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I never did like a church that got much larger than say 400 families, 150 or so regular attendees. Gets hard to know your church members.
The YBPDLN Ping List is generally published infrequently, but based on the exploits of the megachurch pastors, posts can spike for a period of time. If you would like on or off of this list please FReepmail me.
What luster?
I honestly don't see this happening. What I see happening (and in fact is already happening) is mega-churches going into a multi-site model, i.e. turning into their own nondenominational denomination, wherein locations act as feeders into other locations.
As a Catholic, looking in, the problem with with many of these megachurches is that they are basically non-denominational and family run affairs-—like the Hagees, the Osteens, Joyce Meyers, the Schullers. They may have great preachers, great followings, and great buildings. But what they don’t have is an enduring INSTITUTION. Once the great pastor retires or passes, the great megachurch tends to follow suit. Case in point: The Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove. Now going to be converted into a Catholic Cathedral and the seat of the Catholic Orange County Diocese.
Are we allowed to talk about this, or is this supposed to “be behind the closed doors of a church,” where, I gather, nobody ever discusses anything?
The collapse started back in ‘99 and will continue in all religions.
A Church is a group of people, not a building.
Some people like megachurches, others like small churches. Simple as that.
The first church had 3,000 male members plus their families.
Mega-churches never held any luster for me. After becoming a Christian in 1994, I sought out small churches where the pastor would actually know who I am. Real Christian growth is best achieved in small groups.
They were always a little light on the theology, this is how they attracted so many
Why? I don't think they ever came any where near a majority
I’m thinking that the Church of Bong Hits For Jesus is going to become very popular in WA and CO.
The really successful “megachurch” is really an interlocking set of smaller groups within the larger overall structure. Those who try to emulate it without realizing this fail. Those who understand it make it work.
New, successful “megachurches” may spring up and many may fail. The successful ones will generally be structured as I mentioned above.
Church A has a hundred people year after year. Church B has 500, a thousand, ten thousand, growing by leaps and bounds.
Obviously, Church B is doing something wrong.
:)
I think that’s a fair assessment. They won’t disappear, but neither will they continue to grow-grow-grow...
Personally, as off-putting as this may seem to the typical (supposedly) “non-denominational” mega-church attender (do they even have members?), I think mega-churches correctly serve as a kind of cathedral-center. A place for strong schools and big-name speakers, and a feeder for smaller congregations around.
I too am familiar with the DC N.Va mega-church scene. A gigantic (5,000+) singles fellowship I attended at a mega-church 10 years ago has hardly any of my friends there then still there. They’ve almost all moved on to smaller “real” churches, as the pizzazz has faded...
A mega-church to a normal church is as a big city to a small town. One can only have meaningful community with smaller groups. And community in our time is something people are really starving for.
It’s far from over. Look at John Hagee. There are plenty of others.
I have been very fortunate to have visited many different churches/services in my life in all flavors, denominations, and sizes. I have sat in a room with less than 20 people listening to an anointed man called by God share the Word. And I have been in auditoriums with thousands of Believers listening to anointed speakers called by God share the Word.
I have also visited churches full of mysticism, psychology, worldliness, and all sorts of religious nonsense, that were less spiritually alive than your local bar. Those come in all sizes too.
If the Word is being preached under the anointing of God, size doesn’t matter. God can use 1 anointed man or woman and reach thousands. With technology, He can reach millions. And if you are really thirsty for Truth, even in the most dry place ever, God will find a way to get you filled. Its an exciting time for the Kingdom of God and HIS Church.
For what it’s worth, I definitely prefer being in a smaller parish than a larger one for the same reasons that most here cite. (For me, I consider a “larger parish” to be 3,000 families with 7-8 Masses each weekend and a smaller parish to be <=500 families with maybe 3 Masses each weekend)
With the exception of the occasional “Youth Mass for Life” type of special event or attending a Papal Mass, I cannot wrap my arms around the idea of Mass in a stadium every week...even if it is augmented by small groups. From my perspective, that seems like what these 10,000 - 15,000 person zeta-churches offers their congregants.
Not condemning it...but I just can’t quite comprehend it.
Some relatives have been attending a mega-church. From the descriptions I hear, one of the main motivations of the congregants seems to be the opportunities it affords to enhance their social/love life. For anyone looking for a partner, there are going to be find more potential candidates in a larger church. so why would they switch to a smaller church which might be more about religion than socializing?