Recently, I went to a meeting at church. I have been around a lot of churches throughout life, so church meetings aren't really a big deal to me. Or anything new to my way of life.
But this church we go to is really really big. Like, they hosted over 10k people during Easter Weekend kind of big. To be honest, it wasn't the first choice on my list. There's a stigma to big churches. That it's easy to get lost, there's a lot of flash but not much substance. You can't really connect with the pastor because he's so far away on stage. Or at least these were my prejudices going in.
I have never been so glad to be so wrong.
There's a reason that big churches are big. Because they've got a pulse on what the people in their communities want. They have programming for all ages. They've got coffee cup holders to hold the free coffee they serve so people can have something familiar in what can be a loud and strange place.
The big church doesn't have to be lonely.
This big place of worship has small groups. On every night of the week. They offer different study options. There is a freakin' jungle gym for crying out loud. The accessibility that this church has to the community is awe-inspiring.
There are resources not just for the attender and guest. They also go outside their four walls to the local and international communities. They have forged partnerships with nursing homes, parks departments and communities in need of homes.
The mega church has a place for you. It has a place for me.
No, it's not for everyone, but it's working for us.
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