In your opinion what are the best and worst of the last 10 years in terms of Christian trends, fads, popular ideas, emphases or new stresses?

The catch: For every negative, give a positive, for every worst give a best.

For instance: A popular trend I don't like is the Left Behind series. But, a good trend that has occurred in the past decade is a rising number of books on Biblical eldership and an increase in the popularity of this idea.


Over to you, PBers.

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone

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Dan Pemberton
Vacaville, CA

Member, First Baptist Church San Luis Obispo
Formerly ABUSA (We left, so I guess that makes us American Baptists Unleashed!)

Worst?

WWJD

Best?

(More than 10 but...)

White Horse Inn

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Benjamin P. Glaser
Pittsburgh, PA
Fairmount ARP Church
Student of Theology
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
My Blog

"Nothing is sweet to me without the enjoyment of Christ in it." -- Thomas Brooks

Worst - The Message

Best - 1599 Geneva by Tolle Lege press.

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Timothy Johnson
First United Presbyterian of Moline
PCUSA (Yea, I know)
Theology/Philosophy Sunday School Teacher
Davenport, IA

What Would Jesus Do? He probably wouldn't be caught wearing a WWJD bracelet for one thing.

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Ryan Barnhart - Pastor of OGBC
Husband to a beautiful wife, Father to two beautiful girls
"But by the grace of God I am what I am." I Corinthians 15:10

"I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms. And in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer." - John Paton

That's for sure!!

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Ivan Schoen, Pastor * Maranatha Baptist Church * Poplar Grove, Illinois USA www.maranatha-sbc.org/
"Mankind is divided into two sorts: such as live according to man, and such as live according to God. These we call the two cities...The Heavenly City outshines Rome. There, instead of victory, is truth" — Augustine of Hippo

Worst --

* Prayer of Jabez fad and fascination
* Purpose Driven fad
* Openness Theology
* Emergent church
* Virtual victory of egalitarianism in broad evangelicalism
* Acceptance of gay-interest/advocacy clubs on Christian college campuses (e.g., Bethel) (a new trend, but growing, esp. with the "soul force" presence on Chrisitan college campuses)
* NPP popularity, coupled with denial of imputation
* Trend of mega church pastors doing impersonations of secular "life coaches" (e.g., Joel Osteen)
* Willow Creek-ization of broad evangelicalism

Best --

* Substantial theology discussions in media (e.g., White Horse Inn, R.C. Sproul, various apologetics programs).
* Reformed internet message boards and forums (e.g., PB)
* Maturation of "Bible" software beyond a few translations and out of copyright reference books. Today there is a proliferation of VERY good books of Sys Theo, Reformed writers, commentaries, etc. available in electronic form)
* Publication of important classics (e.g., Puritans) and more recent works, original and in translation (e.g., Bavinck)
* Sophistication of the YEC movement and opening of the AiG Creation Museum in metro-Cincinnati
* Recovery of more traditional forms of worship by younger generation (i.e., as opposed to the glitz of seeker sensitivity)
* Popularity of Bible expositors who are Reformed or Calvinistic (e.g., MacArthur, Piper, Begg, etc.)
* Driscoll and Kimball backing away from the Emergent Church (esp. Driscoll articulating a Calvinist approach)
* CBMW and their growing library of materials in the face of rampant egalitarianism

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Dennis E. McFadden, Ex Mainline Baptist (in Remission)
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Several years ago I saw one of those typical "Jesus Junk" bookstores selling Christian toe rings. I still have nightmares.

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Kevin Guillory
Pastor
Redeemer Christian Congregation
Baltimore, MD

I don't interpret Scripture. Scripture
interprets itself. And in the process ...
Scripture interprets me!

Little wonder, that's embarrising.

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Daniel Ritchie
Saintfield, Northern Ireland - Queen's University, Belfast:History/Politics
Member of Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland (Covenanter)

The internet brought me to the reformed faith. Without the internet I would be a stoic dispensational charismatic

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~Keon Garraway~ Brooklyn, NY Member of Franklin Square OPC

Love for God demonstrated by the love for our children in giving them a God centered education is the only hope for our country. by David Morrow
Pslam 71:20 [Thou], which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

Top Two Worst Trends In The Past Ten Years

#1. EmergentChurch
#2. Seeker senstive

Top Two Best Trends In The Past Ten Years

#1. Monergism
#2. Reformed Blogosphere

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Aaron
Independent Baptist
Holland MI
Blog: earthdwell22.blogspot.com

