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Editor’s Note: Rick Warren’s ministry is well known in the United States and world wide. His imitators have at times aped his actions without bothering to think through the principles he explains. This has caused Warren’s ministry to suffer from “guilt through association”. But can his ideas be applied successfully - and most importantly - with theological integrity in a mainline setting? Here a UCC minister interacts with Warren’s work and concludes “Yes”. Click here to see all articles related to the Purpose Driven Church

(c) 2008 Dr. Phil Corr

Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life first came to my attention when I was working at the reference desk of Fuller Theological Seminary’s library. It was the only Doctor of Ministry dissertation that was ever asked for by library patrons (and several times, not just once).

I know now that Rick had just started holding purpose driven seminars to help other churches. The turnout was small in those days–around 70. Rick’s focus in his first decade of ministry was on planting a church in Mission Viejo. The second decade (the 90’s) he sought to help other pastors and churches throughout the U. S. And now in his third decade he is serving local churches around the world with the PEACE Plan.

Backing up to 1996-97, a youth intern at a church I was serving put me on to Warren’s dissertation by then published by Zondervan as The Purpose Driven® Church. I found him expressing a solid philosophy of ministry and a way of reaching this generation for Jesus.

But anyone can write a book. The proof is in the pudding when it comes to healthy spiritual growth. My wife’s family moved to Mission Viejo in 1996 and soon after that became members at Saddleback (invited by neighbors). Each one has a ministry of his or her own. Each one is mission-minded.

I implemented Warren’s philosophy of ministry at the church I was serving–adapting it to the location and people where I was. He purposely (there’s that word again!) has his church named after a location so people cannot clone that name. His principles are biblically based and can be adapted by local churches of any denominational background.

In 2002 he came out with The Purpose Driven® Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven® Life, The). I shared it with the senior pastor where I was helping out. In a sermon he quoted the opening of the book, “It’s not about you. It’s all about God.” I was allowed to lead a book study of that work. It was a blessed time.

Not long after that (in 2003) the senior pastor in consultation with the governing board decided to have a 40 Days of Purpose campaign. He set a goal of 40 small groups. By the grace of God, we had 42–including one that met at 1 a.m. at an IHOP! I had the privilege of coordinating the small groups, as well as leading one in our home.

Speaking of the 40 Days’ campaign(s), a Saddleback pastor recently shared with me that there are three ways that churches implement them. The most fruitful is when it is part of a lifestyle. When it is implemented as a program it is not as fruitful. The least successful is when it is used as a hoped for “miracle cure” at a church that has other issues that need to first be addressed before working on such a campaign.

I arrived at my current position defining myself as an irenic (eager to work with people of like mind regardless of background) Evangelical who is essentially Reformed in theology and purpose driven in my philosophy of ministry. In the Fall of 2005 the church that I serve and another larger church of another denomination held a 40 Days of Purpose campaign.

In the Fall of 2007 5 churches worked together on what could be called a semi- ““City Wide” campaign. I rejoiced to see churches and pastors learning that we are better together.

In 1999 my wife and I attended a Purpose Driven Conference. Rick Warren was kind enough to inscribe a copy of his book to us based on a verse in Proverbs.

In May of this year it worked out for me to attend the Purpose Driven Community Gathering and Networking event at Saddleback. I had the privilege of being invited and joining with approximately 1500 “force-multipliers.“ It was a blessed time with all kinds of learning and networking going on. You can check out Pastors blog at fccofcc.com for some of my reporting from the meeting.

In the upcoming days I hope to share with you about the Purpose Driven lifestyle and the PEACE Plan. I will close this post with a few words about the attacks on Rick Warren. I will provide some in a later post, but I will point out that he is a humble man who is seeking to advance God’s Kingdom, not his agenda. The minister of an Open and Affirming church recently shared with me that Rick Warren had grown in positive ways in recent years.

I agree, while recognizing that it’s all about Jesus, the triune God, and prayerfully adapting God’s purposes to each local church. Rather than criticize someone who is in the arena, I would encourage his (and other critics) to get out of the stands and join in the battle while putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6)!