Churches wishing to grow bigger, and plant other ones. Big churches...

[Neogaia777]

Churches that are seeking to get bigger, or grow bigger, or ones that are already really big, and are everywhere, etc, what do you think they consider when seeking to establish new ones and do these things...?

Is it pure...?

Or is it maybe not unlike any big corporation when wanting to put or plant a new store somewhere...?

Do you think they consider the expected tithe or amount of money they will take in from these areas...?

And is it ever at all based on that, etc...?

Discuss...?

Has it, or some of them, become a den of thieves...?

God Bless!

 

[Neogaia777]

Churches that are seeking to get bigger, or grow bigger, or ones that are already really big, and are everywhere, etc, what do you think they consider when seeking to establish new ones and do these things...?

Is it pure...?

Or is it maybe not unlike any big corporation when wanting to put or plant a new store somewhere...?

Do you think they consider the expected tithe or amount of money they will take in from these areas...?

And is it ever at all based on that, etc...?

Discuss...?

Has it, or some of them, become a den of thieves...?

God Bless!

Or do they favor certain areas over others because of maybe some "other reasons" also, etc...?

Discuss...?

God Bless!

 

[Guojing]

Churches that are seeking to get bigger, or grow bigger, or ones that are already really big, and are everywhere, etc, what do you think they consider when seeking to establish new ones and do these things...?

Is it pure...?

Or is it maybe not unlike any big corporation when wanting to put or plant a new store somewhere...?

Do you think they consider the expected tithe or amount of money they will take in from these areas...?

And is it ever at all based on that, etc...?

Discuss...?

Has it, or some of them, become a den of thieves...?

God Bless!

In economics, there is such a term call "economies of scale".

So when a church becomes larger, certain things are more cost effective, compared to if they are smaller.

 

[Neogaia777]

In economics, there is such a term call "economies of scale".

So when a church becomes larger, certain things are more cost effective, compared to if they are smaller.

I don't think cost effectiveness is all that they consider?

God Bless!

 

[Guojing]

I don't think cost effectiveness is all that they consider?

God Bless!

Yes of course, I never said its the only consideration.

 

[Neogaia777]

I guess in some cases it might be considered righteous maybe...?

If you were doing 100 times more good with it overall than that person would ever be doing with it probably, or maybe, etc...?

Kind of like Robin Hood I guess...?

Still maybe not completely right, but maybe acceptable under the circumstances in this world maybe, etc...?

And planting your churches there on purpose...?

Well, who am I to judge, right...?

But I am sure that there are some or many, that do it for other reasons other than always having the poor in mind, etc...

And even some that are using it to make themselves rich, etc...

God Bless!

 

[Blade]

If its of God...just who are we to say anything? Its not our Church and we have no say. Not wise to get in His way. How are we not them to think. How are we to treat others not them treat us. How does love look at others not are they walking in love so forth so on. If anything is of God it always grows. From one to 12 to 120 to 3000 to today.

 

[The Liturgist]

There is a legitimate need for churches to expand by adding capacity to serve increasing populations and new developments. Unfortunately the percentage of Christians to the irreligious and superstitious adherents of false religions is decreasing, for reasons I feel CS Lewis and Fr. Seraphim Rose warned us about.

However, there is still expansion occurring. Bearing in mind I am an ardent traditionalist, I believe it is strongly preferable wherever possible to organize multiple individual parishes rather than adding multiple “campuses” to a megachurch. I particularly dislike the model where a celebrity pastor is broadcast on a big screen to multiple “campuses.”

I think things work better when people are able to have a reasonable possibility of befriending the parish pastor. This cannot happen in a megachurch, usually, requiring subgroups like Discipleship programs which seem inferior. It is also perhaps challenging in cathedrals, but my observation is that cathedrals which have regular congregations can still allow for closeness between the different clergy and laity, the only exceptions being some churches which are also extreme tourist attractions and which have lots of international visitors. For example, St. Paul’s in the City of London, Westminster Abbey in the adjacent City of Westminster, the Notre Dame de Paris, at least before the dreadful fire, but the restoration seems to be coming along nicely (I was so sad when that church caught fire), and St. Peter’s in Rome. Most cathedrals do not have this problem, however.

 

[dqhall]

Churches that are seeking to get bigger, or grow bigger, or ones that are already really big, and are everywhere, etc, what do you think they consider when seeking to establish new ones and do these things...?

Is it pure...?

Or is it maybe not unlike any big corporation when wanting to put or plant a new store somewhere...?

Do you think they consider the expected tithe or amount of money they will take in from these areas...?

And is it ever at all based on that, etc...?

Discuss...?

Has it, or some of them, become a den of thieves...?

God Bless!

I watched church sermons online during the pandemic. The pastor lived in a nice section of town. His adult children also had church ministry jobs. His father was a pastor. Once he and his father bought a fixer upper, renovated it and resold it. Some of the church did not believe in vaccinations. An older couple got COVID Delta. One of them died. The church attendance dropped. The pastor told us about the COVID death and preached about the importance of vaccinations after this loss. I left the church as it seemed to always beg me for money and I did not get as much as a bite from a church supper, nor did I ever visit in person. One church I walked to when I lived in the DC metro area had a potluck supper once a month.

Paul used to make tents to support his ministry. I read about rabbis who had businesses or worked trades to support their ministries. A synagogue had at least ten men. While touring in Israel in 2006 I was staying in a hotel during the Hezbollah War. A synagogue met in the lobby of the hotel during Shabbat, sitting on metal folding chairs. They were there until evening. After the sun set, they folded up the chairs and went home. Paul grew up in the Diaspora and knew synagogue organization. He planted churches without becoming rich, but he received some help from his churches late in life.

 

[Guojing]

If its of God...just who are we to say anything? Its not our Church and we have no say. Not wise to get in His way. How are we not them to think. How are we to treat others not them treat us. How does love look at others not are they walking in love so forth so on. If anything is of God it always grows. From one to 12 to 120 to 3000 to today.

I think a problem can arise when pastors defend their "controversial doctrines" by saying, "If what I preach is wrong and yours is correct, why is my church larger than yours?"

Would you agree?