The Purpose Driven Church: Growth Without Compromising Your Message and Mission
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
This is a five-point strategy for attracting and spiritually maturing the unchurched, from the pastor of Saddleback Church.
Every church is driven by something. Tradition, finances, programs, personalities, events, seekers, and even buildings can each be the controlling force in a church. But Rick Warren believers that in order for a church to be healthy if must become a purpose driven church by Jesus. Now the founding pastor of Saddleback Church shares a proven five-part strategy that will enable your church to grow. . .
Discover the same practical insights and principles for growing a healthy church that Rick has taught in seminars to over 22,000 pastors and church leaders from sixty denominations and forty-two countries. The Purpose Driven Church® shifts the focus away from church building programs to emphasizing a people-building process. Warren says, "If you will concentrate on building people, God will build the church."
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- Explores church health as a key factor that will encourage church growth
- Seeks to help every local church to recapture the mission of the New Testament church
- Identifies some of the principles and processes God is using to reach current generations for Christ
Part One: Seeing the Big Picture
- The Saddleback Story
- Myths About Growing Churches
Part Two: Becoming a Purpose-Driven Church
- What Drives Your Church?
- The Foundation for a Healthy Church
- Defining Your Purposes
- Communicating Your Purposes
- Organizing Around Your Purposes
- Applying Your Purposes
Part Three: Reaching Out to Your Community
- Who Is Your Target?
- Knowing Whom You Can Best Reach
- Developing Your Strategy
Part Four: Bringing In a Crowd
- How Jesus Attracted Crowds
- Worship Can Be a Witness
- Designing a Seeker-Sensitive Service
- Selecting Your Music
- Preaching to the Unchurched
Part Five: Building Up the Church
- Turning Attenders into Members (Congregation)
- Developing Mature Members (Committed)
- Turning Members into Ministers (Core)
- God’s Purpose for Your Church
Top Highlights
“I believe that you measure the health or strength of a church by its sending capacity rather than its seating capacity. Churches are in the sending business. One of the questions we must ask in evaluating a church’s health is, ‘How many people are being mobilized for the Great Commission?’” (Pages 32–33)
“The New Testament is very clear that God’s will for every believer is spiritual maturity. He wants us to grow up.” (Page 331)
“We do not focus on attendance; we focus on assimilating all the people God brings to us.” (Page 48)
“If you want your church to become purpose driven, you will have to lead it through four critical phases: First, you must define your purposes. Next, you must communicate those purposes to everyone in your church—on a regular basis. Third, you must organize your church around your purposes. Finally, you must apply your purposes to every part of your church. I’ll describe each of these tasks in the following chapters.” (Pages 93–94)
“I love the Living Bible paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 11:4: ‘If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.’ If you insist on solving all the problems before you make a decision, you’ll never know the thrill of living by faith. God always uses imperfect people in imperfect situations to accomplish his will.” (Page 38)
This book is a rare treasure of godly wisdom, totally scriptural, inspired by the Spirit, and born of practical experience. These principles will revolutionize and energize any church to reach its full potential. Every pastor must read this book! It is destined to be a classic.
—Bill Bright, Founder, Campus Crusade for Christ International
This is not just another “how to” book by a successful megachurch pastor. It shows just how far off the mark are many critics of “church growth” and “seeker-sensitive” approaches. Study this book carefully! Rick Warren knows how the Lord builds the church.
—George Brushaber, President, Bethel College and Seminary
"BALANCED! ... PRACTICAL! ... POWERFUL! You will want to read and use this book."
—Ken Hemphill, President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminar
