Megachurches will one day resemble abandoned retail stories “on the edge of town” because they are so expensive to maintain, and a younger generation wants a more intimate worship experience
i think a lot of the criticism comes from a basic misunderstanding of how most megachurches actually work. christians coming from a smaller traditional church expect more serious sermons on sunday. they are used to learning in adult sunday school and sunday evening sermons.
a lot of big churches do things differently than that. they have repeating sunday morning services that are more of an introduction to the church than anything else. and maybe there is no sunday school or sunday evening service. the real learning and discipleship happens in the small groups in evenings throughout the week.
if someone from an ifb church only shows up sunday morning, and expects a megachurch sunday morning to fit the same paradigm they’re used to, they’ll think they just stepped into a church for new believers and unbelievers.
a lot of big churches do things differently than that. they have repeating sunday morning services that are more of an introduction to the church than anything else. and maybe there is no sunday school or sunday evening service. the real learning and discipleship happens in the small groups in evenings throughout the week.
if someone from an ifb church only shows up sunday morning, and expects a megachurch sunday morning to fit the same paradigm they’re used to, they’ll think they just stepped into a church for new believers and unbelievers.
I don’t think this should really come as a surprise to anyone. Is it?
If the majority of these churches are built on people who seeking a “new experience” that resembles entertainment and not scripturally-based Bible teaching, then they probably will go by the wayside.
Why shouldn’t they? Haven’t you noticed all the empty Moose and Elk’s lodges? People want to spend their time doing other things than just being in some sort of social club.
These people’s children will be “off looking” for the new experience—just like their parents they will reject what is traditional to them. For them “traditional” will be what they had growing up. So, “off to the new”—whatever that will be.
If the majority of these churches are built on people who seeking a “new experience” that resembles entertainment and not scripturally-based Bible teaching, then they probably will go by the wayside.
Why shouldn’t they? Haven’t you noticed all the empty Moose and Elk’s lodges? People want to spend their time doing other things than just being in some sort of social club.
These people’s children will be “off looking” for the new experience—just like their parents they will reject what is traditional to them. For them “traditional” will be what they had growing up. So, “off to the new”—whatever that will be.
I’m not writing off the mega church because some want (need?) a less personal experience (a more impersonal experience).
At a particular time of my own spiritual walk where I felt very much hurt by people, my wife and I attended a large church where we did not know anybody and nobody knew us.
At a particular time of my own spiritual walk where I felt very much hurt by people, my wife and I attended a large church where we did not know anybody and nobody knew us.
I know of quite a few who have attended a large church just to recover for a while.
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