If I am understanding your post correctly, more than 75% of people who join a mega church are already Christians involved in a church?

I'm having a hard time understanding how that fact supports the oft-heard mantra that the mega-church is all about being missional and "seeker" sensitive.

It would seem that the vast majority of people who join a mega-church are merely sheep wandering from one pasture into another, not lost sheep being rescued and saved?

I find this actually to be quite disturbing. Could it be the mega-churches are doing a good job satisfying bored Christians but not quite as well as advertised when it comes to making disciples?

This is an interesting report. I believe mega-churches have been unfairly trashed by some Christians as being too market driven or preaching watered down messages. The Sunday morning experience is only one aspect of the over all mission of any church. I suspect these mega-churches are having a great impact through their small groups and their ability to support many missions and service projects in their community and around the world.

As a pastor of a small church, I don't believe there is any "right" size for a congregation - as long as we are preaching the word, reaching out and serving the poor, we are fulfilling Christ's mandate for us.

Fact is, if all churches were making disciples then they would all be growing. I'm an advocate that there is room for a lot of different kinds of churches. For some, the size and program matters. For others, it doesn't.

I've been on the church planting, staff and lay side of things, and can tell you that "finding" a church is one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do.

I'm a 30s person, and I've never even thought about going in a smaller church (unless a plant) ... mainly because I have once a week to explore the church. Smaller churches tend to have horrible websites...and that really is the front door these days. Take down the sign out front with "Dr. So and So, Sr. Pastor" and put a web address that links up to a great website. (They aren't that expensive)

The single factor (or 20s without kids) is another huge issue. Not many churches can afford to have a singles or young adult ministry. They are going to go where they can make connections. That is what made 7:22 in Atlanta so effective. 7:22 not only reached the demographic, it pushed the demographic back into churches all over Atlanta.

The trend isn't disturbing to me... I'm not surprised at all. I just wish that Christians that were called to make disciples would figure out that different methods of fishing are needed for different groups of people.

What is your pond - your corner of the lake? Find out what makes them bite and your church will grow.

Rev. Paul T. McCain, two points for context. It said much of the membership change was because of mobility. So people were changing churches anyway. Second, in comparison with the average church 25 percent conversion rate is huge. I saw a NAMB study from 2005 that said that about 25 percent of SBC church had 1 or less baptism in 2005. Which was higher than the percent with 10 or more baptisms. My church had about 200. Another study said that right now SBC is baptising 1 person for every 47 people. So if 25 percent were new conversions that would be about twice the average. I know I am comparing apples and oranges, but still the news is at least even, not negative for mega churches.

The 200 our church baptized last year is better than the small church I used to go to (before I moved 700 miles from my previous home.)

I think the report treats mega-churches fairly and casts them in a positive light. The people at mega-churches clearly enjoy the experience enough to put down roots, as the percentage of 5+ year members is impressive. Let's not forget, that if a person changes churches, there is a reason for that, perhaps understanding those reasons is more important than pointing blaming fingers at the recipient churches. After all, as a church planter myself, I have had a fair number of folks come through my door looking for a smaller church to call home; the door indeed swings both ways.

When I want bread I go to wal-mart; when I want fresh baguette bread I go to a French bakery. Each serves a purpose, and each is necassary; this does not have to be an either/or thing. We need both small and mega-church options for people to attend.

I am currently attending and seeking membership at a mega-church.

If you would have told me three years ago that I would be at a mega-church today, I would have simply dismissed you as being mislead. I had always had a preconceived notion about all the stereotypes of mega-churches. "Seeker-sensitive", mile wide and inch deep, watered down, etc.

Then three years ago, through some unfortunate events, I began to seek a new church home for my family and I. I began researching churches online and "shopping" around town for a new church home. We attended some great churches that loved Jesus, but I did not agree with doctrinally. I also began to listen to podcasts from some popular pastors. I learned later that most of them were pastors of mega-churches.

My 15 year old asked a few months ago if we could try out a local mega-church. He had heard the youth pastor and really liked him. So I gave the church a shot. Much to my surprise there was no watered-down message, and the gospel was presented in all of its glory. Nothing was left out. I was even able to talk with the lead pastor and found that the church's doctrine was very sound. After much prayer, I felt like the Lord was saying, "This is where I want you and your family. If you went to so-and-so's church (one of the podcast pastors) you would be going to a mega-church."

It is refreshing going to a church that is focused on sharing the gospel and developing fully-devoted followers of Christ.

You may not agree on their methods, but there is nothing watered down or added.

Thanks for the responses. Curious: of those 200 baptisms, how many of those baptisms were rebaptisms?

Rev. Paul,

Having worked at 2 megachurches now, I can tell you that we DO get a ton of "bored Christians." But bottom line is that non-believers do come and are saved. And for the believer, they see churches that never change methods and get bored. It's an open-ended conversation for sure, but please do not underestimate the fact that megachurches are leading more people to Christ than any church...

Great report...interesting to see it taken both ways in these comments.

Do we know if there were any questions asked that would access the spiritual growth, knowledge, practice of the attenders? We all know that what many call "spiritual" growth has little to do with the Gospel, faith in Jesus or knowledge of the Word.

Again thanks.