Aloey— Cpo 627 Gg COMM 3ii Human Communication Research Final Paper 100 Points Possible "Your Scare Method section (inclyées who the: cae would be, 2 ans the study procedures, che materials to be used" sss variables/test hypothesis/answer research question, and a rationale forthe chosen method) 77 Sa —aos I< DiscussionSection (implications of researcfyincorporates study withering literature; limitatfong Accurate & complete; includes furyxé directions; pulls paperCogether and toa close) 20 Method & discussion sections: writing style (clearly written; language choices, grammatical errors, arguments presented; sentence/paragraph development, etc.) a fe Overall writing style and completeness of paper (language choices, grammatical errors, arguments presented sentence/paragraph development; all required elements; hypothesis/research, quastion developed throughout paper; citatio ference pages uni font/style; running head; hesdefs; magia, ett.) Ged auacam fp hit pse | 30 Class presentation (content: synthesizes li nae dienes kc ‘question( ae 10d; discusses implicalionsiinitation® Suture, een 208, thigytime directionsddelivery: extemps rong vocal & physical delivery, stays wit eat ee haek, 20 Total PointsRunning head: THY HOLY COMFORTER Thy Holy Comforter: The Effects of Secularization on Megachurch Attendees Alley Kammer Wheaton College ®)THY HOLY COMFORTER 2 Abstract ‘Amidst an increasingly secular world and culture, megachurches continue to grow in congregation size, influence, and financial stability. Pastors urge others to recreate their success (and fame) through how-to books on growing churches and expanding ministry. From the literature, it does not appear as though non-Christians are being converted and joining these large religious institutions, and yet their populations continue to increase. It is a monopoly of sorts in the church-aftendance world. It beckons questions such as, How is this possible? And, What draws attendants to go to these specific churches each week? There is currently little to no literature with conerete evidence as to how church communication entices congregation ‘members to join the church and maintain membership, and whether or not they are even truly benefitting from this style of service. The current study will use survey questions and interviews to discover what exactly draws congregation members into church, and what keeps them there. ‘The purpose of this study is to take a deeper look into the longevity of membership of attendants and their levels of participation and growth while a part of the megachurch. Keywords: megachurch, entertainment, consumption, industry, active membership, membership longevity, megachurch effectivenessTHY HOLY COMFORTER 3 Thy Holy Comforter: ‘The Effects of Secularization on Megachurch Attendees The rapid growth of megachurches across the globe has been on the rise since the 1970s (Chaves, 2007, p. 304). Numerous books have been written by pastors for pastors on how to get more people into their Sunday services. Mega churches are defined as “churches with weekly attendances of over 2000 persons, and usually with associated large-scale accommodation” (Beer, 2009, p. 440). Two thousand is a large number, but place it in comparison with the National Congregation’s Study (1998) data showing 70 people attending the average worship service, and suddenly it would appear as though megachurches were monopolizing the church industry (Chaves, 2007, p. 300). Itis clear that megachurches must be doing something differently than other places of ‘worship, but there is little research on the methods that are used and the ways in which the congregation is affected by this style of church. Assuming that the Christian religion itself being practiced within these mega-spaces is inherently the same as that of other protestant churches around the nation, it stands to reason that the way in which the principles of Christianity are communicated, via various mediums inside and outside of the church, must have something to do with difference in congregation size. However, though congregations are growing, membership does not necessarily equal a certain level of active membership or depth in relationship with ‘other members (Stramsnes, 2008, p. 483). These relationships and areas of growth, both as a church body, and individually, are arguably very important in determining the effectiveness of a church setting, Findings show that there is an increased emphasis on the solidarity in community and comfort that the megachurch provides its members, and it is important to understand how they communicate this message to churchgoers without explicitly stating it.THY HOLY COMFORTER 4 ‘The purpose of this study is to take a more in-depth look at members of these types of congregations that continue to increase in size in order to better understand what draws those members into this relatively new style of worship. By studying the effectiveness of church ‘communication in attaining and retaining congregation members, understanding can be gained as to the effectiveness of the megachurch experience in shaping dedicated, informed followers of Jesus Christ. Literature Review The Identity of the Megachurch ‘The church is not a relatively new concept; however the megachurch is, especially in