| In
an effort to bring quicker spiritual transformation to their
congregation, New Suburbia Community Church recently finished Rick
Warren’s “40 Days of Purpose” in a record-breaking 30
days, according to church administrator Marla Shoop. “Our
congregation lives in a fast-paced culture, and they just don’t have
the time to commit 40 days to finding their purpose,”
Shoop explained. “We knew we had to cut some fat from this
incredible movement of God.”
Streamlining the original program involved a
coordinated effort by Senior Pastor Biff Donahue and his staff to cut
out redundant scripture references that might bog down the study. “No
offense to Rick, but his book is over 320 pages long,” Donahue said.
“So we contacted the good folks down at Reader’s Digest and got
some real good pointers.”
Members Josh and Tiffany Hampton were thrilled with
the result because it gave them more free time to cope with their
hectic lifestyle. “Warren’s original program went a long way in helping
us avoid time-consuming Bible reading, but with Pastor Biff’s edited
version we were able to gain the extra time necessary to fill our SUV
with gas without cutting into Tiffany's tanning bed time,” Josh explained. Added Tiffany, “After the 30 days, we
found that it was just part of our God-given personalities to be so shallow.”
The abbreviated Purpose-Driven program hasn’t come
without its critics, however. One member, who wished to remain
anonymous, questioned the shortened study. “After 30 days I
found out my ‘SHAPE’ is to be a volunteer church janitor? I’m
pretty sure ten more days of transformation would've landed me a better purpose.”
Undaunted by these dissenters, New Suburbia is
planning on introducing Rick Warren’s newest program, “40 Days of
Community,” sometime next year. Says Shoop confidently, “We think
we can crank out that puppy in 20.” |
