Rick Warren Tries to Defend His Unbiblical Practice of Small Groups - by Rev. Anthony Wade

Found here. My comments in bold.

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The more we read Rev. Wade the more perplexed we become. His rhetoric is so over-the-top, his presentation is so unfocused, and his conclusions are so off-the-wall, it's amazing he has any credibility at all.

So once again he is worked up into a lather, this time over Rick Warren. Or is it home groups? Or is it Rick Warren's home group ideas? We cannot tell.

The author will make seemingly endless unsupported assertions, he will hyperventilate over inconsequential things, and he will proclaim with certainty that anyone who does anything other than what the he prescribes is a heretic.

He will conclude his diatribe with some breath-taking statements, which we believe disqualifies him as a teacher and pastor. By his own testimony we deem him a false teacher. He needs to repent.

We need to note that we do not intend to defend Rick Warren, we simply shall examine the author's statements.
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So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. -- 1Peter 5:1-4 (ESV)

https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/77607-what-the-bible-teaches-about-small-groups

Let me start with the obvious. I am not against small fellowship groups. Believers should spend time with other believers. Iron should sharpen iron. It is important to realize you are on this journey with other people who share your beliefs because the world can be a cold place that can make you feel alone as a Christian. (The author will later negate all of these benefits.)

This devotional is not about small fellowship groups. (A devotional? The author intends people to study this for its spiritual benefits and wisdom? No, it's a polemic, and a bad one at that, certainly not a devotional.)

This devotional is about the father of the purpose driven church heresy that has ruined the current state of the church. Sure, there are other factors such as the NAR, seeker friendly methodologies and false gospels but the purpose driven church is the underpinning behind all of it. Pastors since 1995 have been taught on the purpose driven church model. Not the purpose driven life, which would come out ten years later. Rick Warren knew he would have to co-opt the leadership first in order to fulfill his carnal dreams of turning God's church into a money-making franchise a reality. And co-opt them he has. Up and coming pastors now believe that mega-church stardom is somehow indicative of the favor of God and the desired pastoral dream. (Is this what the "Purpose Driven" movement teaches? We have read the book, and were not terribly impressed, but we do not recall anything about a promise of or even a discussion of "mega-church stardom.")

The purpose driven church has many pillars in its foundation such as blessedly subtracting any dissidents, turning the shepherd into a vision casting CEO and marketing the church to unsaved goats who we now call "unchurched." 

In order to achieve the transformation of the shepherd into the CEO, the purpose driven church demands the church have small groups. You see, the shepherd no longer leads the sheep -- he instead leads the corporation. Andy Stanley, who is a Rick Warren adherent, is on record as saying we should not even use the world shepherd anymore because it is no longer culturally relevant. (Several disjointed claims here. The author will never document any of them.)

Of course, what does one do with the key verses then? This is God's instruction to wannabe pastors. (The author's first false teaching. The above Scripture begins with, So I exhort the elders among you... Not Pastors.)

Shepherd the flock willingly! Not for gain but eagerly! Be an example to your flock! This is not what small groups seeks to do. Small groups according to Rick Warren:

"They form small groups on purpose. The Purpose Driven Church DNA is implanted in every cell of the Body of Christ. Each small group helps the members fulfill each of the five purposes in their lives. The goal is to help every believer live a Purpose Driven life." -- Rick Warren

Everything within the purpose driven church is designed to reinforce and build up the purpose driven church. (Term-switching is dishonest. The quote doesn't say "church," it says "life.")

The reality is that when purpose driven groups are achieved, the pastor has far less shepherding to worry about because the sheep are tending to themselves. (More undocumented claims.)

And what could go wrong there? Well, simply put it is not God's design because sheep cannot take care of themselves. (This is misleading and quite false. Small groups are not leaderless. God did not design the rank-and-file to be helpless.)

I have been in a purpose driven church with 50 small groups and can tell you that the first thing out the window is sound theology. You simply cannot have 50 people, who are unskilled and untrained to preach suddenly be responsible for the spiritual growth of the very sheep entrusted to the pastor! (Whaaaaaaat? There is no one else who can teach? Everyone except the pastor is "unskilled and untrained?" How is this possible?

If this is the case, the author is a very poor pastor. It's the job of people like him to train up people who would begin to teach and minister themselves. 

