S U M M A R Y R E P O R T

1OO
FASTEST-GROWING
CHURCHES IN AMERICA
THE OUTREACH MAGAZINE AND LIFEWAY RESEARCH ANNUAL REPORT
What Is The Outreach 100?
The Outreach 100 is a collaboration between Outreach
magazine and our friends at LifeWay Research. Its our
attempt to identify and learn from the countrys fastest-
growing churches. The LifeWay Research team surveys
churches, verifies the numbers, calculates the results
and compiles the lists. The Outreach editorial team con-
ducts interviews with many of the pastors and reports on
those conversations in the 164-page full report, in addi-
tion to featuring Outreach 100 church landing pages,
church profiles. Interviews, trends and innovations of
the American megachurch and other features online at
Outreach100.com.
What is the methodology behind the
Outreach 100?
In preparation for this annual report, we solicit
participation from more than 27,000 churches.
Through the process, they are contacted by fax, email,
letter, phone and certified mail. The Outreach 100 is
a self-reported survey, based on attendance averages,
not membership. Churches that participate provide
weekend attendance averages for February and March,
excluding Easter. These figures are then compared with
the previous years averages for the same months. The
final rankings reflect an average of numerical gain and
percentage gain. Although we go to great lengths to
confirm data, the information is reported by pastors,
staff or church officers, and as such, reflects their
perceptiontheir churches as they see them. This years
Fastest-Growing list includes surveyed churches with
attendance greater than 1,006, a numerical gain of 207
or more, and a percentage gain of at least 10 percent.
The Largest list includes all churches participating in
the survey with attendance of 5,533 or more.
Why dont I see ________ Church on the list?
We seek the broadest possible participation from evan-
gelical Protestant churches, but since The Outreach
100 is a self-reported survey, not an independent in-
vestigation, there are omissions. Some churches chose
not to respond to multiple interview and data requests
for a variety of reasons (though overall, more churches
participated this year than have in the past). If you
notice the absence of a high-profile evangelical church,
chances are they were invited to participate but opted
outthis is true of both Life.Church, headquartered
in Edmond, Oklahoma, widely regarded as the largest
congregation in the country, and Lakewood Church in
Houston, Texas, which once held that distinction. Note
too, that our emphasis is not on largest churches per
se, but on fast-growing congregations and what makes
them tick.
So, is this just a celebration of numbers?
Certainly The Outreach 100 is a celebration of numbers,
a recognition of church addition and multiplication.
Ultimately, though, The Outreach 100 is not so much
about numbers as it is the individuals those numbers
representpeople who have found hope in Christ and the
churches pointing them to him. This summary report will
serve as an introduction to the numbers. To get a more
complete picture of the churches and the transformational
stories behind them, we invite you to join us online at
Outreach100.com.
 STATES WITH MOST
FASTEST-GROWING
CHURCHES

14
FLORIDA
TOP 10
GREATEST
13 PERCENTAGE
TEXAS GAIN
1. Gateway Fellowship Church

9 San Antonio, Texas

187%
GEORGIA

2. Life Church Green Bay

6 De Pere, Wisconsin

VIRGINIA 115%
5
3. Tabernacle of Praise
McDonough, Georgia
OHIO
79%
4 TOTAL ATTENDANCE
4. Action Church
Winter Springs, Florida

578,447
75%
INDIANA
NORTH CAROLINA
SOUTH CAROLINA
5. Mercy Hill Church
TENNESSEE
Greensboro, North Carolina

THIS YEARS FASTEST-GROWING CHURCHES ADDED A

48%
OLDEST CHURCH COMBINED 90,720 TO THEIR ATTENDANCE COMPARED 6. BridgePoint Church
FOUNDED IN TO THEIR COMBINED 2014 ATTENDANCE, FOR AN St. Petersburg, Florida

1824 AVERAGE NUMERICAL GAIN OF 907 (25 PERCENT).

47%
7. The Life Church
Mountain Christian Church
Manassas, Virginia
Joppa, Maryland
TOP 10 GREATEST NUMERICAL GAIN
1 Church of the Highlands 6 Christ Fellowship Church
46%
YOUNGEST CHURCH
Birmingham, Alabama Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 8. New Community Bible
FOUNDED IN +7,539 +2,329

2014
Fellowship
2 NewSpring Church 7 Red Rocks Church Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Action Church
Anderson, South Carolina
+5,925
Littleton, Colorado
+1,970 42%
Winter Springs, Florida 3 North Point Ministries 8 Bayside Church
9. Orchard Church
Alpharetta, Georgia Granite Bay, California
Brighton, Colorado
+4,498 +1,950
TOTAL NUMBER OF
CHURCHES THAT ARE
4 Elevation Church
Matthews, North Carolina
9 Gateway Fellowship Church
San Antonio, Texas
40%
NONDENOMINATIONAL 42 +3,268 +1,520 10. Generation Church
Mesa, Arizona
SOUTHERN BAPTIST 20 5 King Jesus International 10 New Life Church
INDEPENDENT CHRISTIAN 12 Ministry Miami, Florida
+2,468
Conway, Arkansas
+1,393
40%
ASSEMBLIES OF GOD 9

OutreachMagazine.com 65
 Alabama 39,916 Illinois 12,776 Mississippi 9,845 New York 1,950 Tennessee 18,129

2
TOTAL Arizona 14,270 Indiana 18,882 Missouri 9,738 North Carolina 39,573 Texas 64,233

0
Arkansas 19,477 Iowa 3,719 Montana 2,102 Ohio 19,283 Virginia 22,431

1
ATTENDANCE California 20,533 Kentucky 3,263 Nebraska 3,211 Oklahoma 4,677 Washington 2,152
Colorado 13,071 Maryland 5,229 Nevada 2,063 Pennsylvania 5,470 Wisconsin 4,312

6
FASTEST-GROWING CHURCHES
Florida 92,631 Michigan 5,933 New Hampshire 2,814 South Carolina 42,131 TOTAL 578,447
Georgia 61,137 Minnesota 7,324 New Jersey 3,513 South Dakota 2,659

51 93

20
39
2 78

28 72
10
33 55
90 9 76 98
71 97 88 50
58
32 41
89 30 100 16 70
26 23 67
29 84 22
4 6
75 74 35
49
43
25 46
27
92 12 77
96 18
11 61 48
87 47 8
57 95 99
45 37
80 94
56 73 38 65 42
34 64 5 3
44 54
86 AN OUTREACH MAGAZINE
15 24 83 85 60
63 52 SPECIAL REPORT
81 59 53 17
LIFEWAY RESEARCH
69 91
19
1 68 14
7 66
13 79
36 62
82 40
31
21
THE FASTEST-GROWING CHURCHES IN AMERICA 2016

