Acts 29 Network is part of the Emerging Church. Mark Driscoll, who is the pastor of Mars Hill church is also the president of Acts 29 and Scott Thomas is the director. On the surface, there are many good things about Acts 29 Network, but there are many concerns also. The Network has a reputation for being culturally liberal. God’s Word tells us that Christians are in this world, but to not be of it. We are to be holy and set apart for the LORD and to have lives that are very different than the world. We are not to be a copy of what is happening in the culture of the world since the world lies in darkness. Many of the churches under the Acts 29 Network are pro contemplative prayer, pro Catholic mystics, and pro spiritual formation. Village Church with Matt Chandler as the pastor is an example of such a church. It is also part of the Acts 29 Network.

 

 

There are many excellent books recommended by Village Church. However, they also recommend books by Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and Brother Lawrence. It is these books that raise concern because they are pro Catholic, pro mysticism, pro contemplative prayer that go against the teachings of God’s Word. That is why so many Biblical pastors are concerned that the Emerging Church may be a bridge to Rome and may be the falling away that God has warned us of in His Word. If a church has wonderful Biblical books, a gospel message that is given, but yet falls into the false teachings of Catholic mysticism and becomes involved in an ecumenical movement, what happens? It becomes a church that has compromised with false teachings and has allowed the poison of those false teachings to taint God’s Truth. It is also entering the realm of mysticism and using that as a tool to have a personal experience rather than believing and trusting in Jesus Christ and His Word. The tendency is for the people then to substitute a personal, subjective experience that can be felt, as opposed to relying on faith that is unseen. It is not a church that is defending God’s Truth and contending earnestly for the faith that God has given His people in His Word. That church is then no longer holy and set apart to be a true light to lead the lost of this world to the true Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ.

Recommended Books

The following are books that have challenged and helped us as a staff in our faith and in our ministry work. The Village may not necessarily endorse or believe all that is written in these books.

 

	Celebration of Discipline Richard Foster

 

 

Confessions Saint Augustine	About the Author St Augustine of Hippo, the great Doctor of the Latin Church, was born at Thagaste in North Africa, in A.D. 354. He was brought up as a Christian but he was soon converted to the Manichean religion. He also came under the influence of Neoplatonism. However, in 387 he renounced all his unorthodox beliefs and was baptised. His surviving works had a great influence on Christian theology and the psychology and political theology of the West. R.S. Pine-Coffin is a Roman Catholic and was born in 1917.
	Confessions of a Reformission Rev. Mark Driscoll

 

 

They have additional books by Driscoll also on the web site. They also recommend the various books by C. S. Lewis.

http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/sermons?type=books&page=12&match=any&kw=&topic=&sb=title&sd=asc

Inside Out Lawrence J. Crabb

http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/sermons?type=books&page=15&match=any&kw=&topic=&sb=title&sd=asc

 

Missional Church Darrell L. Guder

 

The above book is put out by the Church and the Culture Network. Doug Pagitt is on the board of that network. It is an ecumenical Emerging Church organization.

 

This web site page also gives Tim Keller’s book Ministry of Mercy as a recommended book.

 

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life Donal Donald S. Whitney

 

 

Streams of Living Water Richard J. Foster

 

 

 

The Challenge of the Disciplined Life Richard J. Foster

 

 

A rather interesting book is included on the website that the church recommends. It is by the business guru Peter Drucker. He has also been the mentor for Rick Warren and Bob Buford (head of Leadership Network.)

The Effective Executive Peter F. Drucker

 

They also have a book by Lesslie Newbigin who is one of the people whose teachings the emerging church follow.

 

The Practice of the Presence of God Brother Lawrence

 

The Ragamuffin Gospel Brennan Manning

 

The Spirit of the Disciplines Dallas Willard