DOCSLIB.ORG

A Discipleship Process at Saddleback Church to Form Christ-Like Character for a Lifestyle of Outreach

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Discipleship Process at Saddleback Church to Form Christ-Like Character for a Lifestyle of Outreach Please HONOR the copyright of these documents by not retransmitting or making any additional copies in any form (Except for private personal use). We appreciate your respectful cooperation. ___________________________ Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN) P.O. Box 30183 Portland, Oregon 97294 USA Website: www.tren.com E-mail: [email protected] Phone# 1-800-334-8736 ___________________________ ATTENTION CATALOGING LIBRARIANS TREN ID# Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) MARC Record # Digital Object Identification DOI # Ministry Focus Paper Approval Sheet This ministry focus paper entitled A DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS AT SADDLEBACK CHURCH TO FORM CHRIST-LIKE CHARACTER FOR A LIFESTYLE OF OUTREACH Written by JEFFERY “SKIP” LANFRIED and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry has been accepted by the Faculty of Fuller Theological Seminary upon the recommendation of the undersigned readers: _____________________________________ Arlene Inouye _____________________________________ Kurt Fredrickson Date Received: December 11, 2015 A DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS AT SADDLEBACK CHURCH TO FORM CHRIST-LIKE CHARACTER FOR A LIFESTYLE OF OUTREACH A MINISTRY FOCUS PAPER SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY JEFFERY “SKIP” LANFRIED DECEMBER 2015 ABSTRACT A Discipleship Process at Saddleback Church to Form Christ-like Character for a Lifestyle of Outreach Jeffery “Skip” Lanfried Doctor of Ministry 2015 School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary The purpose of this project is to produce a discipleship process with a focus on holistic training and exposure to real-life experiences for people at Saddleback Church to help them embrace a biblical worldview and form Christ-like character that results in a lifestyle of outreach. A lifestyle of outreach is simply embracing the two central teachings of Jesus Christ commonly known as the great commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Many Christ followers at Saddleback Church have sufficient biblical instruction about and awareness of the great commandment and the great commission; however, there appears to be a disconnection when it comes to applying and incorporating these two key teachings into their lifestyle. This ministry focus paper contains three sections and is developed from the experiences, discoveries, and research done at Saddleback Church to learn how to implement a discipleship process to influence the worldview of Christ followers and coordinate specialized training to equip them for a lifestyle of outreach. Part One establishes the ministry context by analyzing the history of Saddleback Church and its recent awakening to deeper missions awareness. Part Two evaluates the biblical and theological foundations of Saddleback Church as an allied member of the Southern Baptist Convention and the resulting theological implications for personal discipleship. This portion of the discussion also offers a theology of God and discipleship. Part Three focuses on the ministry strategy, with emphasis on the discipleship planning and implementation process for people and other churches affiliated with Saddleback Church. Word Count: 249 Content Reader: Arlene Inouye, DMin to Lara my love, my partner, my amazing wife ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the leadership, staff, and most especially the hundreds of volunteers at Saddleback Church for their invaluable contribution to this project. Thanks to Rick Warren and Kay Warren for their leadership and courage. Thanks to the staff and volunteers for their unwavering commitment to engage in a new vision for outreach and for their resulting impact on thousands of lives around the world. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv INTRODUCTION 1 PART ONE: MINISTRY CONTEXT Chapter 1. A HISTORY AND LEADERSHIP OF SADDLEBACK CHURCH IN LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA 6 Chapter 2. THE AWAKENING TO MISSIONS AT SADDLEBACK CHURCH 38 PART TWO: BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS Chapter 3. SADDLEBACK CHURCH AS A LOCAL EXPRESSION OF AN ALLIED BODY WITH THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION 71 Chapter 4. A THEOLOGY OF DISCIPLESHIP: DEVELOPING COMPASSIONATE RESPONDERS 98 PART THREE: MINISTRY STRATEGY Chapter 5. STRATEGIC TRAINING PROCESS TO BE CHRIST-LIKE AND TO ENGAGE IN MISSIONS OUTREACH ACTIVITIES 137 Chapter 6. IMPLEMENTATION OF PEACE DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS: FIELD-TESTED BY A GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS 158 