Posted on 10/11/2009 10:19:06 AM PDT by Steelfish
California Christians Worship In A Big Way
The state has more megachurches than anywhere else in the country, with the majority in the suburbs between Los Angeles and San Diego. Their upbeat approach is luring thousands each weekend.
A worshiper gets caught up in the music at Shepherd of the Hills in Porter Ranch, which attracts 8,000 people to its six weekend services. California has 193 megachurches, defined as those with at least 2,000 congregants.
By Duke Helfand October 11, 2009
Once again, the Sunday faithful have packed the cavernous sanctuary at Shepherd of the Hills Church in the San Fernando Valley, clapping and swaying for Jesus as a band rocks the hall.
"Come bless the Lord," the worshipers sing. "Praise his name to the ends of the Earth."
Most churches would be thrilled to fill their sanctuaries any day of the year.
Shepherd of the Hills, a nondenominational church in Porter Ranch, does it six times a weekend, attracting 8,000 people to its energetic services and offering a lesson about the growth of evangelical Christianity in California.
Thanks to good weather, sprawling suburbs and a number of charismatic pastors, the Golden State has more of these megachurches -- defined as those with at least 2,000 congregants -- than any other state.
California is home to 193, slightly more than Texas with 191, according to the most recent survey by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, one of the nation's leading authorities on megachurches.
The majority of these congregations are in the suburbs between Los Angeles and San Diego, an area that some who study the phenomenon call the Southern California Bible Belt.
A handful have risen to national prominence -- notably Saddleback Church in Lake Forest and its celebrity pastor, the Rev. Rick Warren.
But dozens of other large,...
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
"Many have jettisoned formal rituals such as organs and hymns in favor of Christian rock music and overhead projection screens that display lyrics and prayers."
What sort of representatives do these areas send to Congress?
People who support abortion? Euthanasia? Embryonic stem-cell research?
(Don’t know, just asking if they ever consider the lives of the unborn and the elderly are worth anything, and vote accordingly)
The same question crossed my mind.
They probably have full bar just outside of the main area of the church, and allow sex and drugs in secluded rooms where the sermons can be watched via webcam....
We have alot of megachurches around here. I just dont see the point of going somewhere where nobody really knows anybody (thats my personal impression based on personal experience). Alot of these people probably go to these churches because it helps their businesses to have many contacts and what not. Most of these places are really pretty shallow.
Just like at your mother’s church?
The Oarnge County and San Diego areas (the areas mentioned) tend to send conservative Republicans by and large (though there are a few Democrats intermixed).
Duncan Hunters and now his Sons seat is in this area.
I suspect many of them are ex-Catholics who don’t and cannot relate to the serious liturgy and instruction of the Catholic Church. Clapping, dancing, swaying, rumba are all part of the Rick Warren theology.
>What sort of representatives do these areas send to Congress?
http://rohrabacher.house.gov/Biography/
LOL People! Not every where in California is friggin’ Berkley.
There are a lot of red, even deep red, areas in the state.
The coastal part of the state tends to be deep blue (with the exception of Orange County and to an extent San Diego), but with few exceptions the inland counties tend to be Conservative like Bakersfield, Central Valley, and the Eastern and Northern suburbs of Sacramento.
Obama did do well in a lot of red and purple districts in 2008 but that will be hard for him to repeat. Just look at a county by county breakdown on cultural issues like the prop 8 vote. Even LA County voted Yes!
There are a lot of sane folks in CA, the problem is the coastal cities. The vote is just too lopsided Democrat in LA and San Francisco to be overcome most of the time.
The 25-year-old bank teller said the formalities of her former church -- including the robed clergy, hymnals, organ and repetitive liturgy -- left her uninspired.
At the San Dimas church, she found what she called a fresh approach to her Christian faith that emphasizes a joyful, free-flowing worship and the importance of maintaining a relationship with Jesus seven days a week rather than only on Sundays.
At church, she also met fellow Lutherans, along with Presbyterians and Methodists, all searching for new ways to express their spirituality.
"I've become a lot more comfortable in my faith and willing to share that with people," said Rief, who now volunteers at the church Thursday nights, greeting college students who are treated to dinner and lively worship services.
A friend showed me a video of his sons band performing a “call to worship” at their megachurch. It was an instrumental of the Heart classic “Barracuda.”
Speechless does not begin to describe my response.
There are many ways to meet the Lord.
I wouldn't know. I don't believe she goes to church.
I live in Illinois and there are some here that think that means Chicago.
I live in the normal part of the state and that aint Chicago.
Don’t rush to judge something which sounds strange to you.
Back in the ‘70s in downtown Minneapolis, a church named “Jesus People” sowed the seeds of what is now a extremely strong pro-life movement all over Minnesota. I know 3 pastors which came out of JP and spread its bible based teaching all over the state.
I’ll reserve judgment until I hear and see the fruits.
The area “between Los Angeles and San Diego” would be Orange County, the ONLY county in southern California to vote for McCain/Palin.
Most churches in Californian have large basements where they take turns dancing with other congregation members that dress up like the devil.
Our preacher has a headless demon tattooed on his arm, but that doesn't mean he isn't a good person.
We just got back from church, and my wife had taken this shot of her friend having a wicked good time right after the services.
The Catholic Church is General Motors, these "megachurches" are Wal-Mart if Wal-Mart were not centrally controlled from Bentonville. I have no use for either myself, and don't care for those "members" who try to steal constitutionalist American conservatism, which has nothing to do with Romanist statism, or Rick Warren Happy Clappy tripe.
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