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Megachurches leak
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The Leadership Network / Hartford Institute study provides some statistics that seem paradoxical at first glance:
- Nearly 55% of megachurch attendees strongly agree they have a sense of belonging and have built many strong friendships in the megachurch.
- 87% of respondents have invited someone to come to church with them; and 82% of attendees said they came to the megachurch through the invitation of a friend or family member.
Members having close friendships in the congregation, feeling a strong sense of belonging, and inviting others to church with them are typically considered signs of a healthy church (see the book Growing and Engaged Church for more on this). It would seem then that megachurches are happy thriving places; but the statistics also show that…
- 9 of the 12 churches studied are declining or stagnate in membership. None of the churches studied are seeing extravagant rapid growth.
- Over 68% of those attending megachurches have been there five years or less.
Confusing right? If these churches are such wonderful places where people feel belonging, why are the people leaving within five years of joining?
And if members are inviting friends and family, why aren’t these churches growing? Why are they in decline?
Quickly, to recap the previous posts, we learned:
- The vast majority of megachurch attendees come from other churches.
- Megachurch attendees do not simply sit and watch. They plug into the megachurch and feel they are spiritually growing while they are there (“while they are there” is the key…this survey did not seek out those that have left megachurches).
I think when all of this is combined a clear picture of the megachurch attendee life cycle emerges. Let me lay it out for you.
Joe Christian is attending Small-Medium Church. At some point he becomes frustrated. Maybe it is inaction. Maybe it is ineffectiveness. Maybe it is personal conflict. Maybe he is attracted by a fancy programing, rocking worship, or compelling speakers. Maybe Joe just gets tired of showing up every Sunday. For whatever reason, Joe leaves Small Medium Church and gives Megachurch a try.
At first Joe is fired up. Everything at Megachurch seems better. The preaching is better. The worship is better. The programs are better. The building is better. Crap, even the coffee is better. And the atmosphere is exciting. There is so much going on and so many people. Joe feels like a freshmen in his first week of college. Everything is awesome.
And the problems Joe had at Small Medium Church don’t exist at Megachurch. The worn thin relationships are gone. The faults of the pastor aren’t glaring him in the face anymore. The ministries he ran aren’t hanging around his neck like a yoke. Everything is new.
Joe immediately invites friends. His faith is energized. He loves being there and wants everyone he knows to have the same amazing experience. He joins a small group; gets in a ministry; signs up for a mission trip. Joe drinks it all in.
But then, over time, the new fades. The problems that existed at Small Medium Church are at Megachurch as well; they are just better hidden by the size of the congregation. And the “better-ness” of everything starts to fade too. Sure the building is nicer, but its still just a church building. Sure the preaching is compelling and inspirational, but Joe still doesn’t remember the sermon beyond Thursday. Sure the programs are more professional, and Joe isn’t solely responsible for them like he was at Small Medium Church; but they are still just programs. They aren’t changing the world.
Finally Joe’s energy and enthusiasm starts to fade. He attends Megachurch less and less. Until finally, after about five years, he barely goes at all. He thinks about going back to Small Medium Church; but he remembers all the issues there and his stomach turns. Instead, he just stops participating in church all together.
Repeat this pattern in the lives of millions of Joe Christians and the decline of the American church begins to make sense.
Here's the bottom line:
Megachurches are not “reaching the lost.” They are simply the last stop before Christians walk from the church altogether. They carry an atmosphere of excitement and energy because there are enough new people coming in to keep the blood pumping; but they’re leaking.
Here is a terrifying thought for you. Megachurches are often touted as the future and salvation of the American church because they have such amazing energy; but it is clear they are simply feeding off of small and medium churches. So what happens when small and medium churches run out of people to feed the monsters?
Tomorrow I will discuss how I believe this trend can be turned around. Stay tuned.
More About:
Rethinking Church Growth and Structure
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