Why do so many protestants bind Wednesday night bible study on their members?

Many of the protestant churches in my area require Wednesday night bible study as much as they require the Sunday obligation. I am a Catholic and I hear the Bible readings at mass on Sundays and I study my Bible alone and with a friend or two online, informally, but why require weekly Bible study with your church group? I don't get it.

Why do so many protestants bind Wednesday night bible study on their members?
Whoa, gal. Some Catholic parishes also offer Bible study groups on weeknights -- in mine, it just happens to be on Wednesdays, and I half-jokingly told our priest that this is the first time I've cleared my calendar for going to church on Wednesday nights since leaving the Baptists.





What you say does have a grain of truth, though (again drawing upon my experiences in a Baptist church before converting). While some will tell you that it's not required to show up on Wednesday nights (also Sunday nights, in addition to the regular daytime services and adult Bible study before or after), there is a definite element of expectation for people to do so, expressed by subtle and not-so-subtle means.





However, the way I look at it, getting into the Bible above and beyond weekly Mass readings is a good thing if one is able to do so -- whether it's with a study group or simply on one's own. And the Church does encourage this; in the Catechism, it's even stated that "ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ".
Reply:As others have said, its no requirement. In fact, for many churches, the mid-week service is when the gathering is smaller and tends to be comprised of more serious worshipers.





At our church, the mid-week service is also a prayer meeting, when the missionaries and serious needs of the membership are prayed over. We also have great programs for children and teens on Wednesday nights and it is fun for them.
Reply:We should applaud any Christian organization that takes the faith seriously enough to gather on a weeknight to study its basic documents. However, as a former Protestant, active in a Pentecostal church with a Wednesday night service, participation was never "required." Rather, it was strongly encouraged.





More to the point, I'm concerned about Protestant fellowships that don't require Sunday worship, in the strong sense of the term. For Christians, Sunday worship has replaced the Sabbath obligation imposed on the Hebrews in the Ten Commandments.





We celebrate on the day of the Lord's resurrection rather than on Saturday, but for the same purpose: To take our relationship with God seriously. Anyone who can't be troubled to spend an hour or so with God's family once a week is hardly serious about loving God with his whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. Imagine a family member in your household who couldn't be bothered to check in at home even an hour a week. This would be prima facie evidence of uninterest.





I'm surprised Sunday worship is optional for our Protestant friends. But perhaps that is because Protestant fellowships cannot provide the most essential opportunity to worship as Jesus directed: Eating the body of Christ in the Eucharist.





Cheers,


Bruce
Reply:Wednesday night meeting isn't required in the bible it is just a tradition





Protestants claim they dont follow tradition of men





Remember that the catholic bible is totally different to the original King James Bible for starters.





Catholics have a complete bible
Reply:It is no requirement, but choice. If you choose to come, then come. As Christians (Catholic and Protestant as long as main tenets are held), we must come together often to make us less susceptible to the taint of a dark world. What you are doing, if you are doing it, is fine, we should not only meet more often, though, but crave and yearn to do so.
Reply:Remember that the catholic bible is totally different to the original King James Bible for starters.


Many Christians like to meet during the week simply because they enjoy the company of other Christians and getting together to study the Bible together is great fun.
Reply:I dont know why that is. Being Catholic, we have Mass 7 days a week so we hear the word of God every single day. And I and Iam sure many others come home from Mass and go over tht days readings.At my parish we have bible studies several days and nights thru the week.
Reply:Nobody forces anybody to go to these!
Reply:Probably because you don't learn much in a church service.
Reply:Wednesday night meeting isn't required in the bible it is just a tradition. Accually so is going to church on Sunday!.. you should look into it... and the fouth commandment...Saturday is the real Sabbath.