Evangelizing the 21st Century culture by Rick Warren

"In ministry, some things must never change but others must change constantly.  Clearly, God’s five purposes for his church are non-negotiable. If a church fails to balance the five purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism, then it’s no longer a healthy church, and it’s in danger of becoming simply a social club. On the other hand, the way or style in which we fulfill these eternal purposes must continually be adjusted and modified because human culture is always changing."

So then, if your church is not a "Purpose Driven" Church, ( code for not listening to the wisdom of Rick who teaches all about balancing the FIVE purposes, a concept he himself has made up, ) then,  it is not "healthy"?

If you want to be "healthy" you will have to listen to Rick and throw away your tradition of thinking of church as something solid and substantial, important or consider in light of 2 Thessalonians 2: 15.... which reads, "So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us."

Rick says, "Here’s a simple tradition to break in the 21st Century: stop thinking of the church as an institution. Regardless of the language we’ve used, we boomers have tended to see the church as an organization, but the merging generations – and a lot of us Beatle-era boomers – are desperately looking for community (a major secret to Starbuck’s successful strategy; community in a coffee cup).  We need to present the church as a place where you belong, a family where, as they sang on Cheers, everybody knows your name. Now you and I may know that the church is a community, but emerging generations have never seen it that way."

Rick would have you think of church as a Starbucks and use their strategy...

and by the way... whose name does everyone at church know?  

Yours; or is it Jesus'?