THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT THE COMMUNITY CHURCH

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT I. BASIS AND APPEAL “In starting Willow Creek volunteers went through the neighborhoods to ask people why they didn't go to church and then made adjustments in order to attract them. ” (Excerpted from Rediscovering Church by Bill Hybels. Copyright 1995 by Bill Hybels. The Atlantic online http: //www. theatlantic. com/issues/96 aug/ nxtchrch/willow. htm)

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT I. BASIS AND APPEAL A. Starting a church in the N. T. , Matt. 16: 18; Mk. 16: 16; 1 Cor. 1: 22 -24; Gal. 1: 10 B. Denial of a definite pattern for the church, Heb. 8: 5; 2 Tim. 1: 13; 1 Cor. 4: 17

“At Willow Creek, we feel that God has given us a plan, but it doesn’t necessarily have to apply to every church. In fact, we believe that this may be one of the few churches that God, manifesting a sense of humor if you will, has decided to say, ‘Look, I’m going to give them a little different kind of plan over here. ’” (Bill Hybels and the Willow Creek Church http: //www. wayoflife. org/fbns/hybels. htm, my emph, sw)

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT I. BASIS AND APPEAL A. Starting a church in the N. T. , Matt. 16: 18; Mk. 16: 16; 1 Cor. 1: 22 -24; Gal. 1: 10 B. Denial of a definite pattern for the church, Heb. 8: 5; 2 Tim. 1: 13; 1 Cor. 4: 17 C. Drama, dance and contemporary music

“There are three weekend services in the main auditorium. Using drama, multi-media, contemporary music, and a message that connects with people's lives, the ageless wisdom of Scripture is presented in a creative, yet straightforward way. ” (“Weekend services, ” and picture, Willowcreek Community Church web site, http: //www. Willowcreek. org/services. asp, my emph, sw)

“Not just another service, Axis is a truly alternative experience for people 18 to 20 -something, single or married, with kids or without. The music is edgier, as is the style of the service and the dress of attenders. ” (“Axis Services — A gathering of 20 -somethings, ” with picture, Willowcreek Community Church web site, http: //www. willowcreek. org/services. asp, my emph, sw)

“It's also important to keep in mind that art isn't used to teach at Willow Creek. Its purpose is to pique curiosity, to evoke ideas, and to till the soil of the soul so that the seed of God's Word can be planted there. Music, drama, video, multimedia, and dance are only used as a prelude to a thirty- to forty-minute message that then brings strong biblical clarity to the topic of the day. It's this preaching of God's Word that ultimately has the power to change lives. Art plays a secondary -- though important -- support role. ” (Excerpted from Rediscovering Church by Bill Hybels. Copyright 1995 by Bill Hybels. The Atlantic online, http: //www. theatlantic. com/issues /96 aug/nxtchrch/ willow. htm, my emph, sw)

“The style of music you choose in your service will be one of the most critical and controversial decisions you make in the life of your church. It may be the most influential decision in determining who your church reaches for Christ and whether or not your church grows. You must match your music to the kind of people God wants your church to reach. When selecting the style of music that is going to be used during your service, it must be remembered that the Bible does not dictate a ‘correct’ kind of music. This is because God wants his church to grow in every culture, and he made people with the capacity to express themselves in many different musical ways. As long as your worship ‘in spirit and in truth’ (John 4: 24), each local body is free to adopt whichever style of music best reaches the surrounding community. ” ("Frequently Asked Questions, " Saddleback Valley Community Church, available from http: //www. purposedriven. com/pdc/faqs/music-faq. html, Internet; accessed August 3, 2000. via The Spiritual Sword, Volume 32, October 2000, No. 1, http: //www. concernedmembers. com/spiritualsword. htm, my emph, sw)

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT I. BASIS AND APPEAL A. Starting a church in the N. T. , Matt. 16: 18; Mk. 16: 16; 1 Cor. 1: 22 -24; Gal. 1: 10 B. Denial of a definite pattern for the church, Heb. 8: 5; 2 Tim. 1: 13; 1 Cor. 4: 17 C. Drama, dance and contemporary music