GROWTH GROWTH
RANK CHURCH CITY STATE PASTOR WEBSITE ATTENDANCE FOUNDED
BY # BY %

1 Gateway Fellowship Church San Antonio TX John Van Pay MyGateway.tv 2,332 1,520 187% 2008
2 Life Church Green Bay De Pere WI Shawn Hennessy LifeChurchGreenBay.com 2,267 1,210 115% 2008
3 Tabernacle of Praise Church International McDonough GA Timothy J. McBride TOPCI.org 2,684 1,184 79% 2005
4 Red Rocks Church Littleton CO Shawn Johnson RedRocksChurch.com 9,624 1,970 26% 2005
5 Church of the Highlands Birmingham AL Chris Hodges ChurchOfTheHighlands.com 38,346 7,539 24% 2001
6 The Life Church Manassas VA David Baird WeLoveChurch.com 3,209 1,004 46% 1999
7 Citylife Church Tampa FL Tony Stewart CitylifeChurch.cc 3,071 870 40% 1927
8 NewSpring Church Anderson SC Vacant NewSpring.cc 33,761 5,925 21% 2000
9 Rockford First Rockford IL Jeremy DeWeerdt RockfordFirst.com 5,004 1,028 26% 1929
10 2|42 Community Church Brighton MI David Dummitt 242Community.com 5,933 1,187 25% 2005
11 Central Baptist Church Jonesboro AR Archie Mason CentralBaptist.com 4,203 958 30% 1931
12 Faith Promise Church Knoxville TN Chris Stephens FaithPromise.org 6,449 1,242 24% 1995
13 BridgePoint Church St. Petersburg FL Tim Whipple BridgePointFL.com 2,274 726 47% 2006
14 Real Life Christian Church Clermont FL Justin Miller Real.life 6,719 1,283 24% 1961
15 Beltway Park Church Abilene TX David McQueen Beltway.org 4,836 966 25% 1985
16 Rock City Church Columbus OH Chad Fisher RockCityChurch.tv 2,696 712 36% 2011
17 The Church of Eleven22 Jacksonville FL Joby Martin COE22.com 6,945 1,225 21% 2012
18 Elevation Church Matthews NC Steven Furtick ElevationChurch.org 21,146 3,268 18% 2006
19 Action Church Winter Springs FL Justin Dailey TheActionChurch.com 1,293 553 75% 2014
20 Next Level Church Somersworth NH Joshua Gagnon NLC.tv 2,814 627 29% 2008
21 King Jesus International Ministry Miami FL Guillermo Maldonado KingJesusMinistry.org 16,800 2,468 17% 1996
22 Park Valley Church Haymarket VA Barry White ParkValleyChurch.com 2,384 586 33% 2003
23 Traders Point Christian Church Indianapolis IN Aaron Brockett TPCC.org 5,953 992 20% 1834
24 Valley Creek Church Flower Mound TX John Stickl ValleyCreek.org 5,069 872 21% 1992
25 Mercy Hill Church Greensboro NC Andrew Hopper MercyHillGso.com 1,500 487 48% 2012
26 Bayside Church Granite Bay CA Johnston, Brewster, Harlow, McCourt BaysideOnline.com 14,200 1,950 16% 1995
27 James River Church Ozark MO John Lindell JamesRiver.org 9,738 1,354 16% 1991
28 Embrace Church Sioux Falls SD Adam Weber IAmEmbrace.com 2,659 545 26% 2006
29 Orchard Church Brighton CO Doug Dameron OrchardChurch.tv 1,588 455 40% 2005
30 Lifegate Church Omaha NE Les Beauchamp LifegateOmaha.com 3,211 611 24% 1975
31 Calvary Fellowship Miramar FL Bob Franquiz MyCalvary.com 2,632 538 26% 2000
32 Vineyard Columbus Westerville OH Rich Nathan VineyardColumbus.org 7,905 1,131 17% 1974
33 New Community Bible Fellowship Cleveland Heights OH Kevin James NewCommunityBible.org 1,480 436 42% 1994
34 Sun Valley Community Church Gilbert AZ Chad Moore SunValleyCC.com 6,255 918 17% 1990
35 Liberty Baptist Church Hampton VA Grant Ethridge LibertyLive.com 5,282 802 18% 1900
36 Bayside Community Church Bradenton FL Randy Bezet MyBayside.church 7,575 1,044 16% 2002
37 North Point Ministries Alpharetta GA Andy Stanley NorthPointMinistries.org 39,056 4,498 13% 1995
38 Bethlehem Church Bethlehem GA Jason Britt BethlehemChurch.us 2,160 466 28% 1904
39 River Valley Church Apple Valley MN Rob Ketterling RiverValley.org 7,324 1,005 16% 1995
40 Community Christian Church Ft. Lauderdale FL Scott Eynon CommunityCC.com 2,731 529 24% 1957
41 Mountain Christian Church Joppa MD Ben Cachiaras MountainCC.org 5,229 773 17% 1824
42 TrueNorth Church North Augusta SC Steve Davis TrueNorthChurch.com 2,237 458 26% 2004
43 Community Church Chesapeake VA Michael Brueseke Community.church 3,051 545 22% 1989
44 Church on the Rock Lubbock TX Jackie White COTRLubbock.com 2,421 478 25% 1985
45 Sandals Church Riverside CA Matt Brown SandalsChurch.com 6,333 868 16% 1997
46 The Summit Church Durham NC J.D. Greear SummitRDu.com 9,437 1,162 14% 1962
47 Venue Church Chattanooga TN Tavner Smith VenueChurch.com 1,425 362 34% 2013
48 Transformation Church Fort Mill SC Derwin L. Gray TransformationChurch.tc 2,966 516 21% 2010
49 Northeast Christian Church Louisville KY Tyler McKenzie NECChurch.org 3,263 538 20% 1977
50 Tenth Presbyterian Church Philadelphia PA Liam Goligher Tenth.org 1,364 354 35% 1829
 GROWTH GROWTH
RANK CHURCH CITY STATE PASTOR WEBSITE ATTENDANCE FOUNDED
BY # BY %

51 Valley Real Life Greenacres WA Dan Shields VRL.church 2,152 416 24% 2003
52 Christ's Church Camden Kingsland GA Scott Clevenger ChristsChurchCamden.com 1,435 359 33% 2007
53 Lake Pointe Church Rockwall TX Steve Stroope LakePointe.org 12,185 1,286 12% 1979
54 Turning Point Church McDonough GA Michael Turner TurningPointChurch.tv 1,939 392 25% 2003
55 Liquid Church Mountainside NJ Tim Lucas LiquidChurch.com 3,513 546 18% 2007
56 Impact Church East Point GA Olu Brown ImpactDCD.org 2,513 449 22% 2007
57 New Life Church Conway AR Rick Bezet NewLifeChurch.tv 13,664 1,393 11% 2001
58 Lifepoint Church Lewis Center OH Dean Fulks LifepointOhio.com 2,112 405 24% 2004
59 Crossroads Christian Church Grand Prairie TX Barry L. Cameron CrossroadsChristian.org 6,697 802 14% 1970
60 Pinelake Church Brandon MS Chip Henderson Pinelake.org 9,845 1,054 12% 1971
61 Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church Moore SC D. J. Horton AMRBC.org 3,167 501 19% 1988
62 Christ Fellowship Church Palm Beach Gardens FL Todd Mullins GoChristFellowship.com 23,845 2,329 11% 1984
63 Watermark Community Church Dallas TX Todd Wagner Watermark.org 12,106 1,230 11% 1999
64 Generation Church Mesa AZ Ryan Visconti GenerationAZ.org 1,006 288 40% 1948
65 Cornerstone Church Athens Athens GA Scott Sheppard CornerstoneAthens.cc 1,409 309 28% 1948
66 Faith Assembly of God Orlando FL Carl Stephens FaithAssembly.org 6,230 730 13% 1975
67 Northview Church Carmel IN Steve Poe NorthviewChurch.us 8,000 860 12% 1980
68 Sugar Creek Baptist Church Sugar Land TX Mark S. Hartman SugarCreek.net 4,229 568 16% 1973
69 First Baptist Church Temple Temple TX Ronny Marriott FirstTemple.org 1,060 282 36% 1874
70 Cornerstone Chapel Leesburg VA Gary Hamrick CornerstoneChapel.net 4,055 554 16% 1991
71 Faith Church Dyer IN Robert Bouwer FaithChurchOnline.org 3,856 536 16% 1964
72 Northbrook Church Richfield WI Mike Bellanti NorthbrookChurch.org 2,045 365 22% 1984
73 Voices of Faith Ministries Stone Mountain GA Bishop Gary Hawkins Sr. VoicesFaith.org 6,077 677 13% 1994
74 Lifepoint Church Fredericksburg VA Daniel Floyd Lifepoint.org 4,450 562 14% 2005
75 Discovery Church Colorado Colorado Springs CO Greg Lindsey MeTooPlace.com 1,859 353 23% 2003
76 Grace Church of Greater Akron Akron OH Jeff Bogue GraceOhio.org 5,090 603 13% 1960
77 Biltmore Church Arden NC Bruce Frank BiltmoreChurch.com 7,490 787 12% 1889
78 Northridge Church Rochester NY Drew Karschner NorthridgeRochester.com 1,950 342 21% 1889
79 Greeneway Church Orlando FL Wade B. Mumm GreenewayChurch.com 1,097 254 30% 1999
80 Scottsdale Bible Church Scottsdale AZ Jamie Rasmussen ScottsdaleBible.com 7,009 713 11% 1962
81 New River Fellowship Hudson Oaks TX Scott Crenshaw NewRiver.tv 2,412 370 18% 2000
82 First Assembly of God Ft. Myers FL Dan Betzer FamFM.com 8,466 790 10% 1946
83 Preston Trail Community Church Frisco TX Paul Basden, Jim Johnson PrestonTrail.org 3,292 438 15% 2002
84 The Crossing Quincy IL Jerry Harris TheCrossing.net 7,772 745 11% 1974
85 Grace Creek Church Longview TX Matt Benson GraceCreekChurch.com 1,254 248 25% 2009
86 Hope Fellowship Frisco TX John McKinzie HopeFellowship.net 6,340 627 11% 2000
87 Calvary Chapel Chattanooga Chattanooga TN Frank Ramseur CalvaryChatt.com 3,098 400 15% 2000
88 Grace Community Church Cranberry Township PA Matt Kaltenberger MyGCC.org 1,927 300 18% 2001
89 Grace Church Reno NV Dan Frank GraceChurchReno.org 2,063 307 17% 1990
90 Sunnybrook Community Church Sioux City IA Jeff Moes SunnybrookChurch.org 2,374 332 16% 1963
91 New Covenant UMC The Villages FL Harold Hendren NewCovenantUMB-FL.org 2,953 380 15% 2000
92 Cross Point Church Nashville TN Pete Wilson CrossPoint.tv 7,157 642 10% 2002
93 Canvas Church Kalispell MT Kevin Geer CanvasChurch.com 2,102 308 17% 1929
94 The Summit Church North Little Rock AR Bill Elliff TheSummitChurch.org 1,610 262 19% 1998
95 Faith Church Florence AL Steve Huskey IGoToFaith.com 1,570 258 20% 1978
96 theChurch.at Broken Arrow OK Dr. Alex Himaya TheChurch.at 4,677 485 12% 1967
97 First Church of God Columbia City IN Johnny McCallister FirstChurchConnect.com 1,073 207 24% 1885
98 Victory Church Lancaster PA Curt Seaburg VictoryChurch.org 2,179 303 16% 2000
99 Rock Bridge Community Church Dalton GA Matt Evans RockBridge.cc 3,864 408 12% 2002
100 First Christian Church Council Bluffs IA Jed Mullenix FirstChristianCB.org 1,345 227 20% 1891
 CHOOSE YOUR OWN
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 BY REGION The Fastest-Growing Churches in America

TX Dallas Watermark Community Church 63

Total Churches 8 TX Flower Mound Valley Creek Church 24
Total Attendance 39,921 TX Frisco Hope Fellowship 86
Average Attendance 4,990 TX Frisco Preston Trail Community Church 83
TX Grand Prairie Crossroads Christian Church 59
Average Increase 866
TX Hudson Oaks New River Fellowship 81
Growth by Number 6,627
TX Longview Grace Creek Church 85
Growth by Percent 22% TX Lubbock Church on the Rock 44
TX Rockwall Lake Pointe Church 53
West TX San Antonio Gateway Fellowship Church 1
TX Sugar Land Sugar Creek Baptist Church 68
STATE CITY CHURCH RANK TX Temple First Baptist Church Temple 69
CA Granite Bay Bayside Church 26
CA Riverside Sandals Church 45
CO Brighton Orchard Church 29
CO Colorado Springs Discovery Church Colorado 75
CO Littleton Red Rocks Church 4 Total Churches 21
MT Kalispell Canvas Church 93 Total Attendance 92,514
NV Reno Grace Church 89 Average Attendance 4,405
WA Greenacres Valley Real Life 51 Average Increase 713
Growth by Number 14,976
Growth by Percent 25%

