canceling New Years services

Imalive

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He didn't tell the people on the mountain, "Sorry, but I am taking a break. Go home to your villages because I am spending time with my family."
No, he fed the people and preached. He didn't say, "I will not do what God called me to do today cause I need a break. I will come back to it next week, cause I want to spend time with family." He didn't send all the disciples home to spend time with family and suspend the ministry.

He had no family. The disciples took their wife and kids on their travels. Nowadays church is mainly for adults and the wives can work, take care of the kids and do volunteer work in church. I bet you can skip a whole lot of that volunteer work, so some can have a break and others do it. If ppl don't do volunteer work they shouldn't complain if the others need a break. The whole church is supposed to function, not just some people carry way too much load and others just sit and consume and be served.
 

Imalive

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I remember when I was 24 or something and single, they asked or lets say guilt tripped me into becoming a volunteer for the kids. So all these ppl w kids could sit there cosily listening to the sermon and I could take care of their kids. Bye! No way. Do your own work. Not my responsibility to disciple your kids. So dont know how that church is, but if its like that I think they may be very grateful that they do stuff the rest of the year.
 

MennoSota

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He had no family. The disciples took their wife and kids on their travels. Nowadays church is mainly for adults and the wives can work, take care of the kids and do volunteer work in church. I bet you can skip a whole lot of that volunteer work, so some can have a break and others do it. If ppl don't do volunteer work they shouldn't complain if the others need a break. The whole church is supposed to function, not just some people carry way too much load and others just sit and consume and be served.
Jesus had family. They lived around Nazareth. Two of his brothers wrote inspired scripture for us (James and Jude).
Pastor's get time off for family all the time. No church, that I know of, shuts down Sunday service so that all pastors and staff don't have to show up. There are only 52 Sundays in a year. It's not like you're a school teacher spending 40 hours in a classroom of rowdy adolescents. I cannot imagine that jsimms congregation couldn't have others lead if the pastor needs a Sunday off.
The lack of commitment to calling is staggering. We have a world of wimps leading our churches if they can't even show up 52 times a year.
 

Imalive

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Jesus had family. They lived around Nazareth. Two of his brothers wrote inspired scripture for us (James and Jude).
Pastor's get time off for family all the time. No church, that I know of, shuts down Sunday service so that all pastors and staff don't have to show up. There are only 52 Sundays in a year. It's not like you're a school teacher spending 40 hours in a classroom of rowdy adolescents. I cannot imagine that jsimms congregation couldn't have others lead if the pastor needs a Sunday off.
The lack of commitment to calling is staggering. We have a world of wimps leading our churches if they can't even show up 52 times a year.

He had no kids. I don't know what the volunteers are. Maybe kids workers who rather spend time w their own kids.
Lol you remind me of Smith Wigglesworth. He said preachers nowadays are so lazy. He'd just work 80 hours a week, he'd preach everywhere where they asked him, although he had worked the whole day, yet another preaching and those other pastors would say: no we need a day off. Well we're definitely not revived. But if all those ppl want a weekend off maybe something is the matter. Btw I know a lot of churches who just have weeks no services during summer. Crazy.
 

MennoSota

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He had no kids. I don't know what the volunteers are. Maybe kids workers who rather spend time w their own kids.
Lol you remind me of Smith Wigglesworth. He said preachers nowadays are so lazy. He'd just work 80 hours a week, he'd preach everywhere where they asked him, although he had worked the whole day, yet another preaching and those other pastors would say: no we need a day off. Well we're definitely not revived. But if all those ppl want a weekend off maybe something is the matter. Btw I know a lot of churches who just have weeks no services during summer. Crazy.
I guess I come from a world where people work and still enjoy their families. Pastor's have ample time to spend with their family and their congregation in my world. There is no separating the ministry into some business model where you have your church on one hand and your family in the other hand. It strikes me as very odd and worldly to split them into different spheres. When a pastor becomes a part of the church family, so does their spouse and children. You watch out for each other and you care for one another.
You don't lock the church because you and your staff need family time. If that happens then there may be some very unhealthy things happening in that church body so that the entire body should be brought together to explore the problem.
 

tango

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How realistic is that? Plenty of small churches conduct meaningful worship services with only a handful of people in the pews. And for them, it matters.

