Have churches abandoned protracted meetings?

[OneLight]

First, I don't think you can call a revival speaker every spring or every fall and schedule a move of God. But, I have noticed churches in my part of the world have ceased having protracted services. In years past you would see most churches have 2 week revivals at least once a year. Then they reduced them to 1 week a year, then there were weekend revivals and now they are rare events. If this is your observation in your part of the globe, why do you think this has been abandoned?

I have observed the same thing. For the most part people quit coming to them.

I have to agree with Eric on this. The last revival meeting I saw was in the 80's and there were seats left over every night, especially at the end. When the hearts of many grow colder, nobody pays attention to what God has to say. Needless to say, over the past 20 years since then, hearts have been frozen ... sin abounds greater in these days and goes unchecked more and more. Got to say, though, Satan is having his revival as Jesus draws near.

[Ddavid from NC]

I heard a minister comment in private that he felt the last revival movement in this country was long over. How do you feel about his comment?

[patricia1]

Maybe for him but not for me!!! I am sorry I am still laughing over your comment from hanging from the tree....

I loved going to tent meetings and the last one was in new Jersey less than a year ago.

If we just calll them tent meetings I would like that.

I was in a town I frequent on a Sunday who was having a fall celebration. I know of a spanish church and went near by as the pastor was preaching in both spanish and english...the door was shut.

There are thousands of people who go to these town celebrations.

There were people listening on the steps outside....walk away and then some more will listen and then walk away. I was astounded on how many were on the outter courts maybe too embarrassed to walk in to this church dressed perhaps raggedly.

they most certainly would have drifted into a tent meeting.

I called the pastor who I knew and said that I think on these days he should have a represenative on the outter courts so to speak.

It never happened so whenever it goes on I try to be there now to pray for the individuals.

it is a sad day when those in the inner courts can not come out to help those in the outter court.

Reminds me of those too busy with God stuff that He has to get those on the byways to come to the wedding

[OneLight]

I heard a minister comment in private that he felt the last revival movement in this country was long over. How do you feel about his comment?

Well, the bible does tell us that in the last day there will be a falling away. Some say that it has already happened. I think it is on the horizon. I've heard churches say that there will be a revival, but it is my personal belief that those churches may become tied into the One World Church in the end, for the ones I have heard proclaim this are looking only for love without obedience to His word. But who knows???

[damo1]

First, I don't think you can call a revival speaker every spring or every fall and schedule a move of God. But, I have noticed churches in my part of the world have ceased having protracted services. In years past you would see most churches have 2 week revivals at least once a year. Then they reduced them to 1 week a year, then there were weekend revivals and now they are rare events. If this is your observation in your part of the globe, why do you think this has been abandoned?

damo1

wel i just got back from the phillippines as i spent 3 weeks their and from what i have seen god is doing some amazing things and the churches their have revival meetings my partners church in lacastaliana is on fire for god they have a prayer meeting on friday nights were all the members come and even the young people and then on saturday morning 5am we pray for 2hrs over the area over our selves and for more souls to be one

from what i saw it blew me away young people from the age of 8 to 18yrs old willing to give up what our kids take for granted and pray these kids do not put on a mask or even fake it they realy cry out for mercy and for the youth in lacastaliana to be one over

i went to one crusade and god moved in this crusade right in front of me god heald two men with back problems

from what i am picking up in your post is this what are we doing to win the lost over how serious are we and are we willing to alow the lord to shake us up out of our comfort zones the harvest is very ripe yet workers are needed

while i was in my partners country i preached and shared what god did in my life the people in my partners country are hungry and put into practise to what is being preached

the churches hear wear i live are doing this but sevral do not as i have noticed this to were their is no need for this to be brought into the body

god shook me to the point were i had to repent of some things as what i experianced has not left me i had heard of others share and seen this on tv and have read this in the bible know i understand how the disciples felt when jesus said you can do what i can do and to what they saw happening right in front of them

my partner told me just to step out in faith trust the holy spirit and alow the lord to move threw me the pressence of the holy spirit in the meetings blew me away

in the prison i preached in the inmates who have given their lives to god meet every day and pray for 2hrs for the inmates they have a bible study i shared my testimony in one prison and 4 young men gave their lives to god i was asked to pray over them so i prayed and trusted the holy spirit to do the rest as i could not speak their language but i had their attention and even the guards were paying attention to what i was saying i walked freely as i did not stay behind the pulpit i simply prayed and asked the holy spirit to do the rest

so in the phillippines the churches are doing this

sorry to be blunt but i am not the same person i was when i left australia on the 29th of jan 2008 god simply shook me challanged me and broke me while i was their i am know giving sevral things up as i have seen were i have gotten to comfterbal

i wil be going back in dec as i am staying their for 3 months as i wil be preaching in 4 more jails i am also going to be invited to sevral more crusades when my partners church does a crusdae in bacolod the hole community comes to these crusades and she has people that do follow up once some has given their life over to god

after church is finished on sunday she will hold three more bible studys and on saturday she does 4 bible studys and does not come home until 11pm at night

while hear our pastors dont work that hard as the pastors in the phillippines do i am not being judgmental but this is what i have observed

this is all i will say on this matter

god bless from your brother in the lord damo

[Guest]

Amen!