CONCLUSION 180 APPENDICES 184 BIBLIOGRAPHY 206 v INTRODUCTION The purpose of this project is to produce a discipleship process with a focus on holistic training and exposure to real-life experiences for people at Saddleback Church to help them embrace a biblical worldview and form Christ-like character that results in a lifestyle of outreach. A lifestyle of outreach is simply living the two central teachings of Jesus Christ, commonly known as the great commandment and the great commission. The great commandment places priority on loving God and loving other people. It is found in Matthew 22:36-40 and reads as follows: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”1 The great commission supplements the priority of loving God and loving other people. It is expressed by intentionally exerting effort to take action in following the example given by Jesus: to go and make disciples of all nations. This example is found in Matthew 28:18-20: Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” This message intentionally sets the expectation that every follower of Jesus Christ is to think and to act beyond his or her own needs and desires. 1 All Scripture has been taken from The Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 1996), unless otherwise noted. 1 Embracing these two central teachings of Jesus Christ mandates a unique way of living that becomes visible to other people. It is a way of living where caring for the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the oppressed are evidenced through visible activity. When actions on behalf of the suffering and oppressed are undertaken on a regular basis, beginning with those in a person’s immediate surroundings and extended out to suffering people across the globe, a lifestyle of outreach has been embraced. Many congregants at Saddleback Church are aware of the great commandment and the great commission and have received sufficient biblical instruction, but there appears to be a disconnection when it comes to incorporating these two key teachings into their lifestyle. This disconnection is evident in the overall lack of response to the mandate to live with visible concern for the needs of other people. Such a lack of response is most evident, given the extremely large number of people engaging in the many gathering events on the church campus and the correspondingly minimal number of people engaging in the outreach events. I witnessed this firsthand, since I served as the “Global PEACE Pastor”2 overseeing the development and implementation of outreach efforts in the global context from early 2004 through 2009. During this time I was a member of a small team working fervently to understand the perspectives and barriers towards congregational involvement in outreach. I met regularly and traveled extensively with Rick Warren and other key leaders of Saddleback Church. I also oversaw the development of a training process, which served to equip church leaders from around the United States to follow the 2 This term is unique and specific to Saddleback Church. More information and the meaning of the acronym will be detailed in Chapter 2. 2 discipleship strategies and processes that were being tested and implemented at Saddleback Church. A discipleship process was needed whereby Saddleback members could mature spiritually over time, as marked by a growing awareness of the suffering around them and by an increasing willingness to obey Christ’s directives to engage in caring activities on behalf of those in need. This lack of awareness of what it means to be a Christ follower and the lack of willingness to do what Christ instructed seemed to result from a misunderstanding of the essence of a Christ-centered life. A Christ-centered life is rooted in the spiritual reality of the ongoing activity of God in today’s world. For this reason, this ministry focus project offers a training and discipleship process to help Christ followers at Saddleback Church mature spiritually over time by becoming more aware of the suffering around them and engaging in hands-on learning of how to obey Christ’s directives to care for those who suffer. This paper is presented in three parts. Part One explores the history of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California and discusses the church’s awakening to missions. Part Two offers the biblical and theological foundations for the training and discipleship process. While Saddleback Church exists as a local expression of an allied body within the Southern Baptist Convention, this process contains elements of theological training and practical application of a variety of spiritual disciplines reflective of both current and ancient practices. The utilization of spiritual disciplines helps individuals to connect more deeply to the lessons in the discipleship process and also enables them to gain deeper insight into the biblical instructions they are encouraged to embrace. 3 The intention is to lead members of Saddleback Church through a preparation process to help them understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and to leverage a variety of different spiritual disciplines.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Thinking. Loving. Doing: a Call to Glorify God with Heart and Mind
