Church sets alternative schedule
Last Modified: Friday, September 26, 2008 at 10:57 p.m.
Like many restaurant employees, Barabara Wilkie and her son, Charlie, must work some Sundays.
A new service time at their church has now made it easier for them to worship together as a family.
New Vision — formerly Cowpens Community Church — recently changed its name and moved worship services from Sunday mornings to Saturday evenings at 5.
“I love it,” Wilkie said of the new service time.
New Vision pastor Thomas Bryant and his wife, Jeannie, launched the church in January 2002. Bryant said in the beginning he felt God leading him to have Saturday evening services.
It wasn’t until church members held meetings to discuss the direction of the church that he shared the idea to move service times.
The congregation was immediately supportive, Bryant said.
“This is going to open up an avenue for people who cannot worship on Sunday mornings to have a full-blown worship service,” he said.
New Vision, he said, is not your traditional church.
“Our slogan is come as you are, be who you are,” Bryant said. “We just want people to come and worship and have a good time.”
Saturday’s worship service is followed by “Family Fun Time.” Churchgoers can stay for fellowship and activities, such as family movies or karaoke.
“Our vision is to be community-minded,” Bryant said.
The church wants to build a gymnasium that would open doors to ministering to the community.
Long-term plans include offering lunch and devotionals to seniors and after-school programs.
Bryant said he would love for the church to grow and perhaps hold Sunday services in addition to Saturday services.
Bryant has received negative feedback from only one person — not a church member.
The man told Bryant he thought worship should be held on Sunday, because “that’s what the Bible says.”
Bryant said he told the man that “nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to change the Sabbath to Sunday and worship God on Sunday. I said, ‘but now don’t get me wrong, Jesus did change it … Jesus turned it around and said but I say unto you, worship God every day.’ ”
Christians broke with their Jewish roots in observance of the Sabbath.
In Judaism, the Sabbath is observed on Saturday.
Though some Christian traditions, including Seventh-day Adventists, observe the Sabbath on Saturday, most Christians observe it on Sunday — the day that Christians believe Jesus Christ was resurrected.
Jim Goodroe, director of missions for the Spartanburg County Baptist Network, said in an e-mail to the Herald-Journal that Spartanburg has been slow in the trend of Saturday evening worship services.
Citing church consultant and author Eddie Hammett, Goodroe said Thursday and Saturday nights are the fastest-growing times for church services.
“Sunday has become a workday for many people. Growing churches needing more seating capacity have added worship services, some on Saturday evenings,” Goodroe said.
Anderson Mill Road
Baptist Church began offering Saturday evening worship services in the early 1990s.
Today, the church offers three worship services on Sunday mornings.
In April, Wellford Baptist Church began offering a special time for music, study and fellowship called “507” at 5:07 p.m. Saturdays for people who are unable to participate in Sunday morning worship services.
Terry Hawkins, worship and outreach pastor at Wellford Baptist, said “507” was only offered six weeks. The church found little interest from the community, Hawkins said.
He’s unsure exactly what contributed to the lack of interest.
Wellford Baptist has since shifted Wednesday night programs to reach out to children and teens and is preparing to launch “Impact Night” on Sunday nights, during which church members will go into the community and do different ministry events each week.
As for New Vision, Bryant said the change in service times will help enable the church to minister to people who might not be able to attend on Sunday mornings — giving them an option to go to church and bring more people into a relationship with Christ.
New Vision is at 4970 S. Main St. in Cowpens. Wellford Baptist Church is at 235 Syphrit Road in Wellford. Visit www.wellfordchurch.org for more information.