Church Franchising
LifeChurch.tv or “Life Church” is generally considered the second largest church in the United States. It has locations in five different states, and is more like 12 different churches—except it’s not. Though the church has multiple “campuses” it really has just one “lead pastor” or “teaching pastor” who is broadcast on giant screens to all the different locations (and online) each week. Although the church has a huge weekly attendance, it officially has no membership. Instead it focuses on “partners” in various stages of involvement. The church also has its own tech crew who developed the world’s most popular cellphone Bible application. Oh, and because they want all Christian churches to reach people for Christ, they offer all kinds of free assistance to other churches on their website.
www.life.church
Drive-In Church
Drive-in churches have existed ever since the 1950s. Church of the Master Presbyterian Church in McKinney, Texas, has a new twist. At 10:30 a.m. on any given Sunday, worshippers are invited to a building with a half-covered space leading into the sanctuary. There you can either sit in the first few rows or remain in the comfort of your own car. To listen to the service you just patch yourself into the assigned radio frequency and there you go. As Rev. David Ray explains it, it’s a new “open door” concept for worship that is attracting a lot of new people from different ages and backgrounds that the church might not normally reach. The service is called “Sanctuary Under the Sky.” Leave it to the Texans.
