[b]Saddleback Church Trains 2,400 New Members; Baptizes 800[/b]Saddleback Church in southern California trained nearly 2,400 new church members on Saturday. It was the largest membership class in the megachurchs 30-year history.Of those who participated in the churchs introductory membership session, Class 101, about 800 were baptized afterwards. Founding pastor Rick Warren personally taught the program and then, with the help of other Saddleback pastors, spent more than three and a half hours baptizing the hundreds of new members.Attendees were walked through three areas in their faith life: Gods plan and purpose for everything; the history, faith and future vision of the church; and the importance of membership. ...read more: www.christianpost.com
_________________SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
Greetings gregThis is so sad to me because they list 2400 new memebers but only 800 are wanting to be baptized?? What does that say?? I have actually attended this class back in the days when I attended the structure church, all the importance was placed on the church itself, marketing was taught(who was there target group to reach) volunteering(How to get people to help out at the church) things like that. Sadly there was no mention of repentance or need of Jesus or at least if there was it did not make any impression. The whole thing was more about how I could feel comfortable right where I was at and still come and be a part of this church. God BlessMJ
The same is true of every area of life. If you dont have the correct foundation and support for finances, relationships and your marriage, it will all collapse.
God never meant for you to go through life alone; you need relationship, you need a spiritual family. Everyone needs to find a church home and be connected and fulfill the five purposes, the well-known pastor said.
A Christian without a church home is an orphan, he said.
We arent in competition with any church. We want every church to grow.
