Resources For Recovering The Second Service

The second (or evening) service was an unquestioned part of the life of the Christian church and the Christian life from the apostolic period until about twenty years ago. That is how recently many congregations have lost the second Lord’s Day service. Our understanding of Romans 10 and many other places in Scripture, however, tells us that the ministry of the Word is one keys of the Kingdom of God. We confess that it is through the preaching of the good news that Holy Spirit uses to bring his elect to new life and true faith. It is through the use of the holy sacraments by which the Holy Spirit confirms to his people the promises made to them in the good news. The ugly truth is that many congregations have given up the second service for a metaphorical mess of pottage. The early justification for giving up the second service was to hold Bible studies but those Bible studies gradually dissolved and now those congregations do nothing edifying on the Lord’s Day evening and the means of grace have been replaced by screens and shopping.

The resources below are offered as an encouragement to re-think the decision to cancel the second service to to encourage congregations and Christians to recover the older, more biblical understanding of the value of the “due use of ordinary means,” as the Westminster Divines said.

Books, Articles and Podcasts

RESOURCES

Heidelberg Reformation Association
1637 E. Valley Parkway #391
Escondido CA 92027
USA
The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

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