Wednesday Service

Definition and Meaning

The Wednesday service is a midweek worship service held every Wednesday, separate from Sunday worship. It usually meets in the evening and consists of hymn singing, prayer, and a sermon. Churches that place particular emphasis on prayer call it the Wednesday prayer meeting. The name samil service (literally "third-day service") is commonly explained as referring to a service held on the third day after the Lord's Day.

Biblical and Historical Background

Scripture contains no direct command to gather on Wednesdays. Two passages are usually cited in support of the Wednesday service. The first is Acts 2:46, which records that the believers of the early church continued "daily with one accord"; the second is Hebrews 10:25, which exhorts believers to be "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." Both passages are understood to mean that the community of faith should gather frequently, not only on the Lord's Day.

The practice of holding weekday evening prayer meetings was widespread in American Protestant churches in the nineteenth century and is believed to have been brought to Korea by missionaries. Weekday prayer meetings took root in the Korean church from its earliest years and developed into today's Wednesday service.

Practice in Korean Churches

• Time and format: Most churches meet on Wednesday evening, typically beginning between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. Some churches also hold a separate Wednesday daytime or morning service for older members and homemakers, who find it easier to attend during the day.
• Preacher: The senior pastor often preaches, though in some churches associate pastors take turns. The service may take the form of expository preaching (preaching that explains the biblical text in sequence), working through a single book of the Bible from beginning to end, or of Bible study.
• Emphasis on prayer: As the name "Wednesday prayer meeting" suggests, many churches set aside time for united prayer after the sermon. Pentecostal churches tend to place greater emphasis on praying aloud together and praise.
• Place in various denominations: The Wednesday service is widely practiced across Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, and Full Gospel churches. Rather than being uniformly mandated by denominational constitutions, however, it is often established and conducted at the discretion of individual congregations. Some churches regard it as a service of public worship (a service officially held by the church), while others regard it as a gathering more in the nature of a prayer meeting.
• Changes: Observers have noted that attendance at Wednesday services has declined because of the hours at which working people leave work, changes in urban life, and the spread of ministry centered on small groups. In response, a growing number of churches have shifted the functions of the Wednesday service to Friday prayer meetings or small-group gatherings, or have begun offering online worship alongside it.