holy Communion, child dedication, water baptism taking place, Christmas, or Easter service. The service commences at 10AM but the choir and musicians have to be there a bit early for music practice.
1) Sunday school for kids, junior high/HS kids, and young adults (in separate classes though) where we are taught bible lessons and principles and sometimes we get served breakfast or have mini birthday celebration if it's your birthday (my favorite bit yum yum ), while the older adults have a seminar. It's approximately 30-45 minutes long.
2) Everyone gathers together in the main auditorium
3) Opening prayer
4) The congregation sing hymns
5) Songs performed by the choir or a solo
6) Announcements when necessary
7) Singing of worship songs
8) Collection of offering
9) Prayer from the pastor
10) Sermon from the pastor
11) Closing prayer
12) Departure or socializing time, if you wish. I find it funny that some people (even the ones that sleep during sermon or complain of boredom) don't like to leave after the service is over but rather talk amongst themselves about the latest news and gossips. lol

We also have weekly meetings like ladies' night occasionally, bible studies, worship nights for the youths, and prayer meetings.

 

[xino]

@starfield

so your church is just like a general church one would expect from other churches.

what is their baptism like? they celebrate when one gets baptised right?

 

[Nautilus]

I wake up about 2 on sundays...so church is over, I just have a rough schedule

 

[starfield]

@starfield

so your church is just like a general church one would expect from other churches.

what is their baptism like? they celebrate when one gets baptised right?

Prior to baptism, the baptismal candidate will meet with the pastor where he will discuss with them the meaning and mechanism of baptism. We have this baptistry fixture thingy (for the lack of a better word lol) in front of our church for water baptism.
The baptism service begins with the congregation singing an opening hymn, the candidate is called forth to share his or her salvation testimony or profession of faith. The pastor enters the water and says a prayer and a short exhortation, and then he invites the candidate to join him in the water. The pastor says something like "Person A (their name), based upon your profession of faith, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Buried with Him in death...", he briefly lowers the person under the water and says "...and raised with Him to walk in newness of life", then he brings them up. The rising up of the person is symbolic of resurrection in the likeness of Christ, so the congregation applaud and sing a closing hymn.
Some people also take pictures or video tape the ceremony, but it's no big deal lol.

 

[Bea22]

Great thread
My church:
The kids have Sunday school firstly, for half an hour, so by the time everyone else arrives, they are almost done.
Mainly the women greet each other with a hug or kiss - shaking hands for opposite sex. And most males greet each other with hand shakes.
Quiet small talk outside of the sanctuary if there is time, otherwise half an hour of pre-service, where there is soft music playing and people read their Bibles and pray.
Then song service starts and goes for half an hour. Opening prayer at the start, and tithes and offering collected and prayer made for blessing on that straight after. (So two short prayers made). Any testimony or song special is not a drawn out thing, usually no longer than 5 mins. For longer testimonies, we have a special service for that in the year, or we testify to one another outside of church and because there isn't many people, we all hear it
Then pastor comes and any announcements made, Word is read, prayer made and listen to sermon for an hour, sometimes an hour and a half.
Prayer and couple of short songs to end.
Everyone goes outside and greets each other and fellowships.
And we do this twice on Sunday - except for the tithes and offering which is just collected in the morning service.
And we also have a service on Wednesday night, which differs slightly.

 

[starfield]

Any testimony or song special is not a drawn out thing, usually no longer than 5 mins. For longer testimonies, we have a special service for that in the year, or we testify to one another outside of church and because there isn't many people, we all hear it

The same goes for my church. We have a special service where we sing praise and worship and share longer testimonies. It's usually held on the first Sunday of the New Year.

 

[NarrowRoadDisciple]

We are a small home style church (6-11 people) that is primarily based on scripture readings held on Thursdays and Sundays. My pastor says that he wants to read the scripture and use God's Word over interjecting any personal beliefs that he may have. A bible driven and Holy Spirit driven service

Conversation and catching up
__________________________________
Prayer
Worship to help bring in the Holy Spirit
News (most of the time)
The message - Lots of scripture reading and free open discussion (Sometimes a video depending on where the Holy Spirit leads the pastor)
Lord's Supper (depending on who is present and their spiritual status)
Closing worship song
Prayer over tithing and offerings
Closing prayer and song
__________________________________
Fellowship/Dinner

 

[xino]

@Bea22

half an hour song? that is crazy man! O_O

@NarrowRoadDisciple
hmmm pretty cool man that 6-11 people meet up somewhere and just form a church.

but i don't get it why a basket needs to be passed around if the church only consist of 6-11:/



As you can see, many churches perform services because it's tradition or other churches are doing it.
I don't see the point of money offering, I was reading Acts again and it said the believers were lending and sharing their things together. Instead of them giving money dedicated to a church.
But Jesus did ask people to support the church by giving up their stuff and an old poor lady gave all her possessions.

 

[nathan3]

All the Bible is read and taught until completed. Say for ex. We will start in Revelation chapter 1. The pastor will read every verse and teach each one, for a hour . The next day, we pick up where we left off. Until the entire book has been read and taught. Then we move onto the next book.
Chapter by chapter and verse by verse; thus saith the Lord . ( Going into idioms ,figures of speech, customs of the times, Hebrew and Greek word studies ,etc. )
There is a time for other things, like for baptisms .


