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Summary: Pastor Rick Warren's five-part growth strategy
Review: Rick Warren, Saddleback Valley Community Church's founder and senior pastor says, "If your church is healthy, growth will occur naturally." In his book, The Purpose-Driven Church, Warren relates the Saddleback story and shares a proven five-part strategy that will enable churches to grow:
· warmer through fellowship
· deeper through discipleship
· stronger through worship
· broader through ministry
· and larger through evangelism.
Warren emphasizes the need for a church to be focussed, or "purpose-driven." Saddleback's Purpose Statement is "To bring people to Jesus and membership in his family, develop them to Christlike maturity, and equip them for their ministry in the church and life mission in the world, in order to magnify God's name."
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Summary: The Church is about Growing Christians
Review: Rick Warren has hit the nail on the head by addressing the great weakness for many churches that are involved in every other agenda than the purpose for which God created the church. This is required reading for anyone who takes seriously Christ's command to make disciples of all nations
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Summary: Easily read in a exeptional format
Review: This is a insightfull book which I've found to really increase my knowledge of how God ment the church to operate
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Summary: Useful and thought provoking even for clergy of other groups
Review: Review of Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Church.Wow! I wish I had had access to this book long ago - like in seminary! I have long said that if we "do church well" then people will want to come. It is sick churches that keep people away. I also always knew intuitively, if not put it into my ministerial practice, that challenge and growth of the core membership was the key to growth in numbers. Warren has it right on - what kind of congregation can one have when the purpose is not clear? (And we ministers know the answer: confusion and conflict.) Warren has done us a service in organizing his principles thoroughly and showing us how he applied them in his situation. Thoroughness around an organizing principle! Congruence between intention and action! YES! Useful and thought-provoking even if one does not agree with Warren's theology. (He's Southern Baptist.) I studied this book with a clergywoman colleague who is a United Church of Religious Science minister who, like me, has also founded and grown congregations. We both found ideas to improve our future work. Encouraging. I recommend it to client congregations and ministerial colleagues. Good enough to buy on the most limited clergy salary!
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Summary: Saddleback Sam: Soul or Customer?
Review: As the book which launched the celebrity of a California "mega-church" Baptist preacher, this includes all the elements needed to get an instant readership in our paradoxically technocratic but fanatical times-a simply stated, pop-culture-anecdote-laden, "can't miss" manual that promises "sure-fire" results-very much a management-theory treatise in religious garb. But in fact, Warren is merely distilling and condensing much of the ink spilled from the 1970s onward in both mainline and evangelical Protestant circles (chiefly the former) when declining worship participation and actual membership set off alarms, thereby prompting the creation of a sort of cottage industry within theological seminaries and denominational bureaucracies-the "church growth" phenomenon.
So Warren is not so much a pioneer as he is a popularizer. Whether the popularity of the book indicates a growing concern on the part of the average church member about the subject or, rather, the growing power of aggressive personalities in many pulpits who intimidate their parishioners into dealing with the subject can likely never be proved.
And it becomes sadly apparent that his lifestyle-oriented evangelistic tactics cannot really be dissociated from his conservative evangelical theology and ideology. One signpost of this is the final sentence in the second paragraph in chapter 9, "Who Is Your Target?": "Bringing people to Christ is too important a task for us to have such a casual attitude toward it." As most people well know, the demand to "win souls for Christ" usually crowds out other legitimate concerns in evangelical settings. And what is more, the burden is placed upon human effort in persuading people to accept the Gospel and/or join the church, with little or no reference to the role of the Holy Spirit. In other words, we have a classic statement of Pelagianism, works righteousness.
Continuing with the premise that "there is not a local church anywhere that can reach everybody. Because human beings are so different, no single church can possibly reach everyone," we have the first in a set of commonplaces, ideas which are so much accepted at face value that no one bothers to examine their validity. The reason Warren espouses those particular views is that his heritage is sectarian; that is to say, he conceives of a particular congregation being self-sufficient and complete in itself, not necessarily needing the guidance or fellowship of other churches, even those identical in practice and outlook. His seeming embrace of "diversity" is in fact a mask for a more basic homogeneity, as it is all but certain that he does not approve of widespread theological dissent within a congregation. All is pragmatic, in other words.
Then, the analogy of radio stations makes clear his views about much of American life as matters of preference. One gets the notion that Warren regards demographics as sacred, as something that cannot be questioned. His five categories on page 163 (age, marital status, income, education, occupation) are followed by an emphatic, unequivocal declaration: "Each of these factors will influence how you minister to people and how you communicate the Good News." For an evangelical, Warren astonishingly does not bother to subject the criteria to "biblical" proof-texting. What that means is that he can proceed with formulating his methods, his "how", without a truly constant and frequent reminder of the "why".
