Mega churches

[Casslanpepci]

Since I am forbidden to ask this question in a more appropriate forum (I was going to ask it in the non-denominational forum, since LDS are not a denomination as cited by the Mods) I'll have to ask it here.

My question is, do those who are active, practicing members of a Mega Church - one with several thousand members attending EACH Service, ever take the Lord's Supper/Communion? I guess it would take them a couple of hours or so to take Communion if they did, because of the numbers of people involved.

The ones I've seen on TV never do, nor is it ever mentioned by the Pastors.

 

[FallingWaters]

Sorry I don't know the answer to your question. It does seem like a logistics nightmare though, huh? Why do you ask?

Do Mormons take communion?

 

[Tavita]

From my understanding most mega churches break into cell groups during the week and it's maybe there that they share in communion. Most mega churches are protestant and don't believe that a priest is the only one with authority to carry out the communion. We believe that we all carry the authority of Christ to break bread and share the wine, so there is usually one who is appointed as the leader.

 

[ebia]

Since I am forbidden to ask this question in a more appropriate forum (I was going to ask it in the non-denominational forum, since LDS are not a denomination as cited by the Mods) I'll have to ask it here.

My question is, do those who are active, practicing members of a Mega Church - one with several thousand members attending EACH Service, ever take the Lord's Supper/Communion? I guess it would take them a couple of hours or so to take Communion if they did, because of the numbers of people involved.

The ones I've seen on TV never do, nor is it ever mentioned by the Pastors.

I don't know the answer to your question, but it doesn't have to take very long to administer Holy Communion with a large number of people if you have enough people distributing the sacrament - just look at the funeral mass for JPII.

 

[heron]

I go to a small megachurch, and it seems to take the same time as a 200-member church. Ushers take sections and spread out through the room. Sometimes the sacraments are already set up in the balcony, so no one has to trip up the stairs with liquids. The slowest part seems to be serving the worship team on the platform, as they have electrical cords and music stands to dodge around.

 

[Daninchrist]

Since I am forbidden to ask this question in a more appropriate forum (I was going to ask it in the non-denominational forum, since LDS are not a denomination as cited by the Mods) I'll have to ask it here.

My question is, do those who are active, practicing members of a Mega Church - one with several thousand members attending EACH Service, ever take the Lord's Supper/Communion? I guess it would take them a couple of hours or so to take Communion if they did, because of the numbers of people involved.

The ones I've seen on TV never do, nor is it ever mentioned by the Pastors.

Yes we do. I am a member of a mega church. We have about 5,500 members and we have a very efficient service when it comes to communion. We set up about 12 stations hosted by various deacons. Each row is directed to one of the stations and it goes pretty quick.

 

[Eryk]

We have about 3,800 members. The trays of bread and juice are prepared before each service, and they're distributed by ushers, just like the offering baskets.

 

[A New Dawn]

Since I am forbidden to ask this question in a more appropriate forum (I was going to ask it in the non-denominational forum, since LDS are not a denomination as cited by the Mods) I'll have to ask it here.

My question is, do those who are active, practicing members of a Mega Church - one with several thousand members attending EACH Service, ever take the Lord's Supper/Communion? I guess it would take them a couple of hours or so to take Communion if they did, because of the numbers of people involved.

The ones I've seen on TV never do, nor is it ever mentioned by the Pastors.

I go to a Mega Church, though, probably not as mega a mega church as those on TV.

At our church, they serve communion, generally, once a month, and it only takes about 15 minutes, tops, to serve it, unless they ask the members to come forward to receive it, then it takes a bit longer.

I do have to state, though, that our church is split into 2 or 3 services, so everyone does not attend at once. There is generally about 500-600 people in each service.

We do have cell groups, but we do not have communion during the cell group time, just during the main Sunday service.

 

[Casslanpepci]

FallingWaters,

Yes Mormons do have Communion, though we call it The Sacrament.

 

[BroGinder]

I attend a Mega Church as well. We are Mega in Love with Jesus. ;-)

 

[heron]

It's a great question, though. I've wondered similar things when I watch the television shows -- like, how many babies are in the nursery, and do they have accoustical tile dividing them!

In principle, I'd prefer a smaller church, but we found a good one for what we needed at the time.

 

[JTLauder]

I've visited a couple of large churches and as others have posted, communion was handled by a lot of users and trays with little cups of "wine" and plates of the "bread" were passed down the aisle. Actually, that's how it's done in smaller churches too, except large churches just uses a lot more users to help out.

 

[Tcelt12]

I attend a Mega Church as well. We are Mega in Love with Jesus. ;-)[/quote

Good one,Bro.

 

[Assisi]

Last year I went to a Mass with just over a million people. Something like 1.2 mil. We had communion, we always do at Mass. They had 10,000 priests to minister communion to everyone. It took a while because it took about 20 mins just to walk to the back from the altar.

It's awesome to worship the Lord with so many people. It was such an uplifting experience!

 

[EmbracingHim]

I have attended a mega church, but was unaware it was called this...until last year sometime.

As another member stated...they have volunteer members who pass the wine and unleavened bread row to row. It doesn't take that long.

God Bless.

 

[Exegete12]

Logistically they are quite adept at it. But I find communion in mega churches (although so very corporate with the Body of Christ being one), so impersonal, and if you don't know anyone, you do feel quite isolated. I don't enjoy mega churches for the whole institutionalised way they do things, and often their 'head in the sand' approach to our persecuted brethren.

 

[Exegete12]

As this thread is titled mega churches. Can someone please give me the pros and cons for attending such churches.

I have in the past, until my pastor got caught in adultery. Nothing against him, but so many others slid in adultery during that period, and he had the gall to baptise me when he was committing his sins, no wonder my Christian marriage failed – not much chance there, when a pastor committing adultery is laying HIS hands on your head.

I think they make superstars out of their pastors. And when you sing and worship the Lord, you are forever having to look at men and women in front of you (the ones leading the worship). To me they should be behind the congregation. The number of times I've had some of the young men give me the eye, it makes it difficult to worship. The mega churches have now become institutionalised and are dictated by a programme.

I only enjoy their home church groups.