Last week I published a list of the top 22 churches in America, which simply merges seven previous lists together to see which churches have made the most lists. As I stress in the article, I find lists valuable because they help me to know which churches are worth studying, and I intend this list to merely be a starting point for pastors who are looking to study other successful churches.

Bobby Gruenewald, the Innovation Leader at LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK), adds to this idea by sharing 5 tips for studying such lists.

1. ALL of these lists are simply trying to recognize something that happened last year or in some cases even later than last year (as in THE PAST).
2. As fast as this world is changing churches should NOT be looking to last year’s methods/ideas to reach today’s culture. 2006 is not 2007 (February is not March).
3. Though some leaders will study what these churches do and use it as a springboard for new ideas for the future… most will attempt to do exactly the same thing except this time a year or two later… what I call “lemming leadership.”
4. I still see thousands of churches trying their hardest to become like the #1 church of 1995 only to find out that the world has changed by the time they get there.
5. I hear from several church leaders that it takes their church a long time to embrace new changes (sometimes as long as 5 years). If that is true for you… I suggest you point your church’s trajectory at what the church of 2012 looks like.

Keep in mind that these are just lists. With about 350,000 churches in the United States, many exceptional churches will not make a list. In fact, some of my favorite churches and ones that I consider to be the most innovative are never in the lime light.

Pay close attention to Bobby’s #3 tip. Church Relevance is intended to be a “springboard for new ideas for the future.” If you are a regularly reader of this site, you have probably realized by now that our content is a collection of ideas, statistics, and techniques designed to get you thinking about how you can improve what God has called you to do.

Simply following formulas will eventually hurt you and your ministry. You must understand the principles and the “why” behind why successful organizations do what they do before you attempt to do something similar. And if you are a formula-following type of person, do not read this blog because you do not fully realize that your ministry is unique and requires a custom approach, and you will eventually hurt yourself.

The Barna Group released the results from a recent survey that explores the religious differences between Republicans and Democrats. Their findings:

• The Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches.
  >> 57% of Republicans agree
  >> 40% of Democrats agree
  >> 17% difference
• Satan is a real spiritual entity.
  >> 33% of Republicans agree
  >> 17% of Democrats agree
  >> 16% difference
• Describe themselves as absolutely committed to Christianity.
  >> 61% of Republicans
  >> 48% of Democrats
  >> 13% difference
• Have spiritual convictions that qualify them as born again Christians.
  >> 51% of Republicans
  >> 38% of Democrats
  >> 13% difference
• Good works can earn salvation.
  >> 35% of Republicans reject the idea
  >> 23% of Democrats reject the idea
  >> 12% difference
• Attended church in the last seven days.
  >> 53% of Republicans
  >> 41% of Democrats
  >> 12% difference
• Qualify as unchurched.
  >> 22% of Republicans
  >> 34% of Democrats
  >> 12% difference
• Deem their religious faith to be important in their life.
  >> 77% of Republicans
  >> 67% of Democrats
  >> 10% difference
• Believe that God is the all-knowing, perfect creator and ruler of the universe.
  >> 75% of Republicans
  >> 65% of Democrats
  >> 10% difference
• Feel compulsion to share their faith with others.
  >> 34% of Republicans
  >> 24% of Democrats
  >> 10% difference
• Go to churches of 500+ attenders.
  >> 18% of Republicans
  >> 10% of Democrats
  >> 8% difference
• Attend Sunday school classes.
  >> 25% of Republicans
  >> 17% of Democrats
  >> 8% difference
• Participate in church-related small groups.
  >> 25% of Republicans
  >> 18% of Democrats
  >> 7% difference

Normally, I wait a few months before posting the latest article from Church Relevance’s monthly newsletter, but this month, I want to go ahead and share it now with all of the non-newsletter subscribers. So here it is, Church Relevance’s March 2007 newsletter, The Top 22 Churches in America:

I believe that one of the best available resources to pastors is learning from other churches. But with an estimated 350,000 churches in the United States, it is not easy to determine which ones offer something worth learning. Obviously, there is no time to keep track of them all.

