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05/14/06
Comments (13)

This Little Church Went To Market

littlechurch.jpgThough I have never met him, Gary Gilley has had a signficant impact on my life. He was one of two people who was most influential in my decision to begin blogging and to use this site to review books. His many book reviews were very helpful to me and made me realize that if he could review books and post them on the web, I could too. I was honored when he agreed to participate in the Discerning Reader review program as I trust his book reviews almost implicitly.

Gilley wrote This Little Church Went To Market to address and answer the question of whether the modern church, through the myriad marketing programs it uses, is reaching out or selling out. Initially self-published, the book has since been expanded and re-released by Evangelical Press. This book is a damning indictment of the market-driven churches that are so popular today. Having extensively studied the issues Gilley writes about in this book, I am comfortable saying that this is the best introduction to “the church in the age of entertainment” that I have read. Gilley contends that the church has sold out to our culture so that the influences of the culture have become the influences in the church. The most significant forces pressing against the church are entertainment, market driven philosophies and psychology. These three are largely absent from the Bible, yet are startlingly prevalent in evangelical churches. The leaders and issues he concentrates on most are Rick Warren and his book The Purpose Driven Church, Bill Hybels and Lee Strobel.

Having discussed the forces that are impacting the church, Gilley spends several chapters examining how these forces have impacted evangelical churches. He quotes extensively throughout the book from other believers who have covered this topic such as John MacArthur, Os Guinness and Michael Horton as well as from unbelievers such as Neal Postman. Finally he concludes that churches built on seeker sensitive model will be built on the wrong foundation, will teach the wrong message, will focus on the wrong need and will misunderstand preaching and worship. In other words, these churches will bear little resemblance to a New Testament, Bible-based church.

Through this book Gilley manages to approach the topics in a rational manner and never comes across as being obnoxious or blinded to the heart of the issues. He truly does understand both the New Testament model and the new evangelical model and is able to adequately compare them. The back cover tells us that the book “is a call for the Church to return to its scriptural roots” and that is right on the mark. This book examines contemporary issues and calls the church to return to the Source to discover what God would have us be. I highly recommend this one.

This Little Church Went To Market

Comments (13) »

1. Donald H
May 14, 2006
4:08 PM

I agree with the assessment of “This Little Church Went To Market”. I ran across his website looking up another website. He had some outstandng articles and excellent book reviews. He’s definitely impacted my walk with Christ and my ministry.

I’ve never met him, but I’ve corresponded with him via email. He has always been gracious.

I plan on adding this updated version of this resource.

This brother definitely has something to say and is a voice that needs to be heard.

2. s. zeilenga
May 15, 2006
10:30 AM

Wow. Sounds like a good book. I will have to pick it up soon and check it out.

Thanks for the review.

z.

3. Wes
May 15, 2006
11:11 AM

Tim, a friend of mine, who hates the purpose driven ‘fad’ has now found out that his church eldership has planned on doing the ‘40 days of purpose’ this fall. He said the pulpit does not endorse exposition but a more topical approach to preaching.

He is now questioning whether or not to move his family to another church because of this decision….he hates it(40 days) that much. He has discussed his concerns with the eldership and they plan to continue on with the purpose driven decision.

Not intending to be a ‘problem’ to his local church’s vision or stir up discension in anyway within the church, his question to me is, ‘Does this merit leaving your church home over’?

Would it be a bad idea or too confrontational to refer this book to his eldership?

When and how does one confront leadership in a humble, God-honoring way on such topics?

Thanks.

4. JohnH
May 15, 2006
12:24 PM

Wes:

Funny you should mention this. I just talked about this with a good friend. As a leader in my church, I am wrestling with the direction we are taking in some areas. How do I respond to this and not be seen as divisive? If I leave, that will have an impact as well. It’s a tough spot to be in.

This is going on everywhere: my friend left a church for similar reasons. He’s spent a lot of time reading Corinthians and the letters to the seven churches. He’s made the decision to terminate the church he was planting and go back. He’s met with the pastor and there is a change taking place.

Tough call and would appreciate the insight of others. When to stay and when to go?

5. James
May 15, 2006
1:03 PM

JohnH & Wes:

Surprisingly enough I am going through a similar situation in the small church I serve at. Though the church is not going through “purpose-driven” many things have started to become “seeker-driven” for all intents and purposes.

I voiced my concerns with the leaders and have stepped a way a few times from the church due to these difficulties. Sin and temptations crept into my life many times when getting into these debates. I also consulted with brothers outside the church, prayed a lot, and ultimately decided to stay to work for reform. It takes time. After several months of sounding and looking like a lone dissident, one of the deacon/elders and his wife finally (I hope) understood that my concern was that the Gospel was becoming obscured. Ironically enough they had originally dismissed my concerns as mere personal preference. Speaking truth with love is not easy for me but I have seen God make me more patient and gracious through this. Whatever ultimately will happen I leave to the Lord.