1Ti. 3:2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach...

Ga. 6:6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

2Ti. 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 

The author doesn't want to entrust anything to his "sheep," apparently he doesn't have confidence they are reliable men. However, in a healthy church there should be lots of teachers:

Ro. 12:6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach... 

1Co. 12:28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers...

Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another... 

The entire body teaches and admonishes one another. The responsibility of the leadership is to train them. A pastor is one of those charged with preparing... 

...God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ep. 4:12-13

The elders teach:

1Ti. 5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 

Apparently, the author's church is in such poor state under his tutelage that he cannot trust anyone but himself to shepherd the flock. Despite years of him teaching, no one is qualified.

But more to the point, in a biblically ordered church, the pastor is not the top dog. In fact, he's not necessarily the teacher. The church ought to be governed, taught, and shepherded by a plurality of elders, not a pastor. The author quoted the very passage himself, right at the very top of his screed.

Further, a teacher must not stand in the pulpit and teach people who have been sitting in the pews for 20 or 30 years, and expect nothing of them. Or rather, doubt or demean their ability to minister and embrace their spiritual gifts. Reverend Wade should be training his congregants to be teachers and pastors and leaders themselves.

But he apparently does not understand any of this. Or perhaps he simply has such a high opinion of himself and a low opinion of his congregants.)

Yes, they try to use spiritless pablum as curricula, where the group members fill in the blanks but even that will ultimately lead to questions. Most purpose driven group leaders do not understand group dynamics let alone the Gospel. (The author just keeps going on and on. He can't possibly know any of this. He has no documentation, no references. He just makes up this aimless spouting as he goes.)

Therein lies the rub. When you do not really preach the Gospel in church, why would you care if it is preached in your small groups? (The author again asserts something as if it were true, but does not document his claims.)

Remember the goal is to get the purpose driven theology into your DNA, not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (??? Rick Warren excludes the Gospel? Again, we read the book and found the Gospel in it. And Warren's church, Saddleback, has a completely orthodox statement of faith.)

So let us reason once more through the twisted mind of Rick Warren:

'Do you know where you can see the greatest model of unlimited, spontaneous expansion of a local congregation? Just read the book of Acts! The church of Jerusalem gives us the greatest model ever on the explosive growth of the church. In fact, the church's growth described in Acts is nothing short of a miracle. At the beginning of Acts 1, there are 120 believers. By the time we get to Acts 4, the number of believers grew to 5,000 men. Most scholars believe that if you add women and children, the church was at least 15,000 strong by this point. By the time we get to Acts 21:20, we learn that there are tens of thousands of believers in the early church. Most scholars believe there are between 50,000 and 100,000 people in the church at this time. So, in just 25 years, the church grew from 120 to at least 50,000 people. My first question when I realized this was, "Where in the world did they hold all of these people?"'

Yes Rick, and what grew the church so astronomically? Was it small groups? (??? Did Rick Warren credit or even mention small groups in this quote? Nope.)

No. Was it blessed subtraction? (??? We were unable to ascertain the meaning of this phrase.)

No. It was God, through the preaching of His Gospel. (??? Did Rick Warren contradict this in the quote?)

A few years back, Warren wrote an article for pastors giving them tips about how to ensure their Easter visitors returned the following week and his advice was to NOT preach the Gospel so that they would have a reason to come back. That is what happens when your focus is on "churching" people instead of saving them. Rick Warren is purposely driving people straight to hell.

"The Bible tells us in Acts 5:42 (CEV), "Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah." They met in large groups for worship and small groups for fellowship. This biblical strategy still works today. If your church is going to be healthy, it must be growing larger and smaller at the same time. What does this mean? Larger through celebration services and worship, and smaller through your small groups." -- Rick Warren

This is the duplicity of Rick Warren. All verse 42 says is they spent time in the temple and in each other's homes and Jesus was always at the forefront. He then twists this into them meeting in large groups for worship and the small groups for fellowship. (No, it is an inference. And one not entirely without merit. The Church was obviously meeting in various places spread out all over. In fact, the verse tells us it was necessary for the apostles to become itinerant. 

In fact, there certainly must have came a time when so many Christians were meeting in so many houses that the apostles couldn't possibly visit them all. Leaders would have rose up to lead these home churches.

