So this Church-Growther and this Liturgomaniac Walk into a Bar…; Micro Koinonia Project Coming to BJS, by Pr. Rossow

Steadfast Lutherans is offering this debate.  It sounds interesting.  http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=17431&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BJS+%28The+Brothers+of+John+the+Steadfast%29

Pastor Rossow says:

"So this Church –Growther and this Liturgomaniac walk into a bar… Well, it isn’t quite like that but it is close. It’s not a joke, it’s not a bar and it’s not really a church-growther and a liturgomaniac but it is about a pastor who espouses many church growth principles and a pastor who espouses the liturgy sitting down to talk to see how far apart they are and how close they can get, and doing it all for the world to see here on BJS.

"One of my friends and colleagues is Pastor Mark Schulz from Trinity Lutheran Church in Lisle, Illinois, the next suburb over from me and my church, Bethany Lutheran in Naperville, Illinois. He and I have been in the same circuit for over ten years, had coffee together through the years, given each other grief about how we “do” church and also shared some life experience together. I had the pleasure of teaching religion/confirmation to his son Christian for two years at our day school here at Bethany.

"We had lunch together today and agreed to have an online discussion about our similarities and differences and invite the BJS crowd to chime in via the comment section.

"We will start out with each of us giving a summary view of what goes on in our churches and the principles that we use to guide those activities. Then in consequent postings we will critique each other’s practice and principles. We are not sure where it is headed or how long it will go on but we are both really enthused about having it out on line here and seeing where out little Micro-Koinonia Project ends up. We hope and pray it will be a blessing for our beloved Lutheran Church Missouri Synod."

The Vastly Over-rated Rick Warren Draws Ire on Islam-Issues

OC Register is reporting on Rick Warren's efforts to build bridges to local Muslims in Orange County.   Rick has a 90-hour MDiv, a beginner's degree in theology (Anabaptist at that).  He has a non-academic D.Min. in church growth, a "How To" degree.  It is laudable that he seeks to build inter-educational opportunities with Muslims living in America under our form of governance and law (not Sharia).  However, listening to Rick on anything about theology or the history of Islam is rather American--that is, illiterate.  Let's read the books on the Islamic history, military conquests and aggressions, Crusades (response to Islamic aggressions) Sharia law, Hamas, Hezbollah, Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, Al Quaeda, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani awaiting execution in Iran for converting to Christ (as we speak), the violent outbursts and four homocides in Kabul last week without inquests, the content of manuals of instruction in madrassas in Saudi Arabia, and more.  No, Rick isn't the one to offer anyone education.  Nor is Saddleback.  Let the reading continue.  And let Rick exercise charity to Muslim-Americans.  But let all others read widely.  Why does anyone listen to Rick anyways?  Thanks to OC Register for carrying the story.   
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/muslims-341669-warren-saddleback.html?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150567517563779_21042856_10150575200438779#f6b7f72cdebb64

By JIM HINCH / FOR THE REGISTER

The Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest and one of America's most influential Christian leaders, has embarked on an effort to heal divisions between evangelical Christians and Muslims by partnering with Southern California mosques and proposing a set of theological principles that includes acknowledging that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.

The effort, informally dubbed King's Way, caps years of outreach between Warren and Muslims. Warren has broken Ramadan fasts at a Mission Viejo mosque, met Muslim leaders abroad and addressed 8,000 Muslims at a national convention in Washington D.C.

Saddleback worshippers have invited Muslims to Christmas dinner and played interfaith soccer at a picnic in Irvine attended by more than 300 people. (The game pitted pastors and imams against teens from both faiths. The teens won.)

The effort by a prominent Christian leader to bridge what polls show is a deep rift between Muslims and evangelical Christians culminated in December at a dinner at Saddleback attended by 300 Muslims and members of Saddleback's congregation.

At the dinner, Abraham Meulenberg, a Saddleback pastor in charge of interfaith outreach, and Jihad Turk, director of religious affairs at a mosque in Los Angeles, introduced King's Way as "a path to end the 1,400 years of misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians."

The men presented a document they co-authored outlining points of agreement between Islam and Christianity. The document affirms that Christians and Muslims believe in "one God" and share two central commandments: "love of God" and "love of neighbor." The document also commits both faiths to three goals: Making friends with one another, building peace and working on shared social service projects. The document quotes side-by-side verses from the Bible and the Koran to illustrate its claims.

"We agreed we wouldn't try to evangelize each other," said Turk. "We'd witness to each other but it would be out of 'Love Thy Neighbor,' not focused on conversion."

Saddleback representatives declined to make Warren available for comment. Tom Holladay, associate senior pastor at Saddleback, said the outreach to Muslims is part of Saddleback's PEACE Plan, a wide-ranging effort to solve major world problems by mobilizing governments, businesses and faith communities.

