Articles for tag: Megachurches

Ministry in a (Post) COVID World

The 2021 Church Report

January 1, 2022

Church & Ministry Church Leadership Ministry Training & Education

The Preacher Pipeline Problem

A ministry friend recently worked with the Slingshot Group, a church staffing firm, to find a new ministry, and they told him he was one of 19,000 candidates they were helping. I imagine this represents people from a multitude of denominations and backgrounds, as well as those seeking a variety of church ministry roles. Either way, it’s clear there’s a sizable number of people currently in ministry who are looking for something different or somewhere new to serve. But what does the future “preacher pipeline” look like based on who’s leading our Christian churches today? A Long-Term Look at Lead

November 1, 2021

Church & Ministry Community Outreach

How Churches Are Serving Their Communities

By Kent E. Fillinger Some churches create “holy huddles” that are internally focused and address only the needs of their own members. Their mantra could be, “Us four, no more, close the door!” Other churches are more externally focused and spend time, energy, and resources serving their local communities and meeting practical needs. Church leaders should periodically ask, “If our church were to close today, would our community realize it and miss us?” Answering that question will help a church assess where they fall on the internally focused versus externally focused spectrum. Local Community Involvement Our annual church survey for

October 13, 2021

Restoration Movement History

Noninstrumental Churches of Christ Facing Uncertain Future

Jack R. Reese’s book "At the Blue Hole: Elegy for a Church on the Edge" chronicles the rise and fall of the noninstrumental Churches of Christ. The book includes several startling facts and concerning predictions from leading researchers in the Church of Christ fellowship.

September 1, 2021

Church Life

The Faith Practices Churches Emphasize

What people believe really matters, according to a 2017 Canadian study of 22 churches and more than 2,000 churchgoers. Churches that adhere to conservative theology are more likely to grow than those that do not, and people who attend growing churches reported praying more often and reading their Bibles more often than those who attend declining churches, the study showed. What churches teach impacts the spiritual practices of their attendees and, in turn, the health of the church. Our 2020 annual church survey asked church leaders this question: How much does your church emphasize the following personal and family faith

July 1, 2021

Culture & Public Square Technology

Deconstructing the Digital Church

The most frequently asked question from church leaders in our annual survey was, “How should we count our online attendance?”

May 1, 2021

Church Survey: Facts and Figures from a Funky Year

The year 2020 was, well . . . different! And, because of that, we knew it was super important to capture the stories and statistics from 2020 to gauge the true impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our churches and establish baselines to measure future growth and changes.

September 22, 2020

The Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Christian Churches

By Kent E. Fillinger As I write this in late June, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to morph daily as it impacts the world, economy, and church in innumerable ways. During the week of June 7, I conducted a COVID-19 Church Impact Survey to take a “snapshot” of how churches fared during the initial three months of quarantine (March to May) and what they anticipated would be happening over the next three months (June to August) as many started to regather for in-person worship services. A total of 334 church leaders from 39 states responded, providing a balanced cross-section of all-sized

August 15, 2020

Stewardship & Generosity

Church Finance FAQ

By Kent E. Fillinger The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated our time and attention for much of 2020. This month’s article provides an overview of church finances based on our 2019 survey of 439 churches, while next month’s article will share findings from a separate survey that seeks to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the financial health of our churches. How Much Money Was Given to Churches Last Year? The total amount given last year to the churches we surveyed was $872,134,383. This included giving to the general fund, capital campaigns, building funds, and other sources. This reflected less than

July 22, 2020

Colleges & Seminaries Organizations & Events

Stewardship & Generosity

The Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Christian Churches

(This article is excerpted from a longer feature article written for our October print magazine. We post some of the more time-critical information now for the benefit of our churches. The longer version—available at the end of September—provides a more comprehensive report.) By Kent E. Fillinger During the week of June 7, I conducted a COVID-19 Church Impact Survey to take a “snapshot” of how churches fared during the initial three months of quarantine (March to May) and what they anticipated would be happening over the next three months (June to August) as many have started regathering for in-person worship

July 15, 2020

Matt Proctor

Is There a Future for Our Colleges? (And Is There Even a Need?)