Midwest
Total Churches 16 STATE CITY CHURCH RANK
Total Attendance 78,503 IA Council Bluffs First Christian Church 100
Average Attendance 4,906 IA Sioux City Sunnybrook Community Church 90
Average Increase 725 IL Quincy The Crossing 84
Growth by Number 11,606 IL Rockford Rockford First 9
Growth by Percent 30% IN Carmel Northview Church 67
IN Columbia City First Church of God 97

Southwest IN
IN
Dyer
Indianapolis
Faith Church
Traders Point Christian Church
71
23
STATE CITY CHURCH RANK MI Brighton 2|42 Community Church 10
AZ Gilbert Sun Valley Community Church 34 MN Apple Valley River Valley Church 39
AZ Mesa Generation Church 64 MO Ozark James River Church 27
AZ Scottsdale Scottsdale Bible Church 80 NE Omaha Lifegate Church 30
TX Abilene Beltway Park Church 15 OH Akron Grace Church of Greater Akron 76

76 The 2016 Outreach 100

 BY REGION
The Fastest-Growing Churches in America

Midwest GA
GA
Dalton
East Point
Rock Bridge Community Church
Impact Church
99
56
STATE CITY CHURCH RANK
GA Kingsland Christ's Church Camden 52
GA McDonough Tabernacle of Praise Church International 3
OH Cleveland Heights New Community Bible Fellowship 33
GA McDonough Turning Point Church 54
OH Columbus Rock City Church 16
GA Stone Mountain Voices of Faith Ministries 73
OH Lewis Center Lifepoint Church 58
KY Louisville Northeast Christian Church 49
OH Westerville Vineyard Columbus 32
MS Brandon Pinelake Church 60
OK Broken Arrow theChurch.at 96
NC Arden Biltmore Church 77
SD Sioux Falls Embrace Church 28
NC Durham The Summit Church 46
WI De Pere Life Church Green Bay 2
NC Greensboro Mercy Hill Church 25
WI Richfield Northbrook Church 72
NC Matthews Elevation Church 18
SC Anderson NewSpring Church 8
SC Fort Mill Transformation Church 48
SC Moore Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church 61
SC North Augusta TrueNorth Church 42
TN Chattanooga Calvary Chapel Chattanooga 87
TN Chattanooga Venue Church 47
Total Churches 48
TN Knoxville Faith Promise Church 12
Total Attendance 348,533
TN Nashville Cross Point Church 92
Average Attendance 7,261 VA Chesapeake Community Church 43
Average Increase 1,131 VA Fredericksburg Lifepoint Church 74
Growth by Number 54,266 VA Hampton Liberty Baptist Church 35
Growth by Percent 24% VA Haymarket Park Valley Church 22
VA Leesburg Cornerstone Chapel 70

Southeast VA Manassas The Life Church 6

STATE CITY CHURCH RANK

AL Birmingham Church of the Highlands 5

AL Florence Faith Church 95
AR Conway New Life Church 57
AR Jonesboro Central Baptist Church 11 Total Churches 7
AR North Little Rock The Summit Church 94 Total Attendance 18,976
FL Bradenton Bayside Community Church 36
Average Attendance 2,711
FL Clermont Real Life Christian Church 14
Average Increase 464
FL Ft. Myers First Assembly of God 82
FL Jacksonville The Church of Eleven22 17 Growth by Number 3,245
FL Miami King Jesus International Ministry 21 Growth by Percent 22%
FL Miramar Calvary Fellowship 31
FL Orlando Faith Assembly of God 66 Northeast
FL Orlando Greeneway Church 79
FL Palm Beach Gardens Christ Fellowship Church 62 STATE CITY CHURCH RANK
FL St. Petersburg BridgePoint Church 13 MD Joppa Mountain Christian Church 41
FL Ft. Lauderdale Community Christian Church 40 NH Somersworth Next Level Church 20
FL Tampa Citylife Church 7 NJ Mountainside Liquid Church 55
FL The Villages New Covenant UMC 91 NY Rochester Northridge Church 78
FL Winter Springs Action Church 19 PA Cranberry Township Grace Community Church 88
GA Alpharetta North Point Ministries 37 PA Lancaster Victory Church 98
GA Athens Cornerstone Church Athens 65 PA Philadelphia Tenth Presbyterian Church 50
GA Bethlehem Bethlehem Church 38

78 The 2016 Outreach 100

 BY AFFILIATION The Fastest-Growing Churches in America
CHURCH CITY STATE RANK CHURCH CITY STATE RANK
ASSEMBLIES OF GOD GRACE BRETHREN
Canvas Church Kalispell MT 93 Grace Church of Greater Akron Akron OH 76
Faith Assembly of God Orlando FL 66 METHODIST - UNITED METHODIST
First Assembly of God Ft. Myers FL 82 Embrace Church Sioux Falls SD 28
Gateway Fellowship Church San Antonio TX 1 Impact Church East Point GA 56
Generation Church Mesa AZ 64 New Covenant UMC The Villages FL 91
Greeneway Church Orlando FL 79 NONDENOMINATIONAL
James River Church Ozark MO 27 Action Church Winter Springs FL 19
River Valley Church Apple Valley MN 39 Bayside Community Church Bradenton FL 36
Rockford First Rockford IL 9 BridgePoint Church St. Petersburg FL 13
BAPTIST Calvary Chapel Chattanooga Chattanooga TN 87
First Baptist Church Temple Temple TX 69 Christ Fellowship Church Palm Beach Gardens FL 62
Northridge Church Rochester NY 78 The Church of Eleven22 Jacksonville FL 17
Sun Valley Community Church Gilbert AZ 34 Church of the Highlands Birmingham AL 5
BAPTIST SOUTHERN BAPTIST Church on the Rock Lubbock TX 44
Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church Moore SC 61 Community Church Chesapeake VA 43
Beltway Park Church Abilene TX 15 Cross Point Church Nashville TN 92
Bethlehem Church Bethlehem GA 38 Discovery Church Colorado Colorado Springs CO 75
Biltmore Church Arden NC 77 Faith Church Florence AL 95
Calvary Fellowship Miramar FL 31 Faith Promise Church Knoxville TN 12
Central Baptist Church Jonesboro AR 11 Grace Church Reno NV 89
Elevation Church Matthews NC 18 Grace Community Church Cranberry Township PA 88
Lake Pointe Church Rockwall TX 53 Grace Creek Church Longview TX 85
Liberty Baptist Church Hampton VA 35 Hope Fellowship Frisco TX 86
Lifepoint Church Lewis Center OH 58 King Jesus International Ministry Miami FL 21
Mercy Hill Church Greensboro NC 25 The Life Church Manassas VA 6
NewSpring Church Anderson SC 8 Life Church Green Bay De Pere WI 2
Pinelake Church Brandon MS 60 Lifegate Church Omaha NE 30
Rock Bridge Community Church Dalton GA 99 Lifepoint Church Fredericksburg VA 74
Sandals Church Riverside CA 45 Liquid Church Mountainside NJ 55
Sugar Creek Baptist Church Sugar Land TX 68 New Community Bible Fellowship Cleveland Heights OH 33
The Summit Church Durham NC 46 New Life Church Conway AR 57
The Summit Church North Little Rock AR 94 New River Fellowship Hudson Oaks TX 81
theChurch.at Broken Arrow OK 96 Next Level Church Somersworth NH 20
TrueNorth Church North Augusta SC 42 North Point Ministries Alpharetta GA 37
CALVARY CHAPEL Northbrook Church Richfield WI 72
Cornerstone Chapel Leesburg VA 70 Northview Church Carmel IN 67
CHRISTIAN - INDEPENDENT CHRISTIAN CHURCHES Orchard Church Brighton CO 29
2|42 Community Church Brighton MI 10 Park Valley Church Haymarket VA 22
Christ's Church Camden Kingsland GA 52 Preston Trail Community Church Frisco TX 83
Community Christian Church Ft. Lauderdale FL 40 Red Rocks Church Littleton CO 4
The Crossing Quincy IL 84 Rock City Church Columbus OH 16
Crossroads Christian Church Grand Prairie TX 59 Scottsdale Bible Church Scottsdale AZ 80
First Christian Church Council Bluffs IA 100 Tabernacle of Praise Church International McDonough GA 3
Mountain Christian Church Joppa MD 41 Transformation Church Fort Mill SC 48
Northeast Christian Church Louisville KY 49 Turning Point Church McDonough GA 54
Real Life Christian Church Clermont FL 14 Valley Creek Church Flower Mound TX 24
Traders Point Christian Church Indianapolis IN 23 Venue Church Chattanooga TN 47
Valley Real Life Greenacres WA 51 Voices of Faith Ministries Stone Mountain GA 73
CHURCH OF GOD - CLEVELAND Watermark Community Church Dallas TX 63
Citylife Church Tampa FL 7 PRESBYTERIAN - PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AMERICA
Cornerstone Church Athens Athens GA 65 Tenth Presbyterian Church Philadelphia PA 50
CHURCHES OF GOD GENERAL CONFERENCE REFORMED CHURCHES IN AMERICA
First Church of God Columbia City IN 97 Faith Church Dyer IN 71
EVANGELICAL COVENANT Sunnybrook Community Church Sioux City IA 90
Bayside Church Granite Bay CA 26 VINEYARD
Vineyard Columbus Westerville OH 32

