Articles for tag: Baptisms

May 4, 2016

Christian Standard

Statistical Snippets from Our Survey

By Kent Fillinger AVERAGE SIZE Megachurches: 4,901 Emerging Megachurches: 1,375 Combined average weekly attendance: 386,035 GROWTH RATES Megachurches: 1.3 percent (down from 3.5 percent in 2014); overall, 54 percent of the megachurches grew (down from 68 percent in 2014). Emerging Megachurches: 2 percent (down from 5.4 percent in 2014); overall, 57 percent of emerging megachurches grew (down from 65 percent in 2014). Large churches: 4.1 percent (down from 4.9 percent in 2014). Medium churches: 3.3 percent (up from 3.1 percent in 2014). FASTEST-GROWING CHURCHES Worthington (OH) Christian Church, 35.1 percent New City Church, Phoenix, AZ, 33.3 percent New Day Christian

May 2, 2016

Christian Standard

Hopes, Fears, & Priorities (2015 Megachurch & Statistics Report)

By Kent Fillinger Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released a song a few years ago called “Something to Live For.” Churches and individuals could echo the lyrics of the song; we, too, need something we can live for, hold on to, and believe in. Hebrews 6:18, 19 says, “We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Bill Hybels said, “The church is the hope of the world.” Hopes This year”s survey asked churches to share “one hope or

April 23, 2016

Michael C. Mack

Who”s “IN” At Your Church?

By Michael C. Mack In November 2015, Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, reset its membership database to 0.  (All other parts of the database remained intact; only the membership numbers were cleared.) On November 8, senior pastor Dave Stone preached a message titled “I”m In,” asking everyone to commit for the first time or make a recommitment, and providing clear instructions for each category of people. For the five weeks previous to the “I”m In” weekend, Stone, Kyle Idleman, and others provided the five beliefs or core characteristics that describe what Southeast wants to be as a church. Why

May 12, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Weighing the Numbers

By Mark A. Taylor Don”t tell a numbers guy you”re not interested in numbers! You may risk seeing the seething side of a fellow you thought was a mild-mannered researcher! Maybe I”m exaggerating, but it was quite clear to me from correspondence with Kent Fillinger, compiler of our annual “numbers” report, that he wasn”t happy. At issue was the decision by more than one Christian church or church of Christ not to participate in this year”s survey. Their stated reasons sound lofty. “We don”t want to compare ourselves with others.” “Our ministry is about so much more than numbers.” But

May 11, 2015

Christian Standard

Measure Up

By Dave Ferguson Church leaders are being more creative than ever before in measuring ministry and stats that are significant for accomplishing the mission. Here is a long list of just some of the stats that are now being incorporated into churches” scoreboards. These came from dozens of churches just like yours who are trying to figure out how to make sure they are winning: “¢ The number of people who attend a worship service “¢ The number of people who are in a small group “¢ The number of people who are serving both within the church and outside

May 2, 2015

Christian Standard

More than the Numbers

By Kent E. Fillinger Numbers evoke an array of emotions. How many readers, for example, regularly step on their bathroom scales with more than a bit of trepidation? But the Bible is full of numbers, and almost every healthy church is counting something. We believe the special report of church statistics published here each year is a great time to recognize the uniqueness of our tribe of churches and to capture and celebrate the historic work God is doing. A record 347 churches responded to the survey this year, and I hope we double or triple that number next year!

July 20, 2014

Christian Standard

A Simple Charge

By Rick Atchley (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) When I was a student at Abilene (Texas) Christian University, one of my favorite professors was Dr. Neil Lightfoot. He loved the Bible, and he taught us to love it too. His one charge to all his students was simple, “Preach the Word!” Anything else in his eyes was a betrayal of our calling. For years after this, whenever I returned to the campus and crossed his path, I knew what Dr. Lightfoot would say. He never asked, “How large is your church?” or “How many

May 8, 2014

Christian Standard

A Closer Look at the Numbers*

By Kent Fillinger   AVERAGE SIZE Megachurches: 4,810 Emerging Megachurches: 1,354 Combined average weekly attendance: 382,144 The three largest megachurches account for more than 20 percent of all megachurch attendees.   GROWTH RATES Megachurches: 5.6 percent (up from 3 percent in 2012); overall, 73 percent of megachurches grew. Emerging Megachurches: 2.4 percent (down from 4 percent in 2012); overall, 52 percent of emerging megachurches grew.   FASTEST-GROWING CHURCHES 2|42 Community Church, Brighton, MI, 112% Third City Christian Church, Grand Island, NE, 31.6% Eastside Christian Church, Anaheim, CA, 26.3% Current””A Christian Church, Katy, TX, 22.1% Ten Mile Christian Church, Meridian, ID,

October 27, 2013

Christian Standard

Interview with Steve Wingfield

By Paul Boatman Steve Wingfield serves as senior pastor with First Christian Church in Florissant, Missouri. With an average attendance of 1,200, this church in the largest suburb of St. Louis faces challenges endemic to churches in changing suburban communities.   Give us a brief summary of your history with First Christian. My dad, Charles Wingfield, was called to preach here in 1972 when I was 10 years old. The church was running about 150 to 170. I grew up in this church, went away to Bible college, and then ministered four years in another place. In 1987 the church

