Replies

Warren uses out-of-context scripture quotes to achieve his method of tearing a church apart by driving everyone over 50 out........

Right, the people who originally started the church and built it up around the doctrines, beliefs and way of doing things that they believed were best are usurped. New people take over and all the older members who do not want everything changed tyrannically are kicked out. Many times the older members and those that like the church the way it is are the people that have paid for expensive church buildings with their tithes and offerings and they are kicked out and the "purpose driven people" now have not only destroyed the church as it was founded and grown but have acquired a huge amount of property that they never paid for.

As a Catholic I have found a great deal of good ideas in Rick Warren's book. My wife and I have read and discussed one of the 40 chapters for each day of Lent. We highly recommend "The Purpose Driven Life".

I don't know what you "old timers" have been reading, but it is not Rick Warren's books. I am over 60 and been brought up in an evangelical church all of my life and I can tell you, from experience, his books have revolutionized my church. Instead of a bunch of gray heads we have young children in the aisles and young families who are rejoicing in the Lord. We have many small group Bible studies that came out of the "40 Days of Purpose" where once we had, maybe, 12 in the adult Sunday School. And yes, we have a livelier musical part of our worship. But we found that the "Praise Choruses" even enhanced some of the older hymns that we loved. Remember Rodeheaver and Sanky's revival hymns were looked on askance since they were set to waltz time when Moody and Sunday introduced them.

We gave up some of our comfort, familiarity and convenience to win some to the Lord and we are happier for it. The new blood in our church keeps us young in spirit. The Lord is doing this, and He is using His servant Rick Warren and the gifts He gave to Rick to teach us and we are grateful. Our church is not in sunny Southern California or the Bible Belt, but snow bound Connecticut.