Megachurch

One of the largest evangelical churches in the country recently received permission to build a bridge from its campus to a major highway to help ease the flow of traffic on Sundays.

North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga., will begin construction on the $5 million bridge in December. The bridge, the senior pastor said, will help draw more unchurched people who would otherwise find it difficult to attend because of the usual parking lot jam.

"Those of you who are regular attendees have learned to navigate the congestion without losing your faith in the process," Pastor Andy Stanley wrote in a letter to the 22,000-member congregation. "But you also know the complexity of inviting someone to 'Meet us at church.'" more >>

Willow Creek Community Church, one of the nation's largest and most influential churches, is celebrating its 34th anniversary this weekend.

Attendees from all of Willow Creek's six campuses throughout Illinois are joining together at the main South Barrington site for the first time to mark the special occasion.

Over the last three decades Willow Creek has grown from 100 members to more than 22,000. The church was founded in a movie theater in Palatine, Ill., and later experienced a growth explosion after purchasing its own property in South Barrington. more >>

Influential church pastor Bill Hybels wrapped up a challenging sermon series on Sunday with a call to choose God or money.

And they can't serve both.

"You've got to decide," the Willow Creek Community Church pastor told his congregation. "Who is in charge of your life? You can't serve two masters in your life." more >>

More than 400 people from the late D. James Kennedy’s famed Florida megachurch have left to form their own congregation following an unsuccessful effort to ouster their new pastor.

Organizers of the new congregation said its first service this past Sunday drew more than 450 people – nearly all of which came from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale. That’s around how many church members had voted last month against keeping the Rev. Tullian Tchividijan as the megachurch’s second senior minister in five decades.

That’s also around how many the Coral Ridge transition team was told the church would probably lose even before a seemingly smooth leadership transition came across some turbulence. more >>

When Outreach magazine and LifeWay Research released their annual 100 Largest and 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches lists this month, they knew it would generate some heat.

But amid some of the criticisms, the team that compiled the lists wants readers to view it not as purely numbers but as stories on how churches are reaching people.

"[W]e ask you not to miss the stories behind the lists because the real-life examples of what God is doing in and through the local church are the best part," said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, in an article accompanying the lists. "We believe pastors and leaders of churches of all sizes can learn from these examples. We have." more >>