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To: gamarob1
Rick Warren is the most inspiring pastor of our time...provided one is dean of the Harvard Business School. He's turned "church success" (as opposed to expanding devotion to Christ) into a business methodology, completely divorced from the need for the Holy Spirit's direction and anointing. Uh huh. Except for the fact that 4,200 people accepted Jesus Christ into their lives in the last several weeks. God is using this church and moving through it. What many Christians do realize over a period of time (hopefully), is that God uses everything, and denouncing that which God uses, is unfruitful and divisive.

Yes, I am one (as several above) who finds many of the current 'fads' incredibly superficial. BUT, these mega churches are having a positive introductory impact on their communities, successfully inviting thousands to "meet the Master." It is my sense that many (most) of these converts will move on to 'more meat' after a couple of years in these largely formulaic megachurches. But they are the functional equivalent to a semi-permanent Billy Graham Crusade for our time. And I think that, viewed as such, it is a good thing.

I belonged to one of these megachurches for about three years and found that, in the leadership of the church, the greatest continuing frustration was the inability to 'bridge' or 'grow' their huge (really huge) coterie of young believers into mature Christians. Most were moving on to other, more traditional churches after 2-4 years. And that too is a good thing.

54 posted on 05/17/2005 12:49:13 AM PDT by winstonchurchill
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To: winstonchurchill
My biggest problem with many of the mega churches is that because of the size, the pastors only have time to give out spiritual "milk".

I am very wary of lay led small groups, as I have seen to many head off to feel good heresy.
59 posted on 05/17/2005 8:46:35 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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