In the Westminster Larger Catechism, the answer for Question 117 "How is the sabbath or the Lord’s day to be sanctified?" is, “The sabbath or Lord’s day is to be sanctified by a holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful; and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God’s worship.” It can be seen that we can not just worship God during the Sunday service lasting one or two hours, but sanctify the whole day.
Traditionally, churches have valued the Lord’s Day. Besides holding Sunday services, some churches also make good use of the time after service to organize activities, helping congregants grow in their faith. These activities might include study courses, fellowship gatherings, prayer meetings, or sharing sessions aimed at seekers.
Church A in Hangzhou, a large urban church, holds two worship services on Sunday mornings, with a half-hour interval between the first and second services. During this half-hour, the church organizes prayer partners to pray for the congregants who attended the first service. The prayer team, consisting of about 10 people, can each receive one to three individuals for prayer. Within half an hour, these prayer partners can intercede for nearly 30 people.
At a church in Hebei, immediately following the Sunday service, a volunteer pastor takes the microphone to share. The sharing sessions are primarily aimed at first-time visitors to the church, hoping to plant the seeds of the gospel in their hearts. The content of the sharing often combines examples from daily life to illustrate the beauty of the Christian faith.
Holding study courses and discipleship training are more common activities after Sunday services. The content of the study courses is often more profound than that of the service, including discussions on intellectual topics. Many believers gain their theological knowledge and apologetic skills through this channel. Discipleship training is mainly for new believers, focusing on practical life applications, such as how to live a Christian life and how to make decisions that align with God’s will when faced with diverse conflicts.
An experienced pastor mentioned that, given the current limitations on evangelism, churches should host a variety of activities to attract more people.
Last Sunday, I attended a Sunday service and study course at a church in Nanjing. We studied the lesson of how to share the gospel with others, the 12th session of The Abundant Life Course. There were nearly 20 participants, half of whom were elderly believers. The teacher used vivid illustrations and specific scriptures to guide everyone on how to coherently share Jesus' salvation through God's love, sin, and the cross. Although I have been a believer for more than ten years, I just knew how to use scriptures to explain the gospel clearly after this study. With a positive interaction, those who participated in the one-hour study benefited a lot.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
《韦敏斯德大要理问答》谈到守主日为圣如此说，“乃是整日合乎圣洁地安息，不仅不犯那些平常为罪的恶事，还要停止平日合乎上帝律法的俗世职业和娱乐。并用全部时间，或与众人，或在家中，敬拜上帝，以此为赏心乐事。”主日不只是教会举行崇拜的那一两个小时，而是那一天“用全部时间，或与众人，或在家中，敬拜上帝；只有为着必须的工作和施行怜悯所占的时间例外”。
教会历来看重主日，除举行崇拜外，一些教会也善用崇拜后的时间，组织适宜的活动帮助会众在信仰上成长。如举行学习班、团契交通、代祷交流或针对慕道友的茶歇分享。
A教会是杭州一间大型城市教会，教会在主日早晨有两堂崇拜，第一堂和第二堂间隔半小时。而在这半个小时期间，教会组织祷告伙伴为参加第一堂崇拜的会众祷告。站在台前的祷告伙伴团队约有10人，每人可以接待1-3人。半个小时内，这些祷告伙伴可以为近30人代祷。
河北一间教会，主日礼拜后紧接着就有义工传道人拿起话筒分享，这样的分享主要是向第一次来教会的未信者，希望在他们心里撒下福音的种子。分享内容也主要是结合生活中的一些例子引发大家看到基督教信仰的美好。
举行学习班和门徒训练是教会在主日崇拜后更常见的活动。学习班的内容往往比礼拜更深刻，比如会就一些知识性话题进行分享，有信徒告白自己的神学知识和有关护教的内容主要是通过这个途径获得的。门徒训练则主要是针对信主时间不长的信徒，学习或讨论的内容更贴近生活实践。像如何过好基督徒的生活，基督徒碰上各种矛盾怎么样选择符合神心意等。
一位老牧者谈到教会在今日处境中福传功能受限，可以尽可能举办各种活动，让更多的人来教会。
过去这个主日，笔者参加了南京一间教会的主日崇拜和学习班。这次学习的是《丰盛生命课程》的第12课《如何与别人分享福音》，参加的人有近20人，其中一半是年长的弟兄姐妹，老师通过形象的图画和具体经文引导大家如何从神的爱、罪以及十字架连贯分享耶稣的救赎，虽然信主已经十几年，笔者也是通过这次学习，才清晰地知道如何使用经文清楚明了讲解福音。现场大家互动积极，能感受到这一个小时的学习参加的人都获益匪浅。
观察：教会主日当天除崇拜还会做些什么？
In the Westminster Larger Catechism, the answer for Question 117 "How is the sabbath or the Lord’s day to be sanctified?" is, “The sabbath or Lord’s day is to be sanctified by a holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful; and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God’s worship.” It can be seen that we can not just worship God during the Sunday service lasting one or two hours, but sanctify the whole day.
Traditionally, churches have valued the Lord’s Day. Besides holding Sunday services, some churches also make good use of the time after service to organize activities, helping congregants grow in their faith. These activities might include study courses, fellowship gatherings, prayer meetings, or sharing sessions aimed at seekers.
Church A in Hangzhou, a large urban church, holds two worship services on Sunday mornings, with a half-hour interval between the first and second services. During this half-hour, the church organizes prayer partners to pray for the congregants who attended the first service. The prayer team, consisting of about 10 people, can each receive one to three individuals for prayer. Within half an hour, these prayer partners can intercede for nearly 30 people.
At a church in Hebei, immediately following the Sunday service, a volunteer pastor takes the microphone to share. The sharing sessions are primarily aimed at first-time visitors to the church, hoping to plant the seeds of the gospel in their hearts. The content of the sharing often combines examples from daily life to illustrate the beauty of the Christian faith.
Holding study courses and discipleship training are more common activities after Sunday services. The content of the study courses is often more profound than that of the service, including discussions on intellectual topics. Many believers gain their theological knowledge and apologetic skills through this channel. Discipleship training is mainly for new believers, focusing on practical life applications, such as how to live a Christian life and how to make decisions that align with God’s will when faced with diverse conflicts.
An experienced pastor mentioned that, given the current limitations on evangelism, churches should host a variety of activities to attract more people.
Last Sunday, I attended a Sunday service and study course at a church in Nanjing. We studied the lesson of how to share the gospel with others, the 12th session of The Abundant Life Course. There were nearly 20 participants, half of whom were elderly believers. The teacher used vivid illustrations and specific scriptures to guide everyone on how to coherently share Jesus' salvation through God's love, sin, and the cross. Although I have been a believer for more than ten years, I just knew how to use scriptures to explain the gospel clearly after this study. With a positive interaction, those who participated in the one-hour study benefited a lot.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Enriching Sundays: Church Initiatives Beyond the Service