relation to the styles of worship that can be found, In Australia, the rise of ‘mega’ places of worship is associated with the decline in Protestant ~ Catholic sectarianism after the second. ‘World War (Beer, 2009, p. 436). According to Beer (2009), the majority of megachurches are evangelical (many affiliated with the Baptist or Pentecostal movements) and are geared towards the conversion of new believers, or the revival of old ones. These mega churches often emphasize having “spectacular forms of communal and personal worship... (¢.g. large and loud musical performances, the ‘spiritual healing’ of attendees and speaking in tongues)” (p. 440). In looking at areas of influence such as civie activities, or in other words, places in which the church has the opportunity to make a public statement of identity, Chaves (2007) found that “liberal Protestant congregations are most active, evangelical white Protestants are least active, and Catholic congregations are in between" (Chaves, 2007, p. 300). Megachurches pride ‘themselves in making sure the congregation gets the full experience. Lights and smoke are used in many of these churches that give off concert vibe more than that of a traditional church service, and during the holiday seasons, some megachurches even take tickets to preventTHY HOLY COMFORTER 5 overcrowding. The identity of the megachurch has become rooted in popularity. The growth of the church promotes this popularity, and as they desire to please the masses, they continue to. “09 seek out ways to grow while ensuring current attendance is maintained. x The sheer size of mega-churches allows for great diversity, and also allows for various denominations to come together in worship and connect with a diverse group of people and further bond in the unity of shared identity (Baab, 2008, p. 159; Beer, 2009, pp. 440-441; wpe Stremsnes, 2008, p. 481) 2g megechurch websites ~ which in this day in age for any organization, become more and more a representative ofits spirit ~ promote views of polished pictures, with happy family members (Baab, 2008, p. 155). The polished nature of these photos lends itself to defining the megachurch as a place often a ase but it does not necessarily give its audience a true picture of the hardships that also come with Christianity. ‘There is also a lot of emphasis on “the warm and caring, family-like nature of the congregation,” in addition to the sense of belonging that everyone can have when they join because of the number of ministries he/she can be a part of (Baab, 2008, p. 157). Family is afc concept, but all families re awed to some degree and it has become more common for one to come from a token family oro now someane wo docs. Its interesting, then, thatthe identity of the megachurch is promoted through a pristine picture of family; perhaps it works to combat what a “wo truly is the case and gives hope to members for attaining what is desired. There's a certain level we of comfort that megachurches encourage when they market with family imagery. Though no ae family is perfect, it appears megachurches want attendees to feel as though the church body around them is as close as family ideally could be. Secularization in the Church ‘The church is made up of people, and as such will be a product, to some extent, of theTHY HOLY COMFORTER 6 culture in which they live. As such they will inevitably be affected by this culture and will be held to the same standards of competition as a means of survival against other organizations that exist today, In some circles, it can be deemed the secularization of the church. This secularization of a religious group, “is the idea that religious commitment is weakened through increased exposure to, and involvement with, the values, practices, and norms of the larger culture” (Stout, 2004, p. 62). As our society becomes increasingly market-driven, and entertainment-based, it is no wonder that we see the same patterns emerging within the church. In thigjfic megachurch can be scen as a cultural experience ~ a product of a culture industry (one er eee terrae re tteues eerie mreenr ea rum congregation size and the money flow that follows (Rodriguez-Ferréndiz, 2014, p. 333). As mentioned previously, megachurches tend to have large, performance-based worship services De" On 5) (Beer, 2009, p. 440). In the church, art and beanty is facilitated, on average, more intensively than charity is dispensed and justice is pursued (Chaves, 2007, p. 300). This is not inherently secular, but it certainly causes speculation from more traditional churchgoers. It also calls to question the doctrine that is preached at any place of worship, but particularly mega places of ‘worship where resources are more abundant for distribution, ‘This speculation leads tothe overall observation from Watson (2011) that religion has sh Qivi been trivialized and demonized. 1 “18D his s gives tightto the ways in which the church 9s as result is viewed.