The Purpose-Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission | Rick Warren

The Purpose-Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission | Rick Warren | Even better the 2nd time!

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The Purpose-Driven...

	The Purpose-Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message & Mission Rick Warren Zondervan, 1995 - 400 pages average customer review:based on 125 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

One of the most important books...

you will ever read. I believe that this book is a revolutionary approach to church building. Thousands of churches have used this text to advantage - including my church.

Even better the 2nd time!

This book is one of the best books on churches that I've read...and as a seminary grad (twice) I've read a few.

I recently pulled the book off my shelf, blew off the dust, and read it again. I think I've heard everything Rick teaches about church through other speakers and in other books, but the book makes me realize how prophetic Ricks words were back in the early 90's when he was putting this stuff in writing. Pastors and churches in North America are still trying to get it right...and still failing. Contrary to critics, I find Warren's book to be very biblical and right on target. Too many NA churches are trying to do church the wrong way. The Purpose Driven Church is a very easy to read, process book that pleads with churches to adapt methodologies to bring our culture the unchanging gospel message of Jesus Christ.

From pastors to seekers, this book will help all realize what a New Testament church should look like in today's culture.

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An excellent model for building a church

When you search "Purpose Driven Church" in Amazon, you get a hit on a book or two that criticizes this book. Success always draws criticism and those who would find their purpose in creating controversy.

This book is an excellent model for building a church that focuses on what is important about building a church. There is good practical advice that will help you be successful in building a church that can not only be self-sufficient, but focus on its purpose - to fulfill the Great Commission and live the Great Commandment.

It is not the Gospel, nor was it intended to be, nor does it need to be. Just a help on church leadership and administration.

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Good insights

According to Warren, "If your church is healthy, growth will occur naturally." His main purpose for writing the book is to provide the necessary information to build healthy churches. Warren relates his thoughts in five sections: (1) "Seeing the Big Picture" (growing deeper through discipleship), (2) "Becoming a Purpose-Driven Church" (growing through ministry), (3) "Reaching Out to Your Community" (growing through evangelism), (4) "Bringing in a Crowd" (growing through worship and fellowship), and (5) "Building Up the Church" (growing through discipleship and ministry). Some of Warren's points seem obvious. For example, Warren states that a pastor "must be loving" towards people -believers and unbelievers alike (212), and that a church ought to have an "atmosphere of acceptance" (210). Warren had many good suggestions for reaching the "unchurched." For instance, he recommends that churches place "newer translation" Bibles in pews and during the sermon announce the page number so as to not embarrass visitors (297). He also shares that sermons ought to be based on the "needs, hurts and interests as human beings" in order to have "common ground" with unbelievers (295). Though there are many helpful points to Warren's book, his emphasis seems to be on making the "unchurched" feel comfortable (257). He promotes "seeker sensitive" services without traditions, and expects sacrifice from church members in order to accommodate unbelievers. It appears the main focus of Warren's agenda is to bring in new converts. This is a worthy task; however, it would be interesting to see if "old members" view this as a personal form of neglect. Warren claims, "Strong churches are not built on programs, personalities, or gimmicks," but his model for growing his own church falls into this realm (83). Maybe Warren's own notoriety is the reason for increases of number at Saddelback. It would be interesting to find out how many people leave after a certain amount of time and for what reasons.

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Give credit

"'To whom will I be preaching?' Simply thinking through the needs of the audience will help determine God's will for the message" (227)

Rick Warren, a Southern Baptist minister, wrote The Purpose Driven Church with the aim of showing the reader what conditions and choices led to the establishment and growth of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, a church with ten thousand attendees including five thousand members. His book is divided into five sections: "Seeing the Big Picture", "Becoming a Purpose-Driven Church", "Reaching Out to Your Community", "Bringing In a Crowd", and "Building Up the Church." Warren's point is that the principles that guide his leadership are applicable any group of Christians who are trying to make their work stronger and their ministries more effective.
Seeing the Big Picture

Warren spends time discussing the unique history of Saddleback Church and extrapolates possible principles that underlie the growth and success of the church. This section of the book seemed more apologetic autobiographical, and full of memoir. While understanding the setting of Saddleback is important to understanding its story, Warren spends too much time-almost fifty pages-reminiscing.

Becoming a Purpose-Driven Church

This section dedicates its pages to finding out information, basic statistics, and relevant details about the church where the reader is a member or leader. Warren gives a list of types of churches with their purpose-motivations (Tradition, Personality, Finances, Programs, Buildings, Events, and Seekers) and goes on to say that a Purpose-Driven church is the Biblical example Christians are given. Then, Warren talks about the five purposes of the church taken from scripture (Love the lord with all your heart, Love your neighbor as yourself, Go and make disciples, Baptizing them, and Teaching them to obey). This section was very practical.

Reaching Out to Your Community

Warren here helps the reader to discover that without a target, Christians are just firing at will at nothing without finding potential disciples. This section was not as practical as the preceding one, but it was important material.

Bringing In a Crowd

This section was very applicable; especially chapter 16 which gave Warren's advice for preaching to the "Unchurched." Warren said that the Bible should be made be seen as applicable, interesting, and understandable to non-Christians. He was right on the money with this concept.

Building Up the Church

This section was a discovery of Warren's baseball diamond. Warren gives practical advice on how to help Christians mature and attain growth. This was the most practical section of the entire book. In fact, this section could have been printed in a volume alone and it would have stood by itself.

Despite Warren's denominational bias, credit should be given where it is due. This is definite food for thought for Christians and Warren's advice is a handy reference that might be more helpful in later years.

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