Posted on 08/13/2014 8:42:46 PM PDT by Morgana
Lights. Camera. Religion.
Megachurches are more than just your regular pulpit and pew church. They’re larger, they’re packed, and they’re drawing in thousands of people.
Going to a megachurch is a rising trend in the United States. In 2011, a survey by Harvard Institute of Religion Research found that six million people — about 10 percent of churchgoers surveyed — attended churches with more than 2,000 attendees.
But more people are giving megachurches a chance. OnFaith’s Maryann Gogniat Eidemiller, who is Catholic, attended a megachurch to see what the draw was, and she was very pleased with her experience.
“I had never been in a church with a lobby, welcome desk, café, people at tables having snacks and soft drinks, and a staff of friendly team members smiling and opening doors,” Eidemiller wrote. “It felt like opening night at the movies. The dim sanctuary doesn’t even have an altar, but rather a stage with two large projection screens flanking the band. The rows of pews were the only thing that came close to suggesting ‘church.’”
So is that what big churches are really like? Here are 15 different megachurches from across the country that are too cool not to talk about.
Thanks to Sermon Central, a religious resources website, for providing many of the statistics.
(Excerpt) Read more at national.deseretnews.com ...
Pastor Dave Stone is the head pastor of Southeast Christian Church out of Louisville, Kentucky. More than 16,200 people pack in to see Stone talk. The church also has other congregations opening up in places like Indiana, Oldham and Southwest."
Would you believe, I've been there once. It's big!
Big church, big religion; no relationship with God is my experience. I’d rather be in a small church any day.
Big church, big religion; no relationship with God is my experience. I’d rather be in a small church any day.
I am with you on that. I used to go to a church that had thousands of attendees. I now go to one that has around 100 on Sunday morning. I enjoy it so much more.
If the pastor is giving a great message from the Bible, I'm there.
Don't be fooled by those who think that having a big church means God is blessing them. Remember, leaven makes things grow, the more leaven you put in the more growth you will get out.
Do your homework. . .some on the list may be wolves in sheep’s clothing . . . if they aren’t preaching the shed Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the remission of sin then they aren’t preaching God’s Gospel.
Christ’s Blood overcomes Satan and puts him to flight.
“And they overcame him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony...” (Revelation 12:11).
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19).
I’m with the others. Like ‘em small. I can find a small church that teaches the Gospel. Plus I like it when the pastor shakes your hand after church and knows your name. In these megachurches that does not happen.
I went to Willow Creek for 16-17 years.
Willow is huge into encouraging people to get into small groups and to grow. Small groups are to make a LARGE church, smaller.
You don't connect with 20,000 people. You connect with 3,4,8,12, whatever.
These are the people you go deeper with. The ones who hold you accountable.
Is everyone there a committed Christian? Not at all.
Willow uses "marketing" to draw people in. In the hopes of drawing "unchurched people" in. From there they hope to plant seeds in peoples lives. That they'll get involved somewhere, some how, with others, and grow deeper.
The truth is, Willow has a revolving door. The 20,000 who go there aren't necessarily the same 20k from 10 years ago.
Many people get their start at Willow, then desire a smaller church.
Me. I got distracted from the size and all the superfluous stuff. I didn't WANT to be impressed.
What plants a seed for one person, or waters, or harvest, doesn't necessarily do it for everyone or any one person.
There are LOTS of people at Willow, with deep relationships with Jesus, there. There are also LOTS of people who don't. Many because Christianity is new for them.
I now go to the church I grew up in. TOTALLY different than Willow. Though we are welcoming to people and have things going on for community exposure, we will never draw people like Willow does.
So, which church is right and which is wrong?
I think that could be the wrong question.
The right question is "is the Holy Spirit at work?"
Now here's the thing.
WE might not like this or that about a particular church. Maybe it's not our "style". Maybe we don't agree with A teaching.
BUT IF...the Holy Spirit is at work there, than we better be very careful with how we tread.
If you are preaching the word and doing it well people will and should come, so what do you do when they start coming? At what point do you close the doors and say “Sorry but we want a small church if you want to hear the word you will just have to go else where.”
If your church isn’t growing its dieing and a dieing church is of no use to God.
JUST BEACAUSE a church is huge, doesn't mean its bad.
Remember, the SAME GOD can bless one person and not the other.
Proverbs is full of verses explaining how to acquire wealth, or wisdom, or any number of things.
It's not the size, or wealth, or fame, OR lack thereof, that one measures godliness.
We need to be vigilant in not assuming godliness based on having XYZ OR NOT having XYZ.
Seem some of you if you lived in the day would have cam to the mount and turned away because there were so many people there, but then maybe you could have urged Jesus to have had his disciples turn away people when a certian number was reached.
I REALLY WISH that FreeRepublic would add a like button.
Looks to me to nothing a little duct tape can fix. :-)
LOL!
If I like something I just give it a BTTT!
Bump to the top — so that other people will see it.
About 10 years ago, they made a conscious decision to change their services and make them more appealing to the young. Out went the lay choir. Out went the traditional hymns and hymnals. Being in a city with a thriving live music scene, they developed a core of skilled Christian musicians and singers who began copying the songs heard on contemporary Christian radio.
Their worship center is like an auditorium with theatre seating in back, folding chairs in front and then a small sound stage. A top flight sound system was installed and some top recording acts have come to perform there.
There are two large projection screens to post the words to songs, scripture verses, study outlines, announcements and other slides. They have a big lobby with free donut holes, coffee, lemonade and water available which can (with my mild disapproval) be taken into the auditorium during the service. In the lobby are also areas a for visitor center, audio center (I have bought sermons on CD), a place for nursing mothers and families with small noisy kids to watch the service on closed circuit and not miss out.
The minister's sermon is often introduced with a short video clip of a popular film or tv show on the projection screens that makes a point about the topic about to be discussed.
The result: Families of many different faiths and races have tried the church and decided to stay. Scripture is preached almost every Sunday (I say almost because there are a few Sundays for updates on mission work, ministry spotlights, etc). Our pastor mixes topical series with series on books of the Bible.
But the core of the believer's growth comes in small mid-week Bible Study groups of 10-20 adults that meet in homes and who often share a common trait, age group or need. This is where friends and prayer partners are made; where the individual's prayer needs and spiritual needs are often met. Attenders are encouraged to attend these groups to get their spiritual bread and water.
Overall, we get 1500-2000 people combined during two Sunday morning services but it has never felt like other larger churches in the area.
Nobody is given a key to financial blessings. They are told about a key to salvation through accepting Christ's death on the cross as payment for their sins and encouraged them to learn more. Increasing attendance has never been the goal - rather it has been the outgrowth of faith combined with a desire to lead people to Christ even if they first came for the music or the free breakfast.
They've toned down the politics from years past (I even see some Obama bumper stickers in the parking lot) but the church's charge is to spread the gospel of salvation so that the lost will be willing to hear and then, once they've accepted Jesus, let the Holy Spirit convince them about changing some of their political views.
I have known many people who attend a local “megachurch”, but none of them seem to stay for more than a few years. Yes, there is plenty of things going on, and they have a coffee shop, and classes for this and that.
They seem to be missing something, though.
I’m just speaking from a personal preference not a theological one...: )
As Flip Wilson use to say, “ the church or what’s happenin’ now.”
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