You surprise me. Read Warren Smith's book Deceived on Purpose. I have to admit when I read PDL I didn't find it too alarming, because I read it from the standpoint of someone who is grounded in doctrine and the dangers of false teachings.
However when I went back and 'thought like an unbeliever' as Rick Warren encourages in PDChurch, I realized I didn't get anything that points you in the RIGHT direction, unless you were already going that way and ALREADY knew where you were going.
The thing I found most alarming about Warren is the same thing my pastor is doing - talking out of both sides of his mouth. It's classic liberal politician-speak... we here SHOULD be able to recognize it, I am surprised that people are missing it. This is only ONE example among many, but this is the most GLARING example because the contradicting ideas occur within a sentence or two of each other:
in chapter 13 (page 248) in #12 of PDC, he states
It takes unselfish, mature believers to offer a seeker-sensitive service.
This seems to warn the reader that only mature Christians can successfully do this. [I find it interesting to note that Warren worded it nebulously enough that my hubby Cyrano took it to mean "Only mature Christians should even attempt to do this." [And he is someone who remains infuriatingly objective to a fault sometimes.] "Ah, what a relief," I thought... "at least a little common sense. However, as you go on, the next few sentences seem to assert that the fact that you are doing it (e.g. considering the feelings of unbelievers on the matter) means you are mature.
Members demonstrate incredible spiritual maturity when they are considerate of the needs, fears, and hang-ups of unbelievers..." [emphasis mine] Well. .. which one is it?
He also spends a lot of time explicitly or implicitly emphasizing numbers as an indicator of growth -- and then occasionally paying very brief lip service to the fact that numbers really don't necessarily mean anything substantial is happening. In fact the Bible tells us that few will find the Narrow road. The whole book is riddled with unscriptural double-standards which makes it easy for someone (a pastor, council member, elder, music director, etc) with an agenda to pick and choose things that justify that agenda. No wonder the book is selling like hot cakes! In that case it's very little more than an ego stroker!}
Sorry, Terriergal, I do not see the dichotomy in the two sentences you quoted. They work together for me.
Many agnostics and atheists try to pick apart the Bible the same way.
In the example you gave, you interpret the first part you quote to mean that you should not attempt to have a seeker sensitive service until you have unselfish, mature believers. I interpret it to mean that it will not successfully become a seeker sensitive service unless those attempting to enable it are unselfish mature believers.
The second sentence you quote simply amplifies the first. That is, if you are doing it SUCCESSFULLY, you are mature...