big church small church : how bout parish church

interesting set of events happening down in atlanta with adam hamilton facilitating, participating, and blogging a meeting of pastors from some of the largest united methodist churches in the united states.

it has given john some point to reflect on. what is the role and place of the smaller church in a world that seems to crave the larger corporate church with mall flavor?

i have been the skeptic of the mega-church, and continue to be. however, i have been to some and felt there is some fine things that they accomplish, and i have benefited from some things put together by the likes of ginghamsburg and church of the resurrection.

my thoughts about this, come back to my tension on driving by the local united methodist church to get to my other umc. its a tension because as i am employed by the one church i often wonder what it is that this smaller church is doing in my parish that i live in. if i were to leave the employment of hfumc would we engage within this smaller church or keep to our larger church which has many opportunities? or would we choose the smaller parish church which meets needs of our neighbors?

i guess the big churches can talk of renewal and revitalization. i just hope they don't loose sight of something that the smaller church innately have, a parish view.

update: the great reverend mommy has some thoughts on these happenings, which happen to be in her backyard.