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Name: HarrisThomas

Comment: People are going down some slippery slopes in order to "meet people where they are" on the path to higher purpose in the name of Jesus. Hip Hop culture has already had detrimental impact on the NBA. Whoever thinks it can be tamed for church purposes is sadly mistaken. There is a growing group called Godmen who think that the church is too feminine. The organizers for Godmen don't like pink carpet and fresh flowers. They want real men to come to the Lord in the name of Jesus as theirselves: adulters, profane language users, etc. They don't like having genteel inspection passing off as spiritual growth. Godmen emphatically believe that men have valid reasons for hating to go to church as set out in a 2005 book, Why Men Hate Going to Church. My sense is that if this movement gains traction, Hip Hop is going to be the least of pastors' worries about what church is in the name of Jesus. By the way, Godmen think that Jesus is feminized and domesticated.

Name: McNasty

Comment: The church should have, over the years, had more of an impact on it's parishoners and in the neighborhood where it sits. Instead every other pastor has concentrated on getting mega churches and more bling than God. Now they come out and flat blast crunk gospel cause it's the beat - the beat is what got a lot of folk up in the church in the first place - just ask them. While I've never heard of these Godmen - sounds like another scourge to stamp out before it gets outta control. The church needs to learn to choose their battles more wisely which means they need to get back to their neighborhoods and the people they are supposed to be serving. Plenty of work right there!

Name: HarrisThomas

Comment: McNasty => Mega churches are doing everything possible to grow and it does not stop with Hip Hop or Godment. This weekend, I saw an article in my local newspaper that indicated that there are mega churches that are sending satellite transmissions of services to distant locations rather than sending ministers to form new churches. The churches receiving the satellite transmissions will be distant congregations of the mega church. Immediately after Jesus ascended, the churches that formed, were formed in people's and the congregations were small.

Name: McNasty

Comment: HarrisThomas I am a neighborhood church girl, I still believe the church has a job to do in every community in which they sit and while I am all for high tech electronics, I believe they should be to put computers at the use of those in the community for the purpose of searching out jobs and training programs. To teach the community so that it is self supporting. There are very few mega churches that concentrate on neighborhoods - their mission is to get as many members as possible so the pastor can live large. My question is what do they think should be happening in the communities where they have left the smaller churches, where people left chasing the big dollars cause the pastor has it?!

Name: Amethyst1

Comment: I am a member of what's considered a "mega church" and I have yet to experience a real problem besides traffic (and that's a trivial one). What I see is that there are hundreds of teenagers that my husband teaches in high school who are more concerned with what rappers are doing than what certain pastors or parishioners are doing. The reason? Because we're content to live, think and act SMALL. If somebody sees a church member living large or wanting to achieve more than what we think they should (if they're not surrounded by like-minded individuals), they automatically damned in others eyes because they want more out of life - and they're not making God's out of prosperity. We're afraid of change and not only do rappers embrace it, but a percentage of them learn how to purchase commercial property, own their own studios, run record labels, etc. Now, I don't agree with any misogynistic lyrics or violent content, but at the same time, our young people are embracing those men who might not be the best role models. If any pastor is "trying to live larger than God" as someone mentioned- TRUST that GOD WILL DEAL WITH IT and MAKE SURE THAT YOUR LIFE AND WALK WITH CHRIST IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE! As a result of attending a Christ-centered "mega-church" and -far more importantly - faithfully attending & studying the Word, I have learned far greater about worshipping God, economic empowerment, turning away from an old, detrimental habits, and embracing God's will come what may. To the gospel rappers of the world, keep doing your thing! Just make sure that God is pleased and glorified with and in the content and, through Him, you will make an impact for the Kingdom.

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