A PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH
What is a Purpose Driven Church?
In 1980, Saddleback Valley Community Church was launched, under the leadership of Pastor Rick Warren, using the Purpose Driven paradigm. The success of Saddleback has created a new way to look at "doing" church. It's impact has been felt worldwide in churches large and small, denominational and non-denominational, Charismatic or Episcopal, young and new, and urban and rural churches around the world. Ultimately, PD's approach provides a common understanding for a pastor and team to discover what they need to do to establish and maintain a healthy and balanced Biblical foundation for their church.
Why is it so exciting?
It's simple approach helps a leadership team follow a Biblically-based process to establish God's intention and design for their local church. It gives everyone a common focus, a Biblical understanding and language for knowing how they can be engaged with their own growth and the church's overall growth.
How does it help?
PD's strategic models and frameworks guide leaders to:
* Establish or re-establish the core purposes of their Church,
* Design an intentional discipleship process, and
* Build an "outward-in" perspective to spiritual growth and evangelism.
It's a Biblical Foundation for a "Purpose Driven Church"
PDC was built upon foundational truths expressed throughout Scripture and best summarized in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission!
The Great Commandment was given by Jesus in response to a question. Jesus was asked to identify the most important command. He responded by saying, 'Here is the entire Old Testament in a nutshell. I'm going to give you the Cliff Notes summary of God's Word. All the Law and all the Prophets can be condensed into two tasks: Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.'
Later, in some of his last words to his disciples, Jesus gave the Great Commission to them and assigned them three more tasks: Go make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything he had taught.
Together, these two passages (listed below) summarize the mission and the five purposes of a Purpose-Driven Church:
