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"(There is a) brand of Christianity and lifestyle being peddled that is not a true apostolic community of faith, but instead a corporate system dispensing bite-size doses of spiritual relief, creating dependent believers who stay perpetually needy and immature. This brand creates a system that discourages the believer from personally being involved in ministry. Instead, believers are thrown into an endless treadmill of activities, programs, and rehashed ideas that have long ago lost their effectiveness. The emphasis: 'Come to our activities and stay busy. Oh yeah, and take some responsibility but not too much.' "
Mark Lawson, quoted in his book, The End of the Church as We Know It. |
"When the Greeks got the gospel, they turned it into a philosophy; when the Romans got it, they turned it into a government; when the Europeans got it, they turned it into a culture; and when the Americans got it, they turned it into a business." Richard Halverson, quoted in Reimagining Church by Frank Viola. |