2 Tim 2:

[15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.




Isa 28

[10] For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little




Acts 17: [11] These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

 

[damombomb]

We all go in church, very small and personal one. then pastor asks if anyone has a word, scripture, or song. Prayer for any request for self or others
Worship time and songs,prayer for the service
Then preaching for about 30 minutes, prayer for individuals who need it( sometimes before preaching) everyone is allowed to participate or talk about
what the lord has done for them, children included , they can also get called on to read scriptures , offering last
baptism in Jesus name for remissiion of sins

 

[xino]

@nathan3

yes the first church I describe do the sermon bible teaching just like yours.
If they start from Matthew, they will make sure we read all of matthew, jumping in between passages, verses and chapters from other parts in bible as references.
do they do basket money offering passing as well?


@damombomb
your church is REALLY good!
i love it!
it feels MORE like a community church.




because as you can see from my example and many other examples.
When people think of a church, they usually have the same services.
prayer, sing, sermon, (breaking of bread), money offering, sing, prayer , go
There's no interaction or communication between everyone.
we are all disciples but the church doesn't make it seem that way.
It feels more like "I go to church FOR MY salvation, don't need to speak to people"
people don't really go to church to see "wow..can't believe you are also here today...HEY! Jason, how was your week" etc


People just don't understand that we attend a church building to congregate, and become one church.

 

[Bea22]

@Bea22

half an hour song? that is crazy man! O_O

Lol why is it crazy? It's worshiping God and it creates an atmosphere for the Word. It's not too short and not too long. And time goes by quite quickly

 

[NarrowRoadDisciple]

@Bea22

half an hour song? that is crazy man! O_O

@NarrowRoadDisciple
hmmm pretty cool man that 6-11 people meet up somewhere and just form a church.

but i don't get it why a basket needs to be passed around if the church only consist of 6-11:/

As you can see, many churches perform services because it's tradition or other churches are doing it.
I don't see the point of money offering, I was reading Acts again and it said the believers were lending and sharing their things together. Instead of them giving money dedicated to a church.
But Jesus did ask people to support the church by giving up their stuff and an old poor lady gave all her possessions.

Actually, there is no basket passed around. There is a basket for the tithes and offerings, but no one knows who puts what is in the basket. Does the bible not say let your giving be in secret?
Our pastor prays over the tithes and offerings.

6-11 is actually a great size for a church The pastor must know the spiritual state of every sheep in the flock, and when you have a huge church (50+), this gets far more difficult.

 

[phil36]

Ok I've been travelling around to different churches and many of the churches have been too all have the same similarity process. There are 2 particular churches I went to that feels completely different to other churches!


First of all the first church I went too that made me want to stay
*everyone talks to each other about anything for 15min
*song praise
*we pray for being in church that day (today)
*everyone greets all their neighbour and talks to each other
*sermon time
*prayer
*breaking of the bread (every week)
*tiding/money offering
*information misc
*closing song
*people talk and other leaves.


Now for the second church I went to that a friend was recommending me.
*few people talk together while others keep quiet
*song praise
*prayer
*testimony from anyone about their experience in the past week
*song praise
*little teaching and little sermon
*prayer or not, but if not then song praise.
*closing...people people or leave
*(breaking of the bread happens rarely but once a month I think)


I've only being to the second church twice and I believe THIS is how every church should be.
When I observe all other churches, they do SIMILAR things like the first church!
I mean I love the first church because they show more love than other churches and more than the second church.
The first church treated me like a real brother and a best friend...NO ONE is highly of you. Even a 45yr husband will talk to you like he knows you for 15yrs.
Each time I go to the church...I am just joyful to see these people!


My point is...what is your church like?
anybody can form a church and if all churches are the same then we are all doing something wrong.

when you compare my first church service, it is EXACTLY like 75% church services out there.
There's no disciple interaction, or faith sharing testimonies.
--Many people just go to church, do their own worship, listen to sermon and depart their own way and go back home doing their thing.--
This is not how the bible taught us.
Why must we keep giving our offering every week? I like the second church because you can go to the offering place anytime and just give your offering. Without people passing baskets around during worship. Just another tradition rule formed by man.
People should not be pressurised to put something in the basket all the time, each week. They should have a freedom to pay the church whenever they feel!

The only problem with the second church is that, they SING TOO much man:/ I am not a fan of the singing but of the sermon...sermon makes me learn things. And for the part I bolded, people share their experience they had in the past week, something God did for them.


The point of going to church is to worship in the presence of our Father. The second church, people talk about signs, miracles and visions experiences. But other churches I see none of that.
This woman gave me a vision the lord showed her and the message makes sense for me. The friend who invited me to the second church told me how the Lord poured grace on him last week.
I think if we can experience a heavenly sign/blessing in a church then we are in the right church and others void.

I haven't experienced anything in that second church yet because I've only been there twice.
But if the Lord touches me on my third go....I know this IS the right church

It depends if you are only seeking an experiential High (hit) or you want to worship together and learn together, remember the teaching you et from your Rev/Minister/Pastor etc is what God has given your pastor that week for your edification not only as an individual but corperatly.

Be wary of looking for experience and emotion driven highs or hits, church then turns into what I can get from this rather than actually going there to Give.........!