Should "Saddleback Sam" (pages 169-172) really strike anyone as very different from a "Joe Six-Pack" or other fantasy-ideational constructs that corporate managers populate their very lives with daily? Did it ever occur to Warren that Sam might in fact not be among God's elect? Could not one imagine that Sam is none other than the rich young ruler who rejected Jesus' demand that he sell his possessions (Matthew 19:16-22) or even the wealthy man who left Lazarus outside his gate to die? (Luke 16:19-30) The fact that Warren does not broach the matter indicates one thing to this writer: Sam is a customer, not the "lost soul" that revivalists of an earlier day would have perceived.
Further, the remaining chapters of the third part of the book are predicated upon locating as many Saddleback Sams in a church's neighborhood as can be found and essentially resorting to a marketing strategy indistinguishable from, say, promoting a new nightclub. Just add a little pious language and much "seeker-friendly" language and it becomes quite appetizing. But is it nutritious? Does it really strengthen one for taking up the cross and foregoing the convenient, the pleasing, even the safe? (Mark 8:34-36)
All in all, Warren and the moguls of the mega-church movement basically betray their collaboration with the dominant culture: winning is everything, the ends justify the means ("law" is acceptable, but not a disciplined ethics), the church must prove God's majesty by gaining influence among the "principalities and powers" (hence the rise of not only the Religious Right as a partner in the coalition that presently governs the U.S., but the pathetic and feeble attempts to emulate their success by white liberals and African-American preachers). America's true religion is not Christianity, really; it is the mythology of "success". And much of what passes as "Bible-believing" these days is mainly a projection of the values of our late-capitalist (it must be stressed that we are not talking about the ethos described by Max Weber), consumerist ideology upon the institutions and myth-structures of historical Protestant churches. If the historic churches offer any resistance, then new ones may be built without any guilt.
In summary, the few valuable insights Warren affords about method, which mainly concern targeting and promotion are not original; they mainly serve to justify natural tendencies of an institution to perpetuate itself-why does one need to spend money on a book just to have a sounding-board for things one plans to do anyway? Likely the answer is "everybody's doing it."
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Summary: Poor Ecclessiology Demonstrated
Review: As I began this read, I was immediately aware that his choice of Scripture quotations would constantly be switching English translations, usually using the poorest of them, i.e. The Living Bible, TEB. Therefore, I immediately started jotting down next to Warren's a solid translation, e.g. NASB, and found considerable doubt being shed on Warren's whole premises for "the purpose driven church" as he postulates it. The church is not purpose driven to recruit more people for the pews, it is for the purpose of saving souls, of justification. This Warren, many would argue, is exactly what he writes about, but the truth be known, it is anything but this. Forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ's gospel must be at the core and center, and it must have prominence and dominance over everything else. Warren permits and promotes other needs to circumvent and override this. Then as the kicker, he even relates that copying what Saddleback has done is not to be followed, that it won't work in every other setting. What is going on here? Where is the assurance that if we preach and teach the truth of God's Word purely that He will bless? This is shame and shamble of this whole movement to consumerism and leadership by sayings and principles that are not Biblical. Check them out in a good English translation, such as New American Standard. Better yet, find yourself a pastor who can work in the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) and he'll tell you that NASB is head and shoulders superior to the ones Warren puts all his case upon. The church of Jesus Christ needs only turn to its Lord and continue to faithfully proclaim His desire: that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the peoples (Luke 24:47). That and only that message clearly and purely proclaimed in all the church will and can grow the church and God's kingdom.
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Summary: The Bible Driven Church
Review: Dr. John MacArthur's new book, The Bible Driven Church, reminds us that it's not new programs or styles that makes for a successful church, but adherence to the preaching and teaching of the pure word of God. Gimmicks do not belong in the operation of the church.
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Summary: Want more than theory?
Review: After having read several books on church ministry in the city, I must say that this book has finally satisfied my thirst. I recommend this book to pastors and church leaders, aspiring leaders, or just to Christians who want new and refreshing ideas that they can apply tomorrow if they want, in their own churches. If you really have time on your hand, I recommend reading other books before this one such as Conn and Ortiz's "Urban Ministry" or Ron Sider's "Good News and Good Works" so that you can get a better idea of the theology of church ministry and better understand Rick Warren's reasoning behind his strategies. Without such foundational reading, parts of Warren's book may seem too practical and not biblical enough, or too methodical. But, as an individual who is working in a ministry I found Warren's book so helpful in part because it is methodical, it gives practical strategies for better serving a church and its community. If you are a pastor who is looking for ways to better reach your neighbors and engage your own community then this is a priority for your reading list. Theory is wonderful, it makes for a strong foundation, but once you have that, you need practical writers like Warren who are writing from experience.
Warren speaks from experience after having started his own church in the suburban community of Saddleback in Orange County, Southern California. The church grew from 200 members at its inaugurating service, to over 15,000 members today. In this book he shares how he and his team, through God's grace, were able to reach these people and how they are able to keep so many members happily involved serving God. If you have ever had doubts about how a megachurch can ever be effective in reaching out to the individual, read this book. Through small groups and a strong biblically founded ministry, all members at Saddleback, it is safe to say, are actively involved in their church.
