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Big, big churches

Christ_empowered

Christ_empowered

Member
What's your opinion? Seems like the mega-church thing has dwindled. It just caught on here, and we have a semi-controversial preacher at a large church. I don't know what to make of it. Doesn't work for me. I'm neurotic and prefer small churches, where I can get to know people.

Beyond personal preference, is there anything Scripturally that would lend support to the big, big churches, or perhaps instead indicate that smaller is (within reason) better? Lots of people love their big churches, and I think they benefit from them. If it wasn't for big, big churches, I probably wouldn't know about John Piper (and he really is one of my favorite teachers/preachers). Then again...if it wasn't for big, big churches, we wouldn't have so many big, big scandals and potential scandals/shady dealings.

Thoughts?
 
Personal opinion, I love a smaller chruch. In our church we usually run about 70, we have a little over 100 on the books. But in this little town I live in we would be considered a mega church, since we are one of the larger churches in town. I like to be able to recognize everyone that walks in the door.
 
I fear that the bigger the church, the less meaningful the preaching. Preachers often pander to the lowest common denominator, which gets lower the larger the church. The pastor of the largest church in America would probably have trouble naming the Four Gospels.
 
Hammer said:
I fear that the bigger the church, the less meaningful the preaching. Preachers often pander to the lowest common denominator, which gets lower the larger the church. The pastor of the largest church in America would probably have trouble naming the Four Gospels.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree. I do not attend this church. I like a smaller church. But Woodstock First Baptist is a mega church. Johnny Hunt is a great preacher.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
 
JimJib said:
A large church of let's say 1,000 members can have MUCH more of an impact for the Lord than 10 churches of 100, just economically speaking.
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:biglolThis is how I was going to respond.

I think all church sizes have their place. I have been a part of both. The larger one that I was a part of did a pretty good job of still creating lots of smaller communities.
 
Christ_empowered said:
What's your opinion? Seems like the mega-church thing has dwindled. It just caught on here, and we have a semi-controversial preacher at a large church. I don't know what to make of it. Doesn't work for me. I'm neurotic and prefer small churches, where I can get to know people.

Beyond personal preference, is there anything Scripturally that would lend support to the big, big churches, or perhaps instead indicate that smaller is (within reason) better? Lots of people love their big churches, and I think they benefit from them. If it wasn't for big, big churches, I probably wouldn't know about John Piper (and he really is one of my favorite teachers/preachers). Then again...if it wasn't for big, big churches, we wouldn't have so many big, big scandals and potential scandals/shady dealings.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I have been to many "big, big churches" but now attend at a very small church that follows the bible. The bigger churches usually want to entertain and make it more of a show than worship.
 
The right size for any church should be about 500+ members. Should a church reach the 1000+ member level it should split along geographic lines and plant a new church. Too bad many denominations tend to be short on good pastors.
 
JimJib said:
Sorry Corey. One of my pet peeves as one can tell by several of my posts is the dividion of the church. This is one aspect I think that many miss or just don't care about due to other priorities. But today in the economy we find ourselves with and the ever increasing cost of things we are losing the luxary of not having to be concerned about it, if we were ever entitled so to do. satan's strategy of divide and conquer works not only spiritually but also economically as the church loses more ground/exposure to the youth of the world to the entertainment and recreation industry.

My wife and I were actively involved members a smaller church for 7years. We had really come to be like family. Unfortuately, we experienced the fact that just because it is a small church DOES NOT mean that it won't have "big church" problems. When a church is smaller politics can be much more covert, inpactful and unstoppable.
Click to expand...

That is just a symptom of poor leadership within the church. Either having to with the elders, or the pastor, of the church. Poor leadership suddenly begets a congregation that is leaderless.
 
JimJib said:
Sorry Corey. One of my pet peeves as one can tell by several of my posts is the dividion of the church. This is one aspect I think that many miss or just don't care about due to other priorities. But today in the economy we find ourselves with and the ever increasing cost of things we are losing the luxary of not having to be concerned about it, if we were ever entitled so to do. satan's strategy of divide and conquer works not only spiritually but also economically as the church loses more ground/exposure to the youth of the world to the entertainment and recreation industry.

My wife and I were actively involved members a smaller church for 7years. We had really come to be like family. Unfortuately, we experienced the fact that just because it is a small church DOES NOT mean that it won't have "big church" problems. When a church is smaller politics can be much more covert, inpactful and unstoppable.
Click to expand...

My husband and I are actively involved in a "small church" and if you have the correct leadership and communication you don't run into "big church problems"....Joel Olsteen, Dr.Stanley Charles, etc...
 