That is why I like lists. While some find it questionable to rank churches, I find lists valuable in helping me to know which churches are worth studying. In fact, I have listed over 250 churches along with the notable lists they have made on Church Relevance’s Churches to Watch page. But no list is perfect.

So in the quest for a more perfect list, I merged seven lists together to determine the top 22 churches in America. Consider them a starting point and a manageable list of churches worth studying.

Lists Referenced

• 07 AMIC = Outreach magazine’s 2007 America’s 25 Most Innovative Churches 
• 06 FGC = Outreach magazine’s 2006 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches
• 06 LC = Outreach magazine’s 2006 100 Largest U.S. Churches
  >> Provides the below attendance numbers
• 06 MIC = The Church Report’s 2006 50 Most Influential Churches
• 05 FGC = Outreach magazine’s 2005 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches
• 05 MIC = The Church Report’s 2005 50 Most Influential Churches
• 04 FGC = Outreach magazine’s 2004 100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches

The Breakdown
Out of 350,000 churches in the United States…

• 22 churches made 5 or more of the 7 lists
• 10 churches made 6 or more of the 7 lists
• 4 churches made all 7 lists 

Top 22 Churches

1. LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) :: Craig Groeschel
   Made 7/7 lists with an average rank of #8.6
   Attendance: 16,071
   >> 07 AMIC (#1)
   >> 06 FGC (#11) :: 05 FGC (#4) :: 04 FGC (#8)
   >> 06 LC (#13)
   >> 06 MIC (#7) :: 05 MIC (#16)
2. Fellowship Church (Grapevine, TX) :: Ed Young Jr.
   Made 7/7 lists with an average rank of #11.9
   Attendance: 18,124
   >> 07 AMIC (#4)
   >> 06 FGC (#37) :: 05 FGC (#20) :: 04 FGC (#5)
   >> 06 LC (#9)
   >> 06 MIC (#4) :: 05 MIC (#4)
3. Saddleback Church (Lake Forest, CA) :: Rick Warren
   Made 7/7 lists with an average rank of #12.3
   Attendance: 20,595
   >> 07 AMIC (#18)
   >> 06 FGC (#39) :: 05 FGC (#5) :: 04 FGC (#15)
   >> 06 LC (#6)
   >> 06 MIC (#2) :: 05 MIC (#1)

Read More >>

Again, I typically post articles from Church Relevance’s newsletter a few months after I send them to subscribers. If you would like to receive the latest issues of Church Relevance’s newsletter as soon as possible, you may sign up to begin your free monthly subscription to our newsletter.

In a quest to find what is popular online, Youth Trends recently asked 17-to-25-year-olds to name their top three favorite websites. Facebook.com dominated the results among both men and women.

Among Women Ages 17-25

1. 69% Facebook
2. 38% MySpace
3. 22% YouTube
4. 13% Google
5. 10% CNN

Among Men Ages 17-25

1. 56% Facebook
2. 19% YouTube
3. 17% Yahoo!
4. 17% Google
5. 16% ESPN

Keep in mind that these are their favorite sites and not necessarily the ones they most traffic. Regardless, Facebook is the place for your church to reach young adults.

To learn more about how your church can reach people with Facebook, read our previous posts about advertising on Facebook and how Guts Church used Facebook to reach Tulsa students.

Full report: eMarketer
[via Mashable]

Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) shares three questions on his blog that are valuable in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of your church.

1. If you weren’t on staff at your church, would you worship there?
2. If you didn’t know ANYTHING about Jesus, what would you know about him after a normal weekend at your church?
3. If you had a loved one who didn’t know Christ, and they had one week left to live, would you take them to your church or another?

Cartoon Network’s late night Adult Swim is now the most popular channel among men aged 18-24, even more popular than ESPN and MTV.

Last April, Adult Swim was already reaching twice as many teens as MTV and beating out late night talk shows among 18-24 year old guys. Its popularity is growing fast.

It seems strange to think that the #1 thing competing with your church for the attention of young men is a talking glob of meat and a levitating box of french-fries.

[via Entertainment Weekly]

CNET reports that Adobe Systems plans to launch a free online version of Photoshop within six months. It will be an entry-level version made possible and paid for by online ad revenue.

[via Mashable]