Hi,<\/p>\n
The congregation where we are members is now having a “small group” meet separately on some Sunday nights while we still have a worship service at the building. It is designed for young families as some way to grow that group.<\/p>\n
This practice is being pushed by a few but tolerated by almost everyone. It bothers me because attendance at all services is already very low. The building looks empty.<\/p>\n
Am I wrong to let this practice bother me?<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n\t
You are asking the wrong question. Whether something bothers me or not doesn’t indicate whether it is right or wrong. If I demand a change be made because it bothers me, then I am making myself the standard that everyone else must conform to. Thus, the real question is whether the situation is authorized by the Lord.<\/p>\n
Congregations must meet on the first day of the week to worship the Lord. This meeting is a gathering of the entire congregation — “If the whole church assembles together<\/em>” (I Corinthians 14:23). I take it that this is what is happening on Sunday mornings. On Sunday evenings, the whole church is not gathering together, so it cannot be considered an assembly of the church. It would be similar to a church dividing up for Bible studies, it is just that some are meeting at a different location.<\/p>\n Personally, I don’t see how such divisions help promote a unified whole. Better would be to follow the apostles’ teachings: “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love<\/em>” (Ephesians 4:11-16). It is the united effort that should be emphasized.<\/p>\n\t Thank you for your answer.<\/p>\n Please allow me to be clear: I am in no way demanding anything be changed. Instead, I am questioning my own reaction, and I was looking for an outside opinion. I do not set the policy in my congregation.<\/p>\n I asked you because I believe you would provide a scriptural answer, which you did. I do appreciate it.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Hi, The congregation where we are members is now having a “small group” meet separately on some Sunday nights while we still have a worship service at the building. It is designed for young families as some way to grow that group. This practice is being pushed by a few but tolerated by almost…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[356],"class_list":["post-47553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-attendance"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":41676,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-a-sin-to-be-overweight\/","url_meta":{"origin":47553,"position":0},"title":"Is it a sin to be overweight?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Jeffrey, I have a couple of questions on things I've been having personal struggles with. We know that gluttony is sinful. I know, or at least believe, that means in all things, not just foods. However, there are so many of us who are overweight. 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There is something that kind of bothers me and I would like to hear what you think the Bible says on it. The trend now is for everyone to make recordings during church services. They may be taking pictures or recording it Do you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":48137,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-a-person-allowed-to-miss-services-because-of-their-job\/","url_meta":{"origin":47553,"position":3},"title":"Is a person allowed to miss services because of their job?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 30, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is there any proof in the Bible that forsaking the assembly of the saints is acceptable if one's job requires him to work? I think self-employed people sometimes use this as an excuse which is wrong. 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I know the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27281,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-you-say-to-someone-who-leaves-the-church-for-a-denomination\/","url_meta":{"origin":47553,"position":4},"title":"What do you say to someone who leaves the church for a denomination?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 19, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What is the best approach to talk with bothers or sisters in Christ who have decided to worship at a denomination?\u00a0 One of the main comments I get from these brothers and sisters is \"the church they now worship at teaches the same thing as the church does only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28357,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-people-with-different-views-on-the-second-serving-of-the-lords-supper-worship-together\/","url_meta":{"origin":47553,"position":5},"title":"How can people with different views on the second serving of the Lord’s Supper worship together?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 8, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was recently reading your post about the Lord's Supper being taken on a Sunday night. 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