Podcast Episode #185

We discuss some new research from Leadership Network on the state of megachurches in North America. This research summary, Recent Shifts in America’s Largest Protestant Churches: Megachurches 2015 Report, is available to download at the Leadership Network website.

Some highlights from today's episode include:

* Just like churches of any size, there are good megachurches and there are bad megachurches.

* I do not recommend a church counts online service viewers in its worship attendance total.

* If a church is not emphasizing small groups, it is a weak church.

* The healthiest churches (regardless of size) have pastors who are being mentored or coached.

* Sanctuary sizes are getting smaller as churches have more services instead of building larger buildings.

* A church will likely see a higher growth rate with multisite than with one site.

The 12 findings about American megachurches we cover today are:

* 79% of megachurches say yes, 41% of comparison churches say yes to the question: Do you strongly agree that your congregation has a clear mission and purpose?

* 62% of megachurches are multisite, up from 46% five years previously.

* The average number of locations for multisite megachurches is 3.5 up from 2.5 five years previously.

* Megachurches average five services per weekend.

* 45% of megachurches have worship services that considerably vary in style between services.

* 81% of megachurches say that global missions are a major emphasis or specialty of the church.

* 30% of megachurches host an online campus.

* 79% of megachurches say small groups are central to their strategy of Christian nurture and spiritual formation.

* 74% of megachurches have an internship or mentoring program.

* 57% of megachurches serve communion always or often as a part of worship, up from 51% five years ago.

* The median seating capacity of a megachurch main sanctuary is 1,200, down from 1,500 five years ago.

* Growth rate over the past five years of younger megachurches (91%) is much higher than that of older megachurches (39%).

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Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com.

Resources

* MegaChurch Research from Leadership Network

* ChurchAnswers.com