Saddleback’s new PEACE plan

Rick Warren announces his new vision:

This weekend, I will begin teaching the most important series of messages we’ve ever taught in 23 years here at Saddleback church. We believe it is part of the beginning of a Spiritual Awakening, a Global Movement, a New Reformation. During the five weekends of November, we’lll teach five messages on the P.E.A.C.E. plan: a strategy to have every small group in our church,  and then tens of thousands of small groups in other churches,  become engaged in  solving the five biggest problems in the world: Spiritual Lostness, Lack of Godly Leaders, Poverty,  Disease, and Lack of Education… The bottom line is that we intend to reinvent mission strategy in the 21st century. As I stated, this will be a new Reformation. The First Reformation returned us to the message of the original church. It was a reformation of doctrine – what the church BELIEVES. This Second Reformation will return us to the mission of the original church. It will be a reformation of purpose- what the church DOES in the world.

Wow – does this ever bring up a lot of issues. Are programs the solution? How can we avoid exporting the North American culture of the church (a culture that comes complete with acronyms)? Are top-down solutions viable? Is this what the Spirit is saying to the churches? Much to applaud, yet much still to think about. Update: Thanks to all (really) who rebuked me for my cynicism. I think I’ve figured out what bothers me: I tend to be suspicious of things that are packaged. That being said, I’ll try to continue to ask questions without being quite so cynical.