"Mega Churches"

There was actually a big report about this in our state's Sunday newspaper a couple of weeks ago.
Turns out there are actually a lot of churches going this way, using materialistic things or high-tech equipment to try and lure in the youth of our country.
One church in particular, I recall, not only used tithes to pay for bigger-screen TVs, high-tech sound equipment and the like for use during sermons, but they raffled off a car, hundreds of dollars' worth of whitegoods (fridge, washing machine etc), and hand out vouchers for manicures and free coffees and snacks at their 'cafeteria', which is basically a huge room in the church where they have manicurists, hairstylists, a snack bar and coffee lounge for 'the kids to come and relax in'.
I thought it was kind of ridiculous, but then I suppose the church could just be getting desperate to draw crowds. In today's enlightened society, nobody is really threatened by the thought of 'going to hell' or whatever the church used to promise us back in the day before science took over our spiritual education. Now that we don't feel that we have to go to church, they're running out of money and resources to conduct simple services for the true faithful, so they have to come up with gimmicks to draw us in and make us hear God's message, because it's not like we'll listen to it anywhere else - we're too busy plugged into our TVs, iPods and other gadgets.

I'm kind of on the fence with this issue. I can't quite say whether it's right or wrong. I just feel that, if there is a God, as such, He's got far more important things to worry about than being pissed at me because I don't go to church every Sunday. I can worship Him wherever, whenever it suits me, and I just feel that being a 'good Christian' is about living right, being helpful to those who deserve it, and basically having a good heart. If God is as benevolent as they tell us, then certainly I don't think he wants us to dedicate every waking moment of our lives to prayer, church service, and reading the Bible.

See, I have no problem, I REPEAT NO PROBLEM, with devout Christians, you guys are great! What I have a problem with is people that use their religion which people view as a good cause to do things that aren't so great, like get cash. Also, there is a group of girls at my school who are viewed as lovely girls because they go to church and youth group twice a week. Well, they talk during youth and sleep in church, and are pretty nasty pieces of work.

Sorry about rambling, if you can understand my point here...good?

EDIT: If you can tell I'm not a Christian..mebbe I'm just biased.

"is it all about the money these days"?"

> It depends on the church. I've seen many honest, humble churches raising money to help peopple and I've seen churches raising money for big houses, company cars, expensive clothes and paid vacations to the bahamas. It's never ALL the churches. There will ALWAYS be a percentage of ANY group that goes corrupt. Money corrupts, plain and simple.


"I have also gotten news that hillsong has planned to build a 3000 seat auditorium with a 900 car parking lot. Since when has a church needed this ?"

> Well, if you live in a big city, and the church is very popular, then yes. You have to accomodate the size of the crowd. When I was into going to churches, I went to a big one once, it was great cuz they had a big screen so everyone in the whole place knew the song lyrics, could read the sermon, make notes, see the pictures. The more people there hearing the message of God the better.

HOWEVER, My mom lives in Nashville, TN, right beside Trinity Music City which is a megalopolis of greed and corruption. This "church" has tours and sells trash in their GIFT SHOP. They are all about merchandising and marketing God like a fashion label brand. They have tv shows that ask for your money night and day. Everywhere there is a place to "donate" to God. But the people who manage the church live like celebrities. They own mansions, drive luxury cars and wear the high end fashion labels. They are in it for the money and they are selling you salvation in a sparkling gift box.

i hate when churches take time out of praying2 ask4 money 4 their church. they act like we dont have checks and bills 2pay. we do, we NEED THE MONEY2. so make a funraiser, dont try2 suck our money2 the church

I hate big churches. There's this thing called "The Shore" in my town, and eveybody and thier couison goes. But hey I don't like religon so my opipion isn't that much more than a grain of salt.

Um.
well a 3000 seat auditorium with a 900 car parking lot could be used for concerts [Christian bands obviously], but, the churches that use the money for personal benifits and not using the money for soemthing else [fixing up the bad building, being able to help needy families within the church etc] and it could be used to make CDs. like my church, we use the money to a)fix up the building [it's in a bad condtion] b)help needy families and c)make CDs of our bands. we have 3. we use the CDs to help bring people to Christ.
I just think when churches use the money for personal [bishop, preist, pastor w/e] uses it for personal gain. its lame.

CCV- i think it's a cult :]
(glendale AZ)

from website



The reason for the Garage’s existence is simple: to win students to Jesus Christ, to train those students to become disciples, and to send those students out to make an impact the world. We work very hard to make the Garage a place where students not only feel accepted and want to be, but a place where you will want to bring your friends. We talk about topics that are relevant to your life and we try to communicate using ways that are easy to understand, like videos, personal experience and one-on-one interaction with our youth coaches.

i'm sorry but i thought that church was a place so you can go find god and read the bible. i didn't know that it was a place to "chill" with your friends while having some pizza and a soda.

