Can you identify what church growth book these pastors were following?

Question

Okay, I recently left a church because they were getting way too humanistic, but also because they were really, really committed to shallow church growth... well, I'm trying to figure out which book or method they were following, because my old pastor sent me an email asking me if I had found a new church home yet, and I told him about my new church, but later I regretted it because I realized that some church growth methods dictate that when a person leaves your church, you should call their new pastor and tell them that the person should never be given a leadership position.

Okay, here is the pattern they followed:

1. When a person visited the church, they would afterwards "friend" that individual on facebook

2. Facebook was a big part of their ministry. They would make groups for the church, make events for every sunday and every church event

3. When I missed church, they would send me a standard message asking if everything was okay.. I know this was a canned message, because they would send the identical message to my fiance on his account

4. the church met in a movie theater

5. they made up "invitation cards" to the church.. basically these were very artsy looking postcards or business cards with the church info on it

6. Instead of doing Vacation Bible Study, they did a sports camp that used a VBS curriculum during "quiet times"

7. They blogged

8. They spoke of the "I-79" Corridor on their blogs often

Answer 1

Methods! Gimmicks!

I have such a problem with the church growth folks...all the answers are right there in the Bible they seem to ignore when it comes to this matter.

What you have described sounds like it could be any of several, but the one that springs to my mind is Warren's Purpose Driven Junk.

As for the practice of calling and warning a future Pastor not to use someone in leadership, this is nothing but slandering gossip, without the least bit of thought other than to "poison the well" so to speak.

By the Bible's own example, we see that even Paul, though he had a falling out over Mark with Barnabas, eventually accepted him. The difference? Paul had grown in grace.

All the method we need know is contained within the Bible. And the ones we see practiced in our time, fall short.

Answer 2

It sounds like alot of the "modern church" growth movement stuff. However, I am not sure if it is out of a church growth book. Here is some of the things I found that may help...

http://russellknight.blogspot.com/2007/1...

http://www.erwm.com/Church%20Growth%20Mo...

Hope this helps,

Elder Greg

(((SFCU)))

Answer 3

Everybody uses methods that they are comfortable with.  But any church that calls the preacher or minister a "pastor" is not studying the Bible.  I would suggest a different church.