Ablaze Exposé #1 - Epic Church

Epic Church in Rochester Hills, MI claims that it is affiliated with the LCMS. But what makes this church Lutheran?

Pastor Tim Kade is preaching on pop-psychology and purpose-driven topics. He even recently purchased a sermon series from Granger Community Church called "Pure Sex" and even sent out postcards and a press release to the media announcing his 'controversial' sex series. Here is video footage.

There is absolutely no difference between what Epic Church is doing and what thousands of seeker-sensitive Evangelical churches are doing.

This is exactly the type of churches that the Ablaze Movement is planting and supporting and there is nothing Lutheran about them.

Kieschnick wants to plant 2000 churches by 2017. How many of these mission churches are going to be seeker-sensitive copy cat churches that preach on self-help topics and relevant life issues rather than doing expository preaching that is both Christ-Centered and Cross focused?

How many of these Seeker-Sensitive Purpose-Driven congregations need to be planted for them to completely take control of the LCMS?

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For further research I recommend that you visit the Museum of Idolatry and peruse the Christian Erotica wing of their museum. They give example after example of evangelical churches, just like Epic (Lutheran) Church who are using sex as a marketing gimmick.

Comments

[Jen]

Epic also has a DBA. They are a business, not a church.

[byamabe]

I didn't read their belief statement, but I wouldn't attack them based on just having one. Look at the church web sites of Pastor Weedon and Pastor Wolfmueller (both frequent Issues, Etc. guests). They have belief statements. You can attack the belief statement if it is not aligned with the Book of Concord. However, a reason people go to church web sites is to see what they believe, and saying we believe what the Book of Concord confesses isn't much help to the average web surfer.

[Athanasius]

byambe,

good point.

[paula]

I KNEW it -- a few years ago when heard about Ablaze (I am not an LCMS member) I knew it was a purpose driven rehash!

You would think these people would learn from others' mistakes. "Professing to be wise they became fools" and "exchanged the truth of God for a lie."

[Alex Ovechkin]

This is very odd.

How can those who are Lutherans (after the Reformer Martin Luther) approach salvation, which is the root for church growth, as Arminians?

Either man suffers from the bondage of the will (as Luther wrote) or semi-pelagianism (as the Church of Rome teaches) is correct.

[Jim]

Did you catch him say the series is not just talking about sex with your "PARTNER", but talking with your children.

Partner?

What about your SPOUSE???

How much more politically correct can you get??