"The Alpha and the Mega" explores the megachurch phenomenon with a look at the different types of megachurches, their origins, and of course their opposition. Filmmaker Morgan Mead set out to find answers to all of the questions surrounding the modern megachurch. Are these megachurches taking over America and running the small church out of town? Are they preaching "religion lite"? Are they money-making machines? Is their message watered down or too empowering? Should pop culture really be used in church? Why does church need to be so BIG?
Find out the real truth about America's largest churches. Coming soon...
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Current Status of film: POST PRODUCTION
Updated: 10/14/2007
PRESS RELEASE:
What began as a simple question, "What is a megachurch?" quickly became an obsession for filmmaker Morgan Mead.
Production began on Easter Sunday 2007 in Bowling Green, KY and ended in November, 2007. During that time Mead would travel the country fueled by pocket change and a thirst for answers. What he found would change his way of thinking about religion, church, and preconceived notions of the largest churches in America.
The quest began with a handful of ignorant assumptions seeded by media coverage and hear-say. The first stop was to get some real facts from an expert named Scott Thumma. Scott is a megachurch researcher at the Hartford Seminary and author of many books and articles on the subject of megachurches. He turned some of Mead's assumptions upside down and verified others. Armed with the facts, Mead then headed to numerous megachurches, small churches, and to the general public to get some opinions.
Mead found plenty of megachurch opposition from the public, the media, and even from other churches. The surprising part is why the opposition exists. It's not the enormous size of the megachurches, it's not the money, the scandals, or the media attention. The reason a lot of megachurches are under fire goes back to the theological definition of a church as "a body of believers".
The assumption is that megachurches exist to attract hoardes of "seekers" - defined as people who do not have a church home that are currently 'seeking' a church to call home. This includes non-believers who are testing this whole thing called religion. While there are quite a few "Seeker-Friendly" megachurches, not all megachurches are the same. Some are traditional hymn-singing, Bible-focused churches.
"The Alpha and the Mega" explores the megachurch phenomenon with a look at the different types of megachurches, their origins, and of course their opposition. Are these megachurches taking over America and running the small church out of town? Are they preaching "religion lite"? Are they money-making machines? Is their message watered down or too empowering? Should pop culture really be used in church? Why does church need to be so BIG?
Find out the real truth about America's largest churches. Coming soon...
LINKS
Recommended Reading:
"Reveal: Where Are You?" by Greg L. Hawkins & Cally Parkinson
http://www.revealnow.com
"The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren
http://www.purposedrivenlife.com
"Beyond Megachurch Myths" by Scott Thumma
http://www.megachurchmyths.com
"Simply Strategic Growth" by Tim Stevens & Tony Morgan
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764428659/tonymorgan-20
"Revolution" by George Barna
http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Resource&ResourceID=196
"The Jesus Machine" by Dan Gilgoff
http://www.thejesusmachine.com/chicagooped.php
Further Research:
Wikipedia "Megachurch"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_church
Database of Megachurches - Hartford Seminary
http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/database.html
Wired Churches
http://www.wiredchurches.com
Article: FoxNews.com "Religion Gets Supersized at Megachurches"
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,110240,00.html
Article: Forbes.com "Megachurches, Megabusinesses"
http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/17/cz_lk_0917megachurch_print.html
Article: ABC.net "It's a God Thing: The Rise of the Megachurch"
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/relig/enc/stories/s1348900.htm
Article: Economist.com "Churches as Businesses"
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_VPNPVJS
Featured in Documentary:
Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale, FL
http://www.calvaryftl.org
Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA
http://www.gracechurch.org
Granger Community Church in Granger, IN
http://www.gccwired.com
Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY
http://www.southeastchristian.org
Lakewood Church in Houston, TX
http://www.lakewood.cc
Miscellaneous:
Clothespin Films, LLC
http://www.clothespinfilms.com
Director- Morgan Mead
http://www.myspace.com/clothespinfilms
Photography by 2nd Floor Studio
http://www.2ndfloorphoto.com
Twentyseven Design Co.
http://www.27designco.com
