SAMPLES AND CRITICISMS

SAMPLES AND CRITICISMS of theLet Us Entertain You · Make You Feel Good About Yourself · Never Offend You ·Keep It “Lite” · Meet Your Felt Needs · We’re Your Therapist · Build Your Self-Esteem · Make You Happy · Tickle Your Ears · Be Positive · Make You Comfortable · Focus On You · Don’t Rock The Boat · Feed You Fuzzy Bible Translations · Forget Being A Berean · Meet Your Consumer Needs · Dialogue To Consensus · Bible’s Neither Authoritative Nor Sufficient · Doctrine Is Too Divisive · We’re All Brothers and Sisters In Christ · We Do It Your WAY OF DOING CHRISTIANITY

“An undisputed historical fact is that I am the founder, really, of the church-growth movement in this country….I advocated and launched what has become known as the marketing approach in Christianity.” – Robert Schuller, as quoted in Willow Creek Seeker Services by G.A. Pritchard

“In seminary I took the equivalent of a total quality management course where I learned how to survey the congregation: ‘What do you think and how do you feel?’….[However, w]e’re accountable to [the Word of God], as is, not how do we feel or think about it.” – Dean Gotcher, The Institute of Authority Research

“The Beverly Hillbillies Bible Study: This is a church-growth tool that also helps with the perpetual problem of recruiting outstanding Sunday School teachers. I highly recommend it.”– King Duncan, Editor, Dynamic Preaching  (Also available:The Mayberry Bible Studywith Andy, Barney, Opie, and all your old friends; The Bonanza Bible Study; The DVDBible Study, starring the Dick Van Dyke Show

[From a brochure to attract teens to a national evangelical youth convention] “Examine your own spiritual journey. [Prayer] labyrinths were a feature of many medieval cathedrals. At the convention you’ll have the opportunity to experience a contemporary version of a labyrinth [used by Catholic occultists and mystics]….Don’t miss this opportunity for spiritual reflection.” – Group Magazine, 11/1/01

“In An Invitation to Christian Yoga, author and Episcopal priest Nancy Roth offers yoga as an ancient but contemporary path to deepening the Christian experience of prayer and contemplation.” – Cowley Publications

“A three-year odyssey will end today when a Pentecostal congregation in Detroit and its pastor take the remarkable step of joining the Catholic Church.” – Detroit Free Press, 4/1/01

“Houston’s new Family Life Center at Brentwood Baptist Church features a 74,000-square-foot facility housing an NBA regulation-size basketball court with retractable bleachers, a volleyball court, a weight and exercise room, a full locker room with showers, a full-service kitchen, and a McDonalds restaurant. The 1,000-seat Fellowship Hall has a portable stage for drama and music productions.” – www.century-builders/portfolio/completed/brentwood/html

“Worldly marketing methods may seem to yield large numerical results for a time but will also produce gradual spiritual compromise and eventual disintegration.” – Henry Morris, The Defender Study Bible

“James Davison Hunter [in The Public Interest] concludes that today’s secular worldview is influencing….the moraleducational curricula at churches and synagogues around the nation, and he finds that the old categories of sin, repentance and redemption are out, and the therapeutic language of self-esteem and self-love are in. Hunter cites Dr. James Dobson, of Focus on the Family, a professional psychologist, as an example of this melding of psychological beliefs into Christian moral education….” – Jewish World Review, 3/29/00

“An inaugural prayer luncheon sponsored by The Washington Times Foundation was one of the largest and most diverse inaugural religious gatherings of clergy and lawmakers in memory. The Rev. Robert Schuller…marveled at the ‘myriad’ of different religious groups praying in the same room and complimented each for its own ‘spiritual pilgrimage.’ Commenting on the apparent unity, Schuller added, ‘…the only way I can explain it in my theology is [that] Jesus Christ has really diversified His investment portfolio.’” – The Washington Times, 1/20/01

“The National Council of Churches is asking congregations in its 36-member denominations to host open houses for their Muslim neighbors….The open houses are part of a growing religious movement to…foster interfaith understanding.” – Associated Press, 5/1/02

“Different schools of therapy offer visions of the good life and how to live it, and those whose ancestors took comfort from the words of God and worshiped at the altars of Christ and Yahweh now take solace from and worship at the altars of Freud, Jung, Carl Rogers, Albert Ellis…and a host of similar authorities.” – Psychologist Bernie Zilbergeld in The Shrinking of America: Myths of Psychological Change.

“They never dreamed they’d hear an Anglican priest impersonate and sing like Elvis,” Rev. Dorian Baxter says. “They really went berserk. Through Elvis, I have reached many people and brought them to Christ.” – Christian News, 2/19/01

“Classical theology has erred in its insistence that theology be ‘God-centered,’ not ‘man-centered.’” – Robert Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation

“If I had my way, there would be 100,000 Willow Creek Churches in this country. With God’s blessing, perhaps we can make some headway toward that goal.” – George Barna, Marketing the Church