The Use of Drama in Services: • It says that God's way of communication is ineffective and obsolete (1 Cor. 1: 21). • It is an emotion-based communication; preaching is reason-based communication. Drama shifts from objective biblical truth to subjective human experience. • It presents a subtle way of accepting women preachers as women speak in it (1 Tim. 2: 12). • Drama was well known in the Greek world of Paul's day. Why did the Holy Spirit not inspire him to incorporate it? (Matt. 15: 9) • It is a form of entertainment. It gets the focus off of Christ and on to the “players. ”

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT I. BASIS AND APPEAL A. Starting a church in the N. T. , Matt. 16: 18; Mk. 16: 16; 1 Cor. 1: 22 -24; Gal. 1: 10 B. Denial of a definite pattern for the church, Heb. 8: 5; 2 Tim. 1: 13; 1 Cor. 4: 17 C. Drama, dance and contemporary music, Gal. 5: 19 -21; Eph. 5: 19 D. Efforts they make to reach out to the lost

“With more than 100 ministries, the church offers many opportunities for outreach. Locally, volunteers may assist in a variety of ways, from stocking groceries at the Food Pantry to repairing and providing cars free of charge at the Car Ministry. ” (Sowing Seeds, my emph, sw http: //www. sowingseeds. tv/ep 01 willowcreek. jsp)

“The Coke Outreach on Saturday, June 28 was awesome! 45 volunteers - 24 were pick-up truck drivers - 15, 000 cans of coke -7, 200 lbs of ice - 528 ft of plastic “FEEDBACK FROM AN OUTREACH LEADER WHO LED A GROUP DOWNTOWN ON FOUNTAIN SQUARE “One lady stood out in my mind. As I asked her if she ‘would like an ice cold Coke? ’ she accepted it with a puzzled look on her face and ‘what's this for? ’ When I told her it was ‘a simple way of showing Gods love in a practical way’ she simply said "thank you" and continued on. About 5 steps later she turned with a huge smile on her face and said ‘May God bless you. ’ It was clear she had been touched in some way, how I don't know, but God knew exactly what He was doing. ” (Vineyard Community Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, http: //www. servecincinnati. com/)

Reds Game Outreach: Buy One, GIVE One Saturday, September 27, 12: 15 pm departure, 1: 15 pm game time We’re going to take several bus loads of Vineyardites down to a Red’s game, along with a bunch of people who normally would not be able to afford to go! For $20, you can buy a ticket to the game, a bus ride down, and a free ticket for someone who may never have seen a game before! You can either invite someone who doesn’t yet know Christ to take the free ticket, or we’ll invite local kids from low-income neighborhoods to enjoy the game. To participate, call Jeff Hansee at 293 -2102. (Vineyard Community Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, http: //www. servecin- cinnati. com/)

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT I. BASIS AND APPEAL A. Starting a church in the N. T. , Matt. 16: 18; Mk. 16: 16; 1 Cor. 1: 22 -24; Gal. 1: 10 B. Denial of a definite pattern for the church, Heb. 8: 5; 2 Tim. 1: 13; 1 Cor. 4: 17 C. Drama, dance and contemporary music, Gal. 5: 19 -21; Eph. 5: 19 D. Efforts they make to reach out to the lost, Jn. 12: 32 -33; 1 Cor. 2: 1 -2

"Provide non-Christians with an agreeable, inoffensive environment. Give them freedom, tolerance, and anonymity. Always be positive and benevolent. If you must have a sermon, keep it brief and amusing. Don't be preachy or authoritative. Above all, keep everyone entertained. Churches following this pattern will see numerical growth, we're assured; those that ignore it are doomed to decline" (John Mac. Arthur, Ashamed of the Gospel, pp. 45 -46, via “The Community Church Movement, ” Mark Dunagan www. ch-of-christ. beaverton. or. us)