If this particular congregation numbered only ten or so people, there might--might--be the problem you are referring to, but I doubt that that is the case. The reason given for cancelling services was so that the members could spend more time with their families, after all. It was not that there wouldn't be any people to attend if services went ahead as usual. The reason that churches conduct worship on Sunday is because that is considered to be an obligation and was the practice of Christians as described in the New Testament. It's not like cancelling choir practice.

So members are allowed to spend time with their families. What's the big deal with that? Without knowing all the whys and wherefores of a particular church we can only guess at details underpinning the reasons for cancelling a single Sunday's services. The fact some churches don't cancel doesn't mean no church should ever cancel.

I remember in years gone by, in my childhood and teenage years, when some of my family were churchgoers and others were not. It caused a remarkable amount of resentment at times like Christmas because the church-going members attended every single service offered, which meant the rest of us were endlessly waiting for the latest service to finish. While one might argue it's down to the individual to balance church and family life, if the two come into conflict, in any given situation if the leadership decided that the best course of action was to cancel a service it's for them to decide.

One church not all that far from me has often cancelled services, sometimes at short notice, if conditions are expected to be particularly bad. A good proportion of their attendees travel to church and the leadership there decided they would rather cancel the service than expect people to travel through conditions that might be dangerous. And although, as above, people can largely be expected to make their own decisions as to whether or not it is safe to travel, if a service is going ahead there is more of an expectation that the people with a particular involvement in the service (band, preacher, sound and video operators etc) will be present.
 

tango

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Jesus had family. They lived around Nazareth. Two of his brothers wrote inspired scripture for us (James and Jude).
Pastor's get time off for family all the time. No church, that I know of, shuts down Sunday service so that all pastors and staff don't have to show up. There are only 52 Sundays in a year. It's not like you're a school teacher spending 40 hours in a classroom of rowdy adolescents. I cannot imagine that jsimms congregation couldn't have others lead if the pastor needs a Sunday off.
The lack of commitment to calling is staggering. We have a world of wimps leading our churches if they can't even show up 52 times a year.

Is it just the pastor wanting time off? Perish the thought the pastor might like to spend time with family members who may not be local. Besides, a church service can still go ahead without the pastor. My church effectively had no pastor for several months this year, as we had granted him a (well earned) sabbatical. We had guest preachers, the elders carried his duties while he was gone, and our regular services went on more or less as normal. If you don't have a band and usually have music, that could be a problem (I know you can sing without music but if the members would expect music they may find it unacceptable). If you don't have a sound and video guy (and don't have hymnbooks to fall back on) then people won't know the words if they aren't on the screen, and those hard of hearing won't have access to the hearing loop without the sound guy running the desk.
 

Albion

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So members are allowed to spend time with their families. What's the big deal with that? Without knowing all the whys and wherefores of a particular church we can only guess at details underpinning the reasons for cancelling a single Sunday's services. The fact some churches don't cancel doesn't mean no church should ever cancel.
What's the point in cancelling? Pastor wants a day off? Only a dozen people will be able to attend? I cannot think of a good reason, even if those who feel attendance for them would be burdensome...and so decide to stay home.

Surely, the church isn't saying that if you don't show up, they'll do something bad to you in the event that the service wasn't called off. ;)
 

Imalive

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Is it just the pastor wanting time off? Perish the thought the pastor might like to spend time with family members who may not be local. Besides, a church service can still go ahead without the pastor. My church effectively had no pastor for several months this year, as we had granted him a (well earned) sabbatical. We had guest preachers, the elders carried his duties while he was gone, and our regular services went on more or less as normal. If you don't have a band and usually have music, that could be a problem (I know you can sing without music but if the members would expect music they may find it unacceptable). If you don't have a sound and video guy (and don't have hymnbooks to fall back on) then people won't know the words if they aren't on the screen, and those hard of hearing won't have access to the hearing loop without the sound guy running the desk.

LOL unacceptable. They are spoiled. We just sing w youtube songs.
 

Imalive

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What's the point in cancelling? Pastor wants a day off? Only a dozen people will be able to attend? I cannot think of a good reason, even if those who feel attendance for them would be burdensome...and so decide to stay home.

