Bible and Billiards: Churches as Community Centers

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:58 pm by Kathy Schiffer

Kensington Church, a megachurch in Troy, Michigan

A travel agency. A drive-through coffee shop. Zumba classes.

In southeastern Michigan and across the nation, places of worship are expanding their offerings to meet the needs of their congregants, to appeal to a wider audience of believers, and to generate revenue through new sources.

A recent article in the Detroit News lists some of the more prominent megachurches which have developed new, fun-filled mid-week activities and services.

Some of the programs—a Job Seekers group for the unemployed, a bipolar disorder support group, a 13-week Financial Peace University based on Dave Ramsey’s investment strategies—are intended to help believers with real-life problems. Others—like coffee shops, billiards leagues and softball—encourage healthy interaction and engender friendships.

Megachurch - North Point in Georgia — North Point in Alpharetta, Georgia

David Roozen, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research in Connecticut, offered an explanation for the proliferation of megachurches: “There were big changes after World War II for big church buildings. Churches often offer the programs to satisfy the needs of their members, but also to attract new ones.”