And what about Ac. 2:46?

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts...

So they did not eat together in the temple. It is clear that they did some things in the temple and other things in their homes. Everything they did or did not do in each house and in the temple is not specifically known.  What those things might have been is not stated, but they were different things. Certainly Warren is correct in that fellowship is the very least occurred in home churches.

Lydia got saved, and the first thing she did was offer the hospitality of her home:

Ac. 16:15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Christians regularly met in homes, and they were called churches:

Phile. 1-2 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow-worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow-soldier and to the church that meets in your home...

Remember that the author claimed Warren had a twisted mind. What precipitates this denigrating comment eludes us. The author is so focused on attacking Warren that he has no room for what the Bible actually says.

We would say the author's conclusions are more suspect than Warren's. )

The bible does not make that distinction but Warren needs it to sell the purpose driven model. Then comes the insidious hook of purpose drivenism. That in order to be healthy your church must be growing larger. Says who Rick? Not the bible. (Warren adequately documents the growth of the Acts church. It seems axiomatic that a church should grow as the lost get saved and are added to their number.

Unless, of course, if the author is looking for an excuse for his own church's stagnancy.) 

There are no set instructions demanding growth. (Col. 1:6: 

All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

In fact, Acts specifically says that God gives the increase! (Which Warren does not deny...)

If you pastor a church of 200 that never grows but the 200 get into heaven you will hear well done my faithful servant! (Now it's our turn to say that nowhere in the Bible do we find this. In fact, just the opposite. In Matthew 25 Jesus is describing what the Kingdom of Heaven is like:

Mt. 25:14-15 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

One of the Master's servants did nothing with the money:

Mt. 25:24-25 Then the man who had received the one talent came. "Master,’"he said, "I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’"

So the servant gave His master only the [200 church members] that belonged to Him. Did the Master commend him as a "good and faithful servant?" Nope.

Mt. 25:26-27 His master replied, "You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest."

The Master's investment should have born fruit. It should have increased! The Master punished the servant:

Mt. 25:30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It appears the author is severely deluded about not only his ministry, but his church. And we were indeed correct in our speculation. The author wants excuses for his dead church.)

The church growth demand is a myth created by Rick Warren that makes pastors abandon the bible in pursuit of fame and fortune. (Undocumented assertion.)

Likewise, the bible also says nowhere that we need to be growing smaller through small groups. I believe fellowship groups should be encouraged organically and perhaps can form around similar interests, (Does Warren dispute this?)

but they should not contain pseudo leaders or biblical curricula. (We demand biblical documentation of this assertion, since the author has been quick to point out to Warren what the Bible supposedly does not say. But of course the Bible does not forbid there being leaders in home groups, not does it forbid the teaching of the Gospel. 

In fact, the author's criteria is anti-biblical, an expression of his preferences, of no greater value than Warren expressing his preferences.)

Let the pastor shepherd and the sheep be led. (Where in the Bible say that only the pastor leads?)

"What did these first small groups do? Think about all of that explosive growth. Whatever they did, we should do, too! The Bible gives us the answers in Acts 2:42-47. They grew spiritually. Verse 42a (NIV) says, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching." It appears the apostles were teaching in the temple courts on Sunday, and the people were studying their teachings in greater depth in their homes. As they did so, the people grew in spiritual maturity." -- Rick Warren

The Book of Acts expressly says that the growth was due to God and God alone! Stop trying to steal the credit and His glory!  (??? Where did Warren do this?)

Note again the duplicity. It appears to Rick that they must have been having small groups. No Rick, that is not what the text says:

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. -- Acts 2:46-47 (ESV)

They attended temple together and broke bread in their homes. (How many people could get into a typical home? A small number? As in a small group?)

Now, I am sure that they had discussion about the teachings they had received (Remember the author said that his ideal small groups would not have a biblical curricula...)

but that does not mean they ran small groups! (These pointless objections are getting tiresome. How does the author know what happened in peoples' homes? How does he know that there weren't people teaching the Gospel? How does he know that people weren't deciding to meet regularly at one particular home?)