Surely, the church isn't saying that if you don't show up, they'll do something bad to you in the event that the service wasn't called off. ;)

I wanted to go to a meeting this summer. Looked on internet. We're back in august. Summer stop. All the ppl are on a holiday. Not one church, a bunch. Oh well.
 

Imalive

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So members are allowed to spend time with their families. What's the big deal with that? Without knowing all the whys and wherefores of a particular church we can only guess at details underpinning the reasons for cancelling a single Sunday's services. The fact some churches don't cancel doesn't mean no church should ever cancel.

I remember in years gone by, in my childhood and teenage years, when some of my family were churchgoers and others were not. It caused a remarkable amount of resentment at times like Christmas because the church-going members attended every single service offered, which meant the rest of us were endlessly waiting for the latest service to finish. While one might argue it's down to the individual to balance church and family life, if the two come into conflict, in any given situation if the leadership decided that the best course of action was to cancel a service it's for them to decide.

One church not all that far from me has often cancelled services, sometimes at short notice, if conditions are expected to be particularly bad. A good proportion of their attendees travel to church and the leadership there decided they would rather cancel the service than expect people to travel through conditions that might be dangerous. And although, as above, people can largely be expected to make their own decisions as to whether or not it is safe to travel, if a service is going ahead there is more of an expectation that the people with a particular involvement in the service (band, preacher, sound and video operators etc) will be present.

And there are so many ppl who come this sunday, don't come the next. My ex said: if I would do that you'd complain. Weird. If the ppl leading it want a day off its a problem, but for the other ppl its considered normal.
 

Andrew

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You can always find some other church, lets say... Catholic? Oh wait, no MC? smh... he would always open his church out to the needy. :(
My church canceled thanksgiving/ Wednesdays service because too many people would be absent but the few that attend all have keys to enter in anyways lol

Around Christmas however it should be an exception (not to cancel for a minute holiday other than Christmas!) but for Christmas a church should be holding services, several even... but like I said, take the moment as a means to visit another church in Christ in celebration, even for one day :)
 

Imalive

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When I was just saved I played guitar in a church w the pastors wife and she was of course always there but I'd come only once a sunday and he got irritated cause noone else could play guitar and it was the only instrument LOL and I was a horrible guitar player btw. If he got a song on his heart I'd yell: no! no! I dont know that chord.
So I didnt come one sunday afternoon. I had to spend time w my bike lol and the next sunday he was so mad, he prayed for a trustworthy guitar player bahahahahahaha hint hint and he preached that if we on purpose missed our services there was no repentance possible anymore. LOL why dont you tell em that? Good old times.
 

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The weekend of New Years the church I attend decided to cancel Sunday services for that weekend. When I asked why they said they wanted to give the hundreds of volunteers who help out a break to spend time with their families. I think this is a horrible decision and has upset me. I wonder what you all thoughts are?

Was there some vote taken that you weren't privy to? Out of the "hundreds" who wanted a break I bet there are just as many wanting to worship the Lord :)

I admit that I don't go to the usual evening services that our church might hold but that's because of travel and with good reason. But I don't see a need to cancel a normal service to tell you the truth. I'm not sure I get that the pastor was doing the right thing in the name of Christ.
 

tango

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LOL unacceptable. They are spoiled. We just sing w youtube songs.

That doesn't work unless you've got somebody to work the video screen and the sound board.

My point was that if it was just the pastor wanting a day off (and pastors are only human, after all) there's no obvious reason why a service shouldn't go ahead without a pastor, especially with some notice he won't be there. My former church managed a service without the pastor when he took off at a moment's notice on Saturday night (in case anyone is about to comment about a perceived lack of commitment he left because his mother died suddenly and was back the following week) - another person stepped in to lead the service and we simply dropped the sermon.

If you will be missing the pastor, much of the band, and the sound/video engineer(s) it's not so easy to make the service happen. Singing with youtube as a backing may work, if you have the technology to do it. If you don't have an internet connection at the church that doesn't work either.

