Emergent Church Flow Chart

Will this blogger be denounced by fake-Ichabod?
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The Emergent Church is the new fad, creating a place (you dasn't call it a church) for people who hate church.

"There Is No Church Growth Movement in WELS" - Wayne Mueller

VALLESKEY QUOTATIONS



"2. The distinction between a witness and an evangelist. a. Some are evangelists (Eph. 4:11-12) 1) C. Peter Wagner: 'The average church can realistically expect that approximately 10 per cent of its active adult members will have been given the gift of evangelist' (Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow, Glendale: Gospel Light, 1979, p. 176)...3) but don't expect everyone to have that gift – C. Peter Wagner (op. cit.): 'It is a misunderstanding of biblical teaching, in my opinion, to try to convince every Christian that he or she has to be sharing the faith constantly as a part of their duty to the Master."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A p. 51. [C. Peter Wagner is a prominent Church Growth leader.]

"Assignments:...2. Prepare a term paper on the subject of evangelism and/or church growth."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A p. 3.

"Useful Ideas for My Ministry from the Church Growth Movement...The Church Growth Movement—Strengths and Weaknesses...The Church Growth Movement—An Evaluation...Church Growth Sounds Good, But...Dangers of the Church Growth Movement...Friendship Evangelism...Rationale for Friendship Evangelism..."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A

Theses very close to Valleskey's Quarterly article (Spring, 1991, p. 117). Questionnaire mentions CG "underemphasizing the Means of Grace as the power of the Holy Spirit." [That is like saying that Lutherans underemphasize the Assumption of Mary.]
David J. Valleskey, P.T. 418, The Church Growth Movement—An Evaluation, Summer Quarter, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, June 23-July 11, 1986

"This downplaying of the importance of the means of grace on the part of many in the Church Growth Movement would seem to stem from several factors." [That is like saying that many Lutherans downplay the infallibility of the pope.]
David J. Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement—An Evaluation," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Spring, 1991 88, p. 105. Holidaysburg, 10-15-90

"There is a fourth option, which is the choice of this writer. It is the same kind of approach Lawrence Crabb, a Christian counselor, advocates over against the use of secular counseling resources. He calls it 'spoiling the Egyptians' (Exodus 12:36, KJV), after the action of Israel at the time they left Egypt, when they took from the Egyptians what would stand them in good stead on their journey."
David J. Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement—An Evaluation," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Spring, 1991 88, p. 115. Holidaysburg, Pa, 10-15-90. Exodus 12:36. [The KJV is good only when backing a Fuller favorite!]

"Yet this writer is confident we won't go astray in adopting a 'spoiling the Egyptians' approach to the various Church Growth Movement sociological principles and the research that produced them."
David J. Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement—An Evaluation," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Spring, 1991 88, p. 116. Exodus 12:36. [So they promoted him to president of The Sausage Factory.]

"The instructor may find it best not to distribute the Spiritual Gifts Analysis (pp. 33-49) until the end of the course, when the time has come for class members to work through it."
David J. Valleskey, Gifted to Serve, Parish Services, WELS. [Spiritual Gift Analysis was widely promoted through Fuller Seminary.]

"So, what should the members of St. John evangelism committee do with [C. Peter Wagner's] Your Church Can Grow?...They can probably pick up a few helpful hints. They might, for example, appreciate research which provides an insight into the way unchurched people think."
Prof. David Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement, Just Gathering People or Building the Church?" The Northwestern Lutheran, May 5, 1991, p. 185. See Oct 15 NWL Jeb Schaefer editorial

Bob: "..I'd like to share with you a book I came across the other day. It's interesting, easy to read, and may be the answer to our problem..." [Could this be the Bible, The Book of Concord, What Luther Says?] "Its title is Your Church Can Grow, and it's filled with all sorts of practical hints that could help us turn things around here." Author: "Bob didn't realize it at the time, but in his browsing he had stumbled upon one of many similar books written from the perspective of the church growth movement, books with such titles as How to Grow a Church, Ten Steps for Church Growth, Church Growth: Strategies that Work, and Leading Your Church to Growth."
Prof. David Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement, Just Gathering People or Building the Church?" The Northwestern Lutheran, May 5, 1991, p. 184.

"Accordingly, when Christ says, Disciple (matheteusate) all nations by baptizing them, matheteusate can mean nothing other than to make disciples, to turn unbelievers into believers; for that is the Spirit-produced effect of baptism."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe—Therefore We Speak, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 127. Matthew 28:18-20. [Fuller Seminary promotes the manufacture of disciples.]

"It is true that only God the Holy Spirit can effect the end result of making a disciple out of an unbeliever; all we can do is sow the seed. But it is also true that our Lord, by speaking specifically of making disciples in his commission to his church, is encouraging it to keep that intended goal in mind when it does its seed sowing."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe—Therefore We Speak, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 135. Matthew 28:18-20. [But He told His disciples to "teach all nations, baptizing them" not make disciples.]

"Is the mission of the church to preach the gospel or to make disciples? The two--preaching the gospel and making disciples--are closely connected. Making disciples is the goal, or end result, our Lord had in mind. He does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance and faith. He wants all to be saved, to come to a heart knowledge of the truth. Preaching the gospel (employing the means of grace) is the means by which the Lord will achieve his goal of making disciples and so of gathering in his elect before he returns."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe—Therefore We Speak, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 134. [Cloaking Schwaermer doctrine.]

"David Hubbard, president Fuller Seminary: 'Not all of us have the gift of evangelism. I admire people who can lead others to Jesus Christ right on the spot...."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A p. 52.

