Posted on 09/05/2006 9:13:25 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Rev. Bill Hybels opens his eyes at dawn, rolls out of bed and lands on his knees. For 10 minutes, he says, he kneels in prayer, thanking God.
That one-on-one time came more easily three decades ago, when Hybels was an evangelist working outside the mainstream, launching an experimental ministry called Willow Creek Community Church.
Now Willow Creek is a big part of the mainstream, the South Barrington-based megachurch at the forefront of an international phenomenon counting almost 12,000 congregations.
And Hybels has become a power broker in evangelical Christianity, the CEO of a movement. This year he stepped away from Willow Creek's day-to-day operations to concentrate on expanding the ministry to the unchurched abroad and to broaden its urban, multicultural reach at home.
"In the early days I was the father, the mother, the uncle, the aunt, the grandmother. I was really the only teacher, the only pastor," he said. "These days ... the church's dependency on me has gone down just exactly the way we planned it."
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Today's Wall Street Journal has a Page One story about Rick Warren's movement. Anyone read it yet?
The loonie left's scheme is to portray Conservative/Christians in a hypocritical, bigoted light, targeting the successes of the so-called "mega"-churches as leading to loss of all freedoms and rights.
Hence, one must consider the source and their motivations to return Mrs. Clinton back into office, before passing judgements.
"I'm not an arm waver and a clapper and a dancer," he said. "Music doesn't do that to me, although it stirs me inside. I think there's a contingent of people at Willow who gain some permission to stay in their true response because they know I do. They're glad I stay true to my wiring. It gives them permission to stay true to theirs."
Something of his childhood foundation remains.
It's successful because it's shallow -- focusing on 'options for worship, outreach' etc. instead of focusing on getting the TRUTH out and feeding those who want the TRUTH more than anything else.
It's not even on the online verson headlines. I suppose it's available only for subscribers. Argh. Where can a person even buy a copy?
I may have to call my friend and bug him for his. (he hasn't talked to me since shortly after the big bruhaha at church over the Warren stuff).
I agree, althought not as shallow, "popular" or downright unScriptural as the "Purpose Driven Life" author, Rick Warren's suggestions
Warren said many people are more interested in slowing down the pandemic instead of stopping it because they are not willing to make behavioral changes. Although he disagrees, saying it’s a "primarily behavior-based disease," his "SLOW" model offers four steps that will reduce the number of people infected with AIDS.
"SLOW" stands for Supply condoms, Limit the number of partners, Offer needle exchanges to addicts, and Wait for sex as long as possible. "Those four things will slow the pandemic; no doubt about it," commented Warren. "They’re very popular and at the conference those four were talked about over and over because they don’t require behavioral change. They’re not painful. They don’t allow you to need much discipline. They’re just easy to do. So they’re popular and they’re easy."
Did you try bugmenot for Firefox? That may get you in.
Some pastors learn how to make their churches purpose-driven through training workshops. Speakers at Church Transitions Inc., a Waxhaw, N.C., nonprofit that works closely with Mr. Warren's church, stress that the transition will be rough. At a seminar outside of Austin, Texas, in April, the Revs. Roddy Clyde and Glen Sartain advised 80 audience members to trust very few people with their plans. "All the forces of hell are going to come at you when you wake up that church," said Mr. Sartain, who has taught the material at Mr. Warren's Saddleback Church.
During a session titled "Dealing with Opposition," Mr. Clyde recommended that the pastor speak to critical members, then help them leave if they don't stop objecting. Then when those congregants join a new church, Mr. Clyde instructed, pastors should call their new minister and suggest that the congregants be barred from any leadership role.
"There are moments when you've got to play hardball," said the Rev. Dan Southerland, Church Transitions' president, in an interview. "You cannot transition a church...and placate every whiny Christian along the way."
Who do these guys think they are? If someone did that to me, I think I might be tempted to just hire an attorney and sue the pants off them for slander, then donate the proceeds to my new church.
Then, I'd be willing to wager that the Revs. Clyde and Sartain would count you amongst "all the forces of hell" and say "See we told you so."
I'm just sayin' is all. ;-)
Of course they would say that. Who gave them the right to call new pastors and stir up trouble for people who have been hurt by all this? I think they are the very ones who should be counted amongst "all the forces of hell". They want to drive out those who stand in opposition (and who also have Biblical backing) and then try to prevent them from being active anywhere else? What total jerks they must be!
Didn't he blaze the trail for churches to be closed on Christmas Sunday?
This was actually a surprise to me. I knew about pushing the "resisters" out the door-which is bad enough. But to interlope into these peoples lives after they leave is exceeding the bounds they've already overstepped. I'd like to believe the pastors told them to mind their own business.
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