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To: P-Marlowe

No, sorry... better go get some pepto bismol. This is standard truth from the big kahuna himself. He wrote a best selling book about it you know... and it's getting hard in some locales to find a church that isn't following the pied piper. We have to drive a half hour to get to church now. The next one we found, which didn't have air conditioning at the time and still doesn't have a youth group or much for nursery facilities or KIDS for that matter, and which we would join in a heartbeat if it were closer, was an hour and a half drive. That church's messages (www.twincityfellowship.com) online were what kept us encouraged and kept us going through some really dark times when we got church disciplined out of our church for confronting the pastor on his rotten behavior toward other congregants, and questioning his teaching. (mostly Purpose Driven).


32 posted on 03/10/2007 5:40:37 AM PST by Terriergal (All your church are belong to us! --- The Purpose Driven Church)
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To: Terriergal
All I know about Rick Warren I've learned by reading Free Republic. For the most part I think that his book "The Purpose Driven Life" is harmless and trite. However lately he has gone off the deep end by his political nonsense. Now, when I read tripe like this and know that he is somehow convincing other pastors that the key to growing a church is in doing an environmental study on the shape of the room, or adjusting the air conditioner or getting a fancy microphone, I am convinced now that what he is doing is looking for wolves to join his flock and devour his sheep.

If someone actually chooses a church because of the shape of the room or the lighting, then I would not want that person being a regular member of my church. His concern over making visitors comfortable makes me uncomfortable.

If a non-Christian comes to your church, you want to make them feel welcome, but you sure don't want to make them "comfortable." They need to be shaking in their pew from the fear of God and if they vow never to return after the message, then the message was just as effective as if they'd fallen on their knees and surrendered to God.

Only solid born again Christians should be feeling "comfortable" in a church service. Wolves need to feel out of place among the sheep. If they feel at home, then they are free to devour the sheep at their leisure.

If this is an example of the tripe you find in "The Purpose Driven Church", then it is a book to be avoided. Any pastor that follows this kind of silly advice thinking he can magically grow his church by using a professional interior decorator needs to surrender the pulpit to someone who knows that it is the Word of God which brings people to faith and not the wallpaper.

44 posted on 03/10/2007 7:17:13 AM PST by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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