Church grows from 54 to 5,000 members in just seven years

Megachurches are a growing trend, and some are growing in a very big way. Consider Joe Champion's Celebration Church in Georgetown, Texas (near Austin): his church has grown from 54 to 5,000 members in just seven years. According to the Austin American-Statesman, it all started in March 2000 when God told Champion where to start a new church:

Joe and Lori Champion had been praying for a year when they say God finally told them where to start a church.

In March 2000, Joe was about to give the Sunday morning sermon at a church he co-pastored in Baton Rouge, La. As he took the pulpit, he said God spoke to him.

'I just heard, 'It is Austin,'' he said. 'Right after, I called Lori on the cell phone and that's how we came.'

The couple put their house up for sale and moved with their three children as close as they could get to Austin: Round Rock. Soon, they opened Celebration Church in the city's public library. Fifty-four people showed up the first Sunday; almost half were family and friends.

Celebration Church recently was able to raise $1 million in one Sunday offering to help build a 1,400-seat sanctuary.