Monday, September 19, 2005

Satellite Churches-Two Thumbs Down

It is official. I have decided the concept of the satellite church is simply a bad one. Every possible benefit I can come up with for a satellite situation could be fulfilled in a healthy “mothering” situation in which the mother church freely and generously gives of itself to the plated church. All that can be done in a planting scenario-without the egotism.

Let me go through some of the possible benefits of the satellite situation beginning with the concept of a small and young church benefiting from the resources and ministry of the mega-church.

In a typical satellite scenario, the mega-church has either hired or acquired volunteer workers to fill each needed position. A mega-church could do that for a plant just as easily. For instance, most satellite churches have live worship most if not all weekends, and what is stopping the mega-church from blessing a church plant with the same thing?

A satellite is able to partake in any large events promoted and sponsored by the mega-church. The same thing could happen if the mothering church is willing to keep a healthy and involved relationship with the church plant. What is there to stop cooperation between churches?

Most satellite campuses hire a pastor or a handful of pastors to oversee the local church community. So why not bless a new church with the immeasurable blessing of a staff? Many senior pastors may be concerned that if they set up a senior pastor in a new church they will not be good speakers. Why not either groom a protégé or take a chance on God’s calling in someone else’s life?

Pastors of mega-churches may be concerned that the DNA of their church will not be translated properly into another community if they relinquish control. Why not let a community and its pastors shape the personality of the church plant with the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

By the way, the answer to each paragraph’s concluding question is the same: EGO.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I disagree satellite churches can be very relevent and make a huge difference in a community.I attend a satellite church and I was skeptical at first because I thought the pastor or church must just have a big ego, but I was way off base. These churches are reaching people who have not had the best church experiences and people that are looking to be fed. Who is to say that if a certain church is leading hundreds or thousands of people to Christ that they can not do it somewhere else maybe through a satellite church.I dont think people should necessarily leave the church they are at or that they should stop the planting of new churches but not everywhere is blessed with pastors that are blessed with the ability to convey Gods word in a relavent way. I know for myself I lived in a large city for a while and attended an amazing church with an awesome pastor then I moved to a small town where I looked and looked for a church and the only thing I could find was a pastor who basicly said Jesus loves you have a good week every Sunday. I know I am blessed to have a satellite church that I love and I am being fed and I want to serve there. But thats just one attenders view

Dan McGowan said...

Gee, I love following the Viagra post...

Seems to me you might be a tad angry about the whole satellite campus concept. I guess I don't see what is "right" or "wrong" with it... honestly. I mean, it's not really a matter of either/or, is it? We don't have EITHER a NEW CHURCH PLANT orrrr A SATELLITE CAMPUS, do we? Why can't both ideas exist? If we're not careful we'll turn this wonderful expansion of God's Kingdom into another "hymns/chorus" debate which, frankly, is such a waste of time.

Perhaps we can embrace the new, creative ways God seems to be calling His servants to reach those outside the walls of their church... yeah, some might distort this and turn it into an ego-gratifying venture...

Well, kinda like the whole CCM industry...

By the way - if we're gonna start slamming the "satellite" concept, then we might as well put an end to all those wonderful missionaries our churches support and that carry our banners all over the globe... really, there is no difference.

SIDE NOTE - if you have word authenticity on this blog, how did some ad for viagra show up?? ugh - the wonderful world of the internet!