    Thinking. Loving. Doing. ThinkingLovingDoing.26510.i03.indd 1 7/28/11 2:36 PM OTHER CROSSWAY BOOKS: With Calvin in the Theater of God, 2010 The Power of Words and the Wonder of God, 2009 Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints, 2008 The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, 2007 Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, 2006 Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, 2005 A God-Entranced Vision of All Things, 2004 ThinkingLovingDoing.26510.i03.indd 2 7/28/11 2:36 PM CONTRIBUTIONS BY Rick Warren | Francis Chan | R. Albert Mohler Jr. R. C. Sproul | Thabiti Anyabwile WHEATON, ILLINOIS ThinkingLovingDoing.26510.i03.indd 3 7/28/11 2:36 PM Thinking. Loving. Doing.: A Call to Glorify God with Heart and Mind Copyright © 2011 by Desiring God Ministries Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval sys- tem, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Cover design: Patrick Mahoney of The Mahoney Design Team First printing 2011 Printed in the United States of America Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked “ICB” are taken from the International Children’s Bible®. Copyright © 1986, 1988, 1999 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
    [Show full text]
  • Ashland Theological Seminary
    ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY A RESOURCE: SPIRITUAL COMPANIONSHIP AND BIPOLAR DISORDER A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY CHRISTY JEAN WOOD ASHLAND, OHIO JUNE 1, 2019 Copyright © 2019, by Christy Jean Wood All rights reserved For Aunt Marie, Laura, Jessica, Brandon, and Taylor In Memory of my Mom and Grandparents God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever. Vance Havner APPROVAL PAGE Accepted by the faculty and the final demonstration examining committee of Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Ministry degree. _________________________ ________________________ Academic Advisor Date _________________________ ________________________ Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program Date ABSTRACT The purpose of this project is to create a resource that will better equip pastoral caregivers to become spiritual companions for people with bipolar disorder. The resource, Spiritual Companionship and Bipolar Disorder, establishes that pastoral caregivers are gateway people for those with bipolar disorder to receive appropriate care and models multi-disciplinary collaboration. The resource is evaluated by twelve experts using a questionnaire that includes both quantitative and qualitative questions. As a result, the resource is found to have a strong foundation and creative spiritual experientials. Insights give direction on how to improve the resource including format and cohesiveness. CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………...viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………….……………ix Chapter 1.
    [Show full text]
  • View Latest Version Here. CNLP 409 –With Rick-Warren
    This transcript was exported on Apr 09, 2021 - view latest version here. Announcer: Welcome to The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast. A podcast all about leadership, change and personal growth. The goal? To help you lead like never before in your church or in your business. And now, your host, Carey Nieuwhof. Carey Nieuwhof: Well, hey everybody and welcome to episode number 409 of the podcast. It's Carey here. And I hope our time together today helps you lead like never before. So excited to have a well, it's been a long time. We're 409 episodes in, but Rick Warren is finally on the podcast. A lot of you know Rick, he is known not only inside the church, but outside the church, having been interviewed by some of the top interviewers in the world. And I had a chance to sit down, along with David Kinnaman, from the Barna group on our other podcast, ChurchPulse Weekly, and we spent a couple hours with Rick. So, we're going to bring you the entire conversation on this podcast. And yeah, that is the other voice you hear in this conversation too. It's me, and Barna's David Kinnaman. If you haven't yet listened to the ChurchPulse weekly podcast, and you're a church leader, you can find that on the internet. Carey Nieuwhof: And this episode is brought to you by Pro Media Fire. You can get your help with social media management and digital growth and receive 10% off Promediafire.com/Carey. And by Barna Cities with Barna and Gloo, you can connect people to your local church by going to Barnacities.com to learn more.