The apostles did not create the groups, (How does he know this? And wouldn't it be preferable, according to the author, that the credentialed leaders create the groups? That's what the author wants. He doesn't want lay people to lead the groups. It seems he doesn't want any leadership of groups.

So why does the author mention that the apostles did not create the groups? Does this mean they were unsanctioned, or against the apostles' desires? Why is it relevant that the apostles did not create the groups?)

give them fill in the blank curricula to finish at home and appoint leaders (Tit. 1:5: 

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.)

that were wholly unqualified, (What does "unqualified" mean? There were no seminaries in the first century. 2Ti. 2:2:

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.)

Paul wants Timothy to entrust teaching to reliable men in the church. This is beyond dispute.)

you know, the purpose driven way. The breaking of bread and fellowship was a natural outgrowth of being together spiritually in the temple. Nowhere in Acts do we see the apostles ceding their leadership responsibilities to anyone fellowshipping in their homes. (The author is ignorant. Ac. 18:24:

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

1Co. 14:35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 

And a previously-quoted Scripture:

Phile. 1-2 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow-worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow-soldier and to the church that meets in your home... 

And another previously quoted Scripture: Tit. 1:5: 

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.) 

Clearly people were evangelizing, teaching, and even correcting doctrine in their homes. They were leaders. Some were elders. Some were evangelists. They were having church because they are the church! The church is not a building or an official event overseen by the pastor. The church is the people.)

"They spent time in fellowship. The Bible says, "They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts" (Acts 2:46b). The early church gathered together in homes to eat and develop relationships with one another. They worshipped. They devoted themselves "to the breaking of bread and to prayer" and they were "praising God" (Acts 2:42, 47). These early small groups participated in communion and worshipped together." -- Rick Warren

Rick Warren hopes you are just too stupid to realize that he never proved these were small groups.  (How many people can a home hold?)

Now he is speaking as if it is established fact and it most certainly is not. This is the model of what the church is supposed to be. Gathering to be fed corporately and fellowshipping together outside the church in prayer, fellowship and yes even communion. Remember the keys though. Nowhere in Acts do we see the Apostles abdicate their roles and responsibilities and establish the groups to convey doctrine. (False, as we have seen above.)

"They ministered to one another. The Bible says, "They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need" (Acts 2:45). Home groups became an outlet for support--they helped one another in practical ways by meeting needs. They evangelized the lost. Acts 2:47b says, "The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." If people were coming to faith in Christ daily, that means the church saw at least 365 conversions a year! That only happens if these groups are engaging in their God-given mission sharing the Good News. These small groups in Acts were a microcosm of the greater church." -- Rick Warren

Arrgghh". (We agree. As we read charge after charge, withering remark after withering remark, unwarranted assertion after unwarranted assertion, we too are tempted to cover our eyes and yell our frustrations at the reverend.)

these were not home groups! (They were groups meeting in homes.)

Stop lying Rick! There is also no indication that the selling of property and possessions was related to the home meetings at all. In the story of Ananias and Sapphira they tried to give the proceeds to the apostles, not their "small group leader"; (The author cannot and must not Argue from Silence. Neither should he argue from an isolated example to the general.  Nor should he argue from ignorance.

The author has no idea what happened here. Acts 4:23 tells us where the apostles were, leading up to the story of Ananias and Sapphira:

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

They did not assemble at the temple.  Acts 4:31 makes this clear: 

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

The word "place" is τόπος, ου, ὁ (topos), which means ...properly, any portion of space marked off, as it were, from surrounding, space... of a house...

Thus Scripture itself explicitly contradicts the author. His assertion, There is also no indication that the selling of property and possessions was related to the home meetings at all, is egregiously false. Ananias and Sapphira died in someone's house.)

much to Rick Warren's dismay. As wrong as that analysis was, Warren jumps off the deep end on evangelism. We must understand that faux evangelism is also a cornerstone of Purpose Driven theology. Warren unashamedly directs the focus of the church to attracting goats even at the cost of starving sheep. (Where did he do this?)

Nowhere in Acts is evangelism addressed. (Where does the author get these crazy ideas?

Ac. 8:4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

Ac. 10:42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.

Ac. 11:20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.

Ac. 13:4-5 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. 

Ac. 14:1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.

Ac. 14:20-21 ...The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. 21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples.

