Research Report—
Multiple Worship Services:
Evaluation of Fifteen Congregations
by G. Edwin Bontrager, Mennonite Board of Congregational Ministries
June 12, 1996
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1. Churches studied: I sent a questionnaire in April/May 1996 to 19 Mennonite congregations that had started new
services. Fifteen of the nineteen responded with data from their experiences.
2. When services started: All churches had begun a second or third service since 1989. One congregation has gone back
and forth from one to two services and presently has only one worship service but two Sunday schools.
3. Breakdown of number of services:
Two worship/one Sunday school -- 9
Three worship/two Sunday schools-- 1
One worship/two Sunday schools -- 1
Two worship/two Sunday schools -- 4
4. When services held: All are holding their worship services and Sunday schools on Sundays. All hold these events in the
morning except two churches. One of these has a worship service and children's Sunday school running concurrently at
5:00 p.m.; the other has its second worship from 5:00-6:00 p.m., with Sunday school from 5:20-6:00 p.m. One church has
worship from 8:30-10:30 a.m.; Sunday school from 9:45-10:20 a.m.; and the second worship from 10:50-1:00 p.m. Most of
the others begin about 8:30 a.m. and end morning activities at 11:45 a.m. or 12:00 noon. The church with three services
begins the first worship at 8:00 a.m., with Sunday school and worship at 9:15 a.m., and third worship and Sunday school
for only youth and adults at 10:30 a.m.
5. Reason for starting additional service: The reason most of these churches gave was because of needing more space in
the sanctuary; at least six said they wanted to provide different worship styles; other reasons given were to utilize more
gifts, double Sunday school room space, outreach to the community, mission to the city, intentional mission to the
neighborhood, put themselves into a position for growth, and people prefer an earlier service.
6. Process for developing additional services: In a couple of cases, the idea came from the LIFE (Living in Faithful
Evangelism) process. Generally it was processed through elders/council/worship committee. Other words to describe the
process were "research," "clear instructions," "surveying the congregation," and "prayer." Many specifically said they
offered a trial period to test it out (time periods ranged from three to nine months). In one congregation they discussed it for
a couple of years before embarking on the process. Another church invited people who felt a specific call to evangelism,
and this became the planning/discerning group. In one congregation the council initiated the new service time, they shared
a formal announcement, and the new service began in about one month.
7. Arguments against new service: Most churches shared that a number of arguments against multiple services were
posed. Listed below are the hesitations people had and the number of times this idea was offered (in parentheses), though
worded in different ways:
"It will divide us . . . have two groups ... no more one big happy family" (8)
"Will form a separate congregation" (3)
"Won't get to see everyone" (3)
"Won't know everyone in congregation" (2)
"Music in worship" (2) (afraid of changing music style?)
"Disjointed feel to Sunday morning" (2)
"Drain on pastor" (2)
"Can't have fellowship dinners"
"Get rid of those drums"
"Fear of loss of influence--music may shift"
"Sunday morning schedule would become too frenetic"
"May split the church"
"Like it the way it is"
"Lose congregational four-part singing"
"I might miss something"
"Loss of choirs"
"Stretch musicians' gifts and time"
"Grandparents may not be in worship with their grandchildren"
"Families/extended families might end up in different services"
"Better feelings about a full auditorium"
In at least three churches, there didn't seem to be any arguments against it. In one church the missions focus was blessed. In
another there were more questions than arguments against, such as the relationship between the two--how offerings are
handled, budgets, publicizing if the services are not identical.
8. Worship space: This question asked, "How did it feel if the service was 'half full' when the new service began?" In most
cases this did not prove to be a major problem. One church that seats 600 had 100-150 people in one service, so they put up
portable dividers. Another church removed six pews from the back but later reinstalled three of them. Some felt that with
fewer people there was a warmer feeling and felt more freedom to share. In one church there was at first a "lag of energy,
but people began to feel better about having more space." In at least three churches they really noticed an effect on the
singing; one indicated that it was "depressing--the singing wasn't good."
