Got a couple e-mails this last weekend (one from Geoff Surratt of Seacoast Church and the other from Eric Bramlett) letting me know that Community Christian Church was listed in the Top 50 Most Influential Churches according to The Church Report.
According to the article 50 Most Influential Churches by Dr. John Vaughn they did a survey among leaders in the 2000 largest churches in the United States and asked them what churches were the most influential. Well, the cool part is that Community Christian Church was listed #13! My first reactions to this news (not out loud, just in my head) were...
- "That is just weird...it's a list like college football rankings...except churches."
- "I guess if there is a list...I want to be on it."
- "What if we are #14 next year... does that mean that we peaked?"
- "It still feels like we are just getting started with CCC...how could we be that influential?"
- "Troy McMahon must have stuffed the ballot box and voted 50 times!"
- "Why did they put the pictures of the Lead/Senior Pastors along side the ranking number?"
I'm not sure I really believe that we are the 13th most influential church in the country. But the fact that CCC's name is on the list raises the bar for us as a church and all of us as leaders. While I'm sitting here in Starbucks typing this post I had a guy from our church who used to go to Fellowship Church in Little Rock (#26) tell me he saw the 50 Most Influential Churches article - word spreads fast! So, in the words of the great theologian Spiderman - "with great power comes great responsibility".
(If you want the pdf. of the article, click Download JULY06top50.pdf )
51 actually
Posted by: troy | July 11, 2006 at 08:55 AM
Congrats!!!
Posted by: Kent Shaffer | July 11, 2006 at 09:48 AM
Wow! Congratulations CCC! I am so excited to be a part of one of the most influential churches. It is going to motivate me to do more! So great to see your picture with all the other greats that I have read and seen!
Let's pray that this is just the beggining!
yeah God!
Posted by: Shelley | July 12, 2006 at 12:01 AM
This is incredible. I am so proud. Dave, like I said when you were in Rwanda, THANK YOU for starting this church with Jon and the rest of the team 17 years ago. The Pahlow family will never be the same because of this community...thank you. You are loved!
P.S. Nice Mug Shot
Posted by: Ben Pahlow | July 12, 2006 at 06:03 AM
congratulations! obviously you're doing something right, and it's nice to be recognized for it.
Posted by: Kathy Jimenez | July 12, 2006 at 10:35 PM
Dave - I love the influence you and your team are having on churches all over the world. It's no surprise that CCC made it on the list!
Keep up the great work my friend!
Posted by: scott hodge | July 13, 2006 at 01:57 AM
I am so proud to be a part of this CCC thing.
Congrats to everyone for their efforts and dedication.
You’re right; if there is a list we want to be on it.
Posted by: Scott Jones | July 13, 2006 at 02:59 PM
Congrats (again) When I told my wife Seacoast (several spots behind CCC, where we belong)had placed higher on the list than we did last year her response was "are we really that much more influential than a year ago?" Yes, I guess we are. At least according to Troy.
Posted by: Geoff Surratt | July 14, 2006 at 06:46 PM
Check out the source of this list:
Rising Evangelical Star Jason Christy Leaves Trail of Fraud, Associates Say
By Hannah Elliott
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Aug. 1 /ABP/ -- When young, charismatic Christian publisher Jason Christy was tapped two years ago to lead the powerful Christian Coalition, the group's leaders praised him for his ability "to inspire and encourage people of faith to action." But Christy's business dealings -- both before and after his one-month affiliation with the Coalition -- instead have inspired former customers and co-workers to file lawsuits charging Christy with defrauding their Christian businesses.
Christy, 36, who apparently had no previous public-policy experience, persuaded the Christian Coalition in 2005 to place him in one of the most visible and powerful positions in evangelical life. But before the coalition's leaders officially turned over the reins of their 1.2 million-member national lobbying group, they learned of a trail of legal and financial problems that has followed Christy from coast to coast.
Former associates and customers of Christy's many business ventures -- mostly Christian magazines -- say he cheated them out of money and threatened them. At least 10 of them have filed lawsuits, Associated Baptist Press has learned, and others have gotten court-issued restraining or protection orders against the Scottsdale, Ariz., businessman.
Christy says all the allegations are false. He and his supporters say "enemies" are spreading lies about him because of soured business relationships. But critics say Christy is a scam artist preying on trusting Christians.
Christy now publishes The Church Report, supposedly a conservative, national print magazine and web site. He has appeared as an analyst on CNN and spoken at megachurches like Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral. He hob-nobs with some of the evangelical elite and still has relationships with leaders in highly respected positions, like the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
This article is continued at Associated Baptist Press News: http://www.abpnews.com/2685.article
Also at The Baptist Standard: http://www.baptiststandard.com/postnuke/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=6646 and
Christianity Today: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/augustweb-only/131-35.0.html
Posted by: Gary | August 11, 2007 at 01:11 AM