Wednesday, March 12, 2008

The Walmart Effect and the Smaller Church

I can vaguely remember when we were in a big church during one of our periods of searching for a church home in Macon. Our family was one of hundreds. Our Sunday school class was huge. The church had great facilities - a separate children's building with a check-in like in a hospital. Every service was televised. The church really had a lot to offer, but we never really connected. This was in the 80's, before the world woke up to the mega and before I became a pastor. Back then, that size church was a rarity. Now there are three that size between 5 miles of my smaller church.

Irony. Most of my secular career was spent with huge multinational corporations selling to other huge multinational corporations - including Walmart. I personally called on Eckerd HQ, K-Mart regional, Publix, Brunos, Big Star, and yes, Walmart. My efforts helped them succeed, often at the expense of smaller chains and independents.

Shoe - meet other foot.

Last night, our youth volunteers were rocked by a 13yr old girl's comment that she might not be with us tonight. When asked why, she said her friend had invited her to one of the local mega churches, and that her family might be going there. This is a girl and a family that we have poured love into again and again. Our volunteers have sacrificed for her large portions of time and money to help her find her way. We've reached out to her and her siblings - to her family. They live around the corner from us. We give them rides home when it's raining. We hug them even though once the little one said "I think all the lice are gone."

She's a teenager. Friends are at the top of her values. She'll always have more outside New Hope than inside. And the mega will always offer more of the glamour of today's youth ministry than we will. But the thing about the people we have working with her and all the ones like her is that we love these kids fiercely and want with every fiber of our being to see Jesus formed in them and in their family.

In the old days, people wouldn't invite other people to church if they were already attending one. It was considered in bad taste. If you were already "churched" then that was great, because it was the "unchurched" that everyone wanted to see find salvation and be included in the church. But today, all of that is by the wayside as big churches try to stay big and get bigger. We are within 5 miles of three megachurches. Like Walmart, they grow by putting the competition out of business. And those three actively market to other church's members.

That's not the way God grows His church. So I do think there's a spiritual battle going on here as well.

I think New Hope is a hard place to be if you don't want to be convicted of your sins and shortcomings with God. We care about souls. Not "nickles and noses" (money and numbers) like big churches do, but the state of people's relationship with God. In Sunday school, Pam is about as passionate as anyone I've ever known and challenging too. On Wed night there's a buzz saw of challenges to your commitment if you are her age. And I hope what I do on Sunday adds some to that mix.

You can't fade into the background, you can't float in and out, and you can't pretend at New Hope. But you CAN where you are one of hundreds or thousands. The devil doesn't like that. So he'd love to see her in a place where if she doesn't come for a week - two weeks, no one will notice. Like we do.

So what does the smaller church do?

Well first, we pray. Pray that God is at work in the life of this girl, even if we can't see Him. Pray that He is at work in her family - the one we have prayed for so often, invited so many times, reached out to. Pray that God will guide us to do what He wants us to do in a way that will offer Jesus' way to every youth and adult.

Then we step back and evaluate what we are doing. It may be that no change is needed. But it may also be that the other 100 or so kids in our city that don't go anywhere are the real target and just maybe we need to be about the business of reaching them. We have assets and liabilities based on our size. So do the megas.

Ours are passion, flexibility, community, and missional purpose. We let kids and youth lead in worship. We invite them to participate to the extent they feel led. We can turn on a dime and get 12ct worth of ministry out of it. We are fierce in our love for one another and passionately purposeful about what we do. We don't just fire up the Xboxes and plasma screens and let the kids play and call that youth group. We're about spiritual transformation. I absolutely believe that's God's plan.

So we'll do what we can do best and let the Good Shepherd place His sheep.

Then we pray and go back to work.

But yeah, I can completely understand why people picket Walmart - today. When our youth people - who put themselves on the line for the youth - hurt - you better believe I do too.

9 comments:

  1. odd, i work at a small church called New Hope too. and my sentiment is like yours: "I think New Hope is a hard place to be if you don't want to be convicted of your sins and shortcomings with God." Not only on the personal level, but the youth ministry as a whole. We don't have the budget for a flashy ministry. We don't have super awesome tech guys working behind the scenes of a awesome worship service. When something goes wrong, we have to stop together and fix it.

    But what megachurches can't do, at least those who care too much about numbers and grow faster than they can manage, is sit down with the youth group leaders and name each kid, one by one, pray for them, and talk about their emotional, developmental, and spiritual needs. We try to do this twice a year, and try to see how much they have grown from year to year. It's very rewarding.

