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Willow Creek Opens New Downtown Church, 2000+ in Attendance
Orginally published on Monday, October 02, 2006 at 8:45 AM
by Todd Rhoades
AP -- Willow Creek Community Church of South Barrington opened its first Chicago satellite campus yesterday with a service at the historic Auditorium Theatre. More than two thousand people filled the theaters main floor and much of its balcony for the service -- which was done up in Willow Creeks signature style with singing, dancing, a giant video screen and a seven-piece band.
The service was conducted by Willow Creek’s founder and lead pastor, the Reverend Bill Hybels.
Willow Creek, which was founded 30 years ago, held its first services in a rented suburban movie theater. It now counts an average weekend attendance of more than 20 thousand in South Barrington and its three satellite campuses in DuPage, Lake and McHenry counties.
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Anybody ready this attend the first service in Downtown Chicago? What was it like?
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Posted by Leonard
Monday, October 02, 2006 at 9:06 AM
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Posted by kent
Monday, October 02, 2006 at 11:23 AM
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Posted by kent
Monday, October 02, 2006 at 1:49 PM
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Monday, October 09, 2006 at 8:59 AM
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Monday, October 09, 2006 at 10:22 AM
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Monday, October 09, 2006 at 3:07 PM
Post Your Comments:Awesome!
God is at work. Well done, well done.
To be honesty, when I read news like this I have two distinct emotions. One is joy, I think this is awesome, I think this is exactly what the church ought to be doing and I thank God for people like Bill Hybels.
The other emotion is frustration - I wonder why our church does not have the same impact. Oh you can say you will never know the impact a church has at any size, but if I am