MEGA CHURCHES

Should we pursue the concept of mega churches aka Willow Creek, the second largest in the USA. If you read Willow Creek teaching, you can find out all the parameters you need to become a mega church.

Let’s face it, we should all want to produce a mega church because they are seen as the success stories of Christendom. It is all about numbers and the more you have the more successful you are because you must be reaching thousands for Christ.

Here is what Bill Hybels the mastermind behind Willow Creek has to say.

“The size of the crowd rather than the depth of the heart determined success. If the crowd was large then surely God was blessing the ministry. Churches were built by demographic studies, professional strategists, marketing research, meeting ‘felt needs’ and sermons consistent with these techniques. We were told that preaching was out, relevance was in. Doctrine didn’t matter nearly as much as innovation. If it wasn’t ‘cutting edge’ and consumer friendly it was doomed. The mention of sin, salvation and sanctification were taboo and replaced by Starbucks, strategy and sensitivity.”

Oh dear, all that strategy gone up in smoke as he is questioning the strategies used to build his church.

Perhaps that is the problem. It is ‘his’ church not ‘his church’ the one that belongs to Jesus, who said he would build it as opposed to asking us to build it.

Do it right and you will build your church as Bill Hybels found out. Personality plus charisma plus drive plus methods will produce success. Then again, do it right and you don’t have to build your church because Jesus will do that because it is his church.

Mega churches are of God but not the ones that we produce. Most of the New Testament Churches were mega churches because there was only one church in each town. Therefore if your town had 30,000 believers your church was a church of 30,000 because there was only one church in the town. Granted they met all over town in homes to fellowship, have meals together learn and pray.

The New Testament Church methodology was big is small and small is big and Jesus was in charge and would do the building. Using this methodology means that 90% of what we do can be ditched because most of it is what we want to do, not what the Holy Spirit is telling us to do. How can he when we don’t even invite him into our community.

After all we have a highly trained clergy who can work everything out and solve all our problems. Get the ritual right and you have no need for the leading of the Holy Spirit because we can do the same thing every week and know that it is going to work because it keeps everyone happy.

Well, those that attend the meeting. Sorry about the other 90% who don’t darken the door of a church because what they do, well, is boring, especially for men.

We can have mega churches in every town if we do it God’s way. Get rid of denominations, paid clergy, ornate buildings and meet in homes for fellowship, prayer, meals and learning.

That way, God can add to the church daily. What’s that you say? That doesn’t happen today. Of course it doesn’t. How can you expect it to if you ignore everything the scriptures say?