Grace Lutheran Church in Little Rock is buzzing with activity since adding a midweek dinner, choir practice and Bible study.
"Post-covid, we're trying to get back together ... with a nice meal and study and prayer," said Kent Schaaf, the congregation's pastor.
"We've called it 'Taking Back Wednesday.' It's kind of the old Southern idea that Wednesday night was church night," he said.
The meal is at 5:30 p.m., and it's pay-what-you-will. The other activities begin at 6 p.m.
Schaaf is calling his class "Preaching Partners." He previews the verses that are contained in that week's lectionary and discusses how they interrelate.
The conversations that follow help shape the sermon he ultimately delivers on Sundays.
While the adults are searching the Scriptures, the new children's choir, Schola Cantorum, is busy breaking into song.
Grace Lutheran Church has members that fell away during the pandemic and haven't returned, Schaaf said. Others simply tune in to the livestream.
Schaaf wants to encourage interaction as much as possible.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (English Standard Version) says Christians should "stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
It's an exhortation Schaaf seeks to follow.
"It is absolutely vital, I think, to the life of a church that you get back to regularly meeting together, and food and community always go well together," he said.
The first gathering was Sept. 6, and the meals are simple.
"It's basically kid food: macaroni and cheese, little wienies and all that kind of stuff," said Sammye Harrill, the director of parish fellowship. "It's been very well received and the kids just love it."
The sense of community is already evident, she said.
"It's fun to watch the way they interact. It's like one big family. They just treat each other like they're brothers and sisters, and they get along," she said.
A pre-covid survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors, conducted in 2018 by Nashville-based Lifeway Research, found that Wednesday services were widespread, although the offerings vary widely.
Most Pentecostal congregations (62%) gathered for worship services.
Most Christian Churches/Churches of Christ (75%) had small group Bible studies.
Most Baptist churches (74%) held prayer meetings.
Roughly half of Methodist congregations (49%) opened for choir practice.
At Calvary Baptist Church in Little Rock, Wednesday night remains "family night" with activities for all ages, pastor Scott Jackson said.
"We need that time. It's good for us. ... It's still a very meaningful part of our rhythm," he said.
Members of Little Rock's Trinity Assembly of God gather on Wednesday to pray, pastor Dwayne Maynard said.
"We want to see God save our families. We want to see Him save our nation," he added.
At Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock, the midweek lights have long been burning.
There's a meal, Bible studies, book studies and a class on what United Methodists believe. Roughly 50 fifth-through-seventh graders gather. There are choir and band practices as well.
"It's a very busy place on Wednesday evenings," said Kathleen McMurray, the congregation's pastor of connecting ministries and worship.
There's something for all generations, and it's very informal, she said.
"It's a wonderful way for newer folks and newer faces to get to know people a little bit better in a less intimidating setting," she said.
At Evangel Temple, an Assemblies of God congregation in Fort Smith, hundreds gather for midweek services.
There's an Mpact [formerly Missionettes] Girls Club, and a scouting group, known as Royal Rangers, for boys.
"The adults meet in the sanctuary and we call it Journey through the Bible. We cover it verse by verse, and they love it. I do handouts, Q&A, videos, and we have a full full blown praise and worship time," said Pastor Don Hutchings.
This year, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, issued an advisory warning that the nation is facing an "epidemic of loneliness and isolation."
Recent studies appear to suggest "a likely causal association between social isolation and a variety of poor health outcomes, including death," he noted.
People with good social connections, on the other hand, appear to fair better.
Those findings would be consistent with what Don Hutchings finds in his Bible.
"The first thing that God saw that was not good was for man to be alone," Hutchings said, paraphrasing Genesis 2:18.
"People need two things. They need to feel like they belong, and they need to feel like they have a friend that they could trust," he said. "Wednesday nights, people get to come and hang out with friends and meet new friends."
While attendance is good, participation is even better, he said.
"They may greet at the door or be an usher or teach a class or be a youth sponsor, and it gives them validity and purpose," he said.