    Another thing that discourages me is when well-meaning youth pastors tell me numbers matter. Or that a healthy ministry is a growing ministry. We try to change culture as a church, but sadly I think culture has changed us more than we're willing to admit.

    Thanks for this word. It reminds me I'm not alone!

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  2. Ok, so I think I need to challenge you a little bit. I am concerned about your blanket statements about mega church youth groups. I am a youth pastor of a large youth group. It seems you are angry about loosing a student and are lashing out against any group that is different than yours. I want to point out some concerns I have with a few statements from your post and the comment left by Nick.

    You said:
    "I think New Hope is a hard place to be if you don't want to be convicted of your sins and shortcomings with God. We care about souls. Not "nickles and noses" (money and numbers) like big churches do, but the state of people's relationship with God."

    One of our depest concerns is the spiritual development of our students. Do you seriously think our only concern is about "nickles and noses"? Just like small churches our number one concern is that people know and understand that apart from Christ and His death on the Cross we have no chance to recieve forgivness of sins and eternity with God. We are also concerened that our students know how to grow in thier relationship with God, just like you.

    You said:

    "Ours are passion, flexibility, community, and missional purpose. We let kids and youth lead in worship. We invite them to participate to the extent they feel led. We can turn on a dime and get 12ct worth of ministry out of it. We are fierce in our love for one another and passionately purposeful about what we do. We don't just fire up the Xboxes and plasma screens and let the kids play and call that youth group. We're about spiritual transformation. I absolutely believe that's God's plan."

    Wow, do you realy think we just fire up the Xbox's (actually it's Wii's) and call that youth group, come on give us more credit than that. We have the same passions and purposes you do for your youth. Our student are just as involved in the leading of our youth group. Spiritual Transformation can be just as evident in mega churchs as it can be in smaller churches.

    Nick Said:
    "But what megachurches can't do, at least those who care too much about numbers and grow faster than they can manage, is sit down with the youth group leaders and name each kid, one by one, pray for them, and talk about their emotional, developmental, and spiritual needs."

    Sure, I can't sit down and name every single student that walks in the door, I can name about 90%, but that does not mean they go unoticed, unprayed for and uncared for. I have an incredible staff that becomes the connection for the students. My staff and I do get together each month and talk about the spiritual growth of our students. Each student could be named by our staff. With our 1-6 ratio of staff to students, each student is cared for, known, and called if they don't show up for two weeks.

    I think the focus should not be on big church or small church. Like you said we each have our limitations, but I believe God can use both types of churches. I believe there are great small churches and that there are small churches that do a horable job of developing students into the image of Christ. I also believe that there are great large churches as well as ones that do a bad job. I just felt that you couldn't put all mega youth groups into a box and say that they cannot minister to students as well as you do, that is not fair. I belive His kingdom is much bigger than both of our youth groups and students are going to connect and grow in certain youth groups. I have had great students leave us and go to a smaller church, it hurt just like it hurt you, but I am excited that they are at a place where they can grow and use the gifts God has given them.

    Keep up the good work,

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  3. John, the main thrust of what I was angry about was the deliberate marketing of megas and their youth ministries to CHURCHED kids. That is flat out wrong. You can spin it all you want but it is indefensible.

    Our kids lead in church - big church - main church - whatever you want to call it, not in some age segregated venue.

    I think the whole mega movement is harmful and overall has increased the number of people outside church while growing a few churches.

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  4. To me your comments were focused on mega church's youth ministries cannot minister to students like you can.

    How do mega churches deliberately market to Churched kids? When I have large events I know I have students from other church there, I tell them that night, thanks for joining us tonight, but remember you need to return to your church home.

    I think you need to be careful on saying the whole mega church movement is wrong. There are some incredible things happening in both large and small churches. What should be our main concern is that the truth of Christ being preached not how big your church is. If you say it should not be about numbers, than don't let it be about numbers, both large and small numbers. Be concerned if a Church is not teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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  5. John, are you really telling me that you cannot perceive of a mega church deliberately marketing their ministries to churched kids? Come on, man you have to know that it happens all the time. I'm glad you address it, but it's not happening everywhere, and there's a lot of lip service and not much real action.

    The statistics on real church growth since the beginning of the mega movement allow me to make the statement that they are hazardous to true Kingdom growth. The percentage of people involved in churches has plummeted while in some isolated areas megas have grown. I don't give a rip about getting churched people to come here. I want people who stink from sin to draw near enough to cross over. Megas feed the consumeristic American version of church which is antithetical to the gospel. They are great at it, and the kingdom suffers.

    Sorry if that offends but that's what I see happening all around here and across my denomination (SBC). Took a look at the stats for one of the guys running for president of the denom this morning. Here's the stats:

    First, while North Metro added 2,615 through baptism and “other additions,” their membership increased by only 322. What are we saying about the relationship of baptism and church membership? Ministerially speaking, the church grew by 2,615 members; biblically speaking, church membership increased by 322.

    Second, again while North Metro added 2,615 during those seven years, they had a net decrease of -266 in primary worship attendance. What are we saying about the gospel and conversion when we baptized 1000+ people only to see a church decline in attendance during that same period? Ministerially speaking, the church added 2,615 people; biblically speaking, the church declined by 266 people.

    Third, the total membership in 2006 was not 4,600 or 5,400 as Baptist Press reported but 4,302. But even with that number, the average attendance of 1,737 divided by 4,302 comes to 60% of the church not fulfilling their basic responsibility of worshiping God and hearing the Word preached on any given Sunday (a total of 2,565 “inactive” members. What are we saying about church discipline and the covenant community we call the local church? Imagine a corporation (if we go that route) where only 4 out of 10 of its employees ever showed up to work. How would it continue to function? So ministerially speaking, the church is comprised of 4,302 members; biblically speaking, the church has 1,737 members.


    Sounds like a thriving ministry - not.

    We can do it better. You go all out and we will too and I'll take my chances when we get to heaven. But I'm through smiling while I "take one for the kingdom". I don't think stealing lambs is kingdom work.

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  6. hey there, good discussion. found you via google search.

    I too am part of the leadership of our small church. they're building a mega down the road and I'm wondering what that might do. I HOPE it will be a good thing for the neighborhood.

    anyway I dont have a whole lot to add to the discussion yet, except to point out the irony that many megas are moving into renovated wal-marts these days. this has inspired me to write a little song, which I hope you'll find useful to some degree: Supermarket

    cheers.

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  7. David I appreciate your thoughts and can see your care for the spiritual development of your students. This is my only thought. Yes, There is an overall problem with many church's today where are not active and involved like they should. That is a problem for both large and small church's, you cannot think that there are no small church's that Don't preach and leave out the true gospel, and you cannot tell me that there are no mega church's that are preaching the true gospel and getting people active in spiritual development and making a impact for the Kingdom. It should not be about size but about if Christ is center and active in a church. My prayer is that you don't throw all mega churches into a box and consider all of them worthless. I don't want to take up much more of your time; I do appreciate your thoughts on this subject and am challenged to make sure I always continue to create a ministry the reaches lost students and not other sheep.

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  8. John I certainly appreciate your irenic spirit. I do hope your ministry is blessed. I just happen to believe that the mega church model is flawed and gives rise to consumerism and predatory practices as we see here. But I know God can use whatever we do for His glory. I just think smaller is better.

    Oh and BTW, the family that started this thread was back with us this week. We made no fuss about it, just did what we've always done - love them fiercely and point them to Jesus.

    Thanks again.

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  9. Anonymous12:34 PM

    As someone who formerly led a Jr. High Ministry at a Mega Church let me offer a little perspective on this issue. I think you'll find that there is extremely little active marketing being done by the churches themselves to other Christians. It's not part of the strategy. Aside from the really sleazy ones (which are a minority)large churches are focused on growing by reaching the lost. However, what often ends up happening in mega-churches is that christians get involved who have been burned by churches in the past and find a straight forward, empowering leadership structure, a dynamic and powerful worship experience, strong preaching from the platform, and the opportunity to get involved in their area of giftedness without all the church politics. It's got very little to do with anything flashy, but rather the actual postive environment developed in these churches. Then, because people have found a home for themselves there often discovering church (or youth group) in a way they never thought it could be, they find themselves inviting their other christian friends to come check it out. They do this without the direction or intention of the leadership of the church to "market" to other christians. When people find something that really matters to them, something they care about, they tell other people and when that thing is actually as good as they say, those people stay. The question you really need to be asking yourself is "What can I learn from those 5 big churches down the road that are so magnetically attracting people? What are they doing that when people are invited they come and then stay? How can we replicate that at my church?" I have never understood how it makes sense to demonize another church's success simply to justify your own failure. Suck it up. Recognize your weaknesses. Sit down with their leadership, and maybe, just maybe you can learn something from them.

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