April 9, 2009
MEGACHURCHES: The 2005 List
CHRISTIAN STANDARD’s 2005 megachurch list reports statistics for churches averaging 2,000 or more in weekly attendance and emerging megachurches averaging 1,000 to 1,999.
Articles for tag: Church Attendance
October 8, 2008
Church Health and Attendance Numbers How Do They Relate?
Mark A. Taylor considers whether church health should be measured by attendance alone, weighing numerical growth against relational healing, discipleship, and congregational stability.
August 31, 2008
Parents Matter
By Curtis Booher and Phyllis Fox Parents matter. More than anyone””peers, teachers, youth ministers””the greatest single influence on a teen is his parents. That may shock some parents who feel like a discarded shoe when their children reach adolescence. Research proves parents have the greatest effect on their children”s choices, including their religious and spiritual practices. Teens long to be cared for and taken seriously and they need authentic relationships with their parents and other caring adults. Christian parents need support from the church and that means more than youth group and Bible studies. The alarming rate of teen church
April 13, 2008
The Best Indicator of Church Growth
Baptisms reveal whether churches are reaching the lost or just shifting believers. This article examines megachurch baptism ratios, giving-per-baptism figures, and why retaining new disciples matters for long-term growth.
January 10, 2008
The Lost Generation
Why are millennials and the next generation drifting from church even after decades of youth-ministry investment? A pastor argues for intergenerational connection, authentic faith, and consistent opportunities to serve as keys to reaching Generation Y.
October 3, 2007
Christian Teenagers and Their Sexual Behavior
Two August columns examine research on evangelical teenagers and sex outside marriage. One highlights broken abstinence pledges; another argues weekly church attendance marks dramatically different outcomes—challenging families and churches to model what they teach.
April 15, 2007
MEGACHURCHES: The 2006 List
CHRISTIAN STANDARD’s annual megachurch list highlights churches by weekly attendance. This entry defines megachurch and emerging megachurch thresholds and links to the 2006 megachurches chart.
November 22, 2006
Stopped Short by the Principal’s Passion
What do we do when a church member drops out? Mark A. Taylor compares church follow-up to a principal’s relentless care for absent students—and asks what it means when someone quietly falls off the radar.
July 19, 2006
Please Update Your Listing!
A church locator can help travelers and researchers—but only if listings are current. Mark A. Taylor urges churches to verify and update their Christian Church Today Locator information and highlights other site features that serve the Restoration Movement.
June 4, 2006
Have We Lost Our Focus?
When churches use raffles, prizes, or entertainment to boost attendance, what are they teaching people to expect? This article contrasts gimmicks with prayer, fasting, and missional love as the truer path to lasting growth.
August 24, 2005
I Can See You, September
As August fades, Mark A. Taylor reflects on the melancholy of summer’s end, the rush of the school-year rhythm, and the gentle way autumn reminds us of God’s power and love.
July 10, 2005
A Global Culture, A Pre-Christian Nation
Naomi Kouns reflects on England’s “pre-Christian” youth culture and the quiet hope of gospel renewal through relationships. Campus ministry, she argues, offers a practical path for restoring souls and forming disciples among university students.
June 29, 2005
Looking Again at the Badge of “Big”
Church conversations often treat size as a badge of credibility. A Catholic case in Spain raises a harder question: can a smaller, purer church have deeper impact than cultural Christianity that has lost its “saltiness”?
