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At the moment I am church less. Rick Warren took over.

They ripped out the pews. Put in comfy chairs. Threw out the hymnals and replaced that with a wide screen and ONLY contemporary "worship" songs. The louder the better. The simpler - the more popular - same shallow line sung over and over again.

Lacking a social life? In the same room, the sanctuary, they have movie night. Or in the mood for some laughs? Try their comedy night? In the mood for a secular concert - stop by as they wheel in the baby grand. You name it, they've got it to keep you entertained and feeling good!

The Pastor will have Oprah type sermons - such as thinking of what OTHERS want it you give THEM a gift - rather than what YOU like. Relationships such as interacting with husband and spouse is a biggie - in the past reserved for troubled marriages and NO Scripture is ever mentioned in these kinds of "sermons". Really stupid stuff passes as a "sermon". If you want to hear anything Biblical - you could try your hand at a Bible Study but don't expect anyone with training to be there so it becomes understanding by consensus.

They're debating whether or not to change the name to show how accessible they are to "seekers". I had enough! Left it behind.

BTW, would you have left this also?

Sincerely sorry to hear that, nmh!

Unfortunately, I experienced the same thing (and they did change the name).

After a two year battle, I left as well.

Thankfully, God has provided an excellent Bible-teaching/preaching church ( and the sermons aren't purchased and repeated verbatim).

They ripped out the pews. Put in comfy chairs. Threw out the hymnals and replaced that with a wide screen and ONLY contemporary "worship" songs. The louder the better. The simpler - the more popular - same shallow line sung over and over again.

Neuro-linguistic programming

(I'm sure that's all in the Bible somewhere, right? Maybe in the Ur-Apocrypha? Or the "Wet Sea Scrolls" :)

Offhand, I'd say that the "Milton model" looks creepily similar to what's going on in these takeovers.

And check out the "Principles of NLP" (under "Aphorisms" heading) -- tell me if you could find these things out of place in a Warrenite assembly. (And note how it's described as "a technique rather than an organised religion"!)