The road to reform is littered with tears and prayer but God has given me grace and strength to endure. I encourage you to seek God’s guidance in these matters for if you truly love your fellow brothers and sisters, simply letting them walk off into darkness is not always the right thing to do.

6. Russell
May 15, 2006
1:26 PM

Regarding whether you should continue at your present church, there are reasons to leave a church at times and there are specific ways in which to leave a church if it is time. When it comes time to leave a church, a mature believer will express the questions/concerns graciously to the appropriate leadership only and leave quietly without stirring up any strife.

There are no perfect churches so we should all, of course, not be looking for one. If a church maintains the authority and sufficiency of Scripture as the sole rule for faith and practice and maintains the exclusivity of Christ as Savior and Recipient of all glory, that is a good place to start. If someone is concerned that the Bible is not being consistently taught and obeyed, that might be a time God would have you somewhere else.

Under any circumstance, if you have questions or concerns about your church, you should approach the leadership privately, and ask your questions and express your concerns humbly. Give them an adequate hearing meaning you may need to meet more than once or talk to more than one leader. Be gracious and longsuffering. You may come to the conclusion that you have some differences with the leadership, but you can happily trust God and the leaders he has placed over you and overlook the differences and release any concern over these and not mention them to anyone else. You may come to the conclusion that the differences are significant enough that you need to worship elsewhere. If this is the case, you must leave quietly without stirring up any strife or sowing any seeds of discord or distrust.

7. Anon
May 15, 2006
2:00 PM

My issues relate mainly to the use of contemplative prayer books in church-sponsored groups (under the direction of a staff person, not an elder) and to the invitation extended to one of the leaders of emergent to speak at a church retreat. Couple that with a change in music style (you all know what that means), a SP transition and an increasingly shorter time devoted to preaching and you have the basic laundry list. The church is on the verge of a meltdown in my opinon. I’m a leader and have expressed my concerns in a number of venues, but it only continues to deteriorate. It’s a tough thing to watch.

8. jane
May 15, 2006
3:01 PM

Dear Anon,

I am a two year veteran of this excruciating process of watching this new drivenness. Only the Lord can call you out of a church, just as He calls you into one. As long as you can love the leadership, you are called. Guard your soul, though, it is a tight rope which only the Lord can walk with you. This is indeed a serious spiritual battle, not just a fad.

9. Scott Welch
May 16, 2006
7:08 AM

The title alone is enough to sell me on the book! We need more stuff like this out there to counter all of the books written by those guys he is reviewing.

10. Donald H
May 20, 2006
7:40 PM

Wes,

And the others. I would strongly consider making an exit. Particularly for the individual that’s hating the 40 day paradigm. The individual that stated it is a spiritual battle it is. It’s packaged as a fad. The reinvention of the church is their mantra.

Here’s a breakdown of helps:

” Who’s Driving The Purpose Driven Church”,
by Noah Hutchings (he’s KJVO, but he’s on target with the PDC paradigm). Deals with the controlling aspects of the PDC/PDL paradigm. Cost effective for those that are on a budget but want an overview of the PDC.

“Deceived On Purpose” - By Warren Smith - deals with the New Age implications within the PDC/PDL paradigm.

” Redefining Christianity” - By Bob DeWaay -
Gary Gilley (the above author) wrote the foreword.
It is considered the best overall examination of RIck Warren and his ” Purpose Driven” ministry.

And finally the minstry of Pastor John Coleman has been traveling around certain parts of the US dealing in conference format with it’s paradigm on various levels to many to name.

And this is just scratching the surface, but these are pretty much the cream of the crop so to speak.

Question?

In light of all the resources documenting the area what exact in terms of a call from God does one need to exit a PDC paradigm church?

11. Tim Smith
May 20, 2006
10:22 PM

I have known Gary Gilley for 25 years having grown up in the church that he pastors. In that time I have observed the manner in which his knowledge of the Scriptures and systematic teaching of Scripture has impacted both him and his church. I highly recommend his teaching. He not only has authored a couple of books but he puts out a monthly publication that can be found at www.tottministries.org.

12. castusfumus
May 23, 2006
8:35 AM

My previous church lost me, an expositor, due to the leadership, and the casualty of PDL, along with several others.

13. Allan
May 25, 2006
7:26 PM

An excellent book that every Christian should read. Not lengthy, simply done, accessible to all, and right on.