Mega Church is out
The Mega Church may be history in the near future. Well, those who are established will live on (for a while) but other maga models may be out.
Current trends show that the mega church is out of business. Yet, unreached people want transparency and genuine relationships that are not found in mega systems. This makes the mega church the odd guy out. Mega ministries are a trend that will be replaced with close personal relationships in a smaller setting. Young people (20 - 30 s0mething's) long for transparency and genunine relationships with Jesus. They are not impressed with institutional Americanized Christianity. They are not impressed with large. They are impressed with real and transparent.
If you do not believe me, ask them.
posted by Bob Carder @ 11:59 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I agree with you 100%, although those organizations will linger on as long as they can to give the appearance that they are "alive."
My wife and I are in the 30somethings bracket...barely, but we long a transparency and intimacy, not just with the Lord, but in personal relationships as fellow Followers on this journey. I will not criticize the megas for I have to hope that they are doing some good. However, the relational side of serving the Lord is obscure when there are 10,000 people in an arena for church. In fact, it is pretty tough to break in at our denominational church of 650. How I long for some Followers who truly care more about me as a person and not whether I was in the pew last Sunday. ((I was by the way...in the pew))
Could ytou elaborate on "why" or what basis you state that mega is "out"? Just curious to know the basis for the statement.
s.e.a.,
You spoke well to the issues at hand. I agree with you that we should not criticize the mega's because I also believe they are doing some good. God will use anyone and anywhere and anything He wishes to advance His cause. But there is a better way- Jesus always said there was.
You say you are just inside the 30's arena. Well the things you long for are just as great or even greater on the low side of 20's. Our young adults long for something the mega's aren't offering. They (you) long for intimacy, spontaneity, authenticity, most do not like performance driven worship, others do not respond to three point sermons-you prefer a two way dialogue (interaction) in the teaching. You want to ask questions or share your views. This is never allowed in medium to large churches. You want to admit that you don't have it together and you sure wish the leaders would admit it too. You are not a number to count you are somone who wants to make a difference.
I'm 48 and have served in senior pastor leadership for 23 years. I am reading everything I can to understand how to impact our culture by understanding you. I also believe the young adults in America will be used by God to save His Church in America. In fact the church in America is nothing more than the Americanized version of Christianity. If you want to really see the CHurch the way Jesus intended her to be -check out the New Testament. Your generation is having visions while the rest of us are dreaming dreams (about the past and about the way we want things.)Joel 2
Our 20 -30 something's want a cause to die for and something to sacrifice for and you will not do it for an organization to just take care of their mega way. They will not sit back and listen to teaching that is not clearly supported in Scripture. They do not believe Jesus turned water into wine that was not fermented or that Jesus did not drink real wine as an example. You want teaching that is supported clearly in Scripture. You may not even care about doctrines the church argues about. Brian McLarens calls this "A Generous Orthodoxy" where we face the fact that the things we argue about may not be true at all. We'll all have to get to heaven to find out for sure and when we get to heaven it will not matter then anyway. You are more concerned about Jesus and His call for unity and for all of us to be the church across denominational and racial lines.
As I read and study about the early church -I am trying to deprogram my life from Americanized Christianity. When I look through the lens of the New Testament the Church looks different and functions different.
In Mega Church and most American Churches they are fine with you sitting in a pew every Sunday. They love to have you serve - but in the church to help them help themselves. In the New Testament -you are the church, you are using your gifts, you are sharing with the world, you are impacting lives, you are sharing what you learn as you learn it, the Holy Spirit is teaching you and leading your every move.
You see I wasn't in church as I stated in my post and no one even noticed. I wasn't in church but I did have Church with my neighbor.
You should read "Organic Church" by Neil Cole (Leadership Network Publisher) if you really want to see what Jesus desires for the church to be in America. Organic is different than Mega and the two often war against each other.
I base my thoughts on what I see in our changing culture. I'm excited about the Church in America and what your generations and younger will shape in a New Testament way. So there may not be much hope for Americanized Christianity -but there is incredible hope for the Church in America because of you and subsequent generations. The Dream will eventually die but your vision will live on.
Now having said that, we need to free you and your wife so that you can make this happen. Email me!
you're right. I'm 24, and it's true.
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