80 The 2016 Outreach 100

 BY CHURCH NAME The Fastest-Growing Churches in America

CHURCH CITY STATE RANK CHURCH CITY STATE RANK

2|42 Community Church Brighton MI 10 The Life Church Manassas VA 6

Action Church Winter Springs FL 19 Life Church Green Bay De Pere WI 2
Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church Moore SC 61 Lifegate Church Omaha NE 30
Bayside Church Granite Bay CA 26 Lifepoint Church Fredericksburg VA 74
Bayside Community Church Bradenton FL 36 Lifepoint Church Lewis Center OH 58
Beltway Park Church Abilene TX 15 Liquid Church Mountainside NJ 55
Bethlehem Church Bethlehem GA 38 Mercy Hill Church Greensboro NC 25
Biltmore Church Arden NC 77 Mountain Christian Church Joppa MD 41
BridgePoint Church St. Petersburg FL 13 New Community Bible Fellowship Cleveland Heights OH 33
Calvary Chapel Chattanooga Chattanooga TN 87 New Covenant UMC The Villages FL 91
Calvary Fellowship Miramar FL 31 New Life Church Conway AR 57
Canvas Church Kalispell MT 93 New River Fellowship Hudson Oaks TX 81
Central Baptist Church Jonesboro AR 11 NewSpring Church Anderson SC 8
Christ Fellowship Church Palm Beach Gardens FL 62 Next Level Church Somersworth NH 20
Christ's Church Camden Kingsland GA 52 North Point Ministries Alpharetta GA 37
The Church of Eleven22 Jacksonville FL 17 Northbrook Church Richfield WI 72
Church of the Highlands Birmingham AL 5 Northeast Christian Church Louisville KY 49
Church on the Rock Lubbock TX 44 Northridge Church Rochester NY 78
Citylife Church Tampa FL 7 Northview Church Carmel IN 67
Community Christian Church Ft. Lauderdale FL 40 Orchard Church Brighton CO 29
Community Church Chesapeake VA 43 Park Valley Church Haymarket VA 22
Cornerstone Chapel Leesburg VA 70 Pinelake Church Brandon MS 60
Cornerstone Church Athens Athens GA 65 Preston Trail Community Church Frisco TX 83
Cross Point Church Nashville TN 92 Real Life Christian Church Clermont FL 14
The Crossing Quincy IL 84 Red Rocks Church Littleton CO 4
Crossroads Christian Church Grand Prairie TX 59 River Valley Church Apple Valley MN 39
Discovery Church Colorado Colorado Springs CO 75 Rock Bridge Community Church Dalton GA 99
Elevation Church Matthews NC 18 Rock City Church Columbus OH 16
Embrace Church Sioux Falls SD 28 Rockford First Rockford IL 9
Faith Assembly of God Orlando FL 66 Sandals Church Riverside CA 45
Faith Church Dyer IN 71 Scottsdale Bible Church Scottsdale AZ 80
Faith Church Florence AL 95 Sugar Creek Baptist Church Sugar Land TX 68
Faith Promise Church Knoxville TN 12 The Summit Church Durham NC 46
First Assembly of God Ft. Myers FL 82 The Summit Church North Little Rock AR 94
First Baptist Church Temple Temple TX 69 Sun Valley Community Church Gilbert AZ 34
First Christian Church Council Bluffs IA 100 Sunnybrook Community Church Sioux City IA 90
First Church of God Columbia City IN 97 Tabernacle of Praise Church International McDonough GA 3
Gateway Fellowship Church San Antonio TX 1 Tenth Presbyterian Church Philadelphia PA 50
Generation Church Mesa AZ 64 theChurch.at Broken Arrow OK 96
Grace Church Reno NV 89 Traders Point Christian Church Indianapolis IN 23
Grace Church of Greater Akron Akron OH 76 Transformation Church Fort Mill SC 48
Grace Community Church Cranberry Township PA 88 TrueNorth Church North Augusta SC 42
Grace Creek Church Longview TX 85 Turning Point Church McDonough GA 54
Greeneway Church Orlando FL 79 Valley Creek Church Flower Mound TX 24
Hope Fellowship Frisco TX 86 Valley Real Life Greenacres WA 51
Impact Church East Point GA 56 Venue Church Chattanooga TN 47
James River Church Ozark MO 27 Victory Church Lancaster PA 98
King Jesus International Ministry Miami FL 21 Vineyard Columbus Westerville OH 32
Lake Pointe Church Rockwall TX 53 Voices of Faith Ministries Stone Mountain GA 73
Liberty Baptist Church Hampton VA 35 Watermark Community Church Dallas TX 63

82 The 2016 Outreach 100

BEWARE & WARNING: This book BEWARE & WARNING:
is different from other books.

A GENEROUS This book is different from other

books. YOU are in charge of
JOURNEY what happens in this story and
how it will affect your ministry.
BY BEKA FROM ECHURCH
All of your gifts, talents, and
choices will hold great rewards
or devastating consequences...
Choose your church-venture
wisely...the future of your church
depends on it.

You come to a crossroad; you

feel your heart thumping as
it pulses against your temples.
One path is conveniently marked
present, the other future. Which
path do you choose?

Choose the Present Path

Choose the Future Path

ILLUSTRATED BY DANIEL
 STATES WITH MOST LARGEST AND
LARGEST FASTEST-GROWING
34 churches are listed as both
CHURCHES Largest and Fastest-Growing.

17 Here are the 10 largest.

North Point Ministries

CALIFORNIA
Alpharetta, Ga.
No. 1 Largest

15
No. 37 Fastest-Growing
39,056
TEXAS
Church of the Highlands
Birmingham, Ala.

11 No. 2 Largest
No. 5 Fastest-Growing
38,346
FLORIDA

NewSpring Church

7 Anderson, South Carolina

No. 3 Largest
No. 8 Fastest-Growing
TENNESSEE
33,761

5 Christ Fellowship Church

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
No. 8 Largest
ARIZONA
No. 62 Fastest-Growing
23,845

5 TOTAL ATTENDANCE
Elevation Church

1,127,954
GEORGIA Matthews, North Carolina
No. 11 Largest
No. 18 Fastest-Growing

5
NORTH CAROLINA
21,146

King Jesus International

Ministry
Miami, Florida
OLDEST CHURCH No. 16 Largest
FOUNDED IN No. 21 Fastest-Growing
MOST LOCATIONS
1834
16,800
NewSpring Church 17 Lake Pointe Church 9
Anderson, South Carolina Rockwall, Texas Bayside Church
Granite Bay, California
Traders Point Christian
Saddleback Church 16 LCBC Church 9 No. 22 Largest
Church No. 26 Fastest-Growing
Indianapolis, Indiana Lake Forest, California Manheim, Pennsylvania
14,200
Church of the Highlands 14 The Summit Church 9
Birmingham, Alabama Durham, North Carolina New Life Church
YOUNGEST CHURCH
Elevation Church 13 EastLake Church 8 Conway, Arkansas
FOUNDED IN No. 23 Largest

2012
Matthews, North Carolina
The Crossing 11
Quincy, Illinois
The Church of Eleven22
New Life Church 11
Jacksonville, Florida
Conway, Arkansas
Cathedral of Faith 10
TOTAL NUMBER OF San Jose, California
CHURCHES THAT ARE
12Stone Church 9
NONDENOMINATIONAL 42 Lawrenceville, Georgia
SOUTHERN BAPTIST 20
Christ Fellowship Church 9
INDEPENDENT CHRISTIAN 17 Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
ASSEMBLIES OF GOD 5
Chula Vista, California
No. 57 Fastest-Growing
River Valley Church 8 13,664
Apple Valley, Minnesota
Lake Pointe Church
Willow Creek Community Rockwall, Texas
Church 8 No. 28 Largest
South Barrington, Illinois No. 53 Fastest-Growing
Shadow Mountain 12,185
Community Church 8
Watermark Community
El Cajon, California
Church
Voices of Faith Ministries 8 Dallas, Texas
No. 29 Largest
Stone Mountain, Georgia
No. 63 Fastest-Growing
12,106

OutreachMagazine.com 109
 Alabama 38,346 Georgia 74,804 Louisiana 6,579 New Mexico 13,014 Texas 171,162

2
TOTAL Arizona 52,794 Illinois 46,117 Maryland 6,470 North Carolina 56,304 Virginia 10,905

0
Arkansas 22,697 Indiana 29,053 Michigan 13,908 Ohio 38,353 TOTAL 1,127,954

1
ATTENDANCE California 168,136 Iowa 11,409 Minnesota 33,622 Pennsylvania 14,669

6
LARGEST Colorado 38,977 Kansas 9,521 Mississippi 9,845 South Carolina 33,761
CHURCHES Florida 115,453 Kentucky 35,323 Missouri 17,566 Tennessee 59,166

12
99 66
56
92
6 55
32 64 20 21
53
57
22 97 91 34 80
15 59 10
49 40 89 9
41 31
96 58

38 42
39 76 48
27 18 68 81
45 52 63 11
93 25
75 69 3
50 1005 83
7 70 23 65
54 17 33 94
43 1 19
24 67 84 95 88
79 86 87 2
61
82 AN OUTREACH MAGAZINE
4 36 37
29 28
74 71 SPECIAL REPORT
30
LIFEWAY RESEARCH
14
72
13 51 77
44 26
60 73 85
98 78 90
62 8
47 46
35
16
THE OUTREACH 100 LARGEST CHURCHES 2016

RANK ATTENDANCE CHURCH CITY STATE PASTOR WEBSITE FOUNDED

1 39,056 North Point Ministries Alpharetta GA Andy Stanley NorthPointMinistries.org 1995

