Mega-Churches

[Ave Maria]

I think Mega-Churches are the best! We don't have any Mega-Churches (as in 1,000+ attendees) but I would definitely go to one if we did have one. Having all those various ministries and such would just be so amazing. I've always liked bigger churches more than the super small churches with 50 or less members.

As for the hologram pastor thingy, if that was true it'd be awesome in my opinion. Someone said they don't want to be taught by a machine. Well, from what I understand you're being taught by an 3D image of a real person who is teaching live somewhere else. You could really reach a lot more people through things like that.

 

[Crazy Liz]

I think Mega-Churches are the best! We don't have any Mega-Churches (as in 1,000+ attendees) but I would definitely go to one if we did have one. Having all those various ministries and such would just be so amazing. I've always liked bigger churches more than the super small churches with 50 or less members.

Most of my experience has been with churches of 100-250 members. I think this is a good size. A mega-church (and where I live now, 1,000 members is considered medium-sized) suffers from a lack of any real sense of community - of knowing and being known by others. Programs simply can't replace community, IMHO.

As for the hologram pastor thingy, if that was true it'd be awesome in my opinion. Someone said they don't want to be taught by a machine. Well, from what I understand you're being taught by an 3D image of a real person who is teaching live somewhere else. You could really reach a lot more people through things like that.

It depends on what you mean by "reach." If this means reaching more people, why not just have TV preachers? Why do we even need churches at all.

I think to really reach people, the pastor must know the congregation. Since the pastor couldn't know a congregation of that size, much less a remote "sister church," I don't see much difference between the hologram and being taught by a machine, or a book or tape.

 

[Ave Maria]

Most of my experience has been with churches of 100-250 members. I think this is a good size. A mega-church (and where I live now, 1,000 members is considered medium-sized) suffers from a lack of any real sense of community - of knowing and being known by others. Programs simply can't replace community, IMHO.


It depends on what you mean by "reach." If this means reaching more people, why not just have TV preachers? Why do we even need churches at all.

I think to really reach people, the pastor must know the congregation. Since the pastor couldn't know a congregation of that size, much less a remote "sister church," I don't see much difference between the hologram and being taught by a machine, or a book or tape.

Eh well, different people with different preferences.

 

[Monica02]

We have about nine thousand people in our parish and about three thousand actually show up on a regular basis. Our sister parish in Peru has 80,000 people - I am not kidding. How is that for a mega-church? I am in a very well populated area and am used to large congregations so I guess large parishes do not bother me. If you attend a church of only 60 people, you have a smaller pool of people to associate with. What if you do not like those 60 people? With several thousand you are almost gauranteed to find people you get along with. Think about it.

 

[ZiSunka]

There's a catholic church in Wichita that has about that many people, too. And practically across the street is Central Christian that has about 6000. I guess Wichita is the city of megachurches!

 

[Monica02]

How do really small churches (ie- under 200 attendees) stay afloat financially? Parishes with that low of attendance in our Archdiocese are at risk for closure. The collection would barely pay the utilities, let alone salaries for church employees.

 

[Crazy Liz]

How do really small churches (ie- under 200 attendees) stay afloat financially? Parishes with that low of attendance in our Archdiocese are at risk for closure. The collection would barely pay the utilities, let alone salaries for church employees.

They may not have so much property or so many employees. Their members may actually tithe.

In the denomination I grew up in, smaller and poorer congregations usually had a bi-vocational pastor and no other employees, at least not full-time. The denomination, through the giving of other congregations, might help them out in ways such as providing scholarships for their pastors' education. In that denomination, there probably were only 5 or 6 congregations in the whole US larger than 250. 20 or 30 years later, there are more. But still, most congregations of 100 (40 or 50 middle-class families) could support a full-time pastor and maintain a building. Congregations of 200 usually could support a full-time pastor and a part-time associate. In fact, many smaller congregations could do that. Over 200, and they could usually support two full-time pastors, an office assistant (at least half time), a custodian, and still maintain the building and support several missionaries.

these churches don't have many members who come to church only 2-3 times a year, and are rather nominal. I must admit it takes a higher level of commitment - financial and otherwise - to be part of this kind of church.

 

[ZiSunka]

How do really small churches (ie- under 200 attendees) stay afloat financially? Parishes with that low of attendance in our Archdiocese are at risk for closure. The collection would barely pay the utilities, let alone salaries for church employees.

We just open our wallets a little wider and give a little more. I think just about every family in my church tithes, so with 20 families, we can pay the pastor, keep up with the bills and give to other needy causes, too. There never seems a big shortage. Even when our bus broke down on a mission trip, someone gave us a brand new beautiful one better than we had before. God takes care of little churches just like he takes care of big ones!

 

[rural_preacher]

How do really small churches (ie- under 200 attendees) stay afloat financially? Parishes with that low of attendance in our Archdiocese are at risk for closure. The collection would barely pay the utilities, let alone salaries for church employees.

Our Sunday morning attendance is around 60. Our Sunday morning offering is usually between $1,000 and $2,000 (that doesn't include other giving). We are a debt-free church with a beautiful building and parsonage where I live with my family. I am paid full time.