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT I. BASIS AND APPEAL A. Starting a church in the N. T. , Matt. 16: 18; Mk. 16: 16; 1 Cor. 1: 22 -24; Gal. 1: 10 B. Denial of a definite pattern for the church, Heb. 8: 5; 2 Tim. 1: 13; 1 Cor. 4: 17 C. Drama, dance and contemporary music, Gal. 5: 19 -21; Eph. 5: 19 D. Efforts they make to reach out to the lost, Jn. 12: 32 -33; 1 Cor. 2: 1 -2 E. Conditions for membership, Acts 2: 37 -38

“At Saddleback we have four requirements for membership: 1) A personal profession of Christ as Lord and Savior. 2) Baptism by immersion as a public symbol of one's faith. 3) Completion of the membership class. 4) A signed commitment to abide by Saddleback's membership covenant. ” (FIRST-PERSON: Church membership covenant: Expect what the Bible expects Aug 19, 2002 By Rick Warren, http: //www. baptistpress. com/bpfeature. asp? ID=676%20)

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT I. BASIS AND APPEAL A. Starting a church in the N. T. , Matt. 16: 18; Mk. 16: 16; 1 Cor. 1: 22 -24; Gal. 1: 10 B. Denial of a definite pattern for the church, Heb. 8: 5; 2 Tim. 1: 13; 1 Cor. 4: 17 C. Drama, dance and contemporary music, Gal. 5: 19 -21; Eph. 5: 19 D. Efforts they make to reach out to the lost, Jn. 12: 32 -33; 1 Cor. 2: 1 -2 E. Conditions for membership, Acts 2: 37 -38 II. SOME LESSONS FROM THESE THINGS A. Compromise demands doctrine be de-emphasized, Acts 17: 30; Mk. 16: 16; Acts 2: 38; Jn. 4: 24; Acts 20: 7; Heb. 10: 24 -25; 1 Tim. 3: 15; Acts 4: 32 -35 B. Mistaken compassion, Acts 17: 16 -31; 2: 36 -37; 7: 51 -52

[Hybels found people] "(1) didn't like being bugged for money; (2) found church boring, predictable, and routine; (3) didn't think that the church was relevant to their lives; and (4) always left church feeling guilty (the Christian message was too negative with sin, etc. ). " (Bill Hybels and the Willow Creek Church, http: //www. wayoflife. org/fbns /hybels. htm, my emph, sw) [Hybels' solution was to] "program our Sunday morning service to non-believers, so that the newcomers would feel welcome, unthreatened, and entertained. " (Source: Hybels' 1990 message: "Who We Are at Willow Creek, ” via “Willow Creek welcomes Muslim cleric's perspective Christian Witness Ministries” http: //www. christian-witness. org/notinpubs/ willowc_islam. htm, my emph, sw)

"Preaching-particularly preaching about sin, righteousness, and judgmentis too confrontive to be truly satisfying. The church must learn to couch the truth in ways that amuse and entertain" (Ashamed of the Gospel, John Mac. Arthur, p. 23, via Mark Dunagan, ibid. ).

THE COMMUNITY CHURCH MOVEMENT I. BASIS AND APPEAL A. Starting a church in the N. T. , Matt. 16: 18; Mk. 16: 16; 1 Cor. 1: 22 -24; Gal. 1: 10 B. Denial of a definite pattern for the church, Heb. 8: 5; 2 Tim. 1: 13; 1 Cor. 4: 17 C. Drama, dance and contemporary music, Gal. 5: 19 -21; Eph. 5: 19 D. Efforts they make to reach out to the lost, Jn. 12: 32 -33; 1 Cor. 2: 1 -2 E. Conditions for membership, Acts 2: 37 -38 II. SOME LESSONS FROM THESE THINGS A. Compromise demands doctrine be de-emphasized, Acts 17: 30; Mk. 16: 16; Acts 2: 38; Jn. 4: 24; Acts 20: 7; Heb. 10: 24 -25; 1 Tim. 3: 15; Acts 4: 32 -35 B. Mistaken compassion, Acts 17: 16 -31; 2: 36 -37; 7: 51 -52 C. It matters what you call the church, Rom. 16: 16