Greetings in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ:

First I want to say that there are many great mega Church's out there and I believe God is using them for His Kingdom; however this post is only about one of them right here in my city!

I was watching an interview with a mega Church pastor not to long ago here from Houston, TX and one of the first questions that was asked of him from the interviewer was this -

Q. Why doesn't your Church have any crosses in it?

A. His answer was this "A cross is only a symbol, and it can drive people away from the Church"

My thoughts: Is this not the foundation of our faith "The Cross" by his response I could only think one thing.. (Money)

2nd Question that was asked:

Q. Why do you not teach about Salvation and condemnation

His answer

A. "Many pastors are gifted with this ability to teach out of the Bible, I just don't have that gift in this area so I do not teach on these subjects". He went on to say that his message was of hope, blessings and prosperity.

My thoughts: Salvation is the whole reason we come to Christ because we are dead in our sins and the penalty of denying the gift of salvation is condemnation. If a pastor is not gifted in preaching from the Bible (Word of God) then why is he preaching from the pulpit at all?

Lastly, this pastor never took any Bible seminary courses, nor did he ever acquire any of the following Pastoral Degrees:

Associate of Arts (A.A.)
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
Master of Theology (Th.M.)
Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Doctor of Theology (Th.D.)

And in fact his Church was handed to him at the death of his father.

I see a lot of Mega Church's with this same ammo today. The prosperity gospel and how it is feeding a carnal world but those that attend these Church's that are hungry for the Word of God are left in hunger. One day these pastors will have to stand before God and give account to all those sheep that were not being feed.


LJ
 
LJKP said:
Greetings in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ:

First I want to say that there are many great mega Church's out there and I believe God is using them for His Kingdom; however this post is only about one of them right here in my city!

I was watching an interview with a mega Church pastor not to long ago here from Houston, TX and one of the first questions that was asked of him from the interviewer was this -

Q. Why doesn't your Church have any crosses in it?

A. His answer was this "A cross is only a symbol, and it can drive people away from the Church"

My thoughts: Is this not the foundation of our faith "The Cross" by his response I could only think one thing.. (Money)

2nd Question that was asked:

Q. Why do you not teach about Salvation and condemnation

His answer

A. "Many pastors are gifted with this ability to teach out of the Bible, I just don't have that gift in this area so I do not teach on these subjects". He went on to say that his message was of hope, blessings and prosperity.

My thoughts: Salvation is the whole reason we come to Christ because we are dead in our sins and the penalty of denying the gift of salvation is condemnation. If a pastor is not gifted in preaching from the Bible (Word of God) then why is he preaching from the pulpit at all?

Lastly, this pastor never took any Bible seminary courses, nor did he ever acquire any of the following Pastoral Degrees:

Associate of Arts (A.A.)
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
Master of Theology (Th.M.)
Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Doctor of Theology (Th.D.)

And in fact his Church was handed to him at the death of his father.

I see a lot of Mega Church's with this same ammo today. The prosperity gospel and how it is feeding a carnal world but those that attend these Church's that are hungry for the Word of God are left in hunger. One day these pastors will have to stand before God and give account to all those sheep that were not being feed.


LJ
Click to expand...
that would happen to joel osteen, mike the admin favorite pastor and in fact it was his avatar for some time here.:biglolbut that was due to some annoying, sarcastic mod that was here at one time. i wonder who that is?:chin
 
jasoncran said:
that would happen to joel osteen, mike the admin favorite pastor and in fact it was his avatar for some time here.:biglolbut that was due to some annoying, sarcastic mod that was here at one time. i wonder who that is?:chin
Click to expand...

Not sure I'm following your response??
 
joel osteen is in texas and he got his church from his father after he died

as a mod i played a joke on mike then too as a mod and he hates osteen's message of prosperity gospel.
 
jasoncran said:
joel osteen is in texas and he got his church from his father after he died

as a mod i played a joke on mike then too as a mod and he hates osteen's message of prosperity gospel.
Click to expand...

I really didn't want to use the pastors name, because their are many followers who may agree with this and I'm not one who is a quarreler.

You use to be a Mod here?
 
yes up to i think up to four months ago.
why hide the truth? if some one is off and anethemia then they are and we need to warn about them.
 
jasoncran said:
yes up to i think up to four months ago.
why hide the truth? if some one is off and anethemia then they are and we need to warn about them.
Click to expand...

Jason-

I leave that up to other people

I've learned to read ALL threads and pick wisely those that I want to comment on; there will always be someone willing to pick out little details and debate over the issues. So I leave it to them -
 
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