Lambert, Edwards and Associates issued a prospectus on Church-Construction Financing Futures (2005-2010) [links below] on April 1, 2006.  I'd love to think it's an AprilFoolsJoke but I don't think it is...:

We believe the annual financing opportunity for the church construction market currently stands at $28 billion annually. We anticipate this market will grow at a rate in excess of 40% over the next five years to $40 billion by 2010, according to our proprietary church finance market (CFM)™ model.

Our forecast is driven by three primary factors: Exponential growth in church attendance within specific segments of the non-denominational and evangelical church population; the trend toward non-traditionalist, unconventional forums of worship, highlighted by the rise of the modern “mega-church” and; the marked growth in financial contributions to churches, specifically within certain non-denominational sects characterized by a younger, upwardly-mobile demographic commonly found in suburban or newly developed localities. [...]

Non-denominational membership doubled between 1990 and 2001, according to our analysis. We believe the growth in attendance at non-denominational churches marks the emergence of a broader trend in which denominational affiliation is perceived as an unnecessary limiting factor in attracting new members. We believe the notable success of non-denominational mega-churches throughout the country is supporting evidence of this trend. While church attendance at the average American church increased by 12% between 2000 and 2005, average church attendance at mega-churches across the country increased by an astounding 57.3%.

Growth in mega-churches closely tied to “non-denominational reformation”. In recent years, the notion that church could serve as both a house of worship as well as a social destination throughout the week has experienced a revival within the non-denominational community. Importantly, we believe this revival has been manifest in recent church construction projects, where the church is designed to serve as a multi-use facility. This trend is evidenced by the rapid growth of mega-churches. According to a study conducted in 2005, there were approximately 1,210 mega-churches in the United States, nearly twice the number that existed just five years ago. By definition, mega-churches have attendance of greater than 2,000 people on a weekly basis, greater than four times the average Christian church in the United States. We believe this segment of the church finance market will continue to provide additional opportunities for lenders into the foreseeable future, primarily given the strong attendance rates and robust financial contributions from membership.

Financial contributions to churches continue to rise, particularly within specific pockets of the Christian community. Church attendance is not only a key barometer to the spiritual health of a church body, it can also be a good indication of a church’s financial health. In 2005, church attendance hit a 7-year high at 45% of the domestic adult population, a net-positive for church giving trends. According to our estimates, annual giving to U.S. protestant churches is $93 billion. [html here; pdf.doc here]

Holy cash-cow! $93,000,000,000.00!

I urge churches to step away from the "my church is bigger than your church" battle!

I urge churches to channel money and energies into actions and policies that help build lives and recover Jesus' legacy!

I urge churches to build a "strong and enduring moral edifice" and turn away from the "prideful" BigBoxChurches...