2 38,346 Church of the Highlands Birmingham AL Chris Hodges ChurchOfTheHighlands.com 2001
3 33,761 NewSpring Church Anderson SC Vacant NewSpring.cc 2000
4 28,399 Gateway Church Southlake TX Robert Morris GatewayPeople.com 2000
5 25,612 Saddleback Church Lake Forest CA Rick Warren Saddleback.com 1980
6 25,371 Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington IL Bill Hybels WillowCreek.org 1975
7 24,108 Christ's Church of the Valley Peoria AZ Donald J. Wilson CCV.church 1982
8 23,845 Christ Fellowship Church Palm Beach Gardens FL Todd Mullins GoChristFellowship.com 1984
9 23,799 Southeast Christian Church Louisville KY Dave Stone SoutheastChristian.org 1962
10 22,458 Crossroads Church Cincinnati OH Brian Tome Crossroads.net 1995
11 21,146 Elevation Church Matthews NC Steven Furtick ElevationChurch.org 2006
12 20,719 Eagle Brook Church Centerville MN Bob Merritt EagleBrookChurch.com 1949
13 20,698 Second Baptist Church Houston TX H. Edwin Young Second.org 1927
14 19,430 Woodlands Church The Woodlands TX Kerry Shook WoodlandsChurch.tv 1993
15 17,601 Flatirons Community Church Lafayette CO Jim Burgen FlatIronsChurch.com 1983
16 16,800 King Jesus International Ministry Miami FL Guillermo Maldonado KingJesusMinistry.org 1996
17 16,785 Mariners Church Irvine CA Kenton Beshore MarinersChurch.org 1963
18 16,428 Mount Zion Baptist Church Nashville TN Joseph W. Walker III MtZionNashville.org 1866
19 16,320 12Stone Church Lawrenceville GA Kevin Myers 12Stone.com 1987
20 15,100 Family Christian Center Munster IN Steve Munsey FCC4Me.com 1953
21 14,669 LCBC Church Manheim PA David Ashcraft LCBCChurch.com 1986
22 14,200 Bayside Church Granite Bay CA Johnston, Brewster, Harlow, McCourt BaysideOnline.com 1995
23 13,664 New Life Church Conway AR Rick Bezet NewLifeChurch.tv 2001
24 13,501 The Rock Church San Diego CA Miles McPherson SDRock.com 2000
25 13,014 Calvary Albuquerque Albuquerque NM Skip Heitzig CalvaryAbq.org 1982
26 12,558 Community Bible Church San Antonio TX Ed Newton CommunityBible.com 1990
27 12,203 Valley Bible Fellowship Bakersfield CA Ron Vietti VBF.org 1975
28 12,185 Lake Pointe Church Rockwall TX Steve Stroope LakePointe.org 1979
29 12,106 Watermark Community Church Dallas TX Todd Wagner Watermark.org 1999
30 12,018 Celebration Church Jacksonville FL Stovall Weems Celebration.org 1998
31 11,524 Southland Christian Church Nicholasville KY Jon Weece SouthlandChristian.org 1956
32 11,409 Lutheran Church of Hope West Des Moines IA Mike Housholder LutheranChurchOfHope.org 1994
33 11,047 North Coast Church Vista CA Larry Osborne, Chris Brown NorthCoastChurch.com 1978
34 10,905 McLean Bible Church Vienna VA Lon Solomon McLeanBible.org 1961
35 10,598 Potential Church Cooper City FL Troy Gramling PotentialChurch.com 1981
36 10,340 The Village Church Flower Mound TX Matt Chandler TheVillageChurch.net 1978
37 9,845 Pinelake Church Brandon MS Chip Henderson Pinelake.org 1971
38 9,769 World Overcomers Christian Church Durham NC Andy Thompson WorldOvercomers.church 2003
39 9,738 James River Church Ozark MO John Lindell JamesRiver.org 1991
40 9,624 Red Rocks Church Littleton CO Shawn Johnson RedRocksChurch.com 2005
41 9,521 The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Leawood KS Adam Hamilton COR.org 1990
42 9,437 The Summit Church Durham NC J.D. Greear SummitRDu.com 1962
43 9,288 Central Christian Church of Arizona Mesa AZ Cal Jernigan CentralAZ.com 1959
44 9,190 Oak Hills Church San Antonio TX Randy Frazee OakHillsChurch.com 1958
45 9,033 Cross Church Springdale AR Ronnie Floyd CrossChurch.com 1870
46 8,486 Church by the Glades Coral Springs FL David Hughes CBGlades.com 1981
47 8,466 First Assembly of God Ft. Myers FL Dan Betzer FamFM.com 1946
48 8,462 Hope Community Church Raleigh NC Mike Lee GetHope.net 1994
49 8,350 Cathedral of Faith San Jose CA Ken Foreman CathedralOfFaith.org 1959
50 8,312 Shepherd Church Porter Ranch CA Dudley Rutherford ShepherdChurch.com 1995
RANK ATTENDANCE CHURCH CITY STATE PASTOR WEBSITE FOUNDED

51 8,237 Houston's First Baptist Church Houston TX Gregg Matte HoustonsFirst.org 1841
52 8,124 World Outreach Church Murfreesboro TN G. Allen Jackson WOChurch.org 1980
53 8,000 Northview Church Carmel IN Steve Poe NorthviewChurch.us 1980
54 8,000 Calvary Chapel South Bay Gardena CA Jeff Gill CCSouthBay.org 1980
55 7,990 CedarCreek Church Perrysburg OH Ben Snyder CedarCreek.tv 1995
56 7,975 Ada Bible Church Ada MI Jeff Manion AdaBible.org 1978
57 7,905 Vineyard Columbus Westerville OH Rich Nathan VineyardColumbus.org 1974
58 7,828 Faith Church St. Louis MO David Crank, Nicole Crank FaithChurch.com 2003
59 7,772 The Crossing Quincy IL Jerry Harris TheCrossing.net 1974
60 7,771 Grace Family Church Lutz FL Craig Altman GFCOnline.com 1994
61 7,617 Savannah Christian Church Savannah GA Cam Huxford SavannahChristian.com 1964
62 7,575 Bayside Community Church Bradenton FL Randy Bezet MyBayside.church 2002
63 7,490 Biltmore Church Arden NC Bruce Frank BiltmoreChurch.com 1889
64 7,388 Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park Orland Park IL Timothy Harlow ParkviewChurch.com 1951
65 7,329 Bellevue Baptist Church Cordova TN Steve Gaines Bellevue.org 1903
66 7,324 River Valley Church Apple Valley MN Rob Ketterling RiverValley.org 1995
67 7,276 Shadow Mountain Community Church El Cajon CA David Jeremiah ShadowMountain.org 1973
68 7,157 Cross Point Church Nashville TN Pete Wilson CrossPoint.tv 2002
69 7,097 Hope Presbyterian Church Cordova TN Rufus Smith HopePres.com 1988
70 7,009 Scottsdale Bible Church Scottsdale AZ Jamie Rasmussen ScottsdaleBible.com 1962
71 6,945 The Church of Eleven22 Jacksonville FL Joby Martin COE22.com 2012
72 6,881 Austin Stone Community Church Austin TX Matthew Carter AustinStone.org 2002
73 6,719 Real Life Christian Church Clermont FL Justin Miller Real.life 1961
74 6,697 Crossroads Christian Church Grand Prairie TX Barry L. Cameron CrossroadsChristian.org 1970
75 6,623 Water of Life Community Church Fontana CA Danny Carroll WaterOfLifeCC.org 1990
76 6,582 Long Hollow Baptist Church Hendersonville TN Robby Gallaty LongHollow.com 1977
77 6,579 Healing Place Church Baton Rouge LA Mike Haman HealingPlaceChurch.org 1993
78 6,509 CityChurch San Antonio TX David Saathoff CityChurchSA.com 1992
79 6,500 Cornerstone Church of San Diego National City CA Sergio De La Mora TurningTheHearts.com 1998
80 6,470 Reid Temple AME Church Glenn Dale MD Lee P. Washington ReidTemple.org 1969
81 6,449 Faith Promise Church Knoxville TN Chris Stephens FaithPromise.org 1995
82 6,340 Hope Fellowship Frisco TX John McKinzie HopeFellowship.net 2000
83 6,333 Sandals Church Riverside CA Matt Brown SandalsChurch.com 1997
84 6,255 Sun Valley Community Church Gilbert AZ Chad Moore SunValleyCC.com 1990
85 6,230 Faith Assembly of God Orlando FL Carl Stephens FaithAssembly.org 1975
86 6,178 EastLake Church Chula Vista CA Mike Meeks EastLakeChurch.com 1991
87 6,134 Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Chandler AZ Linn Winters CornerstoneOnline.com 1995
88 6,077 Voices of Faith Ministries Stone Mountain GA Gary Hawkins Sr. VoicesFaith.org 1994
89 6,024 Cherry Hills Community Church Highlands Ranch CO Shane Farmer CHCC.org 1982
90 6,010 The Church Without Walls Houston TX Ralph D. West ChurchWithoutWalls.org 1987
91 5,953 Traders Point Christian Church Indianapolis IN Aaron Brockett TPCC.org 1834
92 5,933 2|42 Community Church Brighton MI David Dummitt 242Community.com 2005
93 5,883 Real Life Church Valencia CA Rusty George RealLifeChurch.org 2000
94 5,800 Crossroads Christian Church Corona CA Chuck Booher CrossroadsChurch.com 1892
95 5,734 Elizabeth Baptist Church Atlanta GA Craig L. Oliver Sr. ElizabethBaptist.org 1928
96 5,728 Woodmen Valley Chapel Colorado Springs CO Josh Lindstrom WoodmenValley.org 1980
97 5,586 Eastview Christian Church Normal IL Mike Baker Eastview.church 1954
98 5,582 Westover Hills Assembly of God San Antonio TX Jim Rion WestoverHills.church 1986
99 5,579 Hosanna! Lutheran Church Lakeville MN Ryan Alexander HosannaLC.org 1980
100 5,533 Christ's Church of the Valley San Dimas CA Jeff Vines CCVSoCal.com 1952
 THIS PRESENT IS NO GIFT
Unfortunately, the only way to truly impact the present
is to plan for the future. Youve worked so hard to build a great
community and to preach great sermons from week to week,
but your congregation continues to dwindle. In fact, the young
people arent engaged at all throughout the week, and you are
experiencing a steady decline in giving and engagement as
other causes and organizations compete for your members
attention in a simple, convenient, and relevant way.
While other churches are feeding their members relevant
content, building community throughout the week, and al-
lowing people to give as they feel led anytime and any-
where using smart mobile technology designed around user
experience, your church has rapidly become a Sunday-only
Windows 95 experience. Its almost cringe-worthy.

