We were wrong! We believed young people would be turned off by the boomer generation mega church. We thought small churches and incarnational coffee shop gatherings would provide the soul conversations and authentic relationships they longed for.
However, a recent study by Warren Bird at Leadership Network and Scott Thumma at the Hartford Institute reveals that:
- 66% of mega church attenders are younger than 45 versus 33% for other protestant churches
- The average age for mega church attenders is 40 versus 53 for other protestant churches
- 18% of mega church attenders are under 24 versus 5% for other protestant churches
The startling fact is that mega churches appear to be magnets for the younger, well educated crowd while smaller protestant churches attract the boomer crowd and their parents.
But why? What about those soul conversations and authentic relationships?
We know a church prospers best when we are sacrificing for a common purpose together. And we also know that shared sacrifice nurtures spiritual growth. Young people are drawn to purposeful relationships and spiritual growth, and mega churches are leveraging their people, financial resources, voice in the community, and leadership skills to make those activities happen.
Any church can mobilize their people and create remarkable bonding and spiritual growth opportunities. However, it appears that mega churches are learning to leverage their resources better than most.
Does that surprise you like it does me?
Wow, Ed…that really does surprise me. And kind of makes me happy. In the Christian world — well, in all the world, actually — we feel “hip” and “good” when we’re on the leading edge of a trend, but kind of left behind and spent when we aren’t. We poor mega-church attenders have been feeling kind of stodgy lately. And yet ministry and life still happens in a mega church. I’m glad to see some empirical proof of it!
But I’m still up for any interesting, authentic soul conversations in a coffee shop with good coffee!
Mind if I reprint some of this on Coffee Shop Journal?
Marla,
It’s great to have you back. I’ve missed your thoughts and insights.
I was quite surprised by the data as well. The big lesson here is these large church pastors are avid learners. They listen and are diligent in learning how to speak the language of those they are attempting to reach. They are willing to be bold and take risks.
Of course Paul may be the best example in Acts 17 where he connected so powerfully with the Greeks by studying their culture and speaking from it.
What’s interesting, these effective mega churches are working hard to create those from the heart soul conversations as well as the high impact worship experience on Sundays. I think its a both/and thing. But what a challenge in a large church.
I respect how hard they are working at it and pray we can learn from each other how to unleash the power of the Word to free those captive in our families and communities.
Thanks for sharing in that quest,
Ed
Ed,
Asyou suggest, people are not drawn to mega churches because they are mega. Rather, they are mega because people are first drawn to them because of things that are happening there that were happening at the beginning. The “soul connections” taking place in small church incubators 10 years before their mega status, has probably been maintained as the numbers grew
You have it right. Successful mega churches have found ways to provide atmosphere and opportunity that nurtures “authentic relationship” in Christ. It is almost automatic in a house church environment. Preserving that atmosphere as you grow is harder. It has to be strategic, purposeful, and deliberate. And “mega church” leaders must be continually mindful of Who it was that brought them where they are…and how.
Ron,
You add some helpful perspective. Yes mega churches wouldn’t have become mega without providing real spiritual connection when they were small.
It is tough in a business or a church to maintain your core values, and in the case of churches the spiritual grounding and connections, as you grow. But if leaders have the grace and ability to do so their organizations grow and at times more than even they desired them to.
Great thoughts…thanks for stopping by Ron,
Ed