I’m both excited and apprehensive about visiting our area’s largest church, a megachurch.
Consider these four discussion questions about Church #51:
1. A sign at their drive tells first-time visitors to turn on their four-way flashers—because they want to give us VIP treatment. I don’t bother and follow the flow of cars, but it’s a nice touch.
What can you do to give visitors VIP treatment?
2. After the opening set, one of the co-pastors explains that it’s nametag Sunday, something new they’re trying to facilitate better connections with one another.
How can you help people connect with each other?
3. After the service I turn in our visitor card and they offer a tour of the facility. Our guide wraps up with a challenge to come back for three months to see how our faith grows. “You can’t evaluate a church on just one visit.”
How can you encourage others on their faith journey?
4. While making connection was a concern at Church #50, forming meaningful friendships would be even harder here at this megachurch. But they do offer opportunities to meet people and form deeper relationships on Sunday nights and throughout the week.
How can you help people connect at your church?
[See the prior set of questions, the next set, or start at the beginning.]
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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One reply on “The Megachurch, a Grand and Welcoming Experience”
Thank you Peter Dehaan for encouraging people to get to know Jesus and help Jesus build up a Church that welcomes people and encourages them to want to stay and be part of something ETERNAL that gives people hope that GOD is REAL and down here on the ground with them and gives people the faith and blessed assurance that all those who believe in Jesus have eternal life. So many people going to Church these days go looking for a perfect community where everyone is perfect. So thinking like MANKIND often does…people learning to be faithful want to build and be part of a MEGA CHURCH that is perfect. Many people in this Mega Church thinking that followers of Jesus must try their best to be perfect rather than faithful set up rules of conduct…such as people should not drink wine or hold pub nights on Church grounds incase some people get drunk and say offensive things and call people names like Hypocrite or Satan! And Oh…if the Sunday School Teacher or Minister committed adultery…the church council and or elders bowing to public pressure often insist they be defrocked and or insist they retire or resign. Granted these days, the Roman Catholic Church has admitted the occurrence of many sex scandals amongst their priests and nuns with little children and many people have been quick to hurl stones and demand the offending priests be disciplined and offer an official apology. This saddens me. I understand how hard it is to face up to a bitter truth and say …yes I lost my head. I was lost in a lonely time and place and I found a faithful person bright and beautiful who saw me as someone special…so I spent the night with this person of faith intimately and this brought Joy to me but it has brought great embarrassment and offence to our faith communities. I am sorry and I tried hard to cover this up and then…I realized that the Truth would set me free and in time my facing the TRUTH and saying to the Woman who anointed me so sensualy…Go and tell….would one day water the seed I planted in the Woman’s clean and pure heart and soul when I met her on the Jericho Road when she went out on a limb and again at the Well and become a MEGA ALMOND TREE … A Mega CHURCH– a LIGHT for the World where everyone knew why Black Pete and John all tarnished with soot stood in front of the Beautiful Gate at the Church’s ENTRANCE and how these three people loved and forgave one another with the grace and love of the Lady of Bethany…who realized that their coming together at such a time in history as the Gospel attests was the fulfillment of Prophecy.