By Kent Fillinger
An average of 317,003 people attended the 114 megachurches and emerging megachurches every weekend in 2009. If these people extended hands and formed a human chain along Interstate 90, it would stretch from Chicago to Cleveland.
Likewise, if these 317,003 people stood on top of one another, the human tower would stretch 350 miles above the earth (the International Space Station orbits 200 miles above earth).
Three churches have grown 10 percent or more each of the last three years and “Cross” is in all of their names: The Crossing, Quincy, IL; The Crossing, A Christian Church, Las Vegas, NV; and Crosspointe Church, Cary, NC.
Total baptisms at all churches: 27,258.
Most baptisms in 2009: Central Christian, Henderson, NV, 2,302.
Total income for all churches in 2009: $474.6 million (for baseball fans, that”s equal to the combined payroll of the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox).
Kent Fillinger is president of 3:STRANDS Consulting (www.3strandsconsulting.com).
Author: Christian Standard
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