ST. CHARLES – Sundays have always been a time to gather for worship and Bible training to energize the week. But First Baptist Church, St. Charles, has found a way to invigorate members midweek.
“Refuel” is the Wednesday worship service with lunch that FBC St. Charles offers. “This service has grown more that 50% since our start up,” Jerry Dudley, associate pastor, and speaker at the Wednesday service, said. “After COVID, we looked at ways to build in more Bible study and push the attendance.”
“We decided to move the Wednesday evening service to the day,” he continued, “and offer a traditional service.”
Stan Norton, missions director, agreed. “With the other Wednesday activities and with winter weather and darker evenings, worship attendance was dropping,” he said. “Jerry preaches the Word and then we have a fellowship time with lunch.”
“The fellowship time is especially sweet for our seniors,” Buddy Perstrope, senior pastor, said. “It is a great boost for our senior adults. They love the traditional worship and preaching. It is an encouragement for them, and it has served as a way to invite neighbors.”
Dudley mentioned the other groups attending in addition to the senior adults. “We have groups attending from other denominations,” he said. “Someone invites the group because they need to hear the gospel. We also have home school groups that use the service as chapel.”
Daphne Boyce, a member of the church and a homeschool mom, brings her children. “My kids consider the service a highlight of the week,” she said. “Their ages are 7, 10 and 13. Jerry always makes them think. We talk about what he said at home. We can’t always stay for the lunch because it cuts into our school day.”
Boyce also plays the piano for the service. “That’s a highlight for me,” she said. “I love hearing the voices sing the old hymns that we sing for the service.”
Roger Deppe, long-time member, agreed that the service offers an outreach opportunity. “I’ve been a member for almost fifty years,” he said. “There are a lot of people coming that I’ve not seen before. The service is relevant and geared to the issues of seniors. The meal is always good.”
Norton mentioned that the church prints invitation cards. “We have those available each week, and people are handing them out. I’ve heard people mention inviting their neighbor.”
Dudley is excited to preach the Word of God for this weekly service. “I just love preaching Scripture,” he said. “I’ve been expository preaching through Ecclesiastes since the beginning of the year, and I will begin a new series in January entitled ‘Every Believer’s Battle,’ and it will focus on spiritual warfare.”