Thanks for sharing that story. I totally agree with you. Over last night (since this thread was posted yesterday), I thought over some of the comments here, and I came to recognize that Rick Warren's work and books fill a niche, they bring to people's attention some things about their relationship and God's purposes that perhaps they've never thought of before. In that sense, they are instructional, and provide needed encouragement and admonition for many. But some have approached Warren's work as some sort of be-all formula for church or individual growth, and I'm not sure even he intended his work to be so used.
Follow Christ!...and if Warren's works bring a person to the point where they are determined to follow Christ, then they've been helpful.