Articles for tag: Scott Thumma

May 1, 2023

By Ben Cachiaras When asked about the key to his success, Dick Clark, of American Bandstand fame, replied, “I don’t set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them.” Worrying about trends can get you into trouble. So can ignoring them. At the least, it seems wise for church leaders to strive to be like the men of Issachar “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). In this spirit, I was asked to consider how we might understand and respond to the rising trends noted in “A ‘Postdenominational’ Era: Inside the

October 2, 2015

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Leadership Development

Tour of Duties

By Jennifer Johnson Recently, two older ladies in our church began taking Communion to members in the hospital. While this is far from the 24-hour, professionally trained chaplaincy program organized by First Christian Church in Decatur (see related article), for Miss Marilyn and Miss Pat it was a Bigfoot-sized step out of their comfort zones. “I was scared to death,” Pat said the Sunday after her first hospital visit. But she did it, gathering up the portable Communion set and her car keys and setting out on a faith adventure. Now she and Marilyn are old pros, sometimes scheduling their

June 24, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Church & Ministry Church Growth

Size May Not Matter

By Mark A. Taylor We”ve been chronicling megachurch success for more than three decades at CHRISTIAN STANDARD. But in spite of encouraging growth, both in size and number of megachurches, an underbelly of suspicion toward them remains. Our Beyond the Standard conversation May 15 with Jud Wilhite, Dave Stone, and Don Wilson, showed this. These ministers with the three largest megachurches among the independent Christian churches shared practical ideas and thoughtful strategies””always with a spirit of humility. But too many questions from listeners contained veiled accusations of compromise to achieve numbers. So when I came across a report from Leadership

April 13, 2008

Christian Standard

Book Reviews Reviews

Mega Myth Busters: A review of “Beyond Megachurch Myths”

By Dick Alexander Before we get started, could I ask a favor? Could we check our egos at the door? It”s hard to discuss the subject of megachurches without egos getting in the way. Whether it”s a megachurch pastor who is tired of criticism for the church being big, or a minister of a smaller church or a college or seminary president or professor who is at some level jealous of the attention the megachurch receives, defensiveness is not a fruit of the Spirit. In Beyond Megachurch Myths (Jossey-Bass, 2007), Scott Thumma and Dave Travis help all of us see

April 9, 2006

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Growth

MEGACHURCHES: Facts & Figures

Core 2005 statistics for megachurches and emerging megachurches in the Christian churches/churches of Christ, including attendance totals, growth rates, fastest-growing churches, baptism rates, and a state-by-state snapshot.

November 30, 2005

Christian Standard

Church & Ministry Church Growth

What Kind of Church Are You?

“Can your kind of church change your kind of world?” Drawing from a profile of 113 megachurches and emerging megachurches, this piece highlights growth trends and indicators to help leaders improve church health and effectiveness.