{t is evident that it is not always seen positively, and seit only ‘makes sense that >) PessseeCe eeEEL Se these establishments would attempt to marry secularism and religiosity into services in order to cater to a larger audience. As Watson (2011) puts it, in today’s Wester society, “The crucial point is to find a way of being inclusive while articulating a religious position as well as a secularist position” (p. 181). Watson’s article was written to convey the necessity of thoseTHY HOLY COMFORTER 7 operating in a predominantly political society, with various beliefs and backgrounds, to have a common foundation of secularism within the public sphere; however, a lesson is to be taken away for how the church has to respond in order to survive. A bit of secularization — adaptation to the current trends and culture — is the only way to be heard and to be taken seriously as an organization. Even from the perspective of megachurch leadership itself, “The ambition for corporate organization... favors production over process, and in referring to this notion, pastors noted an emphasis on getting one’s job done, business is business...” (Hartwig, 2008, p. 20). The business model can draw the leadership away from their original purpose for ministry, even though their message will be received by a captive audience. This need to conform and perform can trickle into every aspect of the church, including what the congregation experiences on Sunday morning. Ina study done on Nevada Mormons’ views of the Las Vegas as said everything within the strip was ba but there were others who found benefits in th®“family entertainment and engaged in the good media/activities (Stout, 2004, pp. 70-71). While not directly tied to megachurch environment, itis notable to see how other religious groups adapt to the environment around them — some avoid every aspect, and some fully embrace the culture. It is the same with Christian churches. Some of these churches, stereotypically entertainment-based megachurches, are found to embrace fully the consumerist culture that draws a wide range of ‘members. Others, such as more conservative, orthodox churches, avoid it completely. And there is room for everything in between as churches land on a spectrum between total avoidance of and total adaptation to societal trends and secularization, Megachurches have become more businesslike than saored in nature. “To a certain degree the culture industries have taught the other branches of industry to pseudo-individualizeTHY HOLY COMFORTER 8 themselves to gain in competitiveness, differentiation, and in surcharge for the value that has been added to the product” (Rodriguez-Ferrandiz, 2014, pp. 329-330). According to “seeker- sensitive” church study leader Barna (1992), churches have come to market their “product” in the same way that other stores would sell shoes or tools (p. 15). With yield rates of upwards of 40 million dollars itis clear that the megachurch has become a profitable industry (Beer, 2009, p. 441). The commodification of church life is one that many churchgoers may become wary of. ‘Megachurches are marketing their organization just as anyone else would market their business, with goals of profit and word-of-mouth advertising that comes with a satisfied customer. ‘The communication of megachurches, in turn, reflects this mindset and represents the values that these religious organizations hold as their core values. As Bab (2008) found in researching the websites of six different churches, two of which were megachurches, their online communication “had components of sophisticated print and TV advertisements, which are designed to persuade the viewer to do or purchase something” (Baab, 2008, p. 154). Her findings evidence that churches all around, but particularly the growing megachurch, show signs of conforming to the industrious mindset of our culture. There is a waning level of commitment for _shurch goers as churches have started to cater to the desires of the audience. Many call it church ar Rute shopping. ithaplion t like a particular aspect of the service fouge attending one can simply “ Wi find another church that will better suit uteneeds as a religious member. And it is even easier to \ \YY” Te parece eer one We? switch megachurched because when there are that many people, and fewpoutd ently bea a newcomer to those sitting arouniffuryach week, there is no one to notice wwher(geure (eure gone ‘trying anew church. oa \THY HOLY COMFORTER, 9 Changing the Church with the Times Historically, religious organizations and their relationships with other organizations have largely affected the dynamics of urban life (Beer, 2009, p. 436). While the size of megachurches continues to grow, the population is broken up by large numbers of ministries to join, or weekly small groups to attend which create the feeling of belonging to a smaller church congregation, It is interesting to note that while megachurches are growing, other smaller churches continue to decrease in size, The number of new members added to various congregations is not increasing, and this shows that members of smaller churches are moving to megachurches ~a trend that began in the 1970s (Chaves, 2007, p. 304). In looking to the ways in which the websites of megachurches are marketing their services and abundance of ministries, Baab (2008) finds that, megachurch communication feels more like a “demand” than an invitation for viewers to respond (p. 154). Megachurches know how to grab their audience's attention — their sharp imagery and sharper thetoric leave people mesmerized at the enormity and suave of the