    [Show full text]
  • Pastor, Author Rick Warren Tells Retirement Plans
    Pastor, author Rick Warren tells retirement plans LAKE FOREST, Ca. (BP and local reports) – Pastor and best- selling author Rick Warren announced June 6 that he is retiring from his role as senior pastor of Saddleback Church, the Southern Baptist congregation he founded in California in 1980 that is now considered a multi-campus megachurch. In his Sunday worship service message titled, How to Discern the Best Time to Make a Major Change, the 67-year-old Warren said Saddleback will begin the official search for his successor in the next week and that when the new lead pastor is in place, he will transition to the role of founding pastor. Warren recounted his pledge when the church was founded that he would give the next 40 years to leading the Saddleback family. Early in 2020, the church celebrated its 40th birthday. “This is not the end of my ministry,” Warren told the congregation via video and in person at the Lake Forest campus. “It’s not even the beginning of the end. …We’re going to take one step at a time in the timing of God. …God has already blessed me more than I could ever possibly imagine. I don’t deserve any of it, and so this next transition in my life is something I am anticipating with zero regrets, zero fears, zero worries.” “This is not the end of my ministry. It’s not even the beginning of the end. …We’re going to take one step at a time in the timing of God. Warren said the church presently does not have a successor in mind, and that they would look both inside and outside the church for “a leader who is already doing some ‘purpose- driven’ ministry” — a term synonymous with Warren’s life, leadership, and authorship.
    [Show full text]
  • Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO): in This Difficult Time Of
    Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO): In this difficult time of COVID-19, our missionaries and church plants in North America need our prayer and financial support more than ever: https://www.anniearmstrong.com/resource/mojic- munkho-baldandorj/ Our church goal is $10,000 ($3,686.50 received as of 4/15). As you prayerfully consider giving over and above your normal offering, please designate it as AAEO or Annie. Worship through Giving: Our church continues to exist to fulfil our 5 purposes: worship, discipleship, evangelism, ministry and fellowship, albeit virtually. Thanks to those who have been faithfully giving. Please prayerfully consider giving to meet our church needs and as an act of gratitude and worship. Please go to our Giving website for details on methods of giving: http://www.fcbcphx.org/giving/ Reflections on Easter weekend: We were truly blessed by our FCBC Good Friday and Easter Sunday worship services, even though we were not able to be physically together. We thank God for Christ’s resurrection and our hope in Him, especially in times of pain and uncertainty. Another Easter message that was especially relevant to what we are experiencing with COVID-19 and other real life issues was Pastor Rick Warren’s sermon (starts at 18:40): “Expecting a Resurrection When Life Falls Apart” Answers to the questions below are found in the days of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection: 1. What do I do when I experience fear and pain? 2. How do I get through confusion and grief? 3. How do I get to freedom and joy? Friday (Crucifixion): Fear and Pain experienced by Jesus 1.
    [Show full text]
  • “Loving the Sinner, Hating the Sin”: an Analysis of American
    1 “LOVING THE SINNER, HATING THE SIN”: AN ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN MEGACHURCH RHETORIC OF HOMOSEXUALITY Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Religion The Colorado College In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Arts By Ann Duncan May/2014 2 Introduction Recently the issue of homosexuality has come to represent a majorly divisive factor within American Christianity as more and more churches are defining their boundaries, or lack thereof, at homosexuality: many congregations believe that practicing homosexuality is not an acceptable aspect of one’s life that will allow passage into God’s Kingdom or salvation. Within megachurches, Protestant churches having at least 2,000 attendees per week, homosexuality often presents itself as a divisive and controversial issue. Megachurches tend to be situated on the more conservative and evangelical end of the spectrum of Protestant Christianity and, therefore, many of their congregations have expressed disapproval of homosexuality; they preach doctrines providing content for rhetoric following the guidelines of sexual purity as follows from divine law within their congregations. These doctrines include the biblical literalist approach to abiding by divine law, the presence of sin in today’s world, and the conscious choice to continue living a life in sin. It is through the combination of these doctrines, one choosing to act in a sinful manner going against the divine law accepted when one takes a literal approach to the Bible, which allows megachurches to arrive at the conclusion that the “homosexual lifestyle” constitutes a sin worthy of condemnation. However, megachurches are also using rhetoric of love and acceptance regardless of sexuality.