Cmon, dont be cringe-worthy.

The End

Try Again. Choose the Future Path.

Return to Start. Click Here.

 BY REGION The Outreach 100 Largest Churches

Total Churches 21 Total Churches 21

Total Attendance 207,113 Total Attendance 236,970
Average Attendance 9,863 Average Attendance 11,284

West Southwest
STATE CITY CHURCH RANK STATE CITY CHURCH RANK
CA Bakersfield Valley Bible Fellowship 27 AZ Chandler Cornerstone Christian Fellowship 87
CA Chula Vista EastLake Church 86 AZ Gilbert Sun Valley Community Church 84
CA Corona Crossroads Christian Church 94 AZ Mesa Central Christian Church of Arizona 43
CA El Cajon Shadow Mountain Community Church 67 AZ Peoria Christ's Church of the Valley 7
CA Fontana Water of Life Community Church 75 AZ Scottsdale Scottsdale Bible Church 70
CA Gardena Calvary Chapel South Bay 54 NM Albuquerque Calvary Albuquerque 25
CA Granite Bay Bayside Church 22 TX Austin Austin Stone Community Church 72
CA Irvine Mariners Church 17 TX Dallas Watermark Community Church 29
CA Lake Forest Saddleback Church 5 TX Flower Mound The Village Church 36
CA National City Cornerstone Church of San Diego 79 TX Frisco Hope Fellowship 82
CA Porter Ranch Shepherd Church 50 TX Grand Prairie Crossroads Christian Church 74
CA Riverside Sandals Church 83 TX Houston The Church Without Walls 90
CA San Diego The Rock Church 24 TX Houston Houston's First Baptist Church 51
CA San Dimas Christ's Church of the Valley 100 TX Houston Second Baptist Church 13
CA San Jose Cathedral of Faith 49 TX Rockwall Lake Pointe Church 28
CA Valencia Real Life Church 93 TX San Antonio CityChurch 78
CA Vista North Coast Church 33 TX San Antonio Community Bible Church 26
CO Colorado Springs Woodmen Valley Chapel 96 TX San Antonio Oak Hills Church 44
CO Highlands Ranch Cherry Hills Community Church 89 TX San Antonio Westover Hills Assembly of God 98
CO Lafayette Flatirons Community Church 15 TX Southlake Gateway Church 4
CO Littleton Red Rocks Church 40 TX The Woodlands Woodlands Church 14

116 The 2016 Outreach 100

 BY REGION
The Outreach 100 Largest Churches

FL Cooper City Potential Church 35

FL Coral Springs Church by the Glades 46
FL Ft. Myers First Assembly of God 47
FL Jacksonville Celebration Church 30
Total Churches 19
FL Jacksonville The Church of Eleven22 71
Total Attendance 199,549 FL Lutz Grace Family Church 60
Average Attendance 10,503 FL Miami King Jesus International Ministry 16
FL Orlando Faith Assembly of God 85

Midwest FL
GA
Palm Beach Gardens
Alpharetta
Christ Fellowship Church
North Point Ministries
8
1
STATE CITY CHURCH RANK GA Atlanta Elizabeth Baptist Church 95
IA West Des Moines Lutheran Church of Hope 32 GA Lawrenceville 12Stone Church 19
IL Normal Eastview Christian Church 97 GA Savannah Savannah Christian Church 61
IL Orland Park Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park 64 GA Stone Mountain Voices of Faith Ministries 88
IL Quincy The Crossing 59 KY Louisville Southeast Christian Church 9
IL South Barrington Willow Creek Community Church 6 KY Nicholasville Southland Christian Church 31
IN Carmel Northview Church 53 LA Baton Rouge Healing Place Church 77
IN Indianapolis Traders Point Christian Church 91 MS Brandon Pinelake Church 37
IN Munster Family Christian Center 20 NC Arden Biltmore Church 63
KS Leawood The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection 41 NC Durham The Summit Church 42
MI Ada Ada Bible Church 56 NC Durham World Overcomers Christian Church 38
MI Brighton 2|42 Community Church 92 NC Matthews Elevation Church 11
MN Apple Valley River Valley Church 66 NC Raleigh Hope Community Church 48
MN Centerville Eagle Brook Church 12 SC Anderson NewSpring Church 3
MN Lakeville Hosanna! Lutheran Church 99 TN Cordova Bellevue Baptist Church 65
MO Ozark James River Church 39 TN Cordova Hope Presbyterian Church 69
MO St. Louis Faith Church 58 TN Hendersonville Long Hollow Baptist Church 76
OH Cincinnati Crossroads Church 10 TN Knoxville Faith Promise Church 81
OH Perrysburg CedarCreek Church 55 TN Murfreesboro World Outreach Church 52
OH Westerville Vineyard Columbus 57 TN Nashville Cross Point Church 68
TN Nashville Mount Zion Baptist Church 18
VA Vienna McLean Bible Church 34

Total Churches 37
Total Attendance 462,183 Total Churches 2
Average Attendance 12,518 Total Attendance 21,139
Average Attendance 10,570
Southeast
STATE CITY CHURCH RANK Northeast
AL Birmingham Church of the Highlands 2
STATE CITY CHURCH RANK
AR Conway New Life Church 23
MD Glenn Dale Reid Temple AME Church 80
AR Springdale Cross Church 45
PA Manheim LCBC Church 21
FL Bradenton Bayside Community Church 62
FL Clermont Real Life Christian Church 73

118 The 2016 Outreach 100

 BY AFFILIATION The Outreach 100 Largest Churches
CHURCH CITY STATE RANK CHURCH CITY STATE RANK
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL LUTHERAN
Reid Temple AME Church Glenn Dale MD 80 Hosanna! Lutheran Church Lakeville MN 99
ASSEMBLIES OF GOD LUTHERAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA (ELCA)
Faith Assembly of God Orlando FL 85 Lutheran Church of Hope West Des Moines IA 32
First Assembly of God Ft. Myers FL 47 METHODIST UNITED METHODIST
James River Church Ozark MO 39 The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Leawood KS 41
River Valley Church Apple Valley MN 66 NONDENOMINATIONAL
Westover Hills Assembly of God San Antonio TX 98 Ada Bible Church Ada MI 56
BAPTIST Bayside Community Church Bradenton FL 62
Elizabeth Baptist Church Atlanta GA 95 Calvary Chapel South Bay Gardena CA 54
Mount Zion Baptist Church Nashville TN 18 Cathedral of Faith San Jose CA 49
Sun Valley Community Church Gilbert AZ 84 CedarCreek Church Perrysburg OH 55
BAPTIST - CONVERGE WORLDWIDE Celebration Church Jacksonville FL 30
Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Chandler AZ 87 Christ Fellowship Church Palm Beach Gardens FL 8
Eagle Brook Church Centerville MN 12 The Church of Eleven22 Jacksonville FL 71
BAPTIST - SOUTHERN BAPTIST Church of the Highlands Birmingham AL 2
Austin Stone Community Church Austin TX 72 CityChurch San Antonio TX 78
Bellevue Baptist Church Cordova TN 65 Community Bible Church San Antonio TX 26
Biltmore Church Arden NC 63 Cornerstone Church of San Diego National City CA 79
Church by the Glades Coral Springs FL 46 Cross Point Church Nashville TN 68
The Church Without Walls Houston TX 90 Crossroads Church Cincinnati OH 10
Cross Church Springdale AR 45 EastLake Church Chula Vista CA 86
Elevation Church Matthews NC 11 Faith Church St. Louis MO 58
Houston's First Baptist Church Houston TX 51 Faith Promise Church Knoxville TN 81
Lake Pointe Church Rockwall TX 28 Family Christian Center Munster IN 20
Long Hollow Baptist Church Hendersonville TN 76 Flatirons Community Church Lafayette CO 15
NewSpring Church Anderson SC 3 Gateway Church Southlake TX 4
Pinelake Church Brandon MS 37 Grace Family Church Lutz FL 60
Potential Church Cooper City FL 35 Healing Place Church Baton Rouge LA 77
Saddleback Church Lake Forest CA 5 Hope Community Church Raleigh NC 48
Sandals Church Riverside CA 83 Hope Fellowship Frisco TX 82
Second Baptist Church Houston TX 13 King Jesus International Ministry Miami FL 16
Shadow Mountain Community Church El Cajon CA 67 LCBC Church Manheim PA 21
The Summit Church Durham NC 42 Mariners Church Irvine CA 17
The Village Church Flower Mound TX 36 McLean Bible Church Vienna VA 34
Woodlands Church The Woodlands TX 14 New Life Church Conway AR 23
CALVARY CHAPEL North Point Ministries Alpharetta GA 1
Calvary Albuquerque Albuquerque NM 25 Northview Church Carmel IN 53
CHRISTIAN - INDEPENDENT CHRISTIAN CHURCHES Oak Hills Church San Antonio TX 44
2|42 Community Church Brighton MI 92 Red Rocks Church Littleton CO 40
Central Christian Church of Arizona Mesa AZ 43 The Rock Church San Diego CA 24
Christ's Church of the Valley Peoria AZ 7 Scottsdale Bible Church Scottsdale AZ 70
Christ's Church of the Valley San Dimas CA 100 Shepherd Church Porter Ranch CA 50
The Crossing Quincy IL 59 Valley Bible Fellowship Bakersfield CA 27
Crossroads Christian Church Corona CA 94 Voices of Faith Ministries Stone Mountain GA 88
Crossroads Christian Church Grand Prairie TX 74 Water of Life Community Church Fontana CA 75
Eastview Christian Church Normal IL 97 Watermark Community Church Dallas TX 29
Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park Orland Park IL 64 Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington IL 6
Real Life Christian Church Clermont FL 73 Woodmen Valley Chapel Colorado Springs CO 96
Real Life Church Valencia CA 93 World Outreach Church Murfreesboro TN 52
Savannah Christian Church Savannah GA 61 World Overcomers Christian Church Durham NC 38
Southeast Christian Church Louisville KY 9 PRESBYTERIAN EVANGELICAL
Southland Christian Church Nicholasville KY 31 Cherry Hills Community Church Highlands Ranch CO 89
Traders Point Christian Church Indianapolis IN 91 Hope Presbyterian Church Cordova TN 69
EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH VINEYARD
Bayside Church Granite Bay CA 22 Vineyard Columbus Westerville OH 57
EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH IN AMERICA WESLEYAN
North Coast Church Vista CA 33 12Stone Church Lawrenceville GA 19

