All Leaders

  • 1.  Lenten Midweek Services

    Posted 03-12-2024 03:29 PM

    Shareboard community - as we're in the midst of the Lenten season, we thought we'd ask about how you observe the season at your church. 

    How does your ministry handle midweek services during the season of Lent? What service time options have you found to be most successful? Do you offer a dinner or some other opportunity for fellowship? What did you try that worked well... or didn't work? 

    Please share your thoughts so others can benefit and maybe work them into their planning for next year's Lenten season. 

    Thanks!



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    Dave Kuschel
    Assistant Vice President, Communications
    Concordia Plans
    St. Louis MO
    (314) 885-6725
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  • 2.  RE: Lenten Midweek Services

    Posted 03-13-2024 06:46 AM
    Here at Good Shepherd starting with Ash Wednesday Pastor Storck has two services one at 12pm and one at 7 pm. We have dinners on Wednesday evening at 6 pm leading up to Holy Week.
    Holy Week he has two short services on Tuesday and Wednesday, Maunday Thursday a Good Friday two services 12 pm and 5 pm. Saturday service and Easter Sunday service at 10am. Easter breakfast at 8:30 am.
    Pastor has very busy week. As a congregation we are very blessed that the Holy Spirit guided him to our congregation.

    Carol Corby

    Sent from my iPad




  • 3.  RE: Lenten Midweek Services

    Posted 03-13-2024 08:44 AM
    Hi,

    We have a dinner hosted by our various boards and activities (e.g. Choir, New Life bank, Board of Lay Leaders, Mary's Fellowship Circle) and the final dinner is a fun Chili Cook Off where we award the "Golden Ladle" and "Silver Ladle" to the top two vote getters.  Dinner at 6:00 with Lent service at 7:00.

    We continue to have a great response to these (and Advent) dinner before worship.  A great fellowship opportunity to meet and greet our brothers and sisters in Christ.

    Dave Pasquini
    President of our Board of Lay Leaders
    St. Luke Lutheran Church and School
    Cabot, PA





  • 4.  RE: Lenten Midweek Services

    Posted 03-13-2024 09:31 AM

    Our church is small (250  members).  We offer a Midweek, Wednesday, service through Lent, and hold services on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

    We offer dinner prior to service on some, but not all midweek services.  On Easter, we offer a family brunch immediately following service.

    This has worked well for us.  We have a light attendance on Wednesdays, perhaps 50-60 each week.  Those who attend are very supportive of continuing the midweek services.

    The Easter brunch is managed by our Fellowship team and they do an amazing job.  We have a very good attendance at the brunch.



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    Cheryl Schnicker
    St. James Lutheran Church
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  • 5.  RE: Lenten Midweek Services

    Posted 03-14-2024 06:03 AM

    Our church is very small - maybe 45 members.  We have a difficult time getting them to come to services during the week especially if they are after dark.  This year we tried to have the mid-week services at 4:30 pm and a supper afterward.  This still has not encouraged people to come out.  Maundy Thursday and Good Friday both will begin at 5:30 pm.  Thursday will have a limited number of people coming while Good Friday will certainly have more.  For Easter we are going to try for a short sunrise service at 7 am.  It will be interesting to see how many come out for that.



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    Joan Koch
    Risen Savior Lutheran Church
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  • 6.  RE: Lenten Midweek Services

    Posted 03-13-2024 11:11 AM
    Worship at 4:15 and 6:30, dinner from 5-6:15.  The 4:15 matches with the end of our school day and encourages parents to worship with their children.  It is our largest service time.

    --
    G





  • 7.  RE: Lenten Midweek Services

    Posted 03-15-2024 11:56 AM

    Love the idea of holding a worship service at 4:15 to align with the end of your school day and then hosting the dinner in between your two worship services.



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    Dawn Crosno
    Director of Communications
    Concordia Plans
    St. Louis MO
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  • 8.  RE: Lenten Midweek Services

    Posted 03-13-2024 11:19 AM
    We share with 5 other churches each has a dinner first. This year we also exchange pastors.





  • 9.  RE: Lenten Midweek Services

    Posted 03-13-2024 07:36 PM

    In response to Dave Kuschel's request for Lenten activities among various Lutheran Churches, this is what we are doing this year at Faith Lutheran Church in Naples, Florida.

     

    We begin with a Soup and Sandwich fellowship at 5:30PM, followed by the service at 6:30PM, each Wednesday during Lent.  The Soup and Sandwich fellowship is hosted by various groups within the Church...Women of Faith, Lambs of Faith Pre-School, Men's Bible Study, The FLC Healing Prayer Team, Church Council, Church Staff.  Soups are usually homemade specialties.  The services this year follow the footsteps of Jesus, contemplating what happened at each place our Savior stood along the path of His passion.  Each service explores the meaning, history, and spiritual inspiration highlighted with each location. 

     

    Tonight, the fellowship was provided by the FLC Healing Prayer Team.  In the service that followed, our Pastor led us as we traveled with Jesus to the Courtyard outside of where He is put on trial before the high priest, and where Peter denies Jesus.  It helped us understand more deeply the hard road our Lord took that the way of Heaven might be open to us.