Maybe the author thinks the word "evangelism" is the issue. But even at this point he is wrong. 

Ac. 21:8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.

Clearly evangelism was an active concept, permeating the Acts narrative. Even this early in church history evangelism was a spiritual gift. How do we know this? Because we actually consult references. The word "evangelist" is εὐαγγελιστής, οῦ, ὁ, (euaggelistés), which means an evangelist, a bringer of good news.

It's the same word used in Ep. 4:11:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers..

The author's errors mount up, and we are soon reaching a breaking point.)

Yes we have the great commission but that is in taking to Gospel to the corners of the world, not turning our local church over to carnal goats who need to be entertained. (Non sequitur.)

Look at the shocking reveal here. Rick Warren believes that it is the responsibility of the untrained and uncalled small group to evangelize the lost! (He couldn't possibly know these people are untrained or uncalled.)

This is the role of the pastor! (WHAAAAAAAAAT? He wants us to believe that only pastors can teach, only pastors can evangelize, only pastors can run a church or a home group? No! NO! NOOO!

The Bible does not at any point teach us to turn it all over to the professionals. But apparently that seminary degree entitles the reverend to an exclusive franchise in the church, where only he possesses the privileges and duties we peons could never hope for. No! NO! This is rank heresy, false teaching, and completely unbiblical. 

We will no longer countenance this "reverend" spewing evil doctrines. We have been respectful of him, but now we must assert that this man should not be pastoring a church. We would not let him have the keys to our car.

Can you imagine being a parishioner in this guy's church? What a nightmare! He's a control freak, and you are less than nothing.  You are not and never will be capable of attaining or doing anything except for being the sheep you are now. Your destiny is to be spoon fed the Reverend's teaching for the rest of your life.

You just need to make sure you don't forget your place. Don't expect anything more. Don't even open your mouth. Nod approvingly, hanging on the pastor's every word, volunteer to clean the church or babysit toddlers, because that's all you could ever be qualified for. And oh, don't forget to write your tithe check. Because the eminently and uniquely qualified and credentialed pastor needs to be paid. 

And maybe he'll walk by one Sunday after church and deign to shake your hand for being a good little parishioner.  That is your only reward, this is your only duty, this side of heaven. And, if you're part of that 200, never allowed to grow, never allowed to question, just existing, having sat under the Reverend's pastoring for decades, well, in the end it will be HIM who is commended for being a good and faithful servant, not you.

Atrocious. Unacceptable. We have had enough. This "reverend" is a blight on the body of Christ; he is wrong, but it's worse. He's leading others astray. And the fact that he styles himself as a corrector of bad doctrine makes him even more dangerous.

We apologize for our harshness, but this man represents himself as guardian of the true faith, and is merciless to those whom he targets. That makes him dangerous.)

Yes we all should be able to give reason but the purpose driven paradigm is an unbiblical way of trying to falsely convert people. Small groups are not a microcosm of the larger church, except in the purpose driven dreams of Rick Warren.

"They were fulfilling the five purposes of the church: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism. They were purpose-driven small groups! Typically, small groups today only fulfill one or two of the purposes. If your small groups are going to be healthy, you need to build the DNA of the church--the five biblical purposes--into them. A healthy church has healthy groups!" -- Rick Warren

Of course Rick Warren made up these five purposes. Worship is used as a tool to lure the unsaved in with carnal entertainment. Fellowship is used to relieve the pastor of pastoral responsibilities. Discipleship is used to make sure everyone is purpose driven or blessedly subtracted. Ministry is the code word for free labor, by which you build your church. Evangelism is the tool to replace those you blessedly subtract. The true purpose of the church is to glorify God, edify the saints, and bring the Gospel to the lost. If your church is embodying the five Rick Warren outlined they are desperately sick. If your pastor does not want to shepherd -- get rid of the hireling now. If your church is marketed to goats who think the things of God are foolishness, you need to run as fast as you can. If your church is enamored with small groups led by people who are not qualified or called, again, run. If your church believes the Gospel discourages people from wanting to come back to your church and thus is something to avoid? Well, I hope you know the answer now. No one has done more damage to the cause of Christ in my lifetime than Rick Warren. His vision for small groups is wildly unbiblical and should be considered anathema by any discerning Christian.