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Willow Axes Axis Service

Orginally published on Wednesday, July 05, 2006 at 11:30 AM
by Todd Rhoades

It appears that Willow Creek has decided to end it's Axis service (which was an outreach service for young adults). While I couldn't find an official press release from Willow, here's some more of the reasoning behind the move from Jesus Creed...

“We sat in Saturday night to hear Gene Appel, lead pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, explain to the 20-something ministry called Axis what the leadership sees as the next “evolution in Axis.” The Saturday night Axis service will be no more. Axis ministries have been morphed into the larger Willow minstries and weekend services. Ministry to that age-group will continue, though we’re not quite sure what that will look like.

We feel sad because it was an important ministry for our daughter when she was in her early and mid-20s. We will always be grateful for Axis ministries and its weekly service. She met her husband, Mark, through an Axis ministry small group. We know there are hundreds of similar stories wandering now around the halls of Willow.

I’ve always been in favor of Axis and all its ministries, not because I’ve been involved (for I’ve not done anything with that ministry), but there have been some subtle and not-so-subtle shifts at Willow over the last two years that gave us the impression Axis’ weekend service had numbered days.

In his tactful and clear address to about 500 Axis service attenders, Gene talked about the inevitability of change, and that change is what Willow and Axis have always been about. (That’s the truth.) More importantly, Gene pointed out that in 1995 the Axis ministry and the Weekend services were dramatically different, justifying two kinds of services. In the last two years or so that dramatic difference has decreased enough to call into question the viability of Axis having a separable service. (This is also true.)

And even more importantly, the more service-oriented, or missional, focus of Axis ministries has now become a staple of the rest of the church community, and Gene Appel over and over said that it was Axis that had led to dramatic changes in the rest of the church. It had changed the trajectory of the whole church, he said.

He also emphasized that Willow needs to recover its original intergenerational focus. [This comment was added due to comments I’ve read elsewhere.]

As a result, the differences between the weekend services and Axis are no longer of sufficient degree to justify a separate Axis service. Axis has been diffused, or morphed, into the larger weekend service.

It should be observed that Axis has served as a template for many ministries around the world, and has in some ways been part of the emerging church movement.”

TODD’s INPUT: While it’s sad to see a service that many people loved discontinue; there has to be at least some kudos to the leadership of Willow Creek to know when to pull the plug. It doesn’t sound (from first impressions) that the ministry was in dire straits; but rather that the main service had become enough like Axis to make this move and timing seem right. It’s always tough to know when to pull the plug on a ministry. Most of the time, rather than taking decisive action (as Willow did), we opt for the ‘slow death’ approach to ministry.

What’s your input? How do you know when to ‘pull the plug’? (It’s never pleasant!)

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TRACKBACKS: (0) There are 17 Comments:

Posted by kent

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 at 1:46 PM

If the minsitry no longer achieves what is was designed to od in the first place, then re-examination is in line. If it does not help ni accomplishing the mission then it is not appropriate. Willow has excelled in keeping the main thing the main thing. From what has been written it sounds as if Axis has had a significant impact on the whole Willow culture. besides the whole Axis ministry is still there, it is the worship experience that is being discontinued.
Posted by

Thursday, July 06, 2006 at 3:21 PM

The only thing that kind of concerns me about this decision is that when I’ve been to Willow...the main services and Axis were QUITE different in style. For instance, the music in the main services of Willow and Saddleback can really border on cheesy for young people. Now, there is nothing wrong with the music because the target generations love it, but every time I was in South Barrington, the services were two different experiences altogether.

Besides, what was the harm in letting the young people have their own worship time? The only thing I can think of is stress on the staff. But I’ve always joked that Willow has more staff than Disney…

Well...I’m not there, so I can’t really judge. Just some thoughts.
Posted by

Thursday, July 06, 2006 at 3:22 PM

Not to mention the fact that MANY churches, including the one I work for, model themselves after Axis and not on the main services.
Posted by Rich Kirkpatrick

Friday, July 07, 2006 at 1:10 AM

It is always better to rip a bandaid off quickly rather than very slowly. This has become a favorite metaphor when dealing with church ministry which tends, in my experience, to over-prolong the pain of making change.
Posted by

Monday, July 10, 2006 at 12:07 PM

So I’m wondering what that means for Darren Whitehead.
Posted by

Monday, July 10, 2006 at 12:17 PM

Hats off to Willow. Gibbs/Bolger’s new book on emerging churches notes that every “church-within-a-church” on the emerging/GenX/whatever tip ends up being an unsustainable model. Those ministries with a true emerging feel and character end up having to spin off from the 20th c. style mother church when the tension between the two grows too great; those without end up limping along as benign youth groups for the college/career crowd, essentially assimilated to the mainstream culture of the church with age- or life-stage-specific ministry.

