Life Covenant Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, was ranked number seven, and Bayside Covenant Church of Granite Bay, California, was listed as number 20. The magazine conducts an annual listing of the top 50 churches. It mailed surveys to 2,000 pastors in April and May and announced the results earlier this month.

Both congregations are multi-site churches with congregations in different cities. Life has campuses in Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Tennessee, as well as an Internet campus with live Internet broadcasts of its worship services. The church has a combined membership of more than 14,000 people.

Bayside has six campuses with another scheduled to begin services soon. Bayside churches have a combined attendance of more than 9,000 individuals.

The magazine did not share explanations or comments from pastors who picked the churches, but leaders of the two Covenant congregations speculated that their ministries to their respective communities and the wider body of Christ were important factors in the selections.

Life's decision to offer all of its worship material (including multi-media) free to churches around the world may have been an important factor, says Kevin Penry, the chief operating officer for Life Covenant. Thousands of churches around the world have downloaded the material. For a previous story on the church's decision to offer the free downloads, please see Life Covenant Shares Worship Resources - Free!

The church also has been innovative in its approach to multi-site ministry. Worship teams lead each individual congregation, but pastor Craig Groeschel's sermons are broadcast live to each of the churches. The Internet campus has drawn global visitors. Penry says the church hopes people watching the services will connect with others in their area and begin their own local congregations.

Bayside has been recognized for its ministries to communities and the world, as well as its national leadership training. "The growth and worldwide impact that Bayside continues to experience just amazes us," says Ray Johnston, founding pastor.

"If you would have told me 11 short years ago that by 2006 we'd be building a three-story medical clinic in Africa, an orphanage in Mexico, a women's renewal center in Applegate, serving our community with more than 70 outreach programs, launching six more Bayside churches in our region and hosting our nationwide conference featuring some of the most influential Christian leaders in the country, I wouldn't have believed it."

"We have a tremendous staff with a gift for enabling volunteers to get involved and serve," Johnston adds. Church members recently began a "makeover" on an elementary school in a struggling area of North Sacramento. They will paint the entire school and construct new playground facilities.

Johnston and Penry are quick to point out that the congregations do not deserve the credit themselves, but that they are being stewards of gifts and opportunities that God has given them.