After decades of soaring growth, the phenomenon of Protestant megachurches ”” behemoths of belief where 2,000 to 20,000 or more people attend weekend worship ”” may be stalled.
And Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., the granddaddy of “seeker-sensitive” megachurches geared to attract the spiritually curious, is on a mission to rev the engines.
Been known for some time that the megachurch approach was geared to reach Baby Boomers. Now is the test of staying power for these churches.
With the “Emerging Church” targeting a younger deomgraphic, we seem to be in a period when church alignments are generational… seniors clinging to mainline denominations, boomer to non-denominational programmatic churches, and the younger end of the alphabet (X, Y, Z or whatever we are calling them now) in smaller voluntary fellowships.
The challenge before the church is to “recatholocize” – not in term of external trappings, but to rediscover and implement the universal claims made in the creeds – this time across generational lines.
The one thing that is missing at the conclusion of 100 years of “a personal relationship with Jesus Christ” is that in their worship (for the most part – my observation) they seldom talk to God and they spend very little time listening to Him. They spend a great deal of time talking about Him and learning about Him but whatever happened to the relationship part? Perhaps they do in private but thier corporate worship is as weak as that of an Elks Club meeting.
Don
Seems to me like a lot of these megachurches’ worship services are like stage productions; huge choirs, orchestras, etc. Very little theological content with a lot of charismatic Bible-thumping personal cultism.
3. Cennydd:
“personal cultism”
That may be a bit extreem – perhaps not, but at least one should admit with all the glass pulpits and stage production that the result is a consistant focus on man.
Zounds, it only makes sense to hide behind a big dark pulpit and in great humility raise the cross of Jesus Christ – doing so in His name. It is Jesus Christ that eternally gives life to the dead and dieing.
Anything else is the display of hyperactive corpses.
Don
I attended for,a number of years, a mega-church and am well familiar with a number of their pastors. I believe the article was fair. Yet often we have stereotypical language and a “we” versus “them” mentality.They have had a vital part in the growth of Christ’s church. Frankly I have found among them a much deeper understanding of the Bible and a more in-depth knowledge of their theology. I have also seen a greater passion for evangelism and a driving desire for growing converts. We would do well to learn from them. How can we discount the “Purpose Driven Life” and a number of other life-changing books which have come from these pastors. Certainly they are imperfect in a number of respects, but so are Anglicans and Episcopalians. They have a lot to teach us in the things they have done right (which are many) and the things in which they have been deficient. Many of them have learned from their failures. I believe it is time for the orthodox and conservative evangelical churches of Jesus Christ to unite in support of each other despite our respective ecclesiastical and theological differences. These churches are our friends and “co-laborers” in the universal body of Christ.
As a thirty-something believer, I can reflect back ten to fifteen years ago when I was attending churches that sought to emulate the WC model. I very much enjoyed the music and the youthful atmosphere, but for some reason I found the environment tiring. One day a friend invited me to attend a Rite I service at a small Episcopal church in the Dio of Rio Grande. When the service began, I began to weep for the beauty of holiness, the sense of Sabbath-rest before God, the joy of praying prayers and singing hymns that were not geared towards my generation but rather prayed and sung by centuries of believers. I have not looked back since. It mystified one of our priests there that young people should be interested in such a service, but the church was at that time filling up with other young people hungry for the same things.
While I’ve had no experience with mega-churches, I’d note that most mainline denominational churches would be pleased to have had declines on the order of those mentioned in the article over the past 6 years…..
I think this comment thread highlights what I call institutional Episcopal elitism. I have attended many types of churches. I have seen both showy, over-produced, non-denominational services, and “bleached white bones” dead, repetitive liturgy, devoid of any feeling, in a number of Episcopal/liturgical churches. I feel most at home with the current African/evangelical expression of Anglicanism. Rooted in tradition and orthodox study of the Bible and church fathers, yet open to working of the Holy Spirit to deepen and broaden the believer’s life in Christ. Just like faith without works is dead, liturgy devoid of the Spirit is dead, and emotionally driven performance devoid of any tradition does not make it.
Welcome to America Cennydd, it’s all about consumerism. And I guess if credit-card commercials are to be believed, there’s nothing wrong with that. /sarcasm off
#6 – Amy Welborn had a piece in First Things back in 1998: “Why Go To Mass?” She wrote at some length about teenagers and young adults who were hungry for the same thing.
My own church has a “relevant” service that seems to attract young professionals and others who enjoy something other than Anglican service music. They hear good preaching, but not all of the lessons of the day are read. Some of them do make it down the hall to the “big church,” and some of them end up coming to the Rite I service regularly.
Amen to Daniel #8. I’ve seen the same.
I have seen death and hypocrisy in every type of service and every different denomination.
But I have also seen the Holy Spirit fill every type of service and every different denomination with His light and life and joy. It seems the Lord is not perturbed by the variety of ways we express our love for Him.
And of course He is never fooled by our pretensions,
His Peace,
Pat Kashtock
Take It For What It’s Worth
Ah, memories. I did so enjoy attending the Charismatic Renewal Mass at St. Paul of the Cross on Singer Island growing up. I wonder if they still have it on Sunday nights? Although, the music was not that great (“Songs of Praise” Word of God community).
And that is the one thing that keeps me from attending our local Charismatic Anglican Sunday services in town — poor music ministries! (and no, I am not speaking about ‘Veritas’ at St. Peter’s. I’ve been reassured that all my doubts are being addressed there. If y’all are ever in town — come!)
The best thing these mega churches, and other churches which become large, can do is to split. I think the biological term is mytosis (my apologies if it isn’t the correct term, but you get my drift), to replicate itself into a mission church. People get lost and stay lost in big churches, no accountability, including the pastor. Forgive the generalization.
yes, no. 6, i totally get you. for some time i searched for a church that offered rite I-i was a new episcopalian and did not know it even existed; the church where i was confirmed was definitely liberal and used the 79 prayer book; i never knew there was a choice. when i did finally find one i was almost in tears, it was so spiritually moving; unfortunately the only rite I churches are in big cities anymore.
At a church I used to attend, the 8:15 morning service (hmmm, 815? symbolic of something?) used rite I and the later services used rite II. And we were not a big city.
Here, I [i]think[/i] we use Rite I during Lent and Advent. That’s something I have to double check, however.
Peace
Jim E. <><
I was a member of a church of 4000 for a few years and I have visited a few other large churches. We are making a big mistake if we assume that all big churches have the same theology and character. Some churches are superficial but others are quite mature and participation in home groups is strongly encouraged.
Another church I was part of is aggressively planting churches all over the world. I know of one former Episcopalian who has planted hundreds of churches in South East Asia.
I too enjoy the liturgy but we are kidding ourselves if we think that the liturgy is what will save Anglicanism or even worse if we believe we have some superior understanding of the Gospel. The only reason we will survive as a denomination is if God has some specific mission for us and we are obedient in carrying it out.
#15 I’ve seen the Rite I in Lent and Advent in several places. What possible justification can there be for it? If anything, one should use the nasty Rite II language in the penitential seasons as a mortification. Seems like another odd modern invented tradition, the kind of thing that becomes “the way we have always done it” within about 7 years.
Well, Austin, it is the way I’ve always done it, and I was confirmed in 1976. After thirty-two years, it’s not a novelty.