If it’s true (and not just polite window dressing) that Axis really has changed the culture at Willow then perhaps there’s a third way and Axis really has served a kingdom purpose here. Personally, I’ve always been leery of generational-specific churches on ecclesiological grounds, so this has the potential to really “fix” something at Willow. Give them credit for being able to do this (witness their recapture of commitment to small groups back in the ‘90s); here’s hoping more boomer-dominated “successful” churches will have the humility to receive the ministry of the young ‘uns. I’ll really believe this has happened when boards at these boomer churches have at least a third of their folks under age 35.
Posted by

Monday, July 10, 2006 at 12:41 PM

Amen, Jason...and that’s the reason I ask about Darren Whitehead. Will he know be a part of the main leadership at Willow and will he be on the weekend preaching team? Same question could be asked of the Axis band/s.

If they’re smart...well...you can fill in the blank.
Posted by

Monday, July 10, 2006 at 12:42 PM

“now”....not “know”. Grrrr...wish I could correct a post.
Posted by

Monday, July 10, 2006 at 9:24 PM

From the Axis site

For 10 years, Axis services have been devoted to helping the Next Gen connect with God through high- intensity weekend services with relevant teaching, worship and art that brings faith into a clearer focus.

But, as you know if you’ve been hanging out at Axis for any length of time, it’s about much more than a weekend service. It’s about the heart you have to make a difference. It’s about community. I know that every week there are groups from Axis reaching out to help the homeless, reaching people in prison and serving the under-resourced in our neighborhoods. Whether it’s within the walls of Willow, or out in the world, Axis is devoted to giving back and to getting involved. Axis is real people really doing life together.

For several months The South Barrington Leadership Team and the Axis team have been partnering together asking God to lead us to a new vision for Axis. This weekend I spoke to Axis about the next evolution of our church and of Axis. One of the key distinctives we see emerging in our church is a heart for a healthy, diverse church with an intergenerational vision.

To live this vision out, we are committed to serve and embrace the 20-something community as well as the distinctives of the Axis services.

Axis is not ending, but the weekly expression of the Axis service is. The vision to reach 20-somethings has not changed, but how we reach them is changing. BBQs, gatherings, and events are planned for the summer, built around the Saturday evening service meeting time.

So, the next generation of the Next Gen ministry is evolving. But before I go any further, let me assure you that Willow’s commitment to 20-somethings is firm.

What will that look like for you? For starters---

Beginning next weekend, (July 8), Axis is invited to do church in the main auditorium. Sections 202 and 203 in the Mezzanine will be the sections where Axis will sit.
Axis will have monthly Hangout/Go-out times after the service. (July 8/Aug 19th) We’ll Hang out on the patio and BBQ, and then Go out to participate in different interests or activities.
Axis will get together on August 5.
House Groups, Interest Groups and Serving Groups aren’t going anywhere. During the summer, they’ll continue just the way they are.
Sixty of you have signed up to serve at Habitat for Humanity’s Blitz Build on July 22-29. I’m humbled by your commitment to serve and I think you will bring energy to the rest of Willow as we make the shift to an intergenerational church.

I also spoke to a key staffing change for Axis. For the last two years, Darren Whitehead has led the Axis ministry. Starting this summer, he is going to devote 100% of his energies to leading our High School ministry, Student Impact. In the interim, Steve Gillen will lead Axis during through this time of transition.

The vision to reach 20-somethings has not changed. How we reach them is what’s changing.

I hope you are as excited about the future here at Willow Creek as I am—because you are a big part of it!

In this together—

Gene Appel

Lead Pastor
Posted by

Monday, July 10, 2006 at 9:53 PM

I appreciate most of what Gene said...and it’s their church, so this is their decision...but...does this line strike anyone as patronizing?

“Sections 202 and 203 in the Mezzanine will be the sections where Axis will sit.”

Seriously...I thought this was patronizing in youth group days...and we’re talking about twenty-somethings.
Posted by

Tuesday, July 11, 2006 at 7:09 PM

Bold move. Very strategic. I think the intergenerational approach will insure the long term well-being of Willow’s ministry as the younger folks take on more of the leadership.

