Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America's Largest Churches

By: Scott Thumma, Dave Travis

Product Description

Aren't all megachurches alike? Exploring postmodern myths such as this and many more, Thuma and Travis take a serious look at the misconceptions surrounding one of the most popular but little-understood phenomena in the contemporary church. They examine the social composition, scale, outreach, scope, and other issues that often perplex seekers and skeptics alike. 256 pages, hardcover from Jossey-Bass.

Product Information

Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 256
Vendor: Jossey-Bass
Publication Date: 2007

ISBN: 0787994677
ISBN-13: 9780787994679
Availability: In Stock
Series: Leadership Network

Publisher's Weekly

This data-driven description of American megachurches is aimed at leaders and members of smaller congregations who may harbor apprehensions about this growing phenomenon. Chapter by chapter, the authors tackle common misconceptions of churches with more than 2,000 attendees and suggest that they are simply Christian neighbors with a different-looking storefront who are here to stay a while and who have much to offer smaller churches willing to learn. However, the collaboration of the two writers (one an academic and the other a consultant for church leadership) is disjointed, with the "applying what you have read" sections at the end of each chapter feeling tacked on to the richer content of the main text. One of the strongest chapters confronts the "myth" that megachurches are akin to Wal-Mart in that they grow at the expense of existing congregations. The authors argue that megachurches feed a constant cycle of "birth, growth, maturity and decline" needed to "help keep churches and religion in America strong and vital." Readers are reminded that Christianity comes in many different packages and that the market for religion can and should be tapped in a variety of ways. (Aug.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.