Willow creek (Part III): Converting christianity

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Written By Paul Proctor

One of the most damning aspects of Willow Creek and the whole Church Growth Movement is the hypocrisy that makes up its very foundation and operation. Having its members sign covenants, (which is expressly forbidden by Holy Scripture), saying they will not criticize or complain about the church or its leadership is not just socialism (“tyranny with a smile”), but a coup de tat of the church and its Divine mission. Willow Creek was formed, as are its member churches by surveying the lost and unchurched in each of their respective communities to gather a consensus of what those specific people DO NOT LIKE ABOUT CHURCH that one may be built and/or designed to suit them. So, the Children of God are to essentially shut up while the inmates run the asylum for the hierarchy! I think the appropriate word here would be subterfuge.

The Willow Creek Association through its member churches have in effect silenced the Body Of Christ and provided pagans, new-agers, atheists, socialists, communists, Marxists, humanists, homosexuals, feminists and liberals in general thousands of sterilized venues where they can come and present their “felt needs” to those with open arms and open minds.

By creating a politically correct environment for them to work in the UN can now steer Christians and their new church of tolerance, diversity and unity right into global governance. (Just like socialists have already done with the federal government, public education, the media, military, law enforcement and business community.) This is just another of the many shrewd ways the UN is successfully conquering our country through attrition. It¹s the Gramsci strategy at work.

By meeting the so-called “felt needs” of the godless, THEIR voices are heard, THEIR philosophies are made known, THEIR music is played, THEIR religion is taught, THEIR ideologies are discussed and THEIR agenda is carried out virtually unopposed in the corridors, classrooms and worship centers of every “seeker sensitive” church in America. Bottom line is; the REAL students here are the silent, submissive, ignorant, gullible, compromised and compliant Christians who are held at bay by global socialists surreptitiously destroying our religious heritage through the church growth movement.

But its OK cause we’re having a GREAT TIME at a GREAT CHURCH, with GREAT PROGRAMS and GREAT MUSIC, in a GREAT WORSHIP CENTER, with a GREAT PASTOR, that tells GREAT STORIES and GREAT JOKES, to a GREAT CROWD before a GREAT GOD! Consequently, the only sinner in a “seeker-sensitive” church is the party-pooper who disrupts the “unity” of the “unequally yoked” by criticizing the UN¹s doctrine of “tolerance and diversity”.

Here’s what the Bible has to say about tolerance:

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1st John 2:15)

Here’s what Jesus says about diversity:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6)

Here’s what He says about unity:

“Suppose ye that I come to bring peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division.” (Luke 12:51)

It should therefore come as no surprise to anyone that at the UN’s meeting in September called “The Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders” they:

1. All but banned evangelical Christians from attending. 2. Condemned Christianity from the podium as the first order of business. 3. Spent the rest of the time fighting among themselves for the best seats in the house. 4. Agreed to nothing. (So much for “World Peace” and the UN¹s PC gospel of tolerance, diversity and unity.)

There is absolutely no fear or reverence of God in a seeker-sensitive church because Jesus is your party pal. He¹s a guy you can hang around when you want to, talk to when you want to, listen to when you want to, ignore when you want to, embarrass when you want to, cry on his shoulder when you want to or joke about when you want to. You can even tell Him to shut up if you want to. FEAR? OBEY? Come on He’s a bud! The nation of Israel used to fall to the ground trembling in fear at the presence of Almighty God. People that realized who Jesus Christ was during his earthy ministry also fell down before Him in tears, shame and remorse, but not at a “seeker friendly” church. LET¹S PARTY DUDE! cause GOD ROCKS !

In my quest to find a new church home, I accidentally sat in on another “seeker-sensitive” service last Sunday morning at a Baptist church only a few miles away from The People¹s Church, the one I wrote about a couple of months ago. As you might guess, I have managed to earn somewhat of a reputation locally for the controversy of my convictions and compositions. Fortunately, no one at this particular church knew me when my friend and I walked in SO, believe it or not we were invited to sit right up on the front row by the man I would later discover was the church’s pastor. (See God DOES have a sense of humor.)

We suspected it might be a seeker-sensitized church when we first pulled into the parking lot because I saw “guest parking” signs all along the building. Because there was not a multi-million dollar “worship center” on the property I thought I should at least give them the benefit of the doubt. (FYI: I did hear later that one was on the way) Please keep in mind that none of these superficial things I mention are necessarily bad in and of themselves. They¹re just simply trademarks and symbols of the product for sale inside. You see; it¹s all about eye candy for the consumer, the marketing of comfort, convenience, excitement and aesthetic appeal. They didn¹t as yet, have the Wal-Mart style greeters shaking hands with everyone at the doors as is common for Willow Creek churches, but the taped music playing inside was really thumping as we searched for a couple of empty chairs. (The absence of church pews is another sign)

It wasn’t long before the church’s rock band counted off the first number and buddy let me tell you THE GOOD TIMES ROLLED! We had everything but an open bar, including some congregational choreography (line dancing, for you rednecks) that would make even Bob Fosse proud!

When it came time for the pastor to head for the acrylic podium, (another trademark), he jumped up and ran onstage sliding across the hardwood floor coming to a stop in front of a laughing and applauding choir. Yes they still had a choir at this church. The pastor had obviously not yet done away with them as did mine at The People¹s Church. I heard it caused a lot of heartache when he quietly called them all together for a special meeting to inform them that their ministry was no longer needed because of the new music and singers the church would be acquiring. It seems that part of the transformational process into a full-blown seeker-sensitive church is the eventual elimination of the choir. I guess it’s just one of those churchy things that the target audience (the one¹s surveyed) really don’t care for. You see, the Willow Creek way is to maximize the entertainment value of the service by providing the audience with the best young and attractive singers and performers available to give them more bang for the buck. Anyway as the choir laughed hysterically at this young pastor¹s comical antics onstage, I thought to myself, “If they only knew.”

You must understand that most people at a “seeker-sensitive” church have no idea what is being planned for them. Frankly, it is quite common to find very few staff members at a seeker church that even know who or what Willow Creek is, much less who is behind the entire church growth movement. The slow, subtle and steady transformation of a traditional church into a “seeker-friendly” church is often planned and executed behind closed doors using slick promotion, humanist marketing strategies, slight of hand techniques and even propaganda. When friends write me telling of disturbing things they¹re noticing at their church, some will ask if it is possible that their church has become a member of The Willow Creek Association. I must tell you it is a sad duty to have to report back to them with the bad news.

When that “worship service” was finally over last Sunday and we drove away, I asked myself, “I wonder if these folks would act like this if Jesus Christ suddenly appeared before them?” Something tells me that if the Lord had walked into that room it would have become deathly quiet, after a few screams of course. The band would probably call it a night. The preacher would instantly grow up and stop acting like a sophomore in gym class. The congregation and choir would 86 the Richard Simmons Review and everyone would get right with God while falling to their faces in fear and repentance, trembling before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7)

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with neighborhood kids running, jumping, screaming, playing and dancing around outside. But you know as well as I do if they all came inside YOUR father’s house, especially on a Sunday, he would demand that every one of them be on their best behavior out of reverence and respect. I can assure you it is no different with our Father in Heaven. His desire is that we “Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth”, not turn our churches into playpens for bored and aging adolescents who are looking for cheap thrills and a place to party.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

RELATED ARTICLES:

The People’s Church…. A Wayward Vessel

Willow Creek…. Hegelian Dialectic and The New World Order

Willow Creek (Part II)…..Socializing The Church

A wealth of additional information about the church-growth movement is available
upon request from Paul at his Mail address below.

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