9. What would you have done differently? Following are some answers given:
"Try to really sell the concept; call people to the same level of commitment and sacrifice as if we were starting a new
church"
"Make sure the church council and elders had ownership"
"Make clear early-on how we would decide whether or not to try it so people wouldn't feel railroaded"
"Start up a core group that's committed to helping plan and develop the new service--more than the leaders' idea"
"Try to get more of a mix of ages to come to each service"
"Provide for more than just one hour in the worship service"
"Encourage more people who come in the morning service to attend evening" [new evening service]
"Be more intentional about children in the new service"
"More community at both services to keep stronger sense of connection"
"Define the relationship between the two"
"Deal earlier in the process with the question, 'Will the service be identical in style or different?'"
"Meet in a room other than sanctuary that is more suitable to the size of the group"
"Allow longer for worship"
10. Styles the same or different: Eight of the fifteen provided a different style of worship in the new service. The more
contemporary or less traditional things they mentioned were:
Worship leadership do not lead service from the platform
Using overhead projector with scripture songs led by worship team
Targeted newer Christians
More lively
Sing louder
Quicker to clap
Instruments such as piano, guitars, drums
One church said that the new service was "very different . . . we have it in the evening with 20-30 people attending." As far
as I could tell, the same sermon is given in both/all services.
11. How different positions/elements are handled in multiple services:
Ushers--all use a different set of ushers
Baptism/receiving new members--four or five congregations baptize persons in the service they attend; two have baptism
in the evening; another has baptism in the evening during the week (immersion), but receive members (transfer) the fourth
Sunday of the month; two allow the candidates to select the service they desire. Another church wrote this: "Some people
feel a sense of loss if special events happen in the other service. We now use our coffee time to introduce the baptismal
candidates and new members."
Holidays--There is a lot of variety among the 15 congregations. Three always continue with two services at Christmas and
Easter. One has a brunch between the services, and another puts on a program during the Sunday school period. One has a
joint service at Christmas and Easter and during the summer; another only at Easter; and another Christmas and Easter.
Greeters--Two congregations don't use greeters in the new service. Most all the rest use different ones. One church rotates
them.
12. Changes that have resulted:
Attendance--Ten congregations indicated an increase, some much greater than others. Of these, four said this:
"We mailed out 160 welcome letters the first six months."
"Significant attendance increase -- some months as high as 20% over previous month and some months 5-7% higher."
"We are still growing."
"Forty to fifty persons are ministered to who couldn't otherwise if the choice was not there."
"Has almost doubled."
Two congregations said that attendance didn't change much, and two others said that attendance dropped (one
indicated 8-10 people less over three years). One church that moved back and forth between one and two services
saw attendance go from 425 to 388, and now it's back to 445, and they recently went back to one service.
Fellowship--One congregation said that this definitely suffered. Most of the others said fellowship did not suffer;
they put more emphasis on fellowship in Sunday school classes and in other smaller settings. Some sponsored more
meals together. One church said that the two worship groups have separate fellowships--this church has their second
worship service in the evening and has definitely focused on reaching the unchurched.
Unity--Three respondents did not feel that church unity was affected; three had complaints; and others were in
between. One church said they needed to stress their small groups more; another tried to find points of connection
and affirm their separation. One shared the perception that separate groups did exist, but the leadership affirmed that
the two services are part of one body and that they must work together. Another shared a very important point: "We
have had to find unity in purpose and direction, rather than unity which would be described as everyone in the same
service. The former is much closer to the biblical idea of unity anyway, in my opinion."
The church that has now gone back to one service responded by saying, "We had unity around getting back to one service!"
New people--Most congregations realized a number of new people coming to their services. Quotes included:
"Most are excited about new folks."
"Increased awareness of the need to bring in new people."
"Accommodated different biological time clocks."
"Congregational attitude has always been positive and accepting."
"Great--most enter through second service."
Again, the one church that has moved back to one service said that they got so focused on their own agenda they couldn't
think about new people.
For more research on mulitple worship services, see Charles Arn, "Multiple Worship Services and Church Growth," in
Journal of The American Society for Church Growth, "Worship and Church Growth," Vol. 7, available from The American
Society for Church Growth, 1230 US Highway Six, PO Box 145, Corunna, IN 46730, (219) 281-2452.
Or purchase Arn's book, How
to Start a New Service, from New Life Ministries.
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