Rick Warren's 'Purpose Driven Conference' Brings in Mostly New Audience

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Friday, July 01, 2016

Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren addresses the Purpose Driven Conference, which took place on June 28-30, 2016. The theme was 'New Hope for Your Church.' — Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren addresses the Purpose Driven Conference, which took place on June 28-30, 2016. The theme was "New Hope for Your Church." | (Photo: Saddleback Church)

Church leaders from 33 different countries and all 50 states participated in Pastor Rick Warren's three-day "Purpose Driven Conference" at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, this week, with nearly 70 percent being newcomers who were not at the first conference 10 years ago.

"The world needs hope like never before," Warren said in his opening speech Tuesday morning. "Our hope is not in government. It will never come through a politician. Our hope is not in who we put in the White House, but in who we put on the cross."

The Purpose Driven paradigm is like "the operating system for the church," Warren said in a statement ahead of the conference. "We must help plateaued churches and discouraged pastors, and we must train a whole new generation to embrace God's five purposes for the church: fellowship, discipleship, worship, ministry and evangelism."

As Warren spoke to pastors at Saddleback Church Tuesday, many were sharing his words of wisdom on social media using the Twitter hashtag #pdchurch.

One notable attendee for the conference was Bobby Schuller, grandson of the founder of the Crystal Cathedral and current head of the long-running "Hour of Power" Christian program.

"I study the stops if Jesus, not the steps of Jesus. The most important stuff happened when he was interrupted. @RickWarren #PDChurch," posted Schuller.

"When you work out muscles you work what God gave you. When you work out your salvation it's still what God gave you. @RickWarren #PDChurch," he added.

Warren also sent out several tweets, during the conference, one of them saying: "These pastors are bringing hope to one another, to their churches, and to the world,"