My worst would be: the TNIV

My best would be: Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

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Jeff Wyman
Seminarian
Little Farms Chapel OPC, Coopersville, MI
Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI

"May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence." 1 Peter 1:2-3 (ESV)

Worst
"Christian Coffee Shops"
Convinced to vote for Mike Huckabee because he's Born Again
Prayer Warrior ministries




Best
People reforming to honor the Sabbath
Ron Paul is a hit in the Reformed camp
A desire to follow a biblical model for prayer

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John J.
Member Christ Prebyterian Church (OPC)
Salt Lake City, Utah
www.christpres.net

Best:
Resurgance of Calvinism.

Worst:
Resurgance of Calvinism.

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Andrew DeShazo, Deacon, Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
"All of us stumble in many ways, but if anyone is never at fault in what he says, then he is mature, able to control his whole body."(James 3:2)

best: -john macarthur defending lordship of Christ
- Sovereign Grace Ministries
- Desiring God and the revival of the popularity of Jonathan Edwards
- The Reformation Study Bible
Worst: -Arminians ignorant defining of calvinism.
-The ressurgance of Calvinism in local Churches tearing apart.
- advent of hyper-calvinism based on the internet and causing lots of people to struggle with the doctrines of grace.
-

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Joseph P. Grigoletti II
Lay-person
OPC
Québec, Québec Canada

"The best and final gift of the gospel is that we gain Christ." John Piper. God is the Gospel. Page 11. Crossway Books Wheaton,IL 2005.

Best: Spiritual Counterfeits Project

Worst: Federal Vision

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Mary Vanderkooi
Kale Heywott Church (KHC)
Soddo, Ethiopia

Worst: most have already been mentioned. I'd add purpose-driven anything. And did anybody say "New Perspectives?"
Best: Wide availability of good sermons via the Web. I'm like a kid in a candy shop!

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JWithnell
Member Bethel OPC
Virginia

Best trend: resurgence of Calvinism
Worst fad:
1. Christian swimwear for the total body. I think even an Olympic gold medalist swimmer wearing one of these will drown.


2. Armor of God pajamas. By wearing these pj's and "with their belief in Jesus and His protection, your little can feel safe and secure during the night as they sleep. As they dress in the morning, they should replace [these pjs] with the spiritual Armor of God to protect them in their daily activities."


As atheist professor, Alan Wolfe, from Boston College once said on the Albert Mohler program about Christian marketing trying to evangelize non-Christians like himself: "I mean, come on! Is that the best you [Christians] can offer?"

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Will Shin
Rockville, MD

Best:
Note: These are only "best" in that they are pretty good right now. When they are exploited and taken to great extremes, they're going to go on the worst list.

-The union of really good theology and the drive to be closer to God (e.g. John Piper)
-New defenses for the enerrancy of scripture
-New defenses for the resurrection of Christ (i.e. Wright, Habermas)
-The emphasis on having a dialog between contrasting ideologies in Christendom.
-The attempt to bring the Reformed teachings to the youth - Resolved Conference
-New defenses for the resurrection of Christ (Come on, it deserves to be on here twice)

Worst:
-Armor of God toys and action figures (just an extension of Will's costumes)
-New ridiculous ways of evangelizing
-Putting the grape juice & crackers in little packets and handing them out as the congregation enters.
-Everyone putting your heads down as someone raises their hand to accept Christ
-One-week missions when those people going out do not consider themselves missionaries where they live

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Dan Pemberton
Vacaville, CA

Member, First Baptist Church San Luis Obispo
Formerly ABUSA (We left, so I guess that makes us American Baptists Unleashed!)

What sermons do you like? I enjoy detailed exegesis that stays with the text. References to the confessions in minute quantities are tolerable. Reading a verse and taking off with a loosely-related subject is unacceptable. Also is there any way to get sermons aside from painfully-slow downloads that are really expensive since I pay by the minute?

Sorry I'm off-topic.

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Mary Vanderkooi
Kale Heywott Church (KHC)
Soddo, Ethiopia

Detailed exegesis is not sermon preaching that changes lives and hearts; rather, it's academic head-knowledge. I have to warn myself that many times over to remember where the average layperson, and especially lost people, are at. Plethora of detailed exegesis can be read through the thousands of commentaries available.

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Will Shin
Rockville, MD