"This is us serving our own community with Muslims here in Orange County," said Holladay. "We realize we don't agree about everything and we're very open about that. ... You just recognize the differences and recognize the points where you can work together."

Warren has faced criticism from some evangelicals for his outreach to Muslims. Late last year, he issued a statement flatly denying rumors that he promulgates what critics term "Chrislam," a merging of Islam and Christianity.

The "rumor is 100 percent false," Warren wrote at Pastors.com, a website he founded that provides practical advice to church leaders. "My life and ministry are built on the truth that Jesus is the only way, and our inerrant Bible is our only true authority."

Polls show that evangelicals are 30 percent more likely than other Christians to hold a negative view of Islam, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Polls also show that evangelicals overwhelmingly favor converting Muslims to Christianity and are more likely to believe that Islam encourages violence.

Warren has repeatedly encouraged evangelicals to set aside such views, arguing that Christians are obliged to treat everyone with love and respect, regardless of faith.

"I don't know if you have noticed this, but God likes variety," Warren told an audience of 8,000 Muslims at a Washington, D.C. convention in 2009, according to a transcript published by the religion news website beliefnet. "People of all beliefs (can) be, and discuss, and, yes, even disagree, without demeaning or debasing each other."

Warren's outreach to Muslims stems directly from his church's location in multiethnic Orange County, home to 170,000 Muslims. For 12 years Warren has lived next door to Yasser Barakat, a Muslim from Syria who worships at a Mission Viejo mosque four miles down the road from Saddleback. The Trabuco Canyon neighbors were friends for years before Barakat realized he lived next door to a world-famous Christian pastor.

When Barakat discovered who Warren was, he invited his neighbor to learn more about Islam. "I was talking to him over the fence," Barakat said. "I said, 'Rick, why don't you go to Syria with me? He said, 'Sure, let's talk about it. Let's do it.' "

Warren traveled with Barakat to Syria in 2006, and Warren and his wife, Kay, began attending Iftar meals at the Mission Viejo mosque. Iftar is the evening meal Muslims eat after fasting all day during the holy month of Ramadan. Invitations followed to address Muslim conferences in Long Beach, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.

"We understand that to some people in the religious community these events may be difficult to swallow," said Yassir Fazaga, imam at the Mission Viejo mosque. "But I believe that we have to begin somewhere and just begin to reach out and be accessible to people when they ask about who we are."

Gwynne Guibord, an ordained Episcopal priest and co-founder of a Los Angeles outreach group that fosters relationships between churches and mosques nationwide, said Saddleback's effort is unprecedented. "I'm not aware of any other evangelical church reaching out to the Muslim community," she said.

Guibord said that when she and Jihad Turk co-founded the Christian-Muslim Consultative Group in 2006, they sent invitations to mosques, the Catholic archdiocese and a variety of mainline Protestant denominations throughout Southern California, but not to evangelical churches.

"I think that many evangelicals feel a mandate to convert people to Christianity," Guibord said. Because the Consultative Group was founded to respond to increasing antagonism between the two faiths, "we would not have made headway" if one side was trying to convert the other, she said. Now, she said, it might be possible to include evangelicals in her group's work.

Turk said the relationship between Saddleback and Muslims, though still in its infancy, has already produced results. "People (at the December dinner) were talking about the bonds they've formed and they were crying," he said. Both sides realized they shared misconceptions about each other's faith.

"We did a quiz at the Christmas dinner," Turk said, "asking basic questions about Islam or Christianity with the scriptures, the Koran or the Bible. And both sides were missing it.... It's an education for everyone."

Barakat said he continues to know Warren as a man who literally loves his neighbor. Barakat said his children could always count on Warren to buy the candy or magazine subscriptions they sold door-to-door for school fundraisers. The Warrens have hosted Barakat's family at a Christmas dinner, he said.

"He calls me his Muslim brother," Barakat said. "It all started with a friendship."

Rick Warren to Too Excited to Sleep

http://www.saddleback.com/blogs/newsandviews/index.html?contentID=2085

Dear Saddleback Family,

I'm not sleeping much. I'm too excited.

THIS SATURDAY, March 28, will be THE GREATEST DAY in Saddleback's history.

OVER 2,000 people have already signed up to become members of our church family on a single day! They're joining me for:

BREAKFAST, BAPTISM & CLASS 101 WITH PASTOR RICK THIS SATURDAY AT 8:30 AM TO NOON IN THE WORSHIP CENTER.

SIGN UP TODAY!

Two thousand years ago - the Day of Pentecost was the first day of the Christian Church. Acts 2:41 tells us, "About 3,000 people were baptized and joined the church that day." If you'll join us this weekend, history could be repeated at Saddleback! Want to make history?

