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Church Growth Gone Mad
Clay Miller 
 Associate Pastor, Outreach Ministries
INTRODUCTIONI. DEFINITIONA.
 
Church Growth Movement
“An organized effort and strategy to affect growth in the church which integrates biblicaland extra-biblical means.”
 — 
Rick Holland, Pastor of Student Ministries, Grace Community Church.
B.
 
Pragmatism
“Pragmatism is the notion that meaning or worth is determined by practical consequences…the belief that usefulness is the standard of what is good. To a pragmatist…if atechnique or course of action has the desired effect, it is good. If it doesn’t seem to work,it must be wrong.”
 — 
MacArthur,
 Ashamed of the Gospel 
, xii.
C.
 
Seeker-Friendly or Seeker-Sensitive
“A new way of doing church.”
 — 
website of a leading Seeker-Friendly church in America.“Seeker-Focused Worship”“Seeker-Sensitive Worship”“Seeker-Insensitive Worship”
II. HISTORYA.
 
Charles Finney
“There is nothing in religion beyond the ordinary powers of nature. A revival is not amiracle, nor dependent on a miracle, in any sense. It is a purely philosophical result of the right use of the constituted means … A revival is as naturally a result of the use of means as a crop is of the use of its appropriate means.”
 — 
Charles Finney,
 Lectures on Revivals of Religion
, 4-5.“Finney filled the bloodstream of American evangelicalism with poisons that have keptthe movement maimed even to this day.”
 — 
Phil Johnson, Executive Director of 
Grace to You
; Elder at Grace Community Church.
 
 
B.
 
Fuller Theological Seminary
Donald McGavranC. Peter Wagner 
C.
 
Robert SchullerD.
 
Bill Hybels
1972 – 
“Son Life”
 1973 – 
“Son City”
 1975 – Hybels linked with Schuller’s leadership conference
E.
 
Rick WarrenIII. PRACTICE
 
A.
 
Contemporary “Seeker Service” on the Lord’s Day
Casual dress and styleContemporary musicDramaMinistries aimed at “needs” and special interests of community
B.
 
Pragmatism is Criteria for Ministry
“Never criticize any method that God is blessing.”
 — 
Rick Warren,
The Purpose Driven Church
, 156.
In Prayer
“Keep your pastoral prayers short in your seeker services … the unchurched can’t handlelong prayers; their minds wander or they fall asleep.”
 — 
Warren, 256.
In Worship
“We must be willing to adjust our worship practices when unbelievers are present. Godtells us to be sensitive to the hang-ups of unbelievers in our services.”
 — 
Warren, 243.
 
 
C.
 
Sociology and Psychology Take Precedence over Theology
Modern marketing techniques are lifted to the level of Scripture in Practice“Assist him in a cost-benefit analysis.”
 — 
Hybels, 175.
D.
 
Avoidance of Doctrinal Issues on Sunday
“We want to loosen up the tense muscles of uptight visitors. When your body is relaxed,your attitude is less defensive”
 — 
Warren, 256.“Worship is a powerful witness to unbelievers if God’s presence is felt and if the messageis understandable … God’s presence must be sensed in the service. More people are wonto Christ by feeling God’s presence than by all our apologetic arguments combined. Few people, if any, are converted to Christ on purely intellectual grounds. It is the sense of God’s presence that melts the heart and explodes mental barriers”
 — 
Warren, 241-242.
IV. THEOLOGY
 
A.
 
The Local Church
“Our church hosted a public debate between leading spokesmen for atheism andChristianity.”
 — 
Hybels, 171
B.
 
Depravity
“The first step in moving people toward the point of decision is to simply find out wherethey’re at.”
 — 
Bill Hybels,
 Becoming a Contagious Christian
, 183.Rom. 3:11 (cf. Ps 14:1-3)Eph. 2:1Rom. 5:6Rom. 8:8Ps. 115:5Ps. 115:6Jer. 13:23“Some seekers have serious intellectual questions that are preventing their progresstoward Christ.”
 — 
Bill Hybels, 175.
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