My Experience at Eagle Brook Church, Minnesota's Only Gigachurch

Eagle Brook is the largest congregation in Minnesota, located in the community of Lino Lakes about 20 miles from St. Paul. The church has grown from a megachurch to a gigachurch, holding 10 services each weekend. The average attendance on any given weekend is 11,000 worshippers.

By definition, a megachurch is said to have a weekly attendance of at least 2,000 people. The newest term, gigachurch, is given to those churches with a weekly attendance of at least 10,000. The largest gigachurch in the nation - and perhaps the best known - is Houston's Lakewood Church, pastored by the Rev. Joel Osteen.

So what are these megachurches and gigachurches all about? Until recently, I had never attended even a megachurch; now I've experienced a gigachurch.

I had the opportunity to experience - yes, it was an experience - a service at Eagle Brook recently, and I found it absolutely amazing. The first thing I noticed was the diversity. Very few people were wearing suits and ties or Sunday dresses. Some folks arrived in expensive vehicles and others arrived by public transportation. Some came alone, while others came with friends or as families. It was obvious there were wealthy people and poor people, all sitting in close proximity and worshipping joyously together. There were men and women, young and old (which surprised me a bit), as well as individuals of all races and many cultures. Those who wanted to remain anonymous and not be singled out or identified as a visitor were able to do so. Those who wanted to be welcomed and welcoming of others found it very easy. The atmosphere was definitely inviting and warm, but in no way intrusive.

The Christian rock music was playing when I arrived, as people milled around or just sat and listened. Although there certainly were some elderly people in the congregation that day, my elderly mother probably speaks for many when she says the music was too loud and she didn't know the songs. But as it goes today, Christian rock music is crucial to the megachurch or gigachurch experience.

The message, which is a newer word for sermon these days, lasted about 30 minutes and couldn't have been better. Maybe the pastor was just speaking what I needed to hear, but by the reaction of many in the crowd, others were needing to hear it too. The message was strong on biblical principles and did little to tickle the ears of those who might've just wanted to feel good. Although it was filled with the compassion, mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, it also served up plenty on Christian duty and responsibility when it comes to serving others and our communities.

Eagle Brook, like other large churches, has many smaller components within its organization that minister to individuals and families with needs that cannot be served by weekly church attendance.

I don't know how Eagle Brook is funded because the issue of money, donations or the newest term, partnering, wasn't part of the experience. Nonetheless, Eagle Brook is growing by leaps and bounds. They have three campuses, as they call them, 32 ministers, more than 100 employees and a few thousand volunteers.

When it came to religion, I grew up in a label-conscious community. You were either Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist or Presbyterian - those were the four churches, period. And everyone knew "what" everyone else was in terms of their religion. Today, the labels seem to be giving way in many communities. If not giving way, at least they are beginning to add another form of religious worship without the label. Non-denominational community churches have cropped up virtually everywhere. Some are small, while others have grown by tremendous numbers - megachurches have become gigachurches.

In my experience with Eagle Brook, it was a beautiful thing to see so many diverse people come together to worship their God. I wonder if that's what heaven is like.