BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Each Wednesday, the Latzke family heads to their Bloomington church for an evening of religious education and a worship service. Sunday is too packed to squeeze in church, so now Wednesday is their day -- as it is for thousands of busy Minnesotans.
"Wednesday is the new Sunday," is what some clergy call this trend, reflecting the scheduling quirks of modern families.
"This works really nice for us because we're so busy on weekends," said Robyn Latzke shortly before the service at Transfiguration Lutheran Church. "She dances, and she plays volleyball," Latzke said, pointing to her daughters.
"And I farm on weekends with my brother," adds her husband, Jeff Latzke.
As churches across Minnesota try new ways to accommodate the hectic lives of the faithful, Wednesday night services have emerged as a popular option.
For churches that already offered religious education on Wednesdays, adding a worship service was a logical fit. For others, a Wednesday service helps those who travel on weekends, hold down jobs, or schlep children to hockey, soccer and other events.
"The on-demand culture has affected church people as much as society," said Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.
Keeping church members in regular attendance is critical, as irregular churchgoing often fizzles into no churchgoing, Thumma said. Mainline Protestants, those most avidly embracing Wednesdays, have seen a steady decline in attendance. Median weekend attendance at U.S. churches, for example, dropped from 129 people in 2005 to 80 in 2015, according to the institute. The study advised: "To grow, distinguish yourself from other congregations."
Churches began experimenting with Wednesdays about a decade ago. It has steadily grown since then.
Pioneers included Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minn. -- which now has two Wednesday night services -- and Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minn.
"It's a different demographic," said Pete Erickson, Mount Olivet's faith formation director. "Our trend on Sunday morning is younger families -- preschool to about fourth grade. On Wednesdays it's families with older children."
Mount Olivet's Wednesday worship service, kicked off in 2007, exploded to become the church's largest service with up to 300 people, he said. In recent years, attendance has leveled off to about 160 people. Erickson attributes the drop to even more traveling sports teams and school events.
Wednesday worship services are not just an urban trend. The Detroit Lakes United Methodist Church started a Wednesday service that was specifically "child-friendly," but also appealed to hospital workers, shift workers and the many weekend travelers. It has been a tremendous success.
"The first night we had 90 people," said the Rev. Brenda North. "We figured we were on to something."
Parents with shared custody of their children turned out to be among the regulars, said North, as "it's hard to build a church habit if you have your child every other weekend."
But clergy warn that simply opening the doors on Wednesdays won't start a stampede. Church leaders need to figure out if it's a good match for members, and be willing to shift the start time and other options as needed.
"You need to get a feel for the pulse of the community, and what fits into their lives," said the Rev. Deb Stehlin, director for evangelical mission at the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Timing is also key. If the service is before 6 p.m., fewer people come, clergy said. If it is targeted for summer, there could be even fewer.
Some question whether the Sabbath -- which the Bible says is "the seventh day of the week" -- can even be celebrated on a Wednesday. Clergy insist it can be. Said North: "Worshipping God can happen any day of the week."
The trend is no surprise to the Rev. Dawn Alitz, director of lifelong learning programs at Luther Seminary in St. Paul.
In fact, the seminary is offering a summer session titled "Rethinking Sunday Morning," she said. The message: "God may be working more than just on Sunday mornings."
Religion on 05/13/2017