120 The 2016 Outreach 100

 BY CHURCH NAME The Outreach 100 Largest Churches

CHURCH CITY STATE RANK CHURCH CITY STATE RANK

12Stone Church Lawrenceville GA 19 Houston's First Baptist Church Houston TX 51

2|42 Community Church Brighton MI 92 James River Church Ozark MO 39
Ada Bible Church Ada MI 56 King Jesus International Ministry Miami FL 16
Austin Stone Community Church Austin TX 72 Lake Pointe Church Rockwall TX 28
Bayside Church Granite Bay CA 22 LCBC Church Manheim PA 21
Bayside Community Church Bradenton FL 62 Long Hollow Baptist Church Hendersonville TN 76
Bellevue Baptist Church Cordova TN 65 Lutheran Church of Hope West Des Moines IA 32
Biltmore Church Arden NC 63 Mariners Church Irvine CA 17
Calvary Albuquerque Albuquerque NM 25 McLean Bible Church Vienna VA 34
Calvary Chapel South Bay Gardena CA 54 Mount Zion Baptist Church Nashville TN 18
Cathedral of Faith San Jose CA 49 New Life Church Conway AR 23
CedarCreek Church Perrysburg OH 55 NewSpring Church Anderson SC 3
Celebration Church Jacksonville FL 30 North Coast Church Vista CA 33
Central Christian Church of Arizona Mesa AZ 43 North Point Ministries Alpharetta GA 1
Cherry Hills Community Church Highlands Ranch CO 89 Northview Church Carmel IN 53
Christ Fellowship Church Palm Beach Gardens FL 8 Oak Hills Church San Antonio TX 44
Christ's Church of the Valley Peoria AZ 7 Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park Orland Park IL 64
Christ's Church of the Valley San Dimas CA 100 Pinelake Church Brandon MS 37
Church by the Glades Coral Springs FL 46 Potential Church Cooper City FL 35
The Church of Eleven22 Jacksonville FL 71 Real Life Christian Church Clermont FL 73
Church of the Highlands Birmingham AL 2 Real Life Church Valencia CA 93
The Church Without Walls Houston TX 90 Red Rocks Church Littleton CO 40
CityChurch San Antonio TX 78 Reid Temple AME Church Glenn Dale MD 80
Community Bible Church San Antonio TX 26 River Valley Church Apple Valley MN 66
Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Chandler AZ 87 The Rock Church San Diego CA 24
Cornerstone Church of San Diego National City CA 79 Saddleback Church Lake Forest CA 5
Cross Church Springdale AR 45 Sandals Church Riverside CA 83
Cross Point Church Nashville TN 68 Savannah Christian Church Savannah GA 61
The Crossing Quincy IL 59 Scottsdale Bible Church Scottsdale AZ 70
Crossroads Christian Church Corona CA 94 Second Baptist Church Houston TX 13
Crossroads Christian Church Grand Prairie TX 74 Shadow Mountain Community Church El Cajon CA 67
Crossroads Church Cincinnati OH 10 Shepherd Church Porter Ranch CA 50
Eagle Brook Church Centerville MN 12 Southeast Christian Church Louisville KY 9
EastLake Church Chula Vista CA 86 Southland Christian Church Nicholasville KY 31
Eastview Christian Church Normal IL 97 The Summit Church Durham NC 42
Elevation Church Matthews NC 11 Sun Valley Community Church Gilbert AZ 84
Elizabeth Baptist Church Atlanta GA 95 Traders Point Christian Church Indianapolis IN 91
Faith Assembly of God Orlando FL 85 The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Leawood KS 41
Faith Church St. Louis MO 58 Valley Bible Fellowship Bakersfield CA 27
Faith Promise Church Knoxville TN 81 The Village Church Flower Mound TX 36
Family Christian Center Munster IN 20 Vineyard Columbus Westerville OH 57
First Assembly of God Ft. Myers FL 47 Voices of Faith Ministries Stone Mountain GA 88
Flatirons Community Church Lafayette CO 15 Water of Life Community Church Fontana CA 75
Gateway Church Southlake TX 4 Watermark Community Church Dallas TX 29
Grace Family Church Lutz FL 60 Westover Hills Assembly of God San Antonio TX 98
Healing Place Church Baton Rouge LA 77 Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington IL 6
Hope Community Church Raleigh NC 48 Woodlands Church The Woodlands TX 14
Hope Fellowship Frisco TX 82 Woodmen Valley Chapel Colorado Springs CO 96
Hope Presbyterian Church Cordova TN 69 World Outreach Church Murfreesboro TN 52
Hosanna! Lutheran Church Lakeville MN 99 World Overcomers Christian Church Durham NC 38

122 The 2016 Outreach 100

 FUTURE-PROOF
As the sun peeks over the horizon on the future path, you are
greeted by a friendly traveler who hands you an iPhone. A mes-
sage appears on the screen that says, Flip the 80/20 Rule. You tap
the phone to unlock it, and your custom church app opens.
The friendly traveler, in a wise, oracle-like fashion, begins to
speak: In a world where mobile is at the center of peoples lives,
if they arent connecting with your church on their phone, you are
missing out.
The traveler then points back at the phone, and as you look
up, hes gone. You look down at the phone again, and a new
message appears:
echurch powered by Pushpay helps to engage your church with
mobile technology. We have a strategy that simply engages the 80%
of people who arent completely connected at your church, unlocking
generosity from a changing generation.
You emerge from the future victorious, taking the first steps in
connecting the the church to a bright future.

Choose This Future for Your Church.

Click Here.

Return to Start. Click Here.