Which of these requirements do you need to complete this Saturday?

1. Open your heart to Jesus Christ. Click here to learn more.

2. Attend Class 101: Discovering Your Church Family. Sign up.

3. Sign our membership covenant (explained in class).

4. Be baptized the way Jesus commanded and modeled for us.

(Many of us were baptized as kids on our parent's faith. Jesus modeled believer's baptism at age 30 when he was baptized in the Jordan River) It would be my privilege to baptize you after Class 101.

YOU CAN FINISH ALL 4 REQUIREMENTS IN ONE DAY - THIS SATURDAY!

EIGHT REASONS TO JOIN THIS SATURDAY & NOT PROCRASTINATE:

1. I'm personally teaching Class 101 for the first time in ten years.

2. I'm personally baptizing after Class and you'll receive a photo & baptism certificate.

3. You'll get a free one year subscription to Purpose Driven Connection magazine. (Never offered before)

4. You'll get free copy of The Purpose Driven Church book.

5. Your name will be included in the historical list of Saddleback Pioneer Members who joined in our first 30 years. (This Easter is our 30th Easter and I want you included in this list.)

6. The class is 1 hour shorter than normal. You can watch session 3 here online now.

7. You'll be a part of making Christian history! The largest membership class ever!

8. We love you & want you in our family. There is no good reason to procrastinate.

I was asked, "Rick, If you could wish for anything to celebrate your 30 years of service at Saddleback, what would you dream of?" I said, "To experience a repeat of Pentecost - and see 3,000 people affirm their faith and join our church family on a single day." Will you be a part of making this a reality?

Just do 2 things:

1. Sign up for this Saturday by clicking here.

2. Watch the session 3 video!

This is going to be fun. You're the greatest. See you Saturday!

Rick Warren
Saddleback Church
Purpose Driven Network
P.E.A.C.E. Coalition

Rick Warren-Watch: Some Resources

There are a few broken links which we left here. 

http://www.apologeticsindex.org/213-rick-warren-research

Articles
Contra
The Adulation of Man in the The Purpose Driven Life by Richard Bennett.
Discerning a Christian Flip-Flopper: Why Rick Warren Has Critics by Chris Carmichael.

[I]t should come as no surprise that Rick Warren has cultivated many critics within Christianity who are coming to see that his inconsistent teachings are an indication of a double-minded man. Truly the Saddleback pastor has exhibited strong signs of being a Christian flip-flopper on many occasions, and this has made many discerning Christians rightfully wary of him, especially considering the prominence and influence of his ministry.

Purpose Drive Life - Church by Robert Wise.

I have studied this subject extensively and I can without reserve say that Rick Warren and his newest “purpose” are deceiving churches and preachers. There are numerous Scriptural errors in this book. I believe that most people who read it will ascertain that the book seems to be a good read and a practical book giving decent advice, while not Discerning that the book is filled with dangerous errors and is loaded with tons of "New Age" philosophies. The book does cover a lot of basic teachings for new Christians in a sense, but the biggest problem is that there is no conviction, repentance, or actual absolute reliance on the Master for our life sustaining needs. There is a lot of fluff . . . milk instead of meat of the word.

Rick Warren Connections "Especially to the Ecumenical Third Wave New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and "Positive Thinking" Movement ". Compiled by Sandy Simpson.
Rick Warren's Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan vs. Scriptural Teachings on Peace by James Sundquist. For some background information, see The Purpose-driven Pastor.

Dedicated to the churches of Jesus Christ our Savior in the 67 countries in which Rick Warren has tested his pilot P.E.A.C.E. Plan in 2005, the 131 countries[1] he has been working on for the last two years, to those who speak the 56 languages in which Purpose Driven Life has already been translated, and to rest of the nations throughout the uttermost parts of the earth that he has targeted to consummate the roll-out for his plan in 2006. This is also dedicated to the tens of thousands of churches which have already been stolen by Rick Warren's teachings and to the saints who were purpose-driven from those churches for opposing his teachings and covenants, many of whom now have no church and to all of those pastors and church members still on the fence about Rick Warren's teachings.. We hope this will help alert you to the magnitude and scope of this religion and movement and sound an alarm to those Christians who have never heard of Rick Warren.

Rick Warren: Jesus Would Not Have Approved By Matt Hutaff, on The Simon (blog): "Rick Warren is no innovator. He's just another pastor who treats Christianity like big business... and business is good."
Pro
Living with purpose "A philosophy of faith and service moves hearts and minds." Chicago Tribune, Apr. 25, 2004. (Posted at the web site of Saddleback Church, which is pastored by Rick Warren).
The Man With The Purpose "Rick Warren’s plan for spiritual fulfillment is making him America's most influential spiritual leader." TIME magazine, Mar. 29, 2004. (Posted at the web site of Saddleback Church, which is pastored by Rick Warren).

