Rick Warren presents the structure, philosophy, and theology that are the foundation for Saddleback Church. While a prescription for the megachurch of which he is the lead pastor, it is written as a guide for utilizing these principles to structure your church without suggesting that this is the only way to structure a church. ( )

I approached Purpose Driven Church with a certain built-in antipathy. The theological circles in which I travel harbor an abhorrence of all things Purpose Driven. Because of this, my initial reaction to the book was somewhat tainted.

The further I got in the book, however, the more I found myself thinking "I am going to have to remember this when I start a church". Soon I was re-formulating some of my church-planting plans based on what I was reading.

At this point I think I need to make it clear: I in no way approve of some of Warren's more recent escapades--particularly where he has apologized for earlier statements regarding the sin of homosexual behavior, or his "accept Christ on a sixty-day trial basis" statement on Hannity and Colmes.

That being said, as a book of church-planting ideas from someone who actually was successful in planting a church, this book is indispensable. Here are some quotes which may challenge some of your pre-conceived notions:

On church buildings

"I feel most churches build too soon and too small. The shoe must never tell the foot how big it can grow. I'm often asked 'How big can a church grow without a building?' The answer is 'I don't know!' Saddleback met for fifteen years and grew to 10,000 members without our own building, so I know it is possible to grow to at least 10,000. A building or lack of a building should never be allowed to become a barrier to a wave of growth. People are far more important than property."

On welcoming visitors

"In America, the most common fear people have is going to a party where they will be surrounded by strangers. The second most common fear is having to speak before a crowd, and the third most common fear is being asked a personal question in public. The way many churches welcome visitors causes them to experience their three greatest fears all at once!"

There are many more quotes which could be mentioned here. Instead, I will let you read the book. I will, however, close with two paragraphs. The first one is one that Warren has apparently forgotten:

"There are two extreme positions: imitation and isolation. Those in the 'imitation' camp argue that the church must become just like our culture in order to minister to it. churches in this group sacrifice the biblical message and mission of the church in order to blend in with the culture. They are likely to endorse current cultural values such as the worship of success and walth, radical individualism, radical feminism, liberal sexual standards, and even homosexuality. In their attempt to be relevant, these churches sacrifice biblical theology, doctrinal distinctives, and the Gospel of Christ. The call for repentance and commitment is compromised in order to attract a crowd. Syncretism destroys this kind of church."

The following paragraph is one that we as biblical fundamentalists need to read with attention:

"At the other extreme is the 'isolation' camp. This group insists we must avoid any adaptation to culture in order to preserve the purity of the church. They fail to see the distinction between the sinful values of our culture and the nonsinful customs, styles, and preferences that each generation develops. They reject new translations of Scripture, current musical styles, and any attempt to modify man-made traditions, such as the time and order of the worship service that they are accustomed to. Isolationsists sometimes have a dress code, and a list of what is permissible and what isn't regarding issues that the Bible is silent on. (It is human nature to erect theological walls to defend personal preferences.)"

May we avoid both pitfalls.

www.comingstobrazil.com ( )

From my Blog:

"I have ambivalent feelings toward Rick Warren. I like him because God has used him to reach so many people for Christ. At the same time, it perplexes me that he is able use the common language in order to accomplish it. This just doesn't fit my personality in how I preach the Gospel. In fact it doesn't even fit the pathos of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary or a large percentage of Bostonians. Yet, Haddon Robison, the preaching professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, wrote that a "wise pastor should read [it] three times," and Robinson has an extensive vocabulary.

Please do not misunderstand me. I praise God for Rick Warren's ministry, because people are being saved. This is what the Gospel is all about. Yet, I have difficulty in comprehending how a man has the ability to preach the Gospel to so many people with such a common vocabulary? I tend to want to use larger words when needed. For I feel it’s always fitting to use the most precise word within their context. I even concluded that if the word is in a newspaper, encyclopedia or magazine it's fair game to use in a sermon. Yet, it seems the majority of the people - educated or not - like to hear sermons in the common language, rather than with big words.

So here is my dilemma. Either I begin using more common words, which doesn't fit my personality. Or I can take a key theme from “The Purpose Driven Church,” which is to be myself, and allow God to work through me. I find the latter approach to be more effective. This grants me the ability to be more authentic. It also seems to be the similiar approach for the news commentator Dennis Miller. His story is that he was tired of having poor test scores in high school that he decided to broaden his vocabulary by literally studying all the SAT words he could. Now, he is considered to have a very large vocabulary, and is able to communicate very well to his audience. Consequently, I don't consider having a slew of words like Dennis Miller. However, I was also sick of getting bad grades. Thus, it has become my mission to have a large vocabulary, in order to be more effective in communicating to others.

So even though Rick Warren chooses to preach the Gospel to people through his personality, I believe that God can use my personality to also preach the Gospel, even if it's different from Rick Warren's choice of words."

Link: http://pakws.blogspot.com/2004/08/pre... ( )

If you treat this book as "I'll whatever the author is doing and succeed," then forget it. If you allow it to spark your imagination about what God would have you do in ministry, it is a great resource.

Again, don't copy what Warren has done/is doing. It won't work. ( )

http://www.wordandspirit.co.uk/blog/i... ( )