[Guest Biblicist]

First, I don't think you can call a revival speaker every spring or every fall and schedule a move of God. But, I have noticed churches in my part of the world have ceased having protracted services. In years past you would see most churches have 2 week revivals at least once a year. Then they reduced them to 1 week a year, then there were weekend revivals and now they are rare events. If this is your observation in your part of the globe, why do you think this has been abandoned?

Revival begins in the heart, not the tent.

Agreed you can't schedule a revival, we probably have wrongly titled protracted meetings as revival meetings. Moves of God are in His timing, but why have ceased finding it important to have protracted meetings. Who did and why was it decided this was no longer needed in the life of the church?

Well, I have never heard of a protracted meeting so maybe if I knew what that was I could better answer. To me this is a protractor....link What does that have to do with church?

[Marnie]

I heard a minister comment in private that he felt the last revival movement in this country was long over. How do you feel about his comment?

I think he doesn't know what a "revival" looks like.

I think we have an "idea" based on things we have heard taking place in the past during so-called "revivals," but while G-d never changes, He does work in different ways in different times. I also think that "revival" has more to do with men and women of G-d becoming obedient to Him, living a life of holiness, and conforming their minds to the mind of Christ than it does with shouting, falling over, and singing a chorus endlessly.

I recommend Ravinhill's seminal work for anybody genuinely interested in this subject--

Why Revival Tarries

[Ddavid from NC]

First, I don't think you can call a revival speaker every spring or every fall and schedule a move of God. But, I have noticed churches in my part of the world have ceased having protracted services. In years past you would see most churches have 2 week revivals at least once a year. Then they reduced them to 1 week a year, then there were weekend revivals and now they are rare events. If this is your observation in your part of the globe, why do you think this has been abandoned?

Revival begins in the heart, not the tent.

Agreed you can't schedule a revival, we probably have wrongly titled protracted meetings as revival meetings. Moves of God are in His timing, but why have ceased finding it important to have protracted meetings. Who did and why was it decided this was no longer needed in the life of the church?

Well, I have never heard of a protracted meeting so maybe if I knew what that was I could better answer. To me this is a protractor....link What does that have to do with church?

protract

1 to draw out; lengthen in duration; prolong

2 to draw to scale; using a protractor and scale

3 Zool. to thrust out; extend: cf.

You have heard a protracted sermon before haven't you? "In closing....(40 minutes later)...my final point.....(20 minutes later)...in conclusion....(10 munutes later)...one final thing......(5 minutes later)...let's pray.....

[WayneB]

You have heard a protracted sermon before haven't you? "In closing....(40 minutes later)...my final point.....(20 minutes later)...in conclusion....(10 munutes later)...one final thing......(5 minutes later)...let's pray.....

Yup...you'll make a fine preacher. Just make sure you don't give a "protracted" sermon this Sunday brother.

By the way...you are in my prayers. God be with you this weekend.

My opinion? Revivals are good BUT there reaches a time that the workers need to get out in the Vineyard and plant some seed and work some soil. I too often see saints spend all their time at church on Wednesday nights, Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and on and on...and NEVER get out where there is need....in the jails, nursing homes, hospitals, orphanages, and so on. Maybe it is just me but I prefer a balanced approach to expressing my FAITH.

The last revival my church had (I only attended one night out of four), there were many confessions of FAITH and for the next few Sundays, there were a lot of new faces. Over a few months, though, they stopped coming...even though there was a new convert Sunday school class started. What happened???? I don't know but I know what helped me and what I preach to others...find your calling and get to work. Seek the Lord's leading and respond. I was a Jonah but the Lord pulled me into jail ministry...and to be honest, I do it more for myself (keeps me active in the Word) than I do it for them. When we serve God, He blesses us...and too often revivalists stop short.

I do believe that traditional revivals serve a purpose and have a place in our worship and service. I just don't miss them. Just being honest. I feel that we should be living with a revivalist mentality daily by staying in the Word...and we do that by serving.