organization. Everything they market is conveying an argument in attempts to draw members in (Baab, 2008, p. 173). As the church grows, the need for smaller groups of community within church grows along with it, A small group makes a large church feel less intimidating and is one way that megachurches are changing with the times as they grow and also want to promote a family identity. “American religious life operates with something like 2 20/70 rule: the biggest fifth of congregations have about 70 percent of all the people, money, staff, and volunteers. People and resources are heavily concentrated in the biggest churches” (Chaves, 2007, p. 303). The pastor cannot take on the forming and fostering of all of these relationships alone because they wouldTHY HOLY COMFORTER 10 be too numerous, and so megachurches have employed the use of small groups in order to create a sense of community that can feel more inviting. One of the first things a new member at Saddleback [a megachurch in California] learns is that “a Christian life is built on relationships” and that these relationships are best built and nurtured in small groups, typically consisting of between six and twelve individuals, that do not meet on the church campus but are dispersed to meet weekly in members’ homes (Wilford, 2012, p. 91). ‘Megachurches must adapt in order to draw members in and communicate that they belong to the larger population via their belonging and importance to a smaller group of people within the congregation. As the times change and other spiritual practices also gain popularity, the megachurch must compete for attendance with other religious organizations. Those who join religious movements of any kind are hoping for inner change, community, and identity formation within, this movement or group (Coates, 2012, p. 187) Looking forward, Watson (2011) argues that the most important aspects of life (including religion and its place in secular society) should bring people together in civilized and civilizing interaction (p. 142). According to Presser and Chaves (2007), “...the best evidence—from time-use studies—suggests that weekly attendance at religious services declined between 1950 and 1990, and has remained stable since then” (p. 421). ‘The megachurch is not necessarily working with new Christians (though by and large that is their ‘goal), but rather, as the research shows they are working to attain any new members who may already be Christians. Because of their large numbers, which lead to greater resources from tithes and offerings, the megachurch’s range of influence gets bigger and stronger. They are able to adapt and meet the needs of many different types of communities, should they choose, becauseTHY HOLY COMFORTER W they have the money to do so. The futures of megachurches are continuously growing as they monopolize the religious market, and so their implications on the future of the Christian church. are great. Summary and Rationale ‘While according to Stromsnes (2008) membership in an organization does not necessarily equal active membership, she did show that roughly half of those who are members participated in volunteer activities donated money and had personal friends within the organization (p. 483). ‘These levels of involvement outside of Sunday service hint at the level of commitment.that Knee Sa Ear naeeerar seer members have the megachure}} These relationships that are formed between congregation members and between the leadership and the attendees are evidence of the success of the institution if their goal is to promote a family-like atmosphere, and deep connections across diverse people groups (Baab, 2008, p. 159; Beer, 2009, pp. 440-441; Stromsnes, 2008, p. 481). Itis vital for the growing life of the megachurch to communicate its desires and values accurately so that members are able to participate accordingly. It is also important for them to sufficiently advertise all that they offer so that members can get involved and take ownership of their experience because simple growth in numbers does not necessarily equal effectiveness. ‘Overall, as resources continue to come available to megachurches, they continue to communicate in order to draw in their members and increase their attendance. It is important for members of the congregation and leadership alike to take a deeper look at the church’s communication in order to better understand how its communication is affecting the life and effectiveness of the ministry of the church. Based on the lack of research done on megachurch ‘communication and its effects on attendees, the following research questions will be analyzed:THY HOLY COMFORTER 12 RQI: In megachurches with focuses on entertainment, does the use of entertainment deter deeper interpersonal relational ties among members? RQ2: In large churches, how does involvement in church activities afifect weekly service attendance and/or longevity in church membership? RQ3: In what ways do megachurches gear communication towards nonbelieving audiences? RQ4: How deeply does the average megachurch-attendee feel connected to the church body (e.g, other congregation members, the pastor, church staff members)? IRQS: Are there other tactics that are being used (such as playing secular music after the service ends, adding in