Ex-Church of Christ Support Board

People who were known by the leadership to donate a significant amount of money to the church also got a pass. Also, if they were perceived to be "prominent" in the community, attendance policies weren't as strictly enforced.

I hated having to schedule stuff around the Wednesday night service. All school activities and everything else had to come to a halt.

Struggler wrote:People who were known by the leadership to donate a significant amount of money to the church also got a pass. Also, if they were perceived to be "prominent" in the community, attendance policies weren't as strictly enforced.

I hated having to schedule stuff around the Wednesday night service. All school activities and everything else had to come to a halt.

You're right, the 'attendance policies' tend to favor the high & mighty, and condemn us insignificant pew huggers.

I never saw the point in having services during the week. It always seems like such a hassle.

sonicrainkrieg42 wrote:I never saw the point in having services during the week. It always seems like such a hassle.

It's probably not intentional, but the frequent church services in the COC tend to emphasize the (in my opinion, misguided) belief that the primary work of the church is to get together and "do church." I'm attending a denomination now that meets only once per week: Sunday morning. During the week, though, there are all kinds of things to do: service, studies, meals, social events, etc. Much more diversity of activities and much more practically effective than just loading up the week with church services.

Lev

The coc appears to think that 'worshiping God' and 'sitting in a church service' are exactly the same thing.

Lev wrote:

sonicrainkrieg42 wrote:I never saw the point in having services during the week. It always seems like such a hassle.

It's probably not intentional, but the frequent church services in the COC tend to emphasize the (in my opinion, misguided) belief that the primary work of the church is to get together and "do church." I'm attending a denomination now that meets only once per week: Sunday morning. During the week, though, there are all kinds of things to do: service, studies, meals, social events, etc. Much more diversity of activities and much more practically effective than just loading up the week with church services.

Lev

Good point. I've got some C of C co-workers, and they frequently mention attending this or that service. One or two equate their going to church three times a week with community involvement.

The word "services" isn't in the bible.

Ivy wrote:The word "services" isn't in the bible.

True, but it is enshrined in the unwritten CoC creed!

sonicrainkrieg42 wrote:I never saw the point in having services during the week. It always seems like such a hassle.

You're expected to attend the midweek classes so the head elder - or his mouthpiece - has the opportunity to indoctrinate you with CoC Scriptural twistings and church traditions - hoping you will be brainwashed at some point - and unite lockstep to their belief system ... sad, but this happens constantly in the CoC.

I never got the point of Wednesday night services. Especially since there is no scriptural authority for it. The cOC "speaks where the Bible speaks and is silent where the Bible is silent", yet they sure had no problem having services on Wednesday nights, even though the Bible does not authorize it. The last cOC I was a part of actually did away with the Sunday evening services. I was stunned when it happened, but I sure wasn't complaining! It was nice finishing up around 11:00 AM and leaving, knowing that you had the rest of the day to yourself and did not have to rush to get back for an evening service. The discontinuation of Sunday evening services seems to be a trend with cOCs in the last several years. They won't admit that, of course. To admit it would be to admit that (at least some) things are slowly changing.