Ultimately what it boils down to is that we can speculate as to how our church might cope with a number of key individuals being away but without being a part of the church that actually cancelled a service all we can do is guess. If church leadership is cancelling services here and there because it might be a little tricky, maybe there's a problem. If they cancel one single service because they know in advance they are going to be so short-staffed as to make it difficult to impossible to actually run a service, why is that such a big deal?
 

tango

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And there are so many ppl who come this sunday, don't come the next. My ex said: if I would do that you'd complain. Weird. If the ppl leading it want a day off its a problem, but for the other ppl its considered normal.

There's also a difference between the people leading wanting a day off and giving notice of their intention, and the people in the congregation who just don't feel like showing up that day.

There are days I don't go to church because I just really don't feel like it. Sometimes I'll go for a long walk in the woods - I can spend time in God's presence without being in a specifically designated building. Obviously if I'm supposed to be doing something specific (leading the service, working sound, whatever) then I show up unless there's a very specific reason why I can't.
 

tango

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There are many other teachers in the body. The shepherd is not just one. The church does not have to shut its doors in order to have leadership spend time away from the building.
The pastorate is a calling and an anointing from God. Quiet time can be taken without neglecting the ministry. To shut down and lock out the sheep from gathering together because the leaders all want a collective break seems quite odd and selfish and ultimately out of step with the pastoral role.
Again, what is the biblical model of leadership? Did Jesus abandon his disciples and tell them he just needed a break from them all so he could spend time with his kin?

That assumes there are people able and willing to teach within the church, who will be present at the time in question, and also assumes there aren't regulations within the denomination that prevents people from teaching. When my pastor was away on sabbatical a few people from within the church were invited to preach. On the other hand a family member's church faced closure because they didn't have a minister and their rules were that only an ordained minister was allowed to serve communion. That church would apparently rather close its doors permanently, than let someone who wasn't an ordained minister serve communion.

Sadly it seems quite common that churches have just enough volunteers to get by, sometimes operating on an absolute minimum until people get burned out and stop doing what they were doing regardless of whether someone else will take it over. If a church is operating like that there's a good chance people won't step up to fill a gap, for fear they will be stuck with a job to do forever and ever.

Unless you're saying that a pastor should merely accept that he never gets to spend holiday time with family members who aren't sufficiently local that he can be sure of being back by Sunday, perhaps there's scope to rethink this insistence that the pastor must be there 52 Sundays, come what may. Pastors are only human too. I'd rather give my pastor a week off than have him grow more and more burned out.

Perhaps what we also need is a shift in mindset away from the notion that "church" is the building and we as the congregation can do nothing if the church doors are locked. What's to stop people who want to meet from meeting in someone's house, or in some other venue? Jesus said that where two or three were gathered in his name, and my Bible doesn't contain a stipulation that the gathering had to be in a building known as a "church".

How many times did Jesus go away to pray?
 

NewCreation435

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Was there some vote taken that you weren't privy to? Out of the "hundreds" who wanted a break I bet there are just as many wanting to worship the Lord :)

I admit that I don't go to the usual evening services that our church might hold but that's because of travel and with good reason. But I don't see a need to cancel a normal service to tell you the truth. I'm not sure I get that the pastor was doing the right thing in the name of Christ.

If a vote was taken by leadership then I am unaware of it. I still want to go to church that Sunday, but not sure where I would go
 

Lamb

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If a vote was taken by leadership then I am unaware of it. I still want to go to church that Sunday, but not sure where I would go

Look for a Lutheran church :D

What I have found is that non-liturgical churches see the service as being only what they do to "worship" God. Liturgical churches view it differently in that it's not just about us worshiping but us being fed by God. It's His service to us. Just as God tells us that we should be servants to our neighbors, He is that greatest example by serving us, His children.
 

NewCreation435

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Look for a Lutheran church :D

What I have found is that non-liturgical churches see the service as being only what they do to "worship" God. Liturgical churches view it differently in that it's not just about us worshiping but us being fed by God. It's His service to us. Just as God tells us that we should be servants to our neighbors, He is that greatest example by serving us, His children.

I have thought about it just to experience the difference. There is a Lutheran church about 3.5 miles from us. I actually spoke at the Lutheran church once when I was a chaplain. I was involved in a ministerial alliance group where we met on Thursdays at different pastors churches and often had lunch together.
 
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