coarse language for dramatic effect during sermons) to draw in ‘members to the church? And how is this changing the standard of acceptability within the church? RQ6: How are church services influenced by popular culture? RQ7: Are the opinions taught in the church coming from viewpoints that reflect the makeup of the church body? Method Participants ‘The participants of this study will include members of local megachurches in the area, with the permission of their church leadership. (If the church leadership would not give permission for the survey, students at local Christian colleges would be polled for megachurch membership, while they are at home or at school, in a megachurch, and those who have regularly attended a megachurch would become the sample.) The pool of participants would be generated via convenience sampling by notifying all church members (or students) through an emailTHY HOLY COMFORTER 13 announcement, Participants would have the opportunity to mark at the end of their survey if they would be willing to be a patt of a focus group to share more subjective information for the study. Participants selected for focus groups would be those who marked that they were willing to do so, Participation would be voluntary, and their information would be kept confidential. Procedures This will be a longitudinal study where participants have the freedom to opt out at any point during the process. If the sample were to come from Christian colleges, a preliminary survey would be sent in order to understand the population and find prospective participants for the study, and those who wish to participate in the study would be notified. The survey administered in order to gain information about church participation and experience will be the same as that given to the participants at other points throughout the study. The first survey will be sent out electronically following a “typical” Sunday service. The survey, taking no longer than 20 minutes, will also include an option for participants to take part in a focus group at a later time, and they can enter their contact information at the end in order to be placed in a group of 7- 10 depending on the number of those who comply with the request. In a school setting, the ‘qualification for a focus group study would be those who currently attend a megachurch or have attended a megachurch in the past. The focus groups will be interviewed for 30-45 minutes so that all views could be shared in the process. The subsequent surveys will be administered following services that landed on special events, i.e. a holiday and a baptism or baby ‘dedication’? Sunday, Materials The electronic survey will be self-administered online, and will be comprised of nominal variable questions, such as those asking for the participant’s age, gender, race, denomination, ande ‘THY HOLY COMFORTER 14 the type of church they typically attend, This section of the survey will also include an interval measure asking the participant’s income and education level, Questions regarding the participant's level of commitment to the church body would follow. This section of the survey 1¢ survey will have an interval measure asking the parti 4 ak sever fis ‘manifest itself in the form of a nominal yes/no question regarding participation in church activities/ministries outside of the Sunday service, as well as a ratio question where they can rate their level of connectedness with other members of the church community, with absolute zero representing an absence of any level of connection with the church body. ‘The focus group interviews will be semi-structured and mediated by the researcher. The participants will sign a statement of confidentiality prior to participating in the group interview so that the answers of other group members may remain confidential. The focus group interview questions will be centered on the types of feelings church members have about their environment, Megachurch attendees will be asked about the ways in which they are attracted to the church, and what encourages them to maintain their attendance in that particular religious organization. They will also be asked about the effects of their outside commitments on their relationships with other congregation members and their views on the church community and culture. The focus group will be asked questions regarding their initial reactions to the church compared to the ways in which they see the church now, They will also be asked to state their views on the leadership of the congregation and to describe the services they typically attend. The group will be probed to discuss the ways in which they see or do not see media influences infiltrating the church. There will also be a time for the group to discuss ways they are challenged to live/act/think/love differently by their church, and the accountability they feel inTHY HOLY COMFORTER 15 attaining these goals. The group will be asked to recall the pop culture references they have heard in sermons within the last year. Lastly, the group will be asked to share how they see finances used inside and outside the church, and they will be asked to give a general reaction on SP Watkin carn church spending as they perceive it Discussion Implications ‘The secularization of our culture is on