A few years ago, Christian college presidents were invited to our movement’s annual megachurch ministers’ get-together. We gathered in San Antonio, Texas, to talk about greater partnership, and one preacher stood to share his view. “To be honest, do we really need these colleges?” he asked. “So many are small and struggling, and I hire most of my people from within. Maybe it’s time to let them die.” That kinda hurt my feelings. Actually it didn’t. He asked a great question—one I’ve asked myself. After 14 years as president of Ozark Christian College, I understand why management guru Peter Drucker

July 15, 2020

Church & Ministry Leadership Development

Coaching Matters

By Kent Fillinger A lead minister serves as a sort of head coach of the church team and has a major influence on the church’s health and growth. There are many reasons for this influence, but surveys indicate much of it involves the minister’s communication skills and ability to explain Scripture. That said, a 2019 Lifeway survey found that more churchgoers say their minister preaches longer than they prefer (27 percent) than shorter than they prefer (13 percent). This article examines findings from our 2019 survey of 439 churches to explore several factors related to the lead minister’s impact on

May 6, 2020

Local Churches Organizations & Events

CCV Sees Record Baptisms as Wooldridge Settles In

By Chris Moon Christ’s Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona, recorded 4,371 baptisms in 2019. It was the most ever for the megachurch and the most recorded by any Restoration Movement congregation in the 22 years Christian Standard has compiled data from churches. “The church has always had a big focus on evangelism,” said Ashley Wooldridge, senior pastor of CCV. Christ’s Church of the Valley in 2019 also saw a big spike in average attendance, jumping 7.4 percent to 34,444. That made it the seventh fastest-growing megachurch on Christian Standard’s list. It is the largest congregation in the Restoration

May 1, 2020

Church Life

2019 Fast Facts from Our Annual Survey of Churches

These “fast facts” are gleaned from survey data collected by Kent Fillinger about churches ranging in average attendance from 10 to 34,444 during 2019. This information is also available in chart form as a download. The download also includes a complete listing of the 439 churches that participated in our survey, and spotlights the 10 fastest-growing churches in each category and those churches with the highest baptism ratios (most baptisms per 100 in average attendance). Go here to ACCESS THE DOWNLOAD. Also, be sure to read Fillinger’s article, “The Difference a Decade Makes.” _ _ _ AVERAGE ATTENDANCE Megachurches: 5,765

May 1, 2020

Church Life

The Difference a Decade Makes

(See our related post, “2019 Fast Facts from Our Annual Survey of Churches.” Also, we have prepared a download that includes a complete listing of the 439 churches that participated in our survey; the download also spotlights the 10 fastest-growing churches in each category and those churches with the highest baptism ratios. Go here to ACCESS THE DOWNLOAD. _ _ _ By Kent Fillinger Twenty-two years ago marked the first time Christian Standard published a list of churches that averaged more than 1,000 in worship attendance. Sixteen years ago, I started analyzing the data and soon added an annual survey

March 15, 2020

Doctrinal Issues & Debates Theology & Bible

The Role of Women from the Resurrection to Today

By Kent E. Fillinger The greatest and most important event in the history of the world—Jesus’ resurrection—was announced first to a small group of women who had loved and followed Jesus. These women then communicated the news to the rest of Jesus’ disciples. In subsequent years, as the young church grew, women like Lydia, Phoebe, and Priscilla played notable roles. Fast-forward to today. Where do we find women serving in the church? The short answer is—it depends on the church! Our 2018 annual church survey sought to determine how women are serving in ministry leadership today. Please note: My intent

February 2, 2020

Culture & Public Square Technology

Church Management Systems: Who Is Using What . . . and How?

By Kent E. Fillinger For all but the smallest of churches, leaders need an efficient and effective way to collect, organize, and utilize church-member data. A Church Management System (ChMS) is a powerful tool that can help churches with communication, giving and other financial reporting, event registration, children’s check-in, and more. In the last four years, a seismic shift has occurred in the ChMS world, according to leading expert Mark Kitts. During this time, a technology company called Ministry Brands has bought up more than 20 ChMS companies and their programs and consolidated them into a few basic platforms. This

December 31, 2019

Giving & Fundraising Stewardship & Generosity

Senior Pastor . . . Senior ‘Fundraiser’: A Biblical Approach

By Ken Idleman In 1977 I was a 29-year-old, green-as-grass Christian leader when I was body-slammed with a vocational reality: I had been called by the trustees of Ozark Bible College to be, among other things, a “fundraiser.” I was vaguely aware of that item on my list of job responsibilities as executive vice president/president-elect, but I did not understand its impact on my future leadership priorities. I learned the importance of that responsibility early on because one of my first assignments was working to eliminate a $300,000 cash-flow deficit. That doesn’t sound like much money now, but the equivalent

October 7, 2019