“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” These words from Hebrews 13:8 should be a comfort for us in a world where typically change is about the only constant. Times change. Schedules change. People change. And churches sometimes change. The core of what we are as a church dedicated to serving Christ and preaching His Gospel is not something we will ever change, but there are times where the mechanisms for how we do ministry can and maybe should change. 

By now you’ve likely heard of the plans intended for Fall 2025 as it relates to our Midweek Program. In lieu of the 5:30pm Dinner and 6:15pm Educational Programs, we are going to be changing some things up. The core of what we do for Midweek is so valuable to our church, from the hospitality and fellowship over a shared meal to the opportunities for discipleship presented for all ages. We do not want to get away from those important things and do not intend to. However, our Program Committee has met numerous times over the past year or so to discuss some of the challenges that the Wednesday night timeslot presents. After much consideration and gathering feedback, that committee has put forth a plan which was passed by our Session without opposition.

This Fall we will be trying something new. To preserve the element of hospitality and fellowship over a shared meal, the Program Committee is meeting with our panhandler teams and other interested parties to organize monthly meals on the Second Sunday after worship. It is our hope that these meals will be a time of fellowship and will provide a context for outreach and inviting people to church. We also hope that this will allow people with weekend availability to use their gifts of hospitality in the church. With many families not able to attend Midweek due to work schedules and other week-day responsibilities, the hope is that this will breathe new life into our efforts at hospitality to our congregation and community during a time of the week that will encourage attendance in worship as well.

Perhaps more importantly, we do not want to miss out on the Bible Study and other discipleship opportunities afforded by our Spring and Fall Midweek seasons. As such, we are going to have two opportunities for our people to engage in Bible Study this fall. The first will be a Wednesday Morning Bible Study. 

I was once able to manage teaching a Monday Morning Bible Study and those times of opening God’s Word together were some of the richest and rewarding times of teaching I have had in my ministry! I pray that the same spirit will be present on Wednesday mornings as we approach various books of the Bible and topics together. 

In addition, the same study will be presented for the adults at 4:00pm on Sunday Afternoons on those weeks that we do not have a Sunday meal. As with Midweek we will also have programs for children and youth to help them grow in their faith. 

The Wednesday before Sundays with a meal will still have a 10:00am meeting, but specifically devoted to prayer, rather than Bible Study. Once again, the hope is that Sunday Bible Study will present a more accessible option for people who have had trouble making it to Midweek. 

Those who are able to attend Wednesday morning will be encouraged to assist with the programs Sunday afternoon which my wife Becca will be organizing for the youth and children. In this way, we hope that the spirit of Midweek lives on and hopefully expands in reach by occupying a more opportune time during our week.

This is a big adjustment. The elements of what we value in Midweek are not going away, but even adjusting our calendars for this new format is a big shift. It may be that down the line we find that the old way worked better, but we will not know if we do not try.

I’d be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to thank all our teachers and panhandler volunteers for all that they have done over many years to make Midweek so special for so long. This change is not a denial of your hard work and service, but hopefully a change that will allow these hearts of service to shine more brightly for God’s glory.

There are details to be worked out, and we will do our very best to communicate those things promptly and effectively as they fall into place, but I would ask for your prayers as I prepare my lessons and sermons for the Fall. Pray that God’s Word and His Truth would be at the center of all that we do. Pray for your leadership here at Pisgah that any changes that we make as a church would be rooted in a desire to better glorify Christ and show people His love and His Gospel. That is what we intend with this change, and we are excited to see what God will do through it.