California Christians Worship In A Big Way ["Church Lite"?]

LATimes ^ | October 11th 2009

[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,...

[Steelfish]

You’d be surprised. Many of these “rumba” Pentecostalist/Charismatic Churches in Latin American are poaching on Catholics with an entertainment brand of “Christian Lite.”

[SoCalPol]

San Diego has 5 congressmen.
3 are major Conservative Republicans.

Darrell Issa, Bryan Bilbray and Marine Col. Duncan Hunter

[reagan_fanatic]

If it brings people closer to God, why does it matter what the size of the Church is? My Church is contemporary, and we like modern songs by contemporary Christian artists - no boring organ music, dusty, staid 200 year-old songs or medieval chants. I like it, and I see no point in castigating those who do.

As long as the focus is on Jesus Christ and his gospel, the type of music used or the size of the church is unimportant.

[SoCalPol]

*Liturgy is the “Word of God” sanctified.*

This is Correct be it Catholic, Lutheran or Episcopal.

The mega churches are side shows. The Rock here in
San Diego is in the city area. Former Charger, Miles McPherson is the Pastor with over 12,000 members.

Anyone who leaves a traditional and orthodox form of worship
for the side shows was never rooted in the orthodox to begin with.

[bboop]

I did that too. Am not much of a joiner, and I was in the music ministry, so we had our own group. I kind of liked the anonymity of the larger church, and I really loved all the good teaching about how to live a Christian life.

[Happyinmygarden]

“Do you have a citation for that claim?”

Rick Warren announced it clearly and concisely from the pulpit one Sunday about two months ago. I was surprised to hear it, and as a former Catholic it stuck in my memory. At the same time he announced that a total of 63 different languages are spoken by the members.