    [Show full text]
  • Purpose Driven Mennonite Craig Pelkey-Landes ■ Series James Krabill Editor: R
    Missio Dei Exploring God’s work in the world Purpose Driven Mennonite Craig Pelkey-Landes Series James Krabill editor: R. ■ Mennonite Mission Number 6 Network Missio Dei is published by Mennonite Mission Network to invite reflec- tion and dialogue about God’s mission in today’s world. Some features in the series focus primarily on the biblical and theological foundations of the mission task. Others present ministry case studies or personal stories of attempts to be faithful to Christ’s call. Perspectives represented reflect the passion and commitment of the agency: to declare in word and demonstrate in life the whole gospel of Jesus Christ, “across the street, all through the marketplaces, and around the world.” Executive Director/CEO: Stanley W. Green Editor: James R. Krabill Managing Editors: Design/production: David Fisher Fast Editorial content: Ann Graham Price Consulting Editors: Peter Graber, Tom Price Design: Rebeka Moeljono Production: Joyce Pankratz Copyright © 2004 by Mennonite Mission Network, 500 S. Main, P.O. Box 370, Elkhart, IN 46515-0370. Money and Mission: A Discernment Guide for Congregations by Peter Graber. Marketed and distributed by Herald Press (Scottdale, Pa., and Waterloo, Ontario). Phone: 1-800-245-7894. Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, exists to lead, mobilize and equip the church to participate in holis- tic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. With offices in Elkhart, Ind.; Newton, Kan.; and Harrisonburg, Va.; the Mission Network supports minis- tries in more than 50 countries, 31 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces. ISBN 1-877736-81-3 Materials appearing in Missio Dei may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission.
    [Show full text]
  • The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren
    The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren Review by 9Marks Paul Alexander I) INTRODUCTION Books on living the Christian life are a dime a dozen. The shelves of Christian bookstores bow under the weight of myriad titles promising freedom from bondage, secrets of debt free living, keys to loving other people, and a whole host of other practical matters. But the one that has weighed in most heavily of late is Rick Warren’s recent release The Purpose ​ Driven Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002; hardcover, $19.99). Even more than its ​ predecessor The Purpose Driven Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995. Hardcover, ​ ​ $19.99), Life has become a full- fledged popular phenomenon, almost to the point of becoming a movement in itself. Whereas Church sold over a million copies in fewer than ten ​ ​ years, Life has reportedly sold 11 million copies in fewer than two years – that’s 15,068 ​ ​ copies every day for two years! Pastors are giving it two thumbs up from the pulpit, quoting it at length and encouraging Bible study groups to read it together. But Life has transcended ​ ​ the evangelical community, rising to the top of both the New York Times and the Wall Street ​ ​ ​ Journal Bestseller Lists, and being featured on display tables at Barnes & Noble’s and even ​ in the aisles of Wal-Mart. If any Christian book has been wildly popular among both evangelical circles and the culture at large, this is it. II) SUMMARY OF BOOK The Purpose Driven Life is designed as a forty day spiritual journey – one chapter a day – with the goal of answering the question “What on earth am I here for?” (p15).
    [Show full text]
  • Initial Study-Mitigated Negative Declaration Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project
    Final Mitigated Negative Declaration Response to Comments on Draft Initial Study-Mitigated Negative Declaration Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project Subject: Response to Public Review Comments and Final Mitigated Negative Declaration This document has been prepared to respond to comments received on the Draft Initial Study-Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS-MND) prepared for the Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project (SCH#2019109096). The Draft IS-MND found that with implementation of the mitigation measures, impacts on the environment from the proposed project were less than significant. The list of comment letters received by the City of Lake Forest are listed below. Letter No. and Commenting Agency Date 1 State Clearinghouse December 3, 2019 2 California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), District 12 December 2, 2019 None of the comments received identified new impacts or resulted in a substantial increase in the severity of impacts. Responses to the comments received do not constitute new information that warrants recirculation of the Draft IS-MND. This Response to Comments (RTC) Document provides responses to comments received. Per the comments received, no changes to the Draft IS-MND were necessary. This RTC Document, together with the Draft IS-MND, constitutes the Final IS-MND for the Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project. Amanda Lauffer Date of Issuance of Associate Planner Final Mitigated Negative Declaration City of Lake Forest Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project Responses to Comments on the Draft IS-MND 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT IS-MND This document is in response to comments received on the Draft Initial Study-Mitigated Negative Declaration (Draft IS-MND) prepared for the proposed Saddleback Community Church Expansion Project (project).
