Skip to content ↓

Riding the Wave?

A few months ago I commented on the articles written about The Passion of the Christ by Brian McLaren and Rick Warren. McLaren took issue with Warren’s assertion that this movie represented the best opportunity for evangelism in the past 2000 years. Warren wrote a respose which boasted about commented about the enormous efforts his church made to ensure everybody and their brother got to see this movie and the amazing results they supposedly achieved.

Just this morning I came across a great article written by another blogger which comments on Warren’s article. This blogger shows that while Warren would have us believe that good leadership operates under this kind of formula:

[Discernment] X [Preparation] X [Cooperation] = [More People in Your Church]

in reality Warren uses this kind of formula:

[Opportunity] X [Obligation] X [Organization] = [More People in Your Church]

In other words, when a great opportunity is perceived by the contemporary Christian “giants” they make pastors of smaller churches feel an obligation to do what they are doing. If these churches just organize themselves accordingly, they will be able to cash in and grow their churches exponentially.

It is just a short little article but it is well worth reading.

And that’s it. It’s Monday and already I’ve burned up my allotment of the word “Warren” for this week!


  • Books for Parents

    Books about the Challenges of Parenting in a Modern World

    Every generation of parents faces challenges as they raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. While some challenges are the same from age to age, others are unique to a particular time and context. Perhaps the greatest challenge of our day relates to new notions of gender, sexuality, and identity. Today’s…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 23)

    A La Carte: Pro-life challenges in the new administration / The ministry of small things / 10 things to think about / Pastoral burnout / Make yourself at home at almost any church / and more.

  • Beauty

    The Greatest Beauty I’ve Ever Seen

    One of the great privileges of my life has been the opportunity to travel far and wide. While most of my travel has been related to either speaking at conferences or filming documentaries, my hosts have often invited me to deviate from the straightest course to explore and take in the area’s natural beauty. It’s…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 22)

    A La Carte: 15 ways to fight lust / Snowflakes / When everyone else is getting the blessings you want / Enough with the valorization of doubt / A culture of evangelism / Book sales / and more.

  • Spurgeon

    Must You Read at Least One Spurgeon Biography?

    I am not aware of a verse in the Bible that says every Christian must read at least one biography of Charles Spurgeon. Or every Calvinist, at least. But I also wouldn’t be completely shocked if it’s there somewhere and I’ve just missed it. And that’s because his life and ministry were powerfully unique in…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (January 21)

    A La Carte: What “love your enemies” does not mean / John Piper on reading providence / Talking to your Roman Catholic friends / What happens at prayer meeting? / Against executive pastors / Kindle deals / and more.