Our evening services will resume (in-person) at 6pm on Sunday 22nd August 2021. Since it has been a year and a half since our last in-person evening service some may wonder – ‘Why do we have two services each Lord’s Day?’
One benefit of restrictions easing is the possibility of eating in a café or restaurant. There are many lovely things about dining out – time to chat with friends or family, food prepared to order, and (maybe best of all…) no washing up! Another benefit, of course, is ordering whatever you fancy off the menu. Each person gets just what they want – food to suit their tastes and preferences.
Some may think we have Sunday morning and evening services for the same reason – a kind of Sunday menu so folk can come morning or evening, depending upon their tastes or preferences. Let me say clearly this is not our intention! This may be a side benefit (for example those teaching Sunday school at 11am will certainly benefit from coming at 6pm) but it is not the main reason.
When down in Sheffield I occasionally had the privilege of sitting under the preaching ministry of Philip Hacking – some will know him from his long time involvement in the Keswick Convention. Philip loved a catchphrase or a saying. He took to calling the people who came to church morning and evening “twicers”. I distinctly remember him telling us that in his 30+ years of pastoral ministry the one thing he observed most frequently was that “twicers” grew quickly and deeply in their faith, finding joy, comfort, and contentment in the Lord. Those present only morning or evening were much more likely to drift from the Lord or stall in their Christian growth.
Sunday morning and evening services are not a menu from which to pick and choose but an all-day banquet we’re all invited (and strongly encouraged) to eat. We hope you’ll join us morning and evening from 22nd August.