Calvin Institute of Christian Worship - Christian Reformed Church

II. Change Church Order Articles 51-a and 54-b re second service

A. Material: Overture 6, pp. 326-29

B. Background

This overture addresses the second worship service, a long-standing and well-respected practice that has undergone significant change in the past number of years. Part of the change results because of God's blessing on our efforts to become a multiethnic denomination. Some who have recently joined us worship on another evening of the week or gather for early morning prayer services. Part of the change results because some in our own tradition no longer attend a second preaching service. Some attend a Bible study, a care group, or an educational program to further their spiritual growth. Others remain at home with their families. There is a wide diversity in our denomination, and in most classes there are churches that do not have a second preaching service.

This overture envisions the use of the second service time in a variety of ways and requests that synod make this possible by amending Church Order Article 51-a to read, "Ordinarily, the congregation shall assemble for worship twice on the Lords Day. . . ." When a second preaching service does not currently exist in a number of our congregations, it is hardly realistic or honest for synod to amend this article to require congregations to have a second preaching service most of the time. Synod can better address this concern by amending this article to require congregations to meet for a preaching service once instead of twice and by encouraging them to gather for a second opportunity to grow spiritually--a preaching service, a Bible study, a fellowship group, or a gathering of an educational nature. This will indicate synods desire that Sunday be a special day for worship of God and for spiritual growth and will also give freedom to each congregation to do, during the second service time, whatever fits its situation best.

Currently, Church Order Article 54 calls ministers to preach the Word as summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism. The overture asks that the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dort (our other two doctrinal standards) and the Contemporary Testimony be added to this article. Synod 1973 encouraged pastors to use the Belgic Confession and Canons of Dort as additional source material for doctrinal preaching. Synod 1983 encouraged the use of the Contemporary Testimony in worship, but no synod has encouraged ministers to use it as a basis for preaching.

The overture also asks that another question be added to Church Order Article 41. We note that the Committee on Disability Concerns is also proposing that a question be added to Article 41 (Agenda for Synod 1995, p. 189) and that many other questions could be added to this article. We believe that the church will not be well served by a proliferation of questions under this article.

C. Recommendations

1. That synod revise Church Order Article 51-a to read as follows:

The congregation shall assemble for worship on the Lords Day to hear Gods Word, to receive the sacraments, to engage in praise and prayer, and to present gifts of gratitude.

This reading would replace the present Article 51-a:

The congregation shall assemble for worship at least twice on the Lords Day to hear Gods Word, to receive the sacraments, to engage in praise and prayer, and to present gifts of gratitude.

Grounds:

a. This revision maintains the denominations desire that Gods people attend a preaching service on the Lords Day.

b. This revision responds realistically to the increasing diversity within Gods growing family.

-Defeated

It is moved to table the advisory-committee report to consider the recommendation of Overture 6.

Recommendation A is presented (cf. Agenda for Synod 1995, p. 328):

To change Church Order Article 51-a to read (change indicated by italics),

Ordinarily, the congregation shall assemble for worship twice on the Lords Day to hear Gods Word, to receive the sacraments, to engage in praise and prayer, and to present gifts of gratitude.

It is moved that synod recommit the entire matter to the advisory committee.

-Adopted

II. Change Church Order Articles 51-a and 54-b re second service

A. Material: Overture 6, pp. 326-29

B. Background

This overture addresses the second worship service, a long-standing and well-respected practice that has undergone significant change in the past number of years. Part of the change results because of Gods blessing on our efforts to become a multiethnic denomination. Some who have joined us recently worship on another evening of the week or gather for early morning prayer services. Part of the change results because some in our own tradition no longer attend a second preaching service. Some attend a Bible study, a care group, or an educational program to further their spiritual growth. Others remain at home with their families. There is a wide diversity in our denomination, and in most classes there are churches that do not have a second preaching service.

This overture envisions the use of the second-service time in a variety of ways and requests that synod make this possible by amending Church Order Article 51-a to read, "Ordinarily, the congregation shall assemble for worship twice on the Lord's Day. . . . "When a second preaching service does not currently exist in a number of our congregations, it is hardly realistic or honest for synod to amend this article to require congregations to have a second preaching service most of the time. Synod can better address this concern by amending this article to require congregations to meet for a preaching service once instead of twice and by encouraging them to gather for a second opportunity to grow spiritually--a preaching service, a Bible study, a fellowship group, or a gathering of an educational nature. This will indicate synods desire that Sunday be a special day for worship of God and for spiritual growth and will also give freedom to each congregation to do, during the second-service time, whatever fits its situation best.

