Sorry I haven’t updated you guys earlier but the last few days have been a blur. It’s been non-stop church services, conferences, bookstores and media gatherings.
Loving my time here in Latin America sharing Plan B 
Thought you guys would be interested in seeing this. This is the program for the Sunday morning service at Monte Maria, the local church where I spoke. This is a church that, a few years ago, was averaging 150 thousand on Sunday mornings.
That’s not a typo. EIGHT hours long. And I have to admit it was pretty stinkin’ cool. I’ll tell you the whole story soon.
So here are a few more pictures from the past few days (more on the way).
But, what I want to ask you: What was the longest church service you’ve EVER been apart of?
Wow… Sounds like a whirlwind trip, but I’m sure an eye-opening taste of the local culture.
I can’t say I’ve even heard of a church with that long a worship service… The energy in that place must have been awesome. Can’t wait to hear more about the trip.
Have a Blessed Day!
P.S. I’m really enjoying Plan B as well… The English version mind you!
Thanks Phil.
When I was managing artists, one worship leader client of mine was booked for a “worship encounter” event. When they emailed us the event itinerary, it said the “encounter” would begin at 7:30pm, and end “when the Holy Spirit has had his way in us.” O_o Um, check please. While the encounter did begin at 7:30 and the Holy Spirit finished having its way by around 11pm, it had finished with me by about 8:45.
I was a part of a three hour service last summer in Mexico. Such a blessing. I’m looking forward to Secret Church…which I consider to be worship…for seven hours at the end of the month.
That will be cool Sara!
At the Huguenot Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the story is told that the majority of the parishioners were planters from up-river. Since the church at that time sat on a tidal creek, those planters would come to church when the tide was in and then would wait until high tide returned to head back home. No stepping out to the mall, restaurant & movie….they’d have dinner on the grounds and more worship!
When I was in college we’d have worship all though Advent & Lent (I think they still do it). Everyone didn’t stay for the whole thing (because that was impossible) but there was always at least 2 people in the chapel, so Jesus wouldn’t be alone, so in a way it was continuous. I think the longest I ever lasted was 2 hours or so, because you’re counting the times I stayed awake right?
Kingston, Jamaica–We were still living in a hotel and cruising town on a Sunday morning looking to try a church in an attempt to find a church home. An elder flagged us down and welcomed us in. We were ushered to the very front row. The service had already been going for about an hour. We stayed for another two. The people were still singing and sharing “testimonies.” (Apparently, during this time EVERY person in the church of about sixty to eighty shared with no time limit.)
We politely excused ourselves because we had an appointment to meet with the landlord of the house we were moving into. We went back to the hotel to get some papers, stopped and had lunch, met with the person at the house and did a walk through and headed back to the hotel. On our way back, about two hours later, we passed the same church.
The same elder stopped us in the road and said, “Welcome back. Come on in. The pastor hasn’t started preaching yet, so you can still hear the message and stay for fellowship.” My then husband mumbled something about our four year old son being tired.
Five hours of worship BEFORE the sermon and fellowship?!? Needless to say, we didn’t make that our home church.
Kind of reminds me of the service here in Mexico. I noticed people would come and go. They would go get lunch and the bring it back. Go get dinner and bring it back.
It was just part of the flow of the day for them.
I was a part of a 14 hr service in Ghana, West Africa, a few years ago which is quite a bit quicker than the usual 6 hour services that we have every Sunday here in Thailand…
Wow!!!!!!!
What area of Ghana did you travel to? Our Compassion son said that his church services are fairly long as well. So eager to attend church with him this fall at the end of our mission trip… but 14 hours? WOW….!!! Awesome!
I was in Peru a couple weeks ago and went to a 3.5 hour service. It wouldn’t have been so bad except the preacher was realistically fitting about 3-4 messages into one. I think he just liked the sound of his own voice.
It seemed as if worship services in Buenos Aires were fairly long when I was there on a mission trip back in 2000. But nothing like 8 hours! Wowsers!
I notice that desayuno, almuerzo, y tentempié were decidedly missing from el programa. When did y’all eat??
Not until late that night!!!! But it was good. Worth the wait.
Cena muy tarde pero deliciosa – ¡qué buena! *thumbs-up*
hi! 8 hours is short. we did an 12 hours and 24 hours praise and worship here in the Philippines. just to share
Wow. You totally crushed us.
When I was a child we had church revival meetings (in the good old USA) that would go until 1 or 2 in the afternoon and then we would be back again for an evening service. They would also have services every night that week.
Pretty intense.
We had to go to a church in Kansas for our Worship class in college….it was 3-4 hours long.
Promise Keepers Washington D.C.
Wow! 8 hours!
The longest church service I have been too was 3 hours long. 2 hours of that service was singing 4 songs over and over again …
Ha! I’m pretty sure we did more than 4 songs. However, since it was in a different language I’m not real sure.
Maybe 2 hours, but I would love to be at one like this. People in other countries really get it. I have been on short term mission trips to colombia and the Holy Spirit is moving like crazy there. We are duds. Most of us go around every day with ourselves on our minds.
I can appreciate that, but only recently.
It wasn’t just a regular service, but this past weekend I had agreed to chaperon a youth conference. It began on Thursday night and went through Saturday afternoon. Then we shared at our normal service on Sunday. I had prepared by doing some extra prayer during the week.
In all it turned in to 4 days of closeness to the Lord like I have never experienced. It was amazing!
I would like to check out a service like that some day.
Wow! I’m excited about what God will do on thursday at La Vid church!!!! have a nice trip
Can’t wait. We’ll see you there.
Pete this is so stinkin awesome!! Love the pics and can’t wait to hear more! 8 hours of worship would be so cool…let’s do it…like, once a year. haha!
Being raised Catholic, I will never, ever, get over how long the Easter Vigil service is. Omgosh…and then if you back that up to going to Easter Sunday the next morning. That’s a LOT of standing, kneeling, and reciting prayers. The church I grew up in did it pretty cool, though. It’s done by candle light and the ENTIRE church begins outside as we walked around the whole church grounds–the priest blessing each corner with incense. Then we all would walk in together, lighting our candles as we came in. During the service the entire story of the crucifixion is recited with several people scattered throughout the church reading specific lines. The people of the church are responsible for the “crowds lines.”
See, even just telling you about it is long.
P.S. it’s about 4 hours long.
I was once a member of a church that averaged 2 hours for a service. 75 percent of that was the sermon.
I was once at a church service that lasted 12 hours!
ok, it only felt that way.
Of course, it wasn’t at Crosspoint. HA