the rise. Within this culture dedicated to the instant gratification and overall satisfaction of the customer, the church — particularly the megachureh ~ hhas not escaped the effects of consumerism. It is vital to megachurches to understand that which they are communicating via their services, website, and dedication to ministry, or lack thereof. Studies on the megachurch show that attendance is increasing (Chaves, 2007, p. 304). ‘With growing spheres of influence, it becomes even more important for the leadership of mega places of worship to have a full grasp on the message they are sending to potential and current members of their congregations. Historically, religious organizations and their relationships with other organizations have largely affected the dynamics of urban life (Beer, 2009, p. 436). Now it appears as though the roles have been reversed, as churches succumb to the pressure to be relevant in a secular society. Therefore, it is abundantly necessary for the church to assess the ways in which it affects and is affected by the larger culture. It is also vital to the mission of the organization to have a grasp on the growth of its members. If indeed members begin to feel as though, like their marketing, the church has become “overly slick and somewhat manipulative” it would have grave consequences for the future of the megachurch in their efforts to see lives transformed and souls saved for Christ (Bab, 2008, p. 153). If the church is nothing more than mere reflection of society, the challenge to act and live differently is lost, and the church hasTHY HOLY COMFORTER 16 merely become one mote venue for the expression of the larger secularized culture in which it resides Limitations aro aa This study, while based in the statistical evidence that the surveys provide, is stl’: in personal opinions and relies on the accuracy of participants in describing their experience in church. Loyalties to churches, to any group for that matter, can be difficult barriers in pursuit of factual information. Each member, depending on their completely varied experiences will have a different story to tell, and because the church is made of people, there are also bound to be imperfections that can come out in the data that may not accurately represent the mission of the church / the study is imited geographically as the sample of participants is pulled from a local sample of church members [or college students], and considering those who have time to spare for interviewing, may be limited in its reach to gain various opinions from multiple types of congregation members. Future Direction ‘The mega church has a unique opportunity to influence a large number of people; therefore, it would be most helpful for them to understand how their influence is understood by members inside and outside of their community, A more extensive study could be done in order to compare and contrast the ways in which the megachurch is viewed by the members of the des wien ay congregation, by those who are a part of other types of congregations, as well as ‘y-those who don’t belong to any church body or to a Christian church. It has been found that there is a certain allowance for great diversity within the megachurch congregation, particularly in the way in ‘which various denominations come together in worship and connect with a diverse group ofTHY HOLY COMFORTER 7 people and further bond in the unity of shared identity (Baab, 2008, p. 159; Beer, 2009, pp. 440— 441; Stromsnes, 2008, p. 481). Because of this it would be interesting for researchers to further study the diversity in opinion that is shared from the pulpit. Is the voice, or opinion, of the church that is portrayed central to a few people, or a number of different people who have the power to influence and challenge the majority? It would also be interesting to do an in-depth analysis of the ways in which growth in the church is defined by church leadership and/or understood by the members of the congregation (e.g. spiritual growth versus population growth), and further, how that mentality affects the service and the community within the congregation, Conclusion In light of the present research, and the study presented, the researcher hopes to get a better grasp of the unique culture and communication of the megachurch. More importantly, the researcher hopes that by revealing how the secularization of today’s culture shapes church ‘communication, and how it is perceived by those within the congregation, megachurches can benefit by gaining a deeper understanding of their role as leaders in culture. The research will annie sade mand’ enhance the studies that currently exist by understand what communication lies behind the growing statistics of the megachurch, and the response of the megachurch to,secularization of culture. The researcher can only hope the study will be a launching pad for others so that mere assumptions will be put to rest and concrete support or rejection of hypotheses will be the foundation of future literature.THY HOLY COMFORTER 18 References Baab, L. M. (2008). Portraits of the furure church; a rhetorical analysis of congregational websites. Journal of Communication & Religion, 31(2), 143-181 Barna, G. (1992). 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