Do you really need a multimillion dollar church?

Question

in order to gather the faithful and glorify God? (Notice, I spelled it with a capital G this time because I'm trying to meet you half way ty being careful not to offend you) The reason I'm asking is because for years I attended a Pentacostal Church disguised under the name of New ________ Baptist Church. It has 10,000 members and splits Sunday into three services to accomodate all the members. Well, even thought the church is located on 20 acres of land and the building is fairly new and looks much better than any house I've ever seen, a few years ago the pastor said that God told him to build a bigger, better church with a mini-mall, hair saloon,etc. From then on, he reminds every service that they have to build a new church, and asks that people make large contributions, citing how sister so-and-so gave $1000. My question is, does God really ask these things? Jesus himself preached on mountains and in open areas. Can't they make do with a public park? It costs a lot less.

Answer 1

Well Jesus preached to people and he mentioned in the Bible that he doesn't even have a place to lay his head. So when it comes to preachers telling you to give money and give money. I think its a big scam. Its already sick to me that a person gets money to do what should be free. If thats the case he could say God told me I need a new car to glorify him. Are you supposed to give him money for a car too? Who paid Jesus?

Answer 2

Since you are trying to meet me half way, why don't we both look at what is needed on the same side of the table.

Does a football team NEED a new statium? Can't they play literally in a field like they used too?

Does a church really NEED a multimillion dollar structure with 20 acres of land? Can't God be worshipped in a parking lot, classroom or some other existing structure?

Do Actors NEED to be paid $10 million dollars to star in a movie? Can't they live off endorcements?

Does a university NEED a campus? Can't they do classes over the internet and get rid of campus life?

The answer to all these questions are "yes." So why do we spend/demand so much when it is excessive?

The answer is that mankind is self-absorbed / self centered. And we can work together if we understand that the problem isn't limited to Christians and if we have a game plan. What do you propose that will help you and I from our self-centeredness so that we can teach the others how it is to be accomplished?

Answer 3

Marvelous question!

The first century church met EXCLUSIVELY in homes, though there is evidence that they also frequented synagogues, the temple (until it was destroyed) and open air meetings. This was done, apparently, for the purpose of evangelism. What is conspicuously absent from all this is a single command anywhere to build a temple or a church building. Also absent are church services officiated by one man from up front with the congregation arranged in neat little rows looking at the back of one another's heads. The reason? It's quite simple, really: Christ taught the apostles that a relationship with God meant family, and where do families meet? In homes!

Check this out:
http://www.house-church.org
http://www.ntrf.org
http://www.hccentral.com
http://www.house-church.com


Whether one believes in God or not, it is as plain as the nose on my face (which is quite large, thank you!) that the 21st century church has lost its moorings, not only in America, but around most of the world as well.

This is not to say that there are not any real churches anywhere - consider the Chinese house church movement. It's much closer to the original pattern.

For more on this, email me.

Tom

Answer 4

It's also a bad investment.

In Holland I actually bought a church a few years. I needed a place to start a company in, and we have more and more empty churches, simply because people hardly go there anymore.

So, the town needed to get rid of a church. I bought it for a symbolic prize of 5 euro.

I imagined some religion investing hundreds of thousands of euros into that church long ago, and somehow that made me smile.

In a world where God has the chance (even if it's a slight chance) of being disproven at any time, it's a very risky investment to to have a multimillion dollar church.

Answer 5

God would not require this...so a good distance as i will see it is not Christians...this is each and every faith that has some doing this. Please verify out church homes on your section that use faculties, action picture theatres, previous place of work homes, lease areas in strip department stores and so forth. there are various that do no longer waste money. I spent some years at a church that became in a theatre and ended up at one w/ a construction. the clarification is that it helps to have a place to fulfill at any time, serve your community with, a place seekers can locate extremely and so forth. With interior the church human beings in many circumstances argue over the place the money is spent... each and every dime we've belongs to God...he asks us to grant lower back purely 10% . come across a church or company which you feels suited utalizes that 10%...then supply greater. verify your man or woman verify sign in and calander and make sure which you do are doing "suitable" w/ what God is providing you with and make a course for others to persist with.

Answer 6

I have to admit, I'm a little leery of churches whose pastor speaks more about upgrading the physical space and building bigger sancutuaries and less about the message of Christ being shared with those who need it.

It makes sense that if your congregation is growing and you need a larger space to accomodate. But, to go bigger just for the sake of it. Sounds fishy to me.

I also don't agree with stating in worship how much sister so and so gave. Tithing is personal thing with the Lord and not a competition.

Answer 7

More nonsense from the pulpits.

I'd bet that God would wish any monies raised be used to better the lives of people - not build fancy buildings.

Every time I see a big, fancy church I wonder how many meals for the hungry could have been purchased, how many pairs of shoes for barefoot children, how many electric bills or rents paid, how many apartments built for people with no home. It's truly sad what the church has become and how few seem to care.

Answer 8

The pastor of which you speak is serving his own interests.
Remember the first Christians gathered in homes, and the Holy spirit was with them.
Preachers today loose site of their purposes. They seek only to fleece their people.
They get power hungry and forget this medium tells all.

They also forget end times are here, and their quest is doomed to failure.

One such example arose about 55 C.E. The congregations in Judea had fallen into poverty, perhaps as a result of the great famine that had recently taken place. (Acts 11:27-30) The apostle Paul, always concerned about the poor, enlisted the help of congregations as far away as Macedonia. He personally organized a collection and used approved men to deliver it. (1 Corinthians 16:1-4; Galatians 2:10) Neither he nor any of the others involved took payment for their service.—2 Corinthians 8:20, 21.

Jehovah’s Witnesses today are also quick to help when disaster strikes. During the summer of 2001, for instance, torrential storms caused major flooding in Houston, Texas, U.S.A. In all, 723 homes of Witnesses were damaged to some extent, many of them quite badly. A disaster relief committee made up of qualified Christian elders was immediately formed to assess individual needs and to allocate relief funds to help the local Witnesses to cope with the situation and repair their homes. Willing volunteers from neighboring congregations performed all the work. One Witness was so appreciative of the help that when she received payment from her insurance company to cover the repairs to her house, she immediately donated the money to the relief fund so that it could help others in need.

Answer 9

God does not need those things. He needs us to love Him and to love one another. If we build bigger churches, it is only okay if it is done in the right spirit. However, usually it is not done in the right spirit. God would rather we have no church buildings at all if it meant we could spend money on feeding and clothing the poor, on healing the sick, on taking care of the aged, on pursuing equality, on educating people, and all the other positive things He stands for. I would suggest you leave that church and find one where the congregation is out on the street, reaching out to the mess that humanity sometimes can be.

Answer 10

I don't believe in "mega churches." I think we should go back to meeting "house to house," like they did in Acts. The idea is that there should be a community of believers. I think mini-mall is a little outside the scope of what a church needs to provide.

It shouldn't be about impressing the community, but about helping the community.

I do have to laugh at "hair saloon." I realize it's a typo, but that's what my husband calls them. Every time we pass a salon, my husband says, "Hey, is your hair thirsty?" So that made me giggle a bit...

;o)