Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Barriers To Church Growth

Is your church not a mega-church like Rick's?   Do you want to break through the barriers that keep you from being large?    Here are the "essentials" that  Rick says you need to do in order to grow your church.

"You must develop an unshakable conviction about growth "  - Rick Warren                                                                         
                                                                                       Break Through These 3 Barriers to Growth by Rick Warren 3.19.2012, pastors.com             


But why not a conviction about Jesus, God and the Bible?


"You must change the primary role of the pastor from minister to leader. "- Rick Warren
                                                                                             Break Through These 3 Barriers to Growth by Rick Warren 3.19.2012, pastors.com 

No more "ministers"... just "leaders." 
However, Jesus called his disciples to be followers.  
Let's read scripture and while doing so, substitute Rick's word selection for "minister."



That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, 
ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the 
Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. 
Romans 15:16 

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new 
testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: 
for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 
2 Corinthians 3:6 

If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, 
thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, 
nourished up in the words of faith and 
of good doctrine, 
whereunto thou hast attained. 
1 Timothy 4:6 


                                                                          Jesus called his disciples to be followers.

"You must organize around the gifts of your people." - Rick Warren
                                                                                              Break Through These 3 Barriers to Growth by Rick Warren 3.19.2012, pastors.com 

Rick elaborates as to why his idea to do this is so grand....
"In the New Testament, there is not a single explicit organizational pattern about church. It doesn’t tell us how to organize the church or give us job descriptions for deacons or elders. Why did God leave the structure so vague? "

Did God leave this vague?  Was God deficient?  He did not give, at least according to Rick,  "even one single explicit organizational pattern."  Not even one?  Wow.  But never fear, Rick knows,  But, does Rick really know better than God?

Then after giving you this information and asking you why God let it be so vague, Rick gladly gives us the answer, " So that it could fit in every culture and every age."  (He has it all figured out.)  Then he asserts, even though he just told you that the bible is not explicit... (that God neglected to give directives about this in His Word,)  that he, (Rick) knows exactly what God wants you to do...


" God wants your church organized on the giftedness of your members."- Rick Warren
                                                                                              Break Through These 3 Barriers to Growth by Rick Warren 3.19.2012, pastors.com 

Really Rick?  
Does the Bible teach this?


No.
This is nothing more than man-centered ideologies taught by Rick.



Communicating a vision... even if it is a vision of successful leadership... and having the abiblity to motivate or even to manipulate people  through messages that sound biblical but are not....and coaching people for profit or for selling books or promoting your own personal agenda ...  as well as being able to raise money..or even having good time management skills is not what Christianity is about, despite what this article by Rick would have you believe.




But why stop there.....with three.

There are apparently more than three. Rick has eight barriers...to teach you about if you buy his Timeless Conference Lectures,  Apparently, he has already broken the barrier of raising money.... because even though the gospel is free, Rick's Timeless Conference sermons at Saddleback rescources will cost you $20.00!



See 
"How To Break The 200-300 Attendance Barrier:
"Learn the barriers that face a church and keep it from growing. Discover what keeps the American church from growing. Realize 8 changes that must take place in order for a church to grow. Develop a strategy for your church. Adapt practical solutions from Saddleback's successes and failures."













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