Worship Service at a Holdeman Church

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  The following is a look at a typical Sunday morning service in a Holdeman Mennonite church. The above video is a sample of congregational 4-part acapella singing.
  9AM. The moderator i.e. charge d'affaires, opens the service with a few words of welcome and announces 3 congregational songs, chosen by random members and non-members. The song leader takes over until the last song is finished and the moderator announces the opening sermon.
  9:15AM.  A lay member brings the short introductory sermon, then everyone kneels in prayer, facing forward.
  9:30AM  The moderator dismisses everyone to their respective Sunday school classes (do you know who got the idea of Sunday school classes? I don't). Toddlers stay in with their parents while those above 3 sit with both preschoolers and first-graders, the older ones in a separate group, the young teens in another group, etc., each group with its own teacher and set of study books suited to their age.
  10AM  Sunday school closes down, people return to their seats, men on one side and women on the other. A congregational song, announcements such as potlucks, church cleaning, wedding news, and so on followed by another congregational song.
  10:15AM  A minister begins the main sermon which can last an hour or more depending on the minister. Once he's finished there is usually a final short one brought by another minister or lay member. Everyone, except a parent with a fussy child, stays inside during the main sermon.
  11AM to 11:20AM  The last congregational song, then everyone stands up to pray after which they are dismissed. And then the stretching, bending, yawning and socializing begins; lunch or supper invitations are given out.
 So thats about it. Some Holdeman churches hold services both Sunday morning and evening, and all hold midweek services year round. Sunday dress code is rigid and varies slightly between congregations; however nearly all stick to the tradition of long-sleeved button-down shirts and dress pants for men, long-sleeved dresses, full black headcoverings and closed black shoes for women.

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