    [Show full text]
  • DISCOVERING CHURCH MEMBERSHIP C.L.A.S.S. 101 Rick Warren
    DISCOVERING CHURCH MEMBERSHIP C.L.A.S.S. 101 Rick Warren Welcome to C.L.A.S.S. 101. This is the basic introduction to the Saddleback family. I'm Pastor Rick, the senior pastor here. I have taught this class over 150 times. I've taught it almost every month for sixteen years. I never get tired of it. In each class we get to know the folks in our church family and explain over and over why we do what we do. Turn to the very first page. "Welcome to Discovering Church Membership". This class is divided into four different sessions of about an hour each. I teach part of it. Other staff -- Pastor John Baker, our pastor of membership teaches some, Doug Fields teaches some. Tonight, Kay (she used to teach the entire class) is going to be here and teach part of the membership class. The basis of this class, on page 1, is Ephesians 2:19, "You are a member of God's very own family and you belong in God's household with every other Christian." Circle "member", "family", "belong", "household". These are four key truths. Out of this verse we gather some very important keys about the Bible and what the Bible says about the church. The key truths are these: 1. The church is a family. It says "God's household". It doesn't say the church is like a family. It says the church is a family. It's a spiritual family. In fact, your spiritual family is going to outlast your physical family.
    [Show full text]
  • Rick Warren, the Megachurch Movement, and Early Twenty-First Century American Evangelical Discourse
    ABSTRACT A NEW PURPOSE: RICK WARREN, THE MEGACHURCH MOVEMENT, AND EARLY TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY AMERICAN EVANGELICAL DISCOURSE by Myev Alexandra Rees This thesis is a study of Rick Warren, celebrity pastor and bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life, and his role in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century American evangelical discourse. This thesis provides a historical, cultural, and theological description of American evangelicalism and of the megachurch movement in order to facilitate an understanding of Warren’s influence on both categories. Finally, this thesis argues that Warren’s influence and leadership are causing a cultural and theological shift within American evangelicalism. A NEW PURPOSE: RICK WARREN, THE MEGACHURCH MOVEMENT, AND EARLY TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY AMERICAN EVANGELICAL DISCOURSE A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Comparative Religion by Myev Alexandra Rees Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2009 Advisor ___________________________________ (Dr. Peter W. Williams) Reader ____________________________________ (Dr. James Constantine Hanges) Reader ____________________________________ (Dr. Mary Kupiec Cayton) Table of Contents Introduction......................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: The Early Twenty-First Century American Evangelical Discourse ..............................3 Chapter 2: The Megachurch Movement
    [Show full text]
  • 5 Principles of a Purpose- Driven Church
    BIBLE STUDY 5 PRINCIPLES OF A PURPOSE- DRIVEN CHURCH Rick Warren’s genius is in helping pastors see the obvious. alifornia megachurch pastor Rick Warren is the master of the obvious, according to CHRISTIANITY TODAY’s senior writer Tim Stafford. But if his principles for ministry are so self-evident, Cwhy aren’t more churches already practicing them? In this study, we will explore two biblical texts Warren cites as foundational to his thriving ministry. We will also compare his principles to local church practices in the first century and the twenty-first century. Scripture: Mark 12:28-34; Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 2:42-47 Based on: The article “A Regular Purpose-Driven Guy,” by Tim Stafford, CHRISTIANITY TODAY, November 2002 1 ©2011 Christianity Today International ChristianBibleStudies.com Christianity Today Bible Study 5 PRINCIPLES OF A PURPOSE-DRIVEN CHURCH How to use this resource for a group study HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE FOR A GROUP STUDY This Bible study can be used for an individual or a group. If you intend to lead a group study, follow these simple suggestions. Make enough copies of the article for everyone 1 in the group. If you would like your group to have more information, feel free to copy the leader’s guide for them as well. Don’t feel that you have to use all the material in the study. Almost all of 2 our studies have more information than you can get through in one session, so feel free to pick and choose the teaching information and questions that will meet the needs of your group.
    [Show full text]