Books

Contra
Deceived on Purpose By Warren Smith. Mountain Stream Press (December 12, 2004).
Redefining Christianity: Understanding the Purpose Driven Life Movement by Bob DeWaay. 21st Century Press (January 22, 2006).

The author of this book examines The Purpose Driven Church, The Purpose Driven Life, and the business system that Rick Warren has developed to promote it around the world. He looks carefully at his claims, his use of scripture, his integration of human wisdom with scripture, and his ability to get thousands of pastors to convert from expository Bible preaching to being Purpose Driven. In the end he compares Rick Warren’s version of "church health" with that of Jesus Christ. The reader will see how Rick Warren has indeed redefined Christianity. [...] Bob DeWaay is the senior pastor of Twin City Fellowship in Minneapolis, Minnesota.- Source: Amazon.com reviews

Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church? A Documentary on the Teachings of Rick Warren by James Sundquist. Bible Belt Publishing (November 2004).
Pro
The Purpose-Driven Church by Rick Warren. Nelson Books (November 27, 1995).

The thesis of The Purpose Driven Church is that when churches think first about their health, growth is sure to follow. "If your church is healthy," writes Rick Warren, "growth will occur naturally. Healthy, consistent growth is the result of balancing the five biblical purposes of the church." These five purposes are to "Love the Lord with all your heart," "Love your neighbor as yourself," "Go and make disciples," "[Baptize] them," and "[Teach] them to obey." And those purposes can only be accomplished, argues Warren, when church leaders stop thinking about church-building programs and shift their focus to a "people-building process" involving fellowship, discipleship, worship, and evangelism. Warren, the founder of the fastest-growing Baptist church in American history, has taught seminars to thousands of pastors from all over the world, many of whom have successfully implemented his techniques.- Source: Amazon.com reviews

The Purpose-driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren. Zondervan (October 1, 2002).

The spiritual premise in The Purpose-Driven Life is that there are no accidents---God planned everything and everyone. Therefore, every human has a divine purpose, according to God's master plan. Like a twist on John F. Kennedy's famous inaugural address, this book could be summed up like this: "So my fellow Christians, ask not what God can do for your life plan, ask what your life can do for God's plan." Those who are looking for advice on finding one's calling through career choice, creative expression, or any form of self-discovery should go elsewhere. This is not about self-exploration; it is about purposeful devotion to a Christian God. The book is set up to be a 40-day immersion plan, recognizing that the Bible favors the number 40 as a "spiritually significant time," according to author Rick Warren, the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, touted as one of the nation largest congregations. Warren's hope is that readers will "interact" with the 40 chapters, reading them one day at a time, with extensive underlining and writing in the margins. As an inspirational manifesto for creating a more worshipful, church-driven life, this book delivers. Every page is laden with references to scripture or dogma. But it does not do much to address the challenges of modern Christian living, with its competing material, professional, and financial distractions. Nonetheless, this is probably an excellent resource for devout Christians who crave a jumpstart back to worshipfulness.- Source: Gail Hudson, Amazon.com reviews

Rick Warren And The Purpose That Drives Him: An Insider Looks At The Phenomenal Bestseller by Richard Abanes. Harvest House Publishers (July 2005).

Books / Study Guides Online

A Berean's Discernment Tool for the Purpose Driven Life

One frustration experienced by readers of The Purpose Driven Life is that most of the Biblical citations fail to designate which translation is cited in a specific text of the book. The reader must go to the footnotes for the particular chapter to find out which passage is referenced and in which translation. The other problem is that Rick Warren often employs partial citations of verses rather than the whole verse. These problems make it difficult to discern whether the Bible actually support the point he is making. We have created a series of files that resolves this problem -- one for each day of the 40 days of purpose. In the left column on each page we show the passages that Warren cites just as he cites them; and in the right column next to Warren's verse we show the full verse from the New American Standard Version of the Bible. [...] It is up to you to determine whether Warren has made valid use of the passage.

Multimedia

Commentary: Rick Warren's View of Revival [Audio] by Dr. Alan Cairns, Pastor of Faith Free Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC.
Spirit-Led or Purpose-Driven? [Audio] by Mark Franklin, pastor of Hardingville Bible Church in Hardingville, NJ.

News and News Archive

Rick Warren news tracker, provided by Religion News Blog
Additional news items that include the term Rick Warren

Web Sites

Purpose Driven Official web site for the purpose driven programs
Saddleback Church Official web site of Saddleback Church, pastored by Rick Warren

Rick Warren Videos