CCV is just an example of a church that i believe is just trying to make some money. all the money that they are raising, is going to that they can make a two story building for the children so that they can slide down to the lower level and play in a ball pit :] On one of the few times that i went there, they showed us a video on what CCV could look like if we just came to church more, donated our time and money.

i go to 2 churches, a massive one, and a small one. the massive one is always condeming saying you have to be like this and you can't be this or else your going to hell. they rake in the big bucks and aren't welcoming at all, really. but te small church which is just struggling to survive is the most loving place, they are more freindly, don't worry about having the newest technology, cause what they got is fine and they actually preach otherr then condem types of people or whatever.

JerkFace:

i'm sorry but i thought that church was a place so you can go find god and read the bible. i didn't know that it was a place to "chill" with your friends while having some pizza and a soda.

Churches are attempting to lure more worshippers, and to show the youth of today that church isn't all about hellfire and brimstone and kneeling on a hard floor while praying. They're trying to make it a more relaxed atmosphere so that kids will come along, enjoy themselves, bring their friends next time, and that way everyone hears Jesus' message, but it's not the rigid structure we're used to.

I personally think it's a good idea to make church and worshipping a little more relaxed and fun than what we're used to, but I do think they go too far trying to make it fun, and it just looks like a desperate money-making and suck-in attempt.

^ Yeah, I think I worded my last post a little wrongly. I don't really think church should be 'fun' and a 'cool' place to 'hang out', but I do feel that a welcoming atmosphere is necessary - for me at least, because I'm not overly religious and would feel uncomfortable in a lot of churches I've been to.

I admit I never go to church apart from weddings, funerals and christenings, but there have been a couple of times in my life where I've been having some trouble with certain things and have sought solace in going to a church by myself and just sitting quietly and thinking and, I guess, praying in a way.
It weirds out the people who know me well, because I'm usually so, well, not the kind of person who would just sit in a pew and do that kind of thing, but I felt it really helped me.
I definitely wouldn't go to church just to hang out with friends or have fun.

^well our society now adays is very demanding, we don't want something generally if it's too time cinsuming or whatever, so they try to create more ways to get people to come, thing is that the move away from what it origanally was suppose to be, to worship god and better yourself.

savedbymcr_2004:

i go to 2 churches, a massive one, and a small one. the massive one is always condeming saying you have to be like this and you can't be this or else your going to hell. they rake in the big bucks and aren't welcoming at all, really. but te small church which is just struggling to survive is the most loving place, they are more freindly, don't worry about having the newest technology, cause what they got is fine and they actually preach otherr then condem types of people or whatever.

the small church is exactly like mine We lost a lot of people over something a few years back and now we are pretty much struggling with all the finances. Whenever someone new walks into our church they always say they feel soo welcome and like they can just be themselves. Its true i've been going to this church my whole life and it really feels like everyones one big family. I've gone to bigger churches before and i would rather stay at my small one. Everytime i go i just feel so out of place and uncomfortable. The first time we went to the bigger church (we only go there for Easter Sunday) no one even bothered to greet us or say hello and just kept on going like it was nothing that there were all these new people visiting. It kind of bugs me when bigger churches are like this

^that's the way i felt when i first went to the small one, i had gone to the big one all my life and no cared there, but when i went to the small one everyone came up and hugged me and all this other stuff, it was cool. they were more accepting and loving. and less "if you don't do EVERYTHING EXACTLY LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS, THEN YOU ARE GOING TO HELL.

Well church these days doesn't seem to be about worship at all.

I mean, you have those stupid Churches that have youth groups that freaking throw parties and eat pizza for example. Those sorts of places are sellouts. Apparently the message doesn't matter any more, they just try their best to make kids WANT to come to youthgroup and then brainwash them. People shouldn't go to Church to HAVE FUN. they should go to WORSHIP.

As per megachurches, it's sort of the same idea. Im Agnostic myself, but im really pretty sick of people messing with their houses of worship.

a church shouldn't try to sell their religion or make money off of it. It should be a place where people take time out of their respective days to get closer to "their God".

Period.

I used to go to church all the time, but I dont any more for reasons apart of this so its another story so back on topic. I dont really think its fair to have these churches on television, I dont think you should have to pay to worship the lord, so I do believe churches are becoming worse off. I really hope they are giving this money back because I do not think any money going into a church is supposed to be for the members its supposed to be to help the church get larger. And I should know this considering my Dad is a Reverend in small Baptist churches....

Edit: Make the church larger meaning better place for the church, better tools to teach well the word of god...

yeah it's ridiculous, what happened to helping the poor, ect? does the bible really want churches to hold rallys and things to win more hearts? but i do have to admit, they can be fun,

true i mean my church has a youth group...and i mean its fun but mostly its just the bible study...i mean we have like an hour of like i dont know just talking but then when we start talking about the bible we only talk about that and they dont really try to "brainwash" you they just try to teach you whats in the bible and if you dont believe in what they're saying they totally respect that they dont try to push it on you.