May 2, 2013

Christian Standard

Megachurches by the Numbers

By Kent E. Fillinger Here are some summary stats for the megachurches (more than 2,000 in weekly attendance) and emerging megachurches (an average weekly attendance of 1,000 to 1,999). A total of 63 megachurches and 67 emerging megachurches participated in this year”s survey. All statistics are based on the 2012 calendar year. In addition to the 130 megachurches and emerging megachurches, 105 large churches (which average 500 to 999 weekly) and 109 medium-size churches (an average weekly attendance of 250 to 499) participated in this year”s survey. The 344 participating churches are the most to date. Complete survey findings for

March 12, 2013

Christian Standard

Time to Change

By Mark A. Taylor I”ve been thinking this week about change. Not the pennies and nickels in my pocket, but the change that most of the country observed Sunday  at 2:00 a.m. That”s when Daylight Savings Time kicked in, leaving many of us yawning the next morning. Even though 49 of 50 U.S. states observe Daylight Savings Time (somehow most of Arizona has stayed exempt), some of us still chafe under the mandate to lose an hour of sleep each March. “The change in the spring is always hard for me,” a friend said Saturday night. We had been trying

May 29, 2012

Christian Standard

Cross Creek: Facing the Challenge of Change

By Kent E. Fillinger Leading a 68-year-old, multigenerational church in a small Southern town presents a unique set of challenges. Cross Creek Christian Church, located in rural Georgia, takes pride in its history, and its members often find comfort in maintaining the status quo. On the other hand, senior minister Rick Evans is committed to gently challenging people to move beyond their comfort zones to help the church be more effective in reaching its community for Christ. Prior to coming to Cross Creek in 2002, Rick served as a senior minister at a small church for six years. He also

May 28, 2012

Christian Standard

MEDIUM-SIZED CHURCHES: The 2011 List

This listing of 35 churches that averaged 250-499 for worship in 2011 includes church name, city, senior minister, Web site, average attendance, and number of baptisms. (This is not a complete listing of such churches; it is a listing of Medium-Sized Churches that participated in our survey.) Click here to look at the chart of 2011 MEDIUM-SIZED CHURCHES.

May 22, 2012

Christian Standard

Center Creek: Serving Christ in the Heartland

By Kent E. Fillinger Mike Johnson”s passion and focus was student ministry when he arrived at Center Creek Christian Church. He previously had enjoyed a decade of student ministry at a medium-size church, where he started fresh out of Bible college. Mike had seen his student ministry grow during this time, but the church remained stagnant overall. Mike searched for a new opportunity with a church that had the desire and potential to grow. He soon found Center Creek; it was similar in size to his first ministry, but he felt a positive connection with the senior minister, who expressed

May 22, 2012

Christian Standard

LARGE-SIZED CHURCHES: The 2011 List

This listing of 71 churches that averaged 500-999 for worship in 2011 includes church name, city, senior minister, Web site, average attendance, and number of baptisms. (This is not a complete listing of such churches; it is a listing of Large-Sized Churches that participated in our survey.) Click here to look at the chart of 2011 LARGE-SIZED CHURCHES.

May 19, 2012

Christian Standard

What Every Leader Needs

By Kent E. Fillinger A national study1 of pastoral leaders by Austin Presbyterian Seminary asked the questions: “Does participation in a pastoral leader peer group make a difference? And does participation in a pastoral leader peer group make a difference in congregations?” The APS study found that in the last five years, 72 percent of the pastoral leaders polled participated regularly in a small group of peers for continuing education and support. Christian Standard”s survey showed that 76 percent of the 232 senior ministers surveyed participated regularly in a peer group last year. The APS study found that leaders in

May 17, 2012

Christian Standard

How to Follow a Great Act

By Kent E. Fillinger Succeeding a well-known, well-loved, successful, retiring senior minister is a daunting task for virtually anyone. But Aaron Brockett also faced stepping into the ministry of a church with minimal growth for five years prior to a major relocation and building project. Granted, several factors contributed to the lengthy attendance stall at Traders Point Christian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana. “¢ A prolonged relocation process kept the church idling in an undersized facility. “¢ A daughter church grew out of Traders Point”s young adult ministry””a good development that nevertheless cleared the bench of younger, upcoming leaders for a time. “¢

May 16, 2012

Christian Standard

Canyon Creek: Reaching Thousands

By Kent E. Fillinger Not all megachurches are exactly alike. But after studying those on this year”s list, a church growth analyst will see several similarities. This description combines them into one hypothetical story. Managing a growing staff and an expanding ministry is an exciting and sometimes exhausting challenge for megachurch senior minister Brian Roberts. Some days, he”s not sure this is what he originally signed on to do when he came to Canyon Creek Christian Church in 1998. In the beginning, Canyon Creek was a small church with a limited vision. Several faithful families who had moved to a

May 15, 2012

Christian Standard

CreekView: Moving to an Exciting Future

By Kent Fillinger Suppose you could describe most emerging megachurches by combining their characteristics into a description of just one congregation. The story you”d tell would likely look something like the composite picture presented here. Things were going well at CreekView Christian Church. Like many large-size churches (those with an average worship attendance of 500 to 999) it had grown large enough to feel successful but remained small enough for the minister to feel comfortable. He could know most in the congregation, at least by face, if not by name. The church”s building was attractive. The church staff had grown

August 23, 2011

Christian Standard

Growth for ANY Church

By Steve Hinton It happened again. This past week I read yet another story of a dwindling congregation confronted with the harsh realities of years of negative growth. After some hard discussions, the congregation took the path of a growing number of churches in America and simply decided to close its doors, sell its property, and join with another struggling congregation. But I firmly believe things could have been very different for that congregation. I really believe any church can grow. This was impressed on me when my family moved to the northwest Houston area more than a year ago

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