God has truly blessed us here. These people know that all they have is from God and they give back to Him generously for His glory and the furthering of the Gospel Ministry.

 

[Monica02]

Thanks for all of the replies. I think I have a clearer understanding now. Smaller buildings, less office staff, and generous giving. Does your church have a school to support?

 

[SumTinWong]

I cannot imagine how long it must take to serve three thousand people communion ona sunday. They might have to get drive through service started. jeepers.

 

[ZiSunka]

Thanks for all of the replies. I think I have a clearer understanding now. Smaller buildings, less office staff, and generous giving. Does your church have a school to support?

My current one doesn't but my last one did. Had about 20 children in it and the church charged tuition and we took up a special offering once a year for it. Around here, all the churches got together and started a Christian school district where everyone pays to support the numerous schools who are members. It works really well because there are more people and more resources to share the burden of the schools.

 

[Monica02]

I cannot imagine how long it must take to serve three thousand people communion ona sunday. They might have to get drive through service started. jeepers.

Six Masses, nine eucharistic ministers and one priest at each Mass. It all goes quite smoothly. If you get a chance, watch a Mass with tens or hundreds of thousands of people in attendance (normally some special occasion at the Vatican) on EWTN TV network. See all of the eucharistic ministers.

 

[Monica02]

My current one doesn't but my last one did. Had about 20 children in it and the church charged tuition and we took up a special offering once a year for it. Around here, all the churches got together and started a Christian school district where everyone pays to support the numerous schools who are members. It works really well because there are more people and more resources to share the burden of the schools.

Most parishes here have their own school, but the very poor ones with low attendance are having to consolidate and have two or three parishes share a school.

 

[rural_preacher]

Does your church have a school to support?

No.

We home school our children and so do several others in our church. The rest go to the public school.

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[SumTinWong]

Six Masses, nine Euacharistic Ministers and one Priest at each Mass. It all goes quite smoothly. If you get a chance, watch a Mass with tens or hundreds of thousands of people in attendance (normally some special occasion at the Vatican) on EWTN TV network. See all of the Eucharistic ministers.

Man nine ministers? Well I guess that increases the chance of finding one you like We don't have EWTN here Just TBN (Taking Bread from Nearly everybody)

 

[rural_preacher]

Just TBN (Taking Bread from Nearly everybody)

LOL! Seriously, I almost fell out of my chair! I've never heard it called that before.


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[SumTinWong]

Fits though don't it?

 

[DiscipleOfIAm]

I mostly stand against the "mega-church" issue. There are some pluses and minuses. I've mostly found minuses.

I have attended both a mega church and a small hometown type church. I think the mega church idea was being spread recently by Willow Creek. I can't recall the pastor's name there, but eventually he got into cahoots with Rick Warren, author of "Purpose Driven Life" and a lot of other spin-offs. When I was having trouble deciding if a church like this was for me or not, I did a google search and found all types of articles against these two guys and their style.

Another message board I frequented posted a lot of links to articles about this type of thing and these two guys. They seem to gear church services towards the "unchurched Harry and Mary". One author wrote about attending Warren's church, Saddlebrook or something like that, and how they didn't even have a cross. Looking at the building from the outside, one would not even know it was a church. It looked like a college auditorium. Supposedly, the idea is to make people feel comfortable and have a non-invasive envrionment. So, taking Jesus out of church just to get people to attend is really saving souls? NOPE! The author wrote about how he felt like he was at a concert or theater or something because it all seemed geared towards entertaining people. If the people were entertained and didn't feel threatened or convicted, they would come back. The Sunday messages were all about how God can make you feel good about yourself and make your life better, etc. All things to make the person feel good about themselves.

Anyway, the "mega-church" I attended for about a 3 month span, was a member of Willow Creek and had a congregation of about 3500. Yeah, they had a lot of activities, but do we go to church to be entertained with activities? I don't. I've mentioned this before on other posts, but there's a movie called "Time Changer" about a bible professor in the 1890's that goes into the future to 2002 to learn what happens when we remove Jesus from society. He visits a local church that appears to be a mega church and he can't get over how the church is so geared towards entertaining and how they have all these activities, but when he goes to the visitation night, where the church visits new members or those interested in learning about Christ or the church, nobody is there. They have huge turn outs for movie night and bowling night, but not soul winning night. Anyway, good flick. Changed my view about what the church is supposed to mean to me.

I've rambled long enough. Basically, I'm against them for the most part. How can you save souls if you don't even know the names of the people in your church and you're too busy entertaining the congregation? Take Jesus out of church to make people foeel comfortable and non-invasive? Gimme a break! Of course, early churches int he Apostle days had congregations in the thousands, too.

God Bless

 

[Ave Maria]

I cannot imagine how long it must take to serve three thousand people communion ona sunday. They might have to get drive through service started. jeepers.

Yeah, I imagine that could be a challenge. They likely do it in a similar way that a nearby Fundamentalist Baptist church in my area does it. That church has less than 150 people who attend and there is three rows of pews in the church. They have three people who take the communion components and pass them through the aisle. You take communion as soon as you receive the components. You don't have to wait for everyone. I imagine that megachurches probably employ a large number of people to deliver the components to everyone and do it that way or some way that is similar.