Other elements found in megachurch worship services include 72% use visual projection equipment, 80% use electronic keyboards, guitars, and drums, 43% use some recorded music during the service, and 22% use dance or drama on a regular basis.

As for the preaching found in these churches, according to the survey, the sermons preached most often focus on God’s love and care, salvation, spiritual growth, and practical advice for daily living. The topics least preached on include the end times or second coming of Christ, stewardship of time and money, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Regardless of the topic, however, the sermons usually are personal stories or experiences from the pastor, illustrations from contemporary media, and a "personal explanation" of the Scripture (narrative preaching) rather than expository preaching with references to literary or scholarly sources.

When Thumma asked the megachurches about their theology, 92% said the Bible is absolutely foundational as a source of authority and 88% said the Bible is the most important authority for their congregation’s worship and teaching. Only 8% cited historic creeds, doctrines, and traditions as being important, 6% said the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was important, and 6% said their one source of authority is the congregation’s vision and purpose.

Thumma described the senior pastors of megachurches as having an authoritative style of preaching and administration. Despite the fact that the megachurches surveyed have between 5 and 25 associate ministers, not to mention hundreds of full-time staff, the senior pastor is viewed as the singular dominant leader of the church.

The vast majority of megachurches employ intentional efforts to enhance congregational fellowship. These efforts include home groups and interest-based groups. Most of the megachurches promote intense personal commitment for a large percentage of their members, even though they contain a large percentage of anonymous spectators each week in their services. However, often this "commitment" or "association" has nothing to do with traditional conversion.

Although some observers and researchers argue the era of megachurches is drawing to a close, the total number has increased from about 350 in 1990 to over 600 in 2000, and today there are over 800 megachurches in America.

However, even as megachurches were increasing through-out the 1990s and into the new millennium, the megachurch movement - that some see as being birthed by the church growth movement - has its critics. For example, Gailyn Van Rheenen served as a missionary to East Africa for 14 years, taught missions and evangelism at Abilene Christian University for 17 years, and is currently director of Missions Alive, an organization which trains Christian leaders for evangelism and church planting in urban contexts. While Gailyn is neither for or against megachurches, he admits to monitoring their theologies, strategies, and structures, and seriously questions whether or not they are the wave of the future. He warns:

Great growth gained using the seeker model will dwindle unless these churches become distinctive, counter-cultural communities of faith. Large numbers alone do not equate success. Churches who plant new churches every two or three years will likely have more cohesion than megachurches, unless these churches are extremely intentional about discipling and community development (Gailyn Van Rheenen, Evaluating the Church Growth Movement: Five Views, edited by Paul Engle and Gary McIntosh, Zondervan, 2004, 61).