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The Huffington Post recently posted an article about megachurches, stating that worship at a megachurch is an “intoxicating" experience.” I’m not sure I’ve ever used those words exactly, but hundreds or thousands of people in a room worshiping God all at once is something to experience, even if you only do it once or twice.
When I was in high school, I was a member of a church that had less than one hundred regular attendees and the whole building could probably fit inside the auditorium of your standard megachurch. We had a piano and a single worship leader at the front. There were hymnals in the pews, though we did upgrade to a projector to display the words to the hymns and choruses.
A few times a year, the youth group would go to events at the nearby Bible college. Worship times at these events took place in the campus chapel, which holds about a thousand people, the size of some megachurch auditoriums. Contemporary music and lights attracted the junior high and high school students, but one thing that was always special to me about those events was the number of people worshiping God together. It was an experience like none other, participating in worship with more than just the thirty or so members of our youth group or the hundred in church on Sunday morning.
When my husband and I moved to Texas in August of 2007, we initially attended a small Church of Christ down the road from our house, with an attendance of a hundred or so, but after a few months, we realized that it wasn’t a fit for us (unrelated to size). In January of 2008, we began attending a Baptist church on the other side of town. Everything we had heard about the church up to this point was positive, and, for the most part, they seemed to align with our beliefs even though they were Baptist.
The church was one of the biggest in town, holding three services every Sunday, with 2500-3000 coming into the building each Sunday.
After being members of this large Baptist church for about four and a half years, we felt the push to move on to something else. Last month, we started attending a Methodist church. Although I’m not certain of the number of members or attendees, I am confident that it would not be labeled as a megachurch.
We’ve been at the church three Sundays now, and with the people we already know and the people we’ve met since our first Sunday, I am convinced that, percentage-wise, we already know more people at the new church than we ever knew at the megachurch.
Is that good or bad?
My introverted personality loved the large service where I could walk in the building and be mostly left to my introverted ways. The next question, I’m sure, is how I could feel like I’m really connecting with the church when I’m an anonymous person sitting ten rows from the back wall, twenty rows in front of me, and five sections of seats instead of the usual two or three at a smaller church.
One thing that was often said at the megachurch I attended was, “The best things about this church don’t happen in this room.”
I think that is what makes a megachurch work: life groups, Sunday School classes, programming tailored toward specific groups, and lots of resources and places to serve.
Yes, it does take more effort to be plugged in and connected at a large church, but there are more outlets. If a person wants to find a place to serve and connect, whether at a small church or a megachurch, he or she needs to take steps to find that place. And if a person does not want to serve and connect, it is just as easy to walk into a small church for an hour and a half on Sunday and then leave without becoming a real part of the church as it is to disappear in the worship services at a large church.
On the other hand, it can be a much more satisfying experience if you spend an hour and a half worshiping with thirty or a hundred people who are friends, or at least you know most of their names, than worshiping with virtual strangers. Some of the best worship experiences are small groups of friends or family on a porch or around a campfire.
A regular question asked at our life group was, “Were you at first service?” Or second. Or third. The sheer number of people made it nearly impossible to know who you were worshiping with unless you were very intentional about seeking people out.
Maybe this is the reason that sometimes our Sunday evening life group felt more like church than Sunday morning worship.
Through all of my experiences with varying church sizes, I realize the positives and negatives of each. I think in the end, what is important is finding a place to worship God and get connected, whether it is among thousands or hundreds or tens.
I would love to hear some of your experiences with different-sized churches and why you choose one over the other. I do ask, though, that in your comments please be considerate of those of us who choose to worship at a different-sized church than you do.
It's really interesting hearing about your experiences in various sized churches.
ReplyDeleteI don't belong to a church, although I was raised in the Catholic church and sometimes attend Quaker meeting with my husband. Sometimes I don't like Quaker meeting because it's so small-- I would rather feel more invisible, like you mention.
I've never been to a mega church though, and I wonder if it would feel more like a concert/event than a religious space to me?
It definitely feels more like a concert or event the first time you go to one just because it's so large, and usually there is a big band and lights and so on. That being said, some of my most memorable worship experiences were at concerts. I saw SonicFlood as a senior in high school. It was a packed out concert, and it was worship-focused. Other concerts I've been to have been similar.
DeleteIt all comes down to what you're used to and what your preferences are. I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't have liked that particular concert, for the noise, the crowd, and the lights.
I've never been to a Quaker meeting. What is that like?
DeleteI've been a life-long religious explorer. The Baptist Church my grandmother took me to as a child is an entity that really doesn't exist any more.
ReplyDeleteTime spent near Chicago and in Hawaii gave me plenty of opportunities to explore all sorts of religious expression.
When asked what church I belong to, I still claim the First Christian Church/Disciples of Christ in Carbondale, IL. Why? Because of both the leadership of the Church at the National level and our particular congregation's interpretation of it on a local level. I haven't lived there in years, but I still feel communion with them each and every Sunday. So in a way, I guess I do attend regularly...even as my pew space sits empty.
It's so interesting to see how others worship. In my life, I've attended Baptist, Methodist, Catholic (only once), Salvation Army, nondenomination, interdenominational, Charismatic/Pentecostal, Church of Christ, and Christian Church (independent rather than Disciples). Even though they are worshiping the same God, they all do it in different ways. I haven't tried any nonchristian religions, except for one time I did get to attend a Sabbath service at a Jewish synagogue.
DeleteWhat was the Baptist church like that you went to with your grandmother? Was that in Illinois, or somewhere else?
DeleteInteresting. I've never been to a megachurch, myself. You and I sound a bit alike in that we've both hopped around a bit to different churches. I have the mindset that the details don't matter, it's more about the feeling you get from a church.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this with the TALU!
I definitely agree, for the most part, the details don't matter. I'll go to a church I don't agree with one hundred percent, but there are definitely a few important things that can't be overlooked. Size is certainly not one of those, and I'm not afraid to cross most denominational borders.
DeleteI've never been to a mega-church, mainly because they don't exist in my denomination in my area. but some of my friend swear by the experiences they have. You're right though-- whether larger or small, you have to reach out to get to know people at church anyway. my family attends church almost every Sunday, but our invovlement is limited to that, so we don't know many names.
ReplyDeleteTALU
You might try a megachurch sometime, just to see what it's like. It's a different experience! And visiting a different church once in a while can be really good for you!
DeleteIt can be difficult to get to know people at church, whether its big or small. It's much easier to stay surface level. That doesn't bother me too much so long as we do have some close Christian friends from other places.
Great post! I totally agree that there are pros and cons to both. I used to attend a church that seated about 750 and now attend a multi-site campus church that has about 6000, but our site only has about 100-200 per service. I enjoy seeing the same people every week, but there is still a second service that a lot of people I know from BS attend. Wish we were all together, but then that would be too crowded. I also like the anonymity of a mega-church, being an introvert. One of the benefits of the multi-site is that I get the programs that a mega-church has, but the intimacy of a small church. Unfortunately, nobody from my site is in the programs I attend. Ack! Oh well. I like where I am and I think God likes me there too. :-) TALU
ReplyDeleteMulti-site is something I've not tried before. I guess I've never had the opportunity to, having not lived in large cities. I can see how that would be a fantastic compromise, though! Someday, I'd like to be able to try it.
DeleteDoes your church broadcast the same sermon to each site, or is there a "live" preacher at each service?
Great perspective. I'm not sure which one appeals to me the most. I can see the pros to each one, though.
ReplyDeleteThankfully we don't have to choose! I'm glad that I've been able to experience both.
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