05 Jun UB Churches with Multiple Services
In April, a church that is considering adding a second service contacted the national office. They were wondering about the experience of other UB churches who were holding multiple services during the week. They were especially interested in how “traditional” services were faring in a multiple-service church.
The national office put up a survey, and a number of UB churches responded. Here is a compilation.
Findlay First (Findlay, Ohio)
Two identical services on Sunday morning:
- 8 am (35-50 people attend).
- 10 am (110-130 attend).
Comments:
“One issue that we have found that is very frustrating occurs when the first service needs to be cancelled for special services/holidays/etc. The first service people will not attend the second service. We have tried to address this, but there seems to be no response.
King Street Church (Chambersburg, Pa.)
Four services on Sunday morning:
- 8:15 am, sanctuary – traditional.
- 9:45 am, sanctuary– contemporary. Described on the website as “a modern worship experience.”
- 9:45 am, Baker Center – contemporary. Described on the website as “a rock-style worship service.”
- 11:00 am, sanctuary – blended.
The attendance at the traditional service has remained constant.
Fowlerville UB (Fowlerville, Mich.)
Three services on Sunday morning:
- 8 am – traditional (it’s not growing).
- 9:15 am – contemporary.
- 10:45 am – contemporary.
Comments:
“Adding another service is definitely more cost effective than building a bigger church. Other major advantages are greater opportunity to reach more people, less problems with overcrowding, more opportunities to tweak processes, and greater potential for growth.
“The disadvantages are providing volunteer staffing for all the extra programming, and a longer work day for paid staff. However, as long as the added service is healthily attended, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.”
Mainstreet UB (Walbridge, Ohio)
Three services on Sunday morning:
- 8:30 am Sunday – contemporary
- 10 am Sunday – contemporary
- 11:30 am Sunday – contemporary
Holding multiple services allows for volunteers (especially children and youth ministries) to be able to serve and go to service. It also allows room for growth.
Salem UB (Chambersburg, Pa.)
Two services on Sunday morning:
- 8:30 am – hymns, piano, and organ duo.
- 11 am – full praise team, less formal dress, more relaxed conversational style.
The traditional service is growing. Most of the growth seems to come from:
- Our traditional families finally settling on the musical genre they prefer (hymns), even though it is not the time slot they prefer.
- Transfer growth from people flowing in from other churches that either are having meltdowns or curtailing traditional services
Comments:
“Before launching a second service, we spent months with newsletters and congregational meetings. We even ran samples of what each service would look, sound, and feel like on two consecutive Sundays while we were still at one service.
We also taught much about unity. The main danger with having two services is the ‘us and them’ syndrome.
We found that it was necessary to change from ‘blended’ to two very different services to double God’s pleasure: double the time slots for people to find a convenient time to worship
, double the seating capacity
, double the musical genres which might allow carnal people to connect with God.
Otterbein UB (Greencastle, Pa.).
Two services on Sunday morning:
- 8:30 Sunday – traditional.
- 10:40 Sunday – traditional.
Sunfield UB (Sunfield, Mich.).
Two services on Sunday morning:
- 9:30 am – traditional.
- 10:45 – contemporary.
The purpose in adding a service was to provide a more contemporary worship style.
Prince Street (Shippensburg, Pa.)
Two services on Sunday morning:
- 8:30 am – traditional music.
- 11 am – modern music.
The traditional service is not growing.
Alvordton UB (Alvordton, Ohio)
Two services on Sunday:
- 9:30 am – traditional.
- 6 pm – traditional.
Comments:
“Sunday evening, we have a group of folks who cannot make Sunday morning due to work schedules. We try to keep to the basics for both services: opening prayer, 2 hymns, meet-and-greet time. Also, a different sermon for each service. Sunday evening is more laid back, more teaching.”
Dillman UB (Warren, Ind.)
Two services on Sunday morning:
- 8:15 am – contemporary, with an occasional traditional.
- 10:30 am – contemporary with an occasional traditional hymn.
Comments:
“Our two services are identical in the songs we sing, etc. Having two services makes it convenient to be able to choose when you want to come. Sometimes meetings are scheduled during the second service so people don’t have to come back another day or evening.
“It makes for a longer day for the worship team, although they leave after the music part of the second service. Also staffing the nursery, junior church, and the sound system means they do that for both services. If a person always attends one service or the other, it is harder to get acquainted with the people in the other service.
“We have had two services for several years and doubt that we would want to change. More of our people opt to attend the first service.”
Calvary UB (Saginaw, Mich.)
Two services on Sunday morning:
- 9:30 Sunday – traditional.
- 11:00 Sunday – contemporary.
Jerusalem Chapel (Churchville, Va.)
Two services on Sunday morning:
- 8:30 am.
- 11:00 am.
Comments:
“Both services are ‘blended,’ with a mix of traditional music and current music. Both services are identical in structure and sermons.
“We have created multiple services two times in 30 years. The first time, we asked the church leadership to attend both services for the first six months to give support and an ‘appearance’ of healthy church services at both (rather than too many empty pews). Also, part of the agreement was that if, after six months, the two-service format did not grow, we would return to one service. Within three months, however, the leadership no longer needed to attend, and the two-service format flourished.
“We then outgrew the sanctuary for the two services. So, we built a new sanctuary and returned to one combined service. When that attendance grew, it was necessary to provide a two-service format again.
“This time, the growth and structure change was less stressful on the church family and it was not necessary for leadership to support two services with their weekly attendance. We did, however, hold fifth Sunday “Unity Services” for the first year to try to help the connectedness issues.
“It has been VERY healthy for both services to be identical in our situation and provides a wonderful sense of consistency to all who attend, regardless of which service they participate in.”
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