Smashing the Myth of American Church Success

Smashing the Myth of American Church Success

There is a myth of church success in America that says, "The bigger the building, the bigger the budget, the bigger the attendance, the more successful you are."

In the sight of man, this might equal success. But in the sight of God, it may have nothing to do with success. In fact, it might simply be the beautiful facade hiding all kinds of spiritual rot and decay.

To be clear, I have had the privilege of preaching in some of the finest megachurches in America, replete with large buildings, big budgets and multiplied thousands of attendees. And I can personally attest to the fact that some of these churches are healthy in many ways: focused on Jesus, reaching the lost, making disciples, and giving themselves to prayer.

And some of them are doing this at least as well as many smaller churches and house groups.

So, I'm all for "big" as long as that "big" equates to maturity in Jesus, effective outreach to the lost, compassionate giving to the poor, life in the Spirit, and a powerful expression of the Great Commission. It is in that context that Acts records the growing numbers of disciples (see, for example, Acts 2:41; 4:4; 6:7).

A Tribute to Lord Attenborough

On Saturday,  I was watching the World War 2 British Film,  “ In which we serve”  starring the screen greats  Sir Noel Coward and Sir John Mills,  the film is based on the real events of the sinking of HMS Kelly, commanded by Lord Mountbatten.   In this film,  a young sailor abandon’s his position under enemy fire,  the Captain despite this man’s cowardice forgives him in front of the crew, later on in this film, this young sailor dies of his wounds after the ship sinks,   the actor who played that young sailor was Lord Attenborough in his first credited screen role.

While watching BBC news on Sunday Night, it was announced that Lord Attenborough had died a few days before his 91^st Birthday.  I like many of you have watched films where Richard Attenborough has either directed or starred in.  Every time I watch him in the Great Escape,  I keep wishing he escapes the trap that the German’s have set for the character he played  Sqn Ldr Roger Bartlett RAF ("Big X"), later on the film 50 of the 73 escapees are shot by the German’s,  including Sqn Ldr Roger Bartlett. 

In some ways because they’re on TV on a regular basis,  I feel that I’ve grown up watching Lord Attenborough’s film’s,  his stand out role as RSM Lauderdale in the Guns of Batasi particular sticks in my mind.  I remember  when I was part of the Christian Union in  Secondary School we went to see Richard’s Attenborough’s classic film Gandhi starring Sir Ben Kingsley as the Indian Independence Leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,  I remember being very moved and challenged by that film,   although he retired from acting in films and he went on to direct films,  he later returned to acting both in the two of the Jurassic Park films playing John Hammond and in the 1994 remake of the classic “The Miracle on 34^th Street” playing Kris Kringle/Santa Claus.

Lord Attenborough was an inspiration to many people,  and his bravery when one of his daughter’s and one of his granddaughters died in the 2005 Tsunami was inspirational in the face of that  heart wrenching loss stands tall,   he is survived by his  widow, two of his children and his brother Sir David Attenborough. 

Lord Attenborough we salute you and thank you for both entertaining, informing and challenging us for 60 plus years.

Read the Daily Mail Tribute  to Lord Attenborough here:

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