This book has practical tips on topics ranging from how to welcome people to your church to how to organize your service so that visitors want to come back. He gives advice on how to preach to new people, so that the word of God not only makes sense but also is not boring. He gives advice on how to structure even your worship music to be understood by visitors and yet still appreciated by your members.
Warning: Do not be discouraged of reading this book merely on the fact that Warren is speaking from the context of a suburban, middle-class community and your community does not fit the prototype. He repeats quite often, to not take a method and put it in your church without tweaking it so that it fits your context. This is really important for a pastor and leader to remember. I also recommend having a pen ready and not being afraid to use it! This book is full of practical treasures! I highly recommend it.
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Summary: A Purpose-Driven Best Buy!
Review: The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren is a practical explanation of how to build and maintain a healthy church that is founded on purpose. Through years of experience and hard work, Warren has created a church model that provides "a biblical and healthy alternative to traditional ways that churches have operated and organized in the past." This book shifts the focus away from church building programs and instead emphasizes people building programs in order to strengthen the "core members" as well as bring multitudes of "seekers," or "unchurched," into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
This is done using a multitude of practical models, such as Warren's own "5 Circles of Commitment" which is used to describe the purpose of the church to draw in new Christians. Another model is the "Life Development Process" which communicates the purpose of transforming "seekers" into committed members (Warren 1995: 130). Warren also provides countless pages of insightful advice taken from years of ministry experience. In fact, Warren admits that he waited 20 years to write this book because he did not want to write it prematurely (Warren 1995: 18).
While many readers may discount Warren's church building model, calling it "unbiblical" or "watered-down," fail to realize the underlying theme and major strength of the text which is the Christ centered attitude. Throughout every section, the author strives to makes his intentions clear by constantly looking to Jesus as the ultimate example in illustrations as well as pointing to biblical references when applicable. One obvious example of this is found in chapter 12 which is entitled "How Jesus attracted Crowds." This entire chapter uses the ministry of Jesus as the primary example for attracting large crowds of unbelievers and teaching them His saving Gospel.
However, this book is of course not without faults. I can easily understand how, by reading the book, one might get the impression that the Warren describes his church model with some semblance of arrogance because of its great success. I am not implying that he is not a Godly man, in fact one can easily see the mark of Christ in him throughout his writing and I believe that his intentions are pure and well guided. However, when Warren reminds the reader for the tenth time how he did all the research on church planting communities, he planted a church in a place that he had never visited, his church grew to 10,000 people in 15 years, and using his methods 7,000 people came to Christ in those first 15 years, one might begin to come under that impression that this kind of repetition serves as little more than a subconscious and arrogant reminder of the works of the author and his greatness, not the greatness of Jesus Christ.
Overall, I would recommend this book to Christians who need fresh ideas for reaching their community. I especially recommend this to pastors who feel that they are losing touch with their community and/ or congregation as well as Christians interested in starting a ministry of their own.
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Summary: A Church Dichotomy
Review: Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Church is a church model/church-help guide that I still cannot determine whether I like it or not and whether I agree with it or not. The book is an excellent 400 pages of successful tactics for outreach, church growth, and inspirational example. I must commend Warren for his mastery of understanding human nature, application of psychological techniques, and effective outreach methods. Warren has succeeded highly in creating a church that fits the keyhole of south Orange County suburbia, yet I cannot help but be turned away by the ethnocentrism and egoism that are rampant throughout this book. In reading this, I reaped more of a sense of mind and heart manipulation than of love and Jesus' example. I was also turned away by how formulated his methods and faith are. I felt like God's church and a person's spirituality were textbook materials- that I could put the right ingredients into a box and pull out a Christian. Something inside will not let me feel right about defining a person's life, pain, love, spirituality, and purpose into stepped methodology.
Warren's focus was to church the unbelievers. Why do we want to "church" unbelievers? The last thing I want to do is commit a person to an organization that defines their spirituality. Spirituality and faith should be defined only by Jesus' love, not doctrine. There exists such a consumer mentality in the Saddleback mega-church. I feel that in our society the "Church" has become an institution and not a body of God's children and Warren's church model feeds just to that. It is so important in this age where the church truly needs redemption in society that mass-produced and influential writings represent true Christian values, Jesus' love, and humility. Religion, the church- these need to be redefined in our modern society and I do not feel that this book guides the practice of Christian faith in a truly biblical and spiritual direction. This book came off as a how-to on mastering the art of Christian Evangelism in middle-class, white suburbia. There is so much more in the world than that! Where is Warren's connection to that? As an artist, I understand that great art is not simply a mastery of technique but rather the outcome of growth, expression, and learning that occur by circumstance and discovery, not by step or pre-planned psychological manipulation. Effective? Intelligent? Inspiring? Yes, Warren's art is all those; however, I cannot get by my hesitation to accept an ethnocentric, procedural view of spirituality and faith as presented by Rick Warren in his Purpose-Driven Church. Rick Warren is a blessed, faithful, intelligent man and I would like to see credit given to the Holy Spirit that is what moves our spirituality and faith, and will guide our churches where they need to go.
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