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Mention the term “purpose-driven” anywhere in the world and Christians will know exactly what you mean. It’s the newest method for successful church growth. So what is the purpose of the purpose driven church? Is purpose-driven biblically-based?
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History reveals that Christian fads and trends come and go. It seems pastors and church leaders are constantly looking for some new method, “new wave” or “new thing” God is doing right “now” - something He has never done before.
There are a number of methods that facilitate church growth being promoted today. Church growth is commonly equated with successful pastors and successful church growth methodology. Rapid growth and the mega church has become the ideal. Whatever it takes to reach that objective is acceptable. Church growth has become the measuring stick for successful Christianity.
It is true some of the largest and fastest growing churches and church movements in the world promote the concept of being purpose-driven for successful church growth. But what do we mean by success from a Biblical perspective? While we are accustomed to accepting numbers or quantity as the yardstick for measuring success, when it comes to Christianity, quantity without quality can be misleading.
According to the Bible, Christian faith must be directly related to an understanding of what God has said as recorded in His Word. With regard to church growth, if the growth is the product of some technique authored by some man and not based on God’s word, the results may actually be negative.
With this in mind, let’s consider a current common trend known as the “purpose-driven” church growth movement. Before we do, let’s review the biblical premise that we are to test the teachings of men as the Bereans did.
While I recognize some who are listening may be disciples of the “purpose driven” church growth movement and be convinced that purpose-driven is Christ centered and does not need to be biblically evaluated, it would be wise to “take heed” to what God has said. We should always be willing to be corrected based on God’s word.
The purpose of the purpose-driven movement is church growth.
This church growth is dependent on adding numbers based on human methods. While promoters say these human methods are found in the Bible, there are reasons to question this claim.
Successful purpose-driven churches find out what appeals to people and then provide the service. Thus purpose-driven churches can become market-driven without being Christ centered. They provide a form of Christianity that appears to be Christian but may actually be based on a dilution of the truth.
It would seem to me that to be faithful to Jesus and His word, it would be important for church growth to be based on the teaching of God’s word. A market-driven church based on humanistic methods may produce numbers, but the converts may turn out to be biblically illiterate. If that is the case, the purpose of purpose-driven would be win converts in the name of Christ who are not prepared to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Time will tell.
I am Roger Oakland. This has been a biblical perspective to help understand the times.
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