mega church vs. little church

[1dayatatime]

Hello,

I think i made a BIG mistake. In fact I KNOW I did. I was a member at a famous mega-church here in Atlanta. I was a member for 4 years. The church was getting bigger and bigger. Don't get me wrong, thats a good thing but I was getting tired of the "mega" thing. So I decided to visit other churches, particulary smaller churches. I feel smaller churches are more intimate. Anyways, a friend of mine who just became a member of a new ministry invited me, so I went a few times and it was nothing but dancing and shouting, and sweating till they finally fall to the floor. Don't get me wrong. I believe in giving God praise. But little Word was going forth. Thats one think I like about my mega-church- the Word was delivered. He truly is a teacher of the Word. But then folks started to "prophesy" to me. "Oh, sister, I see you here in this ministry", "Sister, God is going to do this and this when you finally make that step." Anyways, I did end up joining and I regret it since. I haven't really been going and I am the Sunday School Secretary there. People in the church keep telling me that its the "devil" why I'm feeling this way. "The devil is going to fight you when you are in God's will." Whatever. I really don't want to go back to my mega-church, but I might have to. And trust me, I have been asking God for His guidence in this.  Any suggestions?

[Gracious]

Hello 1dayatatime,

How are you?

My Precious Friend ... some questions for you...

Did you walk away from your faith?  Or did you walk away from one church-house (where you worshipped the LORD) to "worship" at another?  Do YOU know JESUS?  If the answer is YES ... then HE is inside of you ... Amen?

The reason I'd asked you these questions, was because there are "judgmental" saints who would EAGERLY press the "HELL & d**nATION" button on you quicker than you could say "OUCH"!!!  Simply because you'd exercised your RIGHT as a human-being who has received Salvation, by worshipping in the House that "BEST" suited you?

Beating yourself up about a mistake that you feel you've made, may NOT be the best thing to do.  Why? Because you'd left where you were ... because something was missing for you there ... Amen?  Spending your days meditating on what that "missing" piece could be - MAY prove most fruitful.  You've committed no sin that I know of!

Yet there is a danger (spiritually) in "church-hoppin' "  'cause often times Theologies - Religious Doctrine may differ, according to the leadership of the House & THAT could leave you feeling emotionally/spiritually drained & confused!!!  I'm sure that you don't want that ... Amen?

I hold membership at a 1500 member church & I became disillusioned early on within this House - wrote about it here on DWF  ... and our graciously ultra-wise Madame FA told me some things that were  TOUGH to swallow at first, but her words were spoken in love and received in love and have lived within my spirit to this very day ... and I pray that they may be a blessing for you & others:

"...When it comes to the question of moving on, the motivation should be growth not what others are or are not doing. Be prayerful (as I'm sure you already are); keep your motives pure. If your reason for wanting to leave has anything to do with anyone who is at your present church, you should stay right there until the only reason for leaving is you.

When God wants to move you, you will know it. He will make it so clear to you that to stay will become a grief and a burden to you. He will free up your hands and heart so that there is nothing left to do but leave.  And when you do leave, you'll be stronger in faith, more mature in your relationship with the Lord,In the meantime, I'll encourage you the same way God encouraged me ...So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 1 Peter 4:19..."

Now my friend ... your particular situation is not what mine was perhaps ... BUT ... I betcha' her advice to me then will bless you too - even today!


From my heart ... to yours,



Gracious

And your right!!! There IS nothing wrong with being a mega-church member (of thousands) ... no matter WHAT they say

[Forum Administrator]

Hello 1dayatatime. Why did you leave the mega-church and what "mega" thing" were you getting tired of? I don't understand why so many people are having a problem with mega churches. We keep talking about the harvest of souls that we want to bring in: where do we expect these people to gather? We build bigger barns when we expect to have more grain. Expect the churches to get larger because the harvest is great.

Do we want to know God or the pastor? So what if you're not known on a first name basiswith the pastor or leadership or whoever?  (Not to say this refers to you personally.) God knows you by name, and nothing can prevent you from having the most intimate relationship and fellowship with Him.

Moses had the first mega-church on earth. Jesus had a mega-church within three years. If you plan on going to heaven, get ready for MEGA-CHURCH! As you said, you want to be where the word is because it's godly teaching that helps you to grow. Psalm 23 says that the Shepherd leads us into green pastures and beside still waters. Pastures are where you can graze or feed freely. Still waters are where you can drink freely. If you're not in a place where you can be feed and drink freely, more than likely, the Shepherd did not lead you there.

Which brings me back to my original question: why did you leave the mega-church?

[sagesong]

I think God has different bait for different fish. 

I read your post to say you decision to leave the "Mega-Church" was your own.  The decision to join the smaller church was "encouraged" by what others were saying.  Is that right?

You may have left too soon and picked the wrong small church.  You are in Atlanta there has to be more options that the one Mega-Church you left and the one smaller church you joined.   

I would say stay put at one or the other, pray, ask God for direction, visit other churches and move only when God says so. 

I don't think the debate is whether mega churches are good or bad or whether smaller churches are better or not.  I think the issues is what you feel is best for you and your own spiritual development and ministry.  Focus on that and leave the broader issues in the background. 

[Forum Administrator]

I agree with sagesong in that I think the debate concerning the pros and cons of mega vs smaller churches is an unnecessary distraction. However, I would pose this question: what sort of mindset in a believer wants the Church to stay small? It is supposed to grow, is it not? The growth of a local church is not reason enough to leave: that's when all hands are needed on deck.

1dayatatime, I will wait for your response as to why you left the first church before attempting to say anything further on that.

[sagesong]

The Church in the universal sense doesn't need to stay small in order that smaller churches to exist. As in any flourishing vineyard there will be many branches. Some smaller or larger than others.   

[1dayatatime]

I really don't feel I should be wasting my time in defending myself if I want to go to a smaller church or not. It's all about personal preferences. Some don't mind it mega, some do. I became overwhelmed with the mega church because we did have 2 morning services, but the pastor decided to combine both services into one. The church holds 30,000 seats, so imagine almost double that. It became overwhelming for me. Now, just because I left doesn't mean I still can't listen to my pastor. He is on TV every morning when I get ready for work, he just opened a satellite church in my community so if I do decide to come back I can receive the Word live from the church instead of driving 45 mins to an hour to the church, and spending almost an hour getting out of the parking lot. And no, I don't care if my pastor at the mega church knows my name or not, because if that was the case then I would have left a long time ago. I went for the Word, and I like the way he delivers it.  But I'm sorry, I'm just not a crowd person like that. I tolerated it when we was 2 services but when he combined it, it became TOO crowded. And like I said I can still get the Word from that church. But I don't think I am a bad person just because I don't like big crowds. I grocery shop early on Saturaday mornings so I can avoid crowds, I don't do much outings with my friends if it involves huge crowds. And I don't think I am less of a christian just because I left my mega church.

[Gracious]

YES & AMEN!!!

Of course you are right!!! ... You do NOT, nor should you feel ... that you must defend a choice that is strictly between you & GOD; which is ... where you choose to worship!  Don't think that that was the intent of our FA or sagesong though.

Anywhoo,

That's why I'd asked you the questions that I did.  Not so much for you to answer them "publicly", but for you to answer privately - within yourself ... Amen?  So that you would have confirmation (within) that you'd not broken any "cardinal" rule (so-to-speak)! AND ... THEN ... you could focus on the "WHY???" ... as in WHY you not only thought about worshipping elsewhere ... BUT ... something within your being compelled you to actually "make the move". 

Exploring THAT reason, could help to ease the trepidations you may now be experiencing and may grant you patience as you learn to fit-in to the new ministry that you may have been assigned - from on-high!

GOD Bless you my friend & staaaay strong


Gracious

[gracegirl]

Gracious I love your candid, charisma..Amen?   No one is attacking  you 1 day BUT you did ask for suggestions. I think Sage and the administrator make good points. You  have to ask yourself your true motive for leaving. I too was a member of a "mega" church for 7 or 8 years never thought I'd leave but I ended up leavin. This is the church that I grew in my faith as a Christian but I wasn't being fed anymore and I too thought maybe I needed to attend a smaller church. Well I'm now attending another Mega church because where I was in my faith this pastor was ministering on that. So far I've been a member for 3 years now and who knows, the Lord may move me somewhere else. I hear aaaa lot of people say they prefer the more "intimate" church over  the Mega and then I ask why and it's 90% always about knowing the pastor.  My bishop asked the question once in a service, "When we come to church who are we serving God or the Pastor?" What matters is, are you getting fed with sound ,biblical, well balanced doctrine regardless if it's a Mega or smaller church. It's literally a heart check.
In his Love Be Blessed.

[sagesong]

I hope that I did not say anything to make you feel like I questioned your faith.   I don't think that there is anything wrong at all with wanting to go to a smaller church.   

I was trying to say that I didn't think the issue was smaller versus large although your subject line would suggest that this was the debate. 

I simply thought you were narrowing the focus to these two churches and there size difference was obscuring other more substantive issues and may have being blocking the move of God.   Just because he may be moving you out of the mega church does not mean he is moving you into this small church.

You have every right not to like mega church and no it doesn't make you less of a Christian.  No more than going to a mega church makes you more of one. And again, I did not mean to offend you. 

[Forum Administrator]

Hi everybody. 1dayatatime, everything said here is said with grace, even though it may not always translate that way with black-on-blue text (or in Gracious' case, red-on-blue -- love you Gracious  ) As graceful (how appropriate your username is) put it, the crux of this matter is that you really think about your motive for leaving and make sure that it's God that's moving you and not the "herd" because that could, in large part determine what your next destination may be -- as sagesong said, large or small. I remember very well being part of a smaller church that burst out of it's seams. While we were in a smaller place, there were long lines of people waiting to get in at each service; there was no parking to be found for blocks away; and if you made it to church on time, you might get a seat in the back or up in the balcony. Most of the time, I could hear my pastor, but I might not see anything more than the top of his head. But, the key thing was that was where God wanted me to be for that time, the word was there, and I was growing. When we moved to a mega-building, guess what, there were still lines, only now we weren't waiting outside, but inside a gracious foyer; parking was still atrocious, but instead of parking blocks away, now we waited blocks away in our cars just to get into the parking lot. Now, the back of the church was further back, and the balcony was higher, but that was still where God wanted me for that time, the word was still there, and I was still growing. Even with growth, sometimes God may transition you into a place where you can begin to take all of what you learned and begin to impart to others; that may be at another large church, or at a smaller church. It depends on where the need is in your life and in the lives of others. God knows the need and He will move/transition you accordingly. It all depends on where you are in your spiritual growth, and what the Lord's plan is for you. I think that's the long and short of what we're all trying to say. If what I said was not seasoned with enough grace, please forgive me. I must admit that at nearly 3:00 in the morning after a very long and very busy day, I probably could have been a lot "saltier." 

[1dayatatime]

Good day,

Thank you all for your advice. I probably should not have named the subject  line like I did because it wasn't my intention to try to start a debate on big and little churches.  I think it was gracegirl that said I need to find what really fits me spiritually, to be lead by the Holy Spirit and not by anybody else. I allowed myself to be enticed by church members to go ahead and join this particular church instead of seeking God.

God Bless