"Introduction to the Church Growth Movement by Lutheran authors, Hunter, Kent R., Foundations for Church Growth (New Haven, MO: Leader Publishing Co., 1983) - the author, an LC-MS clergyman who has now set up his own church growth consulting service, performs the valuable service in this 204 page book of presenting an introduction to church growth goals and terminology. Werning, Waldo, Vision and Strategy for Church Growth, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1977) - Werning, active for years in LC-MS stewardship work, explains the foundations, presuppositions and principles of church growth and then shows how a congregation can benefit from making use of certain church growth principles - of the two books listed in this category, Werning's is the more practical."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A p. 6.

"3. Establish your goals. a. definition: goals are those things that are required for an organization to carry out its objectives ('How') 1) short-range targets 2) SMART, Specific...Measureable...Acceptable...Realistic...Timed...."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A p. 101. [This is business advice and happens to be exactly the same as the LCA's and Fuller's. I heard this in the LCA in 1978.]

"But a cold heart can beat close to a correct mind. There are too many churches with impeccable credentials for orthodox theology whose outreach is almost nil. They are 'sound,' but they are sound asleep." [Babtist] Leighton Ford, The Christian Persuader. Valleskey asks: "true to a certain degree of us?"
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A p. 24. [Dost we wonder why WELS is so Babtist today?]

"a receptivity rating scale (adapted by Win and Charles Arn in The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, p. 91...."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A p. 58. [More Church Growth manufacturing of disciples.]

"The term 'spiritual breathing' originated with Dr. William Bright in his booklet, 'Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-filled Life?'"
David Valleskey, Forest Bivens, New Life in Christ, September, 1981 p. 1. [Does anyone wonder why so many Mequon graduates have turned Pentecostal? This book was so full of false doctrine, NPH would not publish it, but both authors were good enough to teach at The Sausage Factory.]

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GJ - Why would anyone think WELS was full of Church Growth doctrine?

How are those numbers looking, after all the SMART goals have been followed?

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""There Is No Church Growth Movement in WELS" - Way...":

I get the idea now. Shift the responsibility and work of the Lord to the disciples. That should eliminate any accountability of synod officials and pastors. Then blame the disciples for not making more disciples.

Church and Change: The Sacred Cow Is Hamburger

Church and Change overlaps the previous WELS leadership so much that one can say the two are synonymous.

For example:

1. The Love Shack backed every Church Growth project and pastor, such as paying for training at Willow Creek with offering money.
   
2. The Love Shack engaged in a series of joint religious ventures with ELCA, including a radio worship services (Joy!) and evangelism (Church Membership Initiative, etc).
   
3. Name changes just happened to leave out the word Lutheran - Northwestern Lutheran to FIC, WELS Lutherans for Life to Christian Life Resources, The Lutheran Hymnal to Christian Worship.
   
4. WELS just happened to find discipleship in everything. Wayne Mueller turned adult education and youth education posts into Adult Discipleship and Youth Discipleship. Jesus changed His mind, telling the apostles to go out and "Make disciples."
   
5. Fuller activists were constantly promoted and bailed out of their messes, while critics of the Fuller infection were driven out.
   
6. The worst false teachers--Kelly Voigt, Floyd Stolzenburg, Mark Freier, Paul Calvin Kelm, James Huebner, Larry (Staph Infection) Olson, Rick Miller, David Valleskey, Forrest Bivens, Norm Berg--were paraded as examples to follow while faithful pastors actually worked, finding their efforts blessed by God but cursed by meddling Shrinkers.
   
7. Wild hair spending bankrupted the synod, in spite of the enormous annual giving of the Schwan Foundation.
   
8. The synodical schools were strangled out of the budget to pay for all the ridiculous CG projects that used up money faster than the Prodigal Son. As the Kuske Report shows, synod spending doubled while giving stayed the same.
   
9. Mueller-Gurgle forced the synod school tuition up so high that a whole generation of students was lost. At least one school will be closed soon.
   
10. Project Airport--linked from the WELS.net jumpword list--is another example of pursuing the fads of Fuller and ELCA, wasting money, and enforcing Schwaermer orthodoxy. Airport is big on cross-culturalism, a way to spend huge amounts of money to assuage liberal guilt.
    
11. The Church and Change missions just happen to look like Andy Stanley Babtist efforts: dishonest names, big screens, expensive sound systems, rock music, and plagiarized sermons.
    
12. The sheep are directed by the false shepherds to read the works of false teachers among the Enthusiasts and the aping Enthusiasts among the Lutherans. The last Church and Change conference was promoted from the WELS.net website jumpword list while Gurgle told pastors "Church and Change is over, gone, finished, taken apart." Meanwhile, Gurgle has joined forces with Kudu Don Patterson and has an activist brother placed at The Sausage Factory.
    

The wolf-pack is howling now. The Chicaneries have been identified and quoted too often to deny their agenda, their cost to the synod, and their future doom.

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Brian P Westgate has left a new comment on your post "Church and Change: The Sacred Cow Is Hamburger":

Well, technically the full title of Christian Worship is Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal." Though I'm not sure anybody uses the full title . . .

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GJ - "The congregation will now turn to Hymn 100 in Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal."

Yeah, I hear that echoing throughout WELS, especially at Christ the Rock Lutheran Church and The CORE Lutheran Church.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Church and Change: The Sacred Cow Is Hamburger":

Holy cow! Pastors have almost killed that cow. They overdo it during hallucinatory binges that they are on a mission from God. Actually the greater fools of leadership have demanded it.