I used to serve on the main stage when I worked at Willow but I visited Axis often because of its youthful, edgy and missional attitude. It is very cool that the main service has evolved and taken on more of an Axis-like tone. The Axis bands could be integrated quite well into the main service especially if Willow starts doing more worship in their weekend services. But I don’t know if this will happen any time soon. That would be a major philosophical shift in their seeker service strategy. I think they are actually considering it though.

Transition might be difficult for some of the Axis folks. How do you maintain Axis’ unique identity in this larger environment? Might not be possible. Some may see it as patronizing but the Axis folks seem to enjoy sitting together when they meet in the main auditorium.
Posted by

Tuesday, July 11, 2006 at 10:29 PM

Tom,
That’s great and all but what about the staff? What about people who have sacrificed their lives to make Axis a unique ministry that obviously has ministered and effected many peoples lives? I don’t know but if what Gene is saying is true, it just seems very odd that you would totally dissolve a working entity just so that people can sit together in the worship service. I mean it wasn’t like the leadership of this ministry started this on their own they were hired. So it just seems weird to say that because of how it has evolved that you now are essentially ending the ministry. Many people here have said that it is great that they end something before it dies. Well the problem is no one said it was dying or that it was ineffectual. I think Gene should have said that if it were true. These are adults and I am sure they can handle it. I think that they are trying to be positive in the midst of a difficult situation but sometimes just telling it like it is can sometimes be more helpful and motivating. Just my opinion, which Proverbs says is not really that important and that everyone has one.
Posted by

Wednesday, July 12, 2006 at 10:06 PM

Rick,

Thanks for your comments. Clarification: Axis is not being dissolved. The Axis Saturday night service is ending but its broader ministry is continuing and evolving to reach the 20-something generation in news ways.

Good question about the staff. The Axis staff was involved in shaping the new plan for the next evolution of Axis. Some of the Axis staff will continue to serve in the Axis ministry. Other leaders are being redeployed to other Willow ministries. Darren Whitehead is shifting to full time high school ministry. Jarrett Stevens is moving to North Point Church in Atlanta. Steve Gillen will head up the new Axis team. I believe the people of Axis will continue to influence and shape the broader ministry of Willow for years to come. Its the future of Willow.
Posted by

Friday, July 21, 2006 at 1:28 AM

I am uncertain how it meets their intergenerational goals by having them sit in their own designated section, continue the same hangout/go-out events, the same house groups, interest groups and serving groups. I firmly believe that intergenerational is a wonderful goal and great for discipleship, but people often self-segregate based on commonalities and putting young people in the same big room doesn’t make it ‘intergenerational’, let alone having them all sit together and separate. The goal is intergenerational relationships, not intergenerational attendance per se. (I am sure Willow desires that as well)

That being said, I am not generally a fan of the church within a church either. It seems it is often a way for the old guard to stay old, while the new ‘church’ reforms. We are blessed though with a 78 year old elder who doesn’t like the drums, but welcomes them because he sees young people being saved and the church of his ‘youth’ thriving for the gospel. I heard him say a while back at a prayer meeting that ‘the older I get the more I learn it isn’t about me.” Somewhere along the way, we need to make sure our members know that church isn’t about them individually, but rather about the entire body and the increasing worship of God.

I have sought to become more intergenerational in the environments I pastor and it is a challenge to say the least. It generally takes mature believers to understand the blessings of intergenerational settings. Service (to the community and to the church) has been the most effective place to promote intergenerational settings. I take intergenerational where I can get it, I try to provide environments that foster it (ie: having older home groups host college groups for dinner), but I don’t force it. It also helps that our pastor consistently preaches the value of older believers influencing younger believers.

Praise God that the leadership of Willow has observed Axis and is incorporating some necessary changes in the main services. Their focus on regular ministry evaluation is a beautiful thing. I pray I age gracefully in my ministry as well.
Posted by

Friday, July 21, 2006 at 11:06 AM

Good words, Jacob. These words need to be heard in this whole “intergenerational” discussion.

And for clarification fellas, I am not the Rick that Tom is responding to above...but in a twist of irony...I know that particular Rick--he lives near me and he’s a good guy. Have a good weekend, everyone.
Posted by

Friday, July 21, 2006 at 10:25 PM

Rick W,

From your question about Darren I assume you’re the Rick W at The People’s Church? Great church. I used to visit your church when I went to re:create. I appreciated your ministry there. I’m a friend of Randy and Chris.

Tom M

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