Black Friday, GOP Debate, and More in Chad’s Steaming Pile

Here are just a few things in Chad’s Pile that you will hear on Lubbock’s First News this morning. Give Chad your feedback on the steaming topics.

1. GOP Debate

Today on the show we will discuss last night's debate and see who you thought the winners and losers were. I have to wonder how many people are starting to feel burned out when it comes to the debates. We've had so many debates for the Republicans that even political junkies like me are getting tired of them. Thankfully, the holiday season is here and even the GOP candidates know that not many people will be paying attention to them until after Christmas.

We'll start seeing new polls out next week and I still predict Gingrich and Romney to be near the top.

2. Black Friday (link)

In order to entice even more people to jump into Black Friday, some retailers will be giving away things and even holding free events. Personally, I'll be sleeping in on Friday and check out some of the deals later on in the day. Annoying crowds aren't my thing, so while the deals might be great, it's just not worth it to me. Plus I enjoy Cyber Monday and shopping from home. I also think the deals will get even better in the stores after Friday.

If you are heading out though, good luck!

3. Megachurch Bubble? (link)

Is there such a thing as a Megachurch bubble? If there is, is it about to pop?

the collapse of the CrystalCathedralnear Los Angeles, which is being sold to pay off more than $40 million in debt, has prompted fears that the megachurch bubble may be about to burst.

Most megachurches — which earn that label around the 2,000-attendance level — are led by baby boomer pastors who soon will hit retirement age and without suitable replacements in the pipeline. And some fear the big-box worship centers with lots of individual programs no longer appeal to younger generations.

Skye Jethani, a senior editor of Leadership, a prominent evangelical magazine for pastors, compared megachurches to the real estate market of a few years ago.

“If you asked people back in 2007 if the housing market was doing well, people would have said yes,” he said.

Jethani said megachurches have become so big that their economics are unsustainable. They often have multimillion-dollar mortgages and hundreds of staff members. That works while a church is growing.

Not everyone agrees

Researchers who study megachurches are skeptical that a bubble exists. Scott Thumma, a sociologist of religion at Hartford Seminary and co-author of Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America’s Largest Churches, said all churches are vulnerable when they switch pastors or when their demographics change.

Good megachurches will adapt, he said. Bad ones will struggle.

He said people have predicted the end of megachurches for years. But like the big-box retailers they often resemble, Thumma believes, megachurches are here to stay.

“It took decades for that big-box reality to become part and parcel of American suburban life,” he said. “It is not going to disappear overnight.”

Megachurches are often run by entrepreneurs who aren’t tied to traditional ways of doing church, Thumma said. That gives them an advantage over other congregations.

Thoughts?

These and many more topics coming up on Wednesday’s edition of Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty. Tune in mornings 6-9am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App.