MEGA CHURCH MANIA
I have been a church-goer for so many years that I can't remember a time that I did not go to church on a regular basis. There have been tiny churches, some built on a military model, ethnic churches, language churches, country churches, big city churches and really big churches. Some of the environments have felt like lectures and some like an inside view to a family. Others, like a seminar and still others like a concert featuring what was supposed to be my favorite rock band of teenagers.
After doing all of this, many questions have arisen. There's no way to address all of them here, but let me throw out one for my own processing and for your entertainment. Here it is. What's the right kind of church? The answer to that question is complex. My dear old mom-in-law would say, "the right kind of church is one where you hear a good message!" She is right on target. A good friend of mine that leads a big church would say,"the church is a training center for the people of God so we can have an impact". After seeing this guy do his thing for a few years, I can say that is just what he has developed.
As a good student of contemporary culture, I feel compelled to direct the reader of this post to "find your own answer". I can imagine my non-Christian friends nodding their heads in agreement. LOL!! Alas, that is not my answer nor what I believe to be the truth. If one is involved in church and finds value as a part of a worshipping community, then the purpose, values and reason for selecting a church need to come from the Bible. After all, God has his own ideas, true?
Rather than give my jaded answers, I will say this. The right church is not always the biggest nor the most popular church. There is a value in every church that tries to do it by the book regardless of the size. Isn't it curious when churches of various sizes and demographics replicate the models and practices of the "big boys" and attempt to be something they were never meant to be?
Here's a really controversial question. Why not be who you are with your own unique style? If a church does not have all the bells and whistles, does that make it a bad church? If a church has TV, lighting trusses and skinny jeans is it a good church? If the church has an older demographic and the music is square (my daughter's word), does that make it a bad church? Well here is my answer to these questions. Who knows ??!! Let me ask a better question. Is the church Biblical, relevant and having an impact on its target demographic? Is bad stuff stopping (sin) and good stuff increasing (righteousness)? These are the only questions to ask that have any depth and weight. Therefore, when looking for the "right" church, ask these two simple questions and then make a decision. Sadly, I am of the opinion that the answer to these questions is painful for most Christian fellowships. Painful - because an honest look may reveal that "my church doesn't look like that, but I love going there".
Anyway, what do I know. Just go where you have fun if you are searching or if you are already going to a church, fight for the right to copy the biggest fish in your city. Or…maybe not???
I have been a church-goer for so many years that I can't remember a time that I did not go to church on a regular basis. There have been tiny churches, some built on a military model, ethnic churches, language churches, country churches, big city churches and really big churches. Some of the environments have felt like lectures and some like an inside view to a family. Others, like a seminar and still others like a concert featuring what was supposed to be my favorite rock band of teenagers. After doing all of this, many questions have arisen. There's no way to address all of them here, but let me throw out one for my own processing and for your entertainment. Here it is. What's the right kind of church? The answer to that question is complex. My dear old mom-in-law would say, "the right kind of church is one where you hear a good message!" She is right on target. A good friend of mine that leads a big church would say,"the church is a training center for the people of God so we can have an impact". After seeing this guy do his thing for a few years, I can say that is just what he has developed.
As a good student of contemporary culture, I feel compelled to direct the reader of this post to "find your own answer". I can imagine my non-Christian friends nodding their heads in agreement. LOL!! Alas, that is not my answer nor what I believe to be the truth. If one is involved in church and finds value as a part of a worshipping community, then the purpose, values and reason for selecting a church need to come from the Bible. After all, God has his own ideas, true?
Rather than give my jaded answers, I will say this. The right church is not always the biggest nor the most popular church. There is a value in every church that tries to do it by the book regardless of the size. Isn't it curious when churches of various sizes and demographics replicate the models and practices of the "big boys" and attempt to be something they were never meant to be?
Here's a really controversial question. Why not be who you are with your own unique style? If a church does not have all the bells and whistles, does that make it a bad church? If a church has TV, lighting trusses and skinny jeans is it a good church? If the church has an older demographic and the music is square (my daughter's word), does that make it a bad church? Well here is my answer to these questions. Who knows ??!! Let me ask a better question. Is the church Biblical, relevant and having an impact on its target demographic? Is bad stuff stopping (sin) and good stuff increasing (righteousness)? These are the only questions to ask that have any depth and weight. Therefore, when looking for the "right" church, ask these two simple questions and then make a decision. Sadly, I am of the opinion that the answer to these questions is painful for most Christian fellowships. Painful - because an honest look may reveal that "my church doesn't look like that, but I love going there".
Anyway, what do I know. Just go where you have fun if you are searching or if you are already going to a church, fight for the right to copy the biggest fish in your city. Or…maybe not???
4 comments:
"Is the church Biblical, relevant and having an impact on its target demographic? Is bad stuff stopping and good stuff increasing?"
Apostolic churches barely qualified as "Biblical" and I doubt if they had a "target demographic" other than anyone who would listen (now there's an idea :-) ). The Corinthian church had sons sleeping with their father's wives, rich people gluttinously scarfing down the bread and wine and leaving the poor as hungry as when they arrived. It was a mess but it was real and it got dealt with.
Ironically, Malcolm Gladwell may have backed into some of the answer regarding limits on church size in his book, "The Tipping Point." My recollection of it is that more than 150 people in any group changes the dynamic. Evidently we humans just cannot intimately interact with more than 150 (geeze I hope that's the number... if it's not, just substitute the right one). Whatever the number, it's not 2000. But there were probably 2000 in the temple.
Your post raises some of my own questions. I'm getting ready to move back to NC to live with my mom and to get involved with the church I grew up in. It is a DYING church, of which there are far, far too many. The reason it's dying is because the older members, who control the giving, don't want to change to allow the younger members, who control the growth, to take over the main service. So they have two services. But how long can the traditional service, which has 50 attendees per week, continue? My viewpoint is that there should be room for everybody, regardless of their style of music or service. It's just like a family with one television: you need to take turns watching what you want to watch and learn to enjoy what the other family members want to watch, until it's your turn again.
Smaller towns and smaller churches have a tougher problem. It's not just a matter of "Go wherever you like." They're stuck. They have to change and be relevant to a greater mixture of tastes and styles than a larger church in a larger city has to do. But what it comes down to, in my opinion, is, "Do you like the people?" If you do, then you can learn to like the music, the service, etc. If I like you, I can learn to like your style of music. If you like me, you can learn to like my style of preaching. I think the biggest problem in the church today is that it is just difficult to find people you can relate to. Where are all the backpackers and cyclists? That's who I want to hang out with. You know?
Blessed John 12:21
Sir, we would see JESUS...
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