 THE
CHANGING FACE
OF THE AMERICAN
Excerpt by Warren Bird
Megachurches face a series of unique challenges specific
to them, and this article explores five of those. All five
challenges contain implications for churches of every size,
from small to large.
Challenge No. 1: Overcoming Stereotypes
Probably no type of church is more caricatured in public
perception than the megachurch. The opulent lifestyles of
a very small number of megachurch pastorsespecially
ones marked by moral failures and other scandalsget
their own TV series. The logic is this: Media coverage
understandably is drawn to conflict and controversy, and
disproportionately so to a high-visibility church, which
often means a megachurch.
Challenge No. 2: Breaking In
The larger the church, the harder it is to identify newcomers
and intentionally pair them with a sponsor. Therefore, most
large churches put a lot of effort into establishing multiple
pathways for helping newcomers move from spectator to
participant, from outsider to insider, from a perspective of
that church to my church. Most church leaders have seen a bell-curve drawing
The way this typically happens is by being extremely
intentional about creating ways for people to develop
friendships, and to get connected in small groups, teams,
classes or other highly relational settings. As a result,
the healthiest megachurches grow bigger by intentionally
getting smaller.
Challenge No. 3: Turning the Queen Mary
With a Single Oar
The bigger the church, the harder it is to change it. To
make things worse, the more a churchs leaders feel
that they found a winning formula in the past, the more
reluctant they are to mess with it, even when it shows
MEGACHURCH
signs of no longer being as effective. Any church that
cannot separate its mission from its methodology is
certain to decline.
Challenge No. 4: Expanding via Multisites,
Mergers and Church Planting
Multisite ministry has literally changed the face of the
church in America over the past 25 years. In 1990, there
were only about 10 churches in America that did ministry
as one church on two or more campuses. As so often
happens with other innovations, multisite experimentation
happened around the edges in churches of all sizes, and
then a number of megachurches embraced it, giving it
visibility and added credibility.
Now with each passing year, the typical church that
becomes multisite has a slightly smaller size than the
average church that went multisite the year before. This
is another example of helpful learning collaboration
between churches of all sizes.
Challenge No. 5: Pioneering Microtrends
that describes the adoption of a new idea. It starts with
innovators, then early adopters, then middle adopters
and, finally, late adopters. According to that theory, larger
organizations can create more space to play with innovation
than can smaller organizations. Leadership Networks
CEO Dave Travis applies this principle to churches:
Larger congregations have more resources, both people
and financial, to experiment and innovate. A failure is
usually not as disruptive as in a smaller church where the
consequences of failure tend to be much higher.
For Warren Birds entire article on megachurch trends,
order the full Outreach 100 annual report.
 ENGAGING
A P OST- CH U RCH
Excerpt by Scott McConnell
Every year, LifeWay Research, in association with
Outreach magazine, pulls together data from churches
across the country, seeking to identify and rank the
nations fastest-growing churches. We also list the 100
largest participating churches. These quantitative lists
are only the tip of the iceberg. Each number represents
real people, real stories and real movement of the Holy
Spirit in their lives.
As we gather numbers, we also look for patterns in
these stories that may be helpful to other churches.
This year, as we looked through the surveys and
interviewed leaders, we saw a theme emerge: engaging
a post-church culture.
Accept people where they are.
Ricci Del Priore, a campus pastor at Parkview Christian
Church in Orland Park, Illinois (No. 64 Largest),
describes the churchs heartbeat as going after people
who are far from God. Parkview pushes their people
to connect with their neighbors they are already doing
life with and invite them to church.
Del Priore describes a conversation about a year
ago in which the senior pastor, Tim Harlow, caught a
glimpse of the culture he had worked hard to create.
After a service, a man in his 20s who had been
invited by a friend went up to the senior pastor and
said, This was my first time in church, but I need to
tell you, Ive never been a real religious guy. But this
was really [good]. Only instead of saying good, he
used a phrase with an expletive.
Really? He just swore in front of the senior pastor?
Instead of being shocked or offended, the staff at
Parkview began referring to Expletive Eddy at every
leadership team meeting. They knew him when they
CU LTU R E
saw him. He embodied exactly who they were trying
to reach. In fact, they started using him as a threshold
test: Were the things they were doing reaching this
kind of person?
Make it easy for your congregation.
If anyone has an excuse for having a complicated
ministry, it is megachurches. But when we interview
the leaders of megachurches, something is markedly
different from other interviews we do. We cannot get
more than two questions into the interview without the
church leaders articulating the churchs strategy.
We didnt specifically ask for it and they didnt
call it strategy. They labeled these concise phrases
as vision, approach or heart. But they could not
describe their church or talk about evangelism without
sharing their simple, easy-to-remember strategy for
their church.
Prove the value you are offering.
Nationally, 1 in 4 unchurched adults has never
regularly attended a Christian church.
Theyre not attracted to the idea of church, says
Roman Archer, executive pastor at Next Level Church
in New England (No. 20 Fastest-Growing). So, weve
got to go in and relationally build trust and show them
were here to give back. Next Level seeks to meet the
needs in the communities where it has campuses. The
church wants to add value to peoples lives in such a
way that they become open to God.
For Scott McConnells entire article on the post-
church culture, order the full Outreach 100 annual
report.
 CANDID
CONVERSATIONS
O UTR E ACH 1 0 0 PA STO R S S HAR E TH E I R
U N IQ U E P E R S P EC TIVE
Compiled by Meredee Berg
 Each year, we speak with several Outreach 100 pastors in an effort to collect their
honest observations about the church, their ministries and their experiences. For
this special issue, we collected their insights on everything from personal growth
and stress management to staying humble in a high-profile positionas well as their
thoughts on the future of the American church. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy your
visit with these seasoned pastors.

and are planting vibrant flagship churches that have

a vision for planting and mentoring other churches

An Amazing Crop
in that region. God is raising up an amazing crop of
young leaders.

of Young Leaders The core of the American church experience really

hasnt changed at all. The gospel still changes lives
and small groups are still where the best discipleship
STEVE STROOPE takes place and relational evangelismone person
Senior Pastor
Lake Pointe Church
telling another person about Jesusis still the best
Rockwall, Texas strategy for reaching people and has been the same
since the early church.
I am having more fun pastoring today than I have
ever had before. I dont really see it as high stress. Twitter: @SteveStroope
Website: LakePointe.org
If there is any key to both safeguarding and spiritual
Founded: 1979
development, it is the people in your life. It is great Affiliation: Southern Baptist
family connections and great friends who love you Locations: 9
enough to tell you the truth. Attendance: 12,185
The influencers in my life are too numerous to Growth in 2015: +1,286 (12%)
Fastest-Growing: 53
name. Some of them have been mentors, but many of
Largest: 28
them were writers who influenced my insights and my
ideas through the written page. There are four areas of my life I make sure to protect
and keep healthy: my spiritual tank, my physical tank,
What I have learned about criticism is consider
the source. The people who know the most about
you and who love you the most deserve a greater

Church Is Not About

consideration of their criticism. However, I have
found there is usually a seed of truth even in the
criticisms of your harshest critics. When it comes
to praise, its the flip side of criticism. You should
give it the same weight that you give constructive Competition
criticismand also as you do with criticism, discern
the credibility of the source. ROBERT MORRIS
Founding Senior Pastor
Gateway Church
What concerns me is the tendency of certain
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
groups to see themselves as the spiritually elite
that somehow they have the best method, or the
only theology, or the superior model, and a spirit my emotional tank and my mental tank. I fill my
of disdain for the remaining body of Christwhich spiritual tank by reading Gods Word. I fill my physical
makes them critical and in the process divides us. tank by eating right and exercising but also resting. I
fill my emotional tank by spending time with loved
I am most excited about young church planters who ones. Lastly, I fill my mental tank in several ways; one
are going to the hardest placesspiritual wastelands is by reading historical books.
 Many have influenced me along the way, including
Olen Griffing and James Robison. I consider both of
these men my spiritual fathers, and each has poured
into my life. Ive also been greatly influenced by Pastor
Jack Hayford. He had a very nonconfrontational
way of humbly presenting Scripture and his beliefs.
He caused me to start thinking about Scripture
differently, and now he is a spiritual father to me and
a spiritual grandfather to Gateway Church.
When dealing with criticism and praise, I lean on
the Word of God and am reminded of passages such
as 2 Corinthians 10:12 and Luke 6:22-23. I know that
as a pastor, everything I do should be for the Lord. It
only matters that I hear God and obey what he says.
As I shepherd his sheep, I must lead as hes called me
to lead. I have an audience of oneand thats God.
Many churches have become apathetic toward
reaching the lost. Unfortunately, not enough churches
offer a safe place for people to come and deal with hurts
and issues while experiencing true spiritual growth.
What excites me is how many new churches are
being planted and started every week. Church is not
about competition. Any time I hear about a new church
starting up in our area, I celebrate! There are plenty
of lost and hurting people in every community seeking
purpose, significance and eternal answers. The church
has opportunities to reach new people every day,
whether its our church or the church down the street.
Online church is more popular now than ever before,
and I see that growing even bigger in the future.
Yet, even with online church, people today crave an
authentic experience and relationship with God as
they deal with the reality and pressures of life. Church
is a place for people to come who need to be saved,
healed and set free, so they can be discipled, equipped,
empowered and released to serve. People are looking
for real, authentic relationships, with God and others.
Theyre not interested in being entertained by a Sunday
morning performance. Whats compelling to those who
are seeking God and their purpose and meaning in life
is entering into the presence of the Lord.
Twitter: @PsRobertMorris
Website: GatewayPeople.com
Founded: 2000
Affiliation: Nondenominational
Locations: 6
Attendance: 28,399
Largest: 4
The Importance of
Time With God
MILES McPHERSON
Lead Pastor
The Rock Church
San Diego, California
I have learned the importance of spending time with
God at the start of every day in order to prepare my
heart to seek him all day. My personal devotion is the
foundation upon which I can make all the decisions I
have to make and carry the stress of life.
One of my biggest influences has been Mike
MacIntosh, pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship, who
set the foundation for my faith journey and understanding
of how to trust and mobilize people to do the work of the
ministry. Horizon Christian Fellowship had countless
ministries, most led by volunteers, and that was a game
changer for me to see, experience and be a part of. It
played a critical role to inspire me to start a Bible study at
my house, which turned into me becoming a youth pastor
and eventually, a pastor.
Theres always a little truth in criticism and praise so
I ask God how he wants to use it in my life to make me
more like him.
Im concerned about the marginalization of the churchs
power and the lack of powerful challenges to society to come
back to God. Im excited for the opportunity to reap the
harvest as our culture unfortunately reaps what it has sown.
Due to our lack of faith in God, we are experiencing
more violence and division, and as a result, people are
living in fear more than ever before.
Twitter: @MilesMcPherson
Website: SDRock.com
Founded: 2000
Affiliation: Nondenominational
Locations: 5
Attendance: 13,501
Largest: 24
For more Candid Conversations with Outreach 100
pastors, order the full Outreach 100 annual report.
YOUR GENEROUS
JOURNEY AWAITS:
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DIGGING DEEPER
W H AT WILL
OUTREACH100.COM?
Outreach100.com is your portal to the American
Megachurch experience. It includes the listings of
the countrys 100 fastest-growing churches, with a
landing page for each, introducing the church profile
as well as the vital stats on numerical and percentage
growth, denominational affiliation, basic information
about the leadership and links to the church website
and Twitter presence. These church landing pages
also aggregate other stories about the church that
appear anywhere on the magazines website. This
typically includes more detailed church stories, tell-
ing the transformational stories behind the numbers,
and interviews with the leadership. More information
is being added all the time.
YOU FIND AT
Outreach100.com also includes links to features about
large-church trends, interviews with megachurch
leaders and transferrable ideas for churches of all
sizes. Its the place where were trying to make sense
of Americas large-church phenomenon, particularly
highlighting the shifting trends and growth patterns
principles applicable to churches of all sizes.
At Outreach100.com you will also discover how you
can obtain your own copy of the 164-page full report
of the countrys fastest-growing churches.
 Ideas, Innovations and Resources
TO HELP YOU REACH
YOUR COMMUNITY AND
CHANGE THE WORLD
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