purpose driven life...whats the scafuffle??

[aussiemitch]

Hello peoples.
My pastor told me the other week we will be starting the purpose driven life program in about march next year.
I have no idea what the purpose driven life is all about but have heard alot of you say some stuff on here and i would just like some information for myself (one that doesnt know about it) so i know whats going on and discuss this program with my minister.
So anyone with information good or bad on this PDL thingy would be great, thanx!!!
God Bless, Mitch.

[rancherswife]

There are others who can explain this in much more detail than I can. Purpose driven churches are focused on getting unchurched people in the doors. The purpose of the church is to equip the Saints so that they can go out and witness/convert others. PD books use The Message bible which is mistranslated horribly http://crossroad.to/Bible_studies/Message.html. Rick Warren's theology was influenced by Robert Schuller who preaches a "feel good" theology, not the truth of God's Word.

Here is a quote from John MacArthur:

That is precisely my concern about today’s pragmatic church-growth trend. The strategy focuses on attracting and keeping the unchurched. For what? To entertain them? To get them to attend church meetings regularly? Merely "churching" the unchurched accomplishes nothing of eternal value. That is where their strategy seems to end.

What's worse is when seeker-focused churches baptize the masses with their watered-down gospel, assuring them that positive decisions, feelings, or affirmations about Christ equal genuine conversion. There are now multitudes who are not authentic Christians identifying with the church. The church is literally invaded with the world's values, the world's interests, and the world's citizens. It isn't an invasion prompted by overt hostility; people are simply responding to a survey that came in the mail. Ironically, Satan isn't sowing the tares; church leaders are.

As you set your strategy for church ministry, you dare not overlook the primary means of church growth: the straightforward, Christ-centered proclamation of the unadulterated Word of God. If you trade the Word for amusements or gimmicks, you will not only find that you have no effective means to reach people with the truth of Christ, but you will find yourself working against the Lord Himself.

Adapted from Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World

© 1993 by John MacArthur.
http://www.myfortress.org/JohnMacArthur.html

[onsolidrock]

There are several threads in the Bible Study Forum thay give a lot of information about Rick Warren's program

[SeaDreamer]

A poster here (Rebecki) also has some excellent information on her website.