Lessons from Megachurches

I received an email from a parishioner asking me about The Progressive Christian magazine.  I had received some announcements about it in several mailings, so I thought I’d check out some of the articles.  One in particular caught my attention.

Usually, one doesn’t think of progressive Christians being the biggest supporters of megachurches, so I was surprised to see an article by Dr. Scott Thumma, Learning from the Megachurches: An Emphasis on Vitality, Not Size.  He shares a lot of good thoughts.  You’ll want to read the whole article, but here are the bullet points he makes:

• Don’t strive for size; strive to serve God.
• Know your audience and speak their language.
• Make it appealing and welcoming, then make it serious and challenging.
• Church is more than just a “Sunday thing.”
• Create participants rather than members.
• Get new attendees involved.
• Connect the congregation.
• Growth in the faith isn’t just for new Christians; it’s for the saints too.
• Empower people to identify and live out their calling.
• Whatever you do – do it with quality.

I think these are all worthy of a few moments of reflection wherever it is that you serve.  Rural, urban, suburban, and small towns could all learn something from these points.