QUOTE: "People are yearning for a more intimate type of fellowship that they, in many cases, did not find in the very large church. In the course of one generation, as a culture here in the United States, we made a 180-degree turn—from valuing strong individuals to searching for a sense of community." —Carol Childress, founder of Texas-based church consulting firm FrameWorks, explaining why smaller churches continue to experience growth in this era of ever-expanding, high-profile megachurches. Fellow church consultant Bill Easum of 21st Century Strategies says the shift toward smaller, tighter-knit communities involves a cultural opinion of traditional church: "The problem with the institutional church is people don't join institutions anymore. People under 30 aren't getting married in churches nearly as much or getting their children baptized. When tragedy strikes, they go to self-help books. … [Microchurches are] reaching people where they are—in the culture of the marketplace." [wcfcourier.com, 1/3/10]