Currently, Church Order Article 54 calls ministers to preach the Word as summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism. The overture asks that the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dart (our other two doctrinal standards) and the Contemporary Testimony be added to this article. Synod 1973 encouraged pastors to use the Belgic Confession and Canons of Dort as additional source material for doctrinal preaching. Synod 1983 encouraged the use of the Contemporary Testimony in worship, but no synod has encouraged ministers to use it as a basis for preaching.

C. Recommendations

1. That synod propose (This change needs to be adopted by Synod 1996) the following change to Church Order Article 51-a, deleting the words at least and adding the word ordinarily so that the new reading would be,

The congregation shall assemble for worship, ordinarily twice on the Lords Day, to hear Gods Word, to receive the sacraments, to engage in praise and prayer, and to present gifts of gratitude.

Ground: Inserting the word ordinarily allows congregations some flexibility in responding to local need.

-Adopted

The following negative vote is registered: Kenneth F. Benjamins (Chatham).

2. That synod include the following as a supplement to Church Order Article 51:

a. Synod affirms the rich tradition of assembling for worship twice on the Lords Day and encourages existing congregations to continue and new congregations to embrace this tradition for the building up of the body of Christ.

b. Where congregations are exploring alternatives to the second service, synod encourages those congregations to ensure that such alternatives are part of a strategic ministry plan with full accountability to their classes.

Ground: A supplement affirms the value of a second preaching service and indicates that a council is responsible to the broader assembly regarding the alternatives it provides for the members under its supervision.

-Adopted

3. That this be the answer to Overture 6.

-Adopted

Overture 6: Change Church Order Articles 51-a and 54-b; Add New Question to Classical Credentials

I. Introduction

At the fall 1993 meeting of Classis Alberta North, it came to the attention of the assembly that one of the congregations was experiencing difficulties with the second service and that the council had imminent plans to cancel the evening service indefinitely. In response, classis commended the council for its forthrightness in bringing the situation to classis, recognized that more congregations are troubled by similar concerns and realities, and formed a study committee to gather as much factual material as possible, to consider positive alternatives for achieving the purposes our fathers had in mind when they instituted the second service, and with this material in hand to formulate an overture to synod which can help the churches deal in an upbuilding manner with this very real problem.

The committee reported its findings, and the fruit of that study and the resulting overture to synod are before you.

II. Goals for the second service

The practice of two services on Sunday can be traced back to the early church, when it was common for Christians to gather early in the morning and once more in the evening. This practice may itself have been based on the Old Testament Sabbath observance, when morning and evening sacrifices were offered by the priests on the seventh day (Exod. 29:39; Num. 28:4-10). These early Christian services bracketed a regular working day because workers and slaves could meet only after their regular working hours. This practice clearly indicates a willingness of the early church to be flexible in meeting the spiritual needs of all its members.

The second service in our tradition began with the National Synod in the Hague meeting in 1586. The requirement that churches gather for services twice on the Lords Day seems to have met with a less than enthusiastic response, however; the Synod of Dordt thirty-two years later while upholding the requirement, instructed pastors to preach twice on a Sunday even if only their own families showed up for the second service.

The Synod of Dordt had two goals for the church in requiring two services (see "Historical goals" below):

A. Appropriate Sabbath observance: To ensure that the Day of the Lord would be spent in a God-glorifying manner rather than in "idle entertainment"

B. Education: To teach biblical and doctrinal truths to many believers who were either illiterate or very ignorant of basic Christian beliefs.

It adopted the Heidelberg Catechism as a guide to preaching in the second service since it laid out Reformed doctrine in a beautiful and coherent confessional format

A survey of the churches of Classis Alberta North revealed that the following reasons were given for holding a second Sunday service today (see "Current goals" below):

A. Education: "We love to hear the Catechism."

B. Fellowship: "Its wonderful to come together as Gods people."

C. Worship: "You can't worship enough:'

D. Tradition: "We've always done it this way."

III. Evaluation of our meeting of the goals for the second service

A. Historical goals

1. Appropriate Sabbath observance: With respect to the avoidance of "idle entertainment;' it should be noted that the second service has had limited success in attracting people away from "idle entertainment" Also, holding a service for the purpose of preventing people from enjoying other activities casts the second service as a religious killjoy and demeans the service itself.

2. Education: The concern regarding biblical literacy and knowledge was historically an issue and remains a pressing matter today. Many pastors and church leaders today have voiced their alarm and dismay at the evident biblical and doctrinal ignorance of many church members. Clearly, there is a desperate need to teach the Christian community about the Bible, Reformed doctrines, and the history of the church. Just as clearly, the present structure of the second service is not meeting the urgent needs so manifest in the Christian community.

B. Current goals

1. Education: The concern of our forebears with regard to education should be our concern, and their vision, our vision. As explained in the paragraph above, this primary goal of a teaching service is not being adequately met for people of all ages and of all stages of spiritual development. In many of our churches, a certain segment of the congregation attends the second service, and many other segments do not.

2. Fellowship: This goal is partially met for the limited number who attend the second service and who take the time to talk together afterward. A deeper sharing and fellowship can be found, however, and for greater numbers of people, in small group settings.

3. Worship: While every gathering of Gods people should have an element of worship, worship is not intended to be a primary goal of the second service. Historically, the second service was not meant to duplicate the morning service; today, however, such duplication is common in most churches. Thus the goal of worship is met, but the goal of education is slighted.

4. Tradition: While tradition is to be treasured, it must not restrain the church from engaging in ministry approaches that are more suitable for the present day. We do not honor our tradition by allowing it to hinder future growth and blessing of Gods people and his kingdom. If we uphold tradition for traditions sake, it becomes a dangerous and subtle form of idolatry. Thus, while we are upholding our tradition, we are also missing opportunities for greater blessings.

IV. Overture

The status quo has proven to be ineffective in meeting the primary purpose of the second service: helping Gods people grow in their understanding of and obedience to Scripture and the Reformed confessions. Therefore, in order to help the churches correct the situation and to take reforming, corrective steps, we present the following overture to synod:

Classis Alberta North overtures synod

A. To change Church Order Article 51-a to read (change indicated by italics),

Ordinarily, the congregation shall assemble for worship twice on the Lords Day to hear Gods Word, to receive the sacraments, to engage in praise and prayer, and to present gifts of gratitude.

Grounds:

1. Insertion of ordinarily allows congregations some flexibility in responding to local needs by, for example, replacing one of the worship services from time to time with Bible study and fellowship groups or other gatherings of an educational nature, as is already being done in a number of congregations.

2. God calls believers to be part of worshiping communities. However, Scripture nowhere indicates the frequency of worship on the Lord's Day.

3. The current wording causes problems for congregations who wish to use the time usually reserved for the second service for educational purposes in a format other than a traditional worship service. Since educational ministry is vitally important to living congregations (cf. Church Order Art. 64), the church should encourage the most effective means possible to educate its members.

B. To change Church Order Article 54-b to read (italics indicate changes),

The minister shall regularly preach the Word as summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dart, or the “Contemporary Testimony."

Grounds:

1. Present practice in the churches shows that few churches abide by the letter of the present reading, and if confessional preaching does take place, various approved confessional documents are used.

2. This change will allow for a greater diversity of timely issues and topics to be dealt with in the light of Gods Word.

3. Use of the three forms of unity and the "Contemporary Testimony" enriches the educational ministry of the church.

C. To add to the questions on the Classical Credentials, as per Church Order Article 41, the following:

7. Does the council ensure that one or more worship services are held on the Lord’s Day and that all members of the congregation are given the opportunity to grow in their understanding of Gods Word, the ecumenical creeds and the Reformed confessions so that they may live as true disciples of Christ?

Grounds:
1. This addition will keep before the churches the twin imperatives to worship the Lord and to grow in understanding and obedience.

2. This is a tool for keeping the churches accountable to each other in our denominational covenant.

V. Postscript

At its October 1994 meeting, Classis Alberta North adopted the following recommendation, which is passed along for the information of synod: [Classis Alberta North encourages] councils to explore various communication strategies in the second service or its alternative that will help people comprehend and grow in their understanding of biblical and confessional truths.

Grounds:

A. The unique needs of people raised in a visual age can be taken into account.

B. Our members can be assisted in growing in their understanding through presentation of the facts of Scripture and the confessions in an accessible format.

C. Jesus and Paul both used formats that were appropriate for their audiences (Jesus in his parables, Paul in his addresses to the Areopagus and in synagogues).

Classis Alberta North
Nicholas Knoppers, stated clerk