What do you think of when you hear the word...

[Abbey Marie]

Thank you to (most of) you who responded in the spirit I had hoped. (no pun intended!).

I hope that we can continue the thread this way, and I'm glad that we can at least *sometimes* express our opinions without being questioned or ridiculed.

I think many of the answers thusfar are fascinating. As a Christian who feels that I often fail at what I think is traditionally thought of as evangelism, I want to know how others honestly perceive the way we evangelize.

[crin63]

Why do folk assume popular churches aren't "authentic"?

Me personally, because I have been to a couple and have known many people who go to some of the bigger ones. There is no real gospel message just prosperity theology.

Because they go out and plunder the resources of smaller local churches to grow and they make no real difference in the lives of the people that attend there.

They preach salvation in sin not salvation from sin and no personal holiness. I think they are a blight on Christianity for the most part. I feel the same way about Billy Graham and his crusades.

The only thing favorable about them is that many vote conservative.

[darin]

Me thinks you confuse "large churches" with Walmart - or equate them, perhaps?

The church we just left in WA had Service Saturday evening, two sunday services + one remote (fed via Video). 2500? members/attendees? Was easily the best/equally as good of a no-compromise message I'd heard from a pastor in my life.

[bullypulpit]

Why do folk assume popular churches aren't "authentic"?

As with most things in popular culture, the real meaning and relevance has been simplified, or left out entirely, in order to appeal to the masses, no pun intended. My wife, a recovering Catholic, loved the Latin liturgy. In the few times she has been to Mass since we've been together, she has found them to be lacking in substance mostly due to the abandonment of the Latin liturgical practice by the Church. The reason, she tells me, is that with the Latin liturgy, one had to delve into its meaning and have and understanding of what it meant.

Before I took refuge in the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, I attended a number of local churches, including Rod Parsley's budding ministry, and found them to be shallow and devoid of substance. But that's just my view.

[crin63]

Me thinks you confuse "large churches" with Walmart - or equate them, perhaps?

The church we just left in WA had Service Saturday evening, two sunday services + one remote (fed via Video). 2500? members/attendees? Was easily the best/equally as good of a no-compromise message I'd heard from a pastor in my life.

I think I mentioned that there are some large churches that don't fall under what I consider the mega-church title. I know there are some very good Baptist churches that run 2500 people and more. They grew from small churches into large congregations through evangelism not theft of sheep.

[retiredman]

Why not?

sometimes the subject of religion does not present itself in conversation... the guy who takes my tolls on the turnpike, for example. Our conversations are too brief to allow such a discussion... you know.... cars are waiting behind me. It wouldn't be right.

[PostmodernProphet]

Hmmm...You must not see much of those cults of personality that are the mega-churches with their politically active, evangelistic pastors on TV.

by definition, a cult of personality would be spreading the word about the preacher, not about God.....

[bullypulpit]

by definition, a cult of personality would be spreading the word about the preacher, not about God.....

<center><h1><font color=red>BINGO!</font></h1></center>

The Rod Parsley's, John Haggee's, Jimmy Swaggart's, Benny Hinn's, of the world, and the rest of their ilk are all about spreading THEIR word, not that of their favorite deity. And since that deity is a metaphysical, mythical construct who existence is derived from the subjective and unverifiable experiences of those claiming to speak for their favorite deity from the gitgo, how does one distinguish the two?

[Dilloduck]

sometimes the subject of religion does not present itself in conversation... the guy who takes my tolls on the turnpike, for example. Our conversations are too brief to allow such a discussion... you know.... cars are waiting behind me. It wouldn't be right.

Do you go door to door and canvas neighborhoods ?

[Abbey Marie]

Both our current and former church have a thousand or more members. Not sure how many. Both churches preach from the Bible, and I never heard a word about prosperity. The pastors are low key; not charismatic types.

Another thing the churches have in common is a thriving youth ministry, and I don't think that's a coincidence.

[darin]

by definition, a cult of personality would be spreading the word about the preacher, not about God.....

*cough*osteen*cough*

[retiredman]

Do you go door to door and canvas neighborhoods ?

I do not.

do you?

[PostmodernProphet]

*cough*osteen*cough*

check out McManus at the Mosaic church in California as an alternative.....

http://www.mosaic.org/podcast/

[AllieBaba]

Big suburban churches with very big car parks which are full every Sunday. Groups of people who are well dressed, casually, not overdressed. And the group is usually a man, a woman and perhaps two children, again all smartly dressed.

In the church itself a charismatic pastor on a platform or a stage. Lots of music, perhaps a small band but definitely someone playing an organ. The music isn't in the classical liturgical style but might be fairly boppy and uplifting. I see a lot of very demonstrative behaviour, by the pastor and by the congregation. Lots of smiling, laughter, very loud prayers and exhortations to God.

And I see absolutely no real theology. I see no meditation, no pensive thoughts, no discussion about belief, no addressing of doubt, no personal prayer, no self-examination, no self-inquiry, no deeper connection being sought between the individual and their God.

It's McDonalds religion.

Only if you refuse to listen to the word being preached.

I'm no evangelist but I see it as spreading the word.

[diuretic]

Why do folk assume popular churches aren't "authentic"?

Dunno about you but I'm an elitist. If it's not a finely crafted, smallish, neighbourhood church with real wood and stained glass windows then as far as I'm concerned it's not really a church. If it looks like somewhere the St Louis Rams would play then it's obviously not authentic. Heck if it's got electricity and running water it's not authentic, nothing wrong with candles and bowls of water everywhere. And it has to have uncomfortable pews and when you kneel on the boards of the pew if there isn't a nail or a splinter or a knothold that your kneebone just has to find then it's not an authentic church. And if that ray of sunlight doesn't come in through the stained glass window at just the appropriate time and hit the altar, then it's not an authentic church. And (I got this one from Mel Gibson) if they're not doing it in Latin then it's not an authentic church.

If it's got a car park it's not an authentic church.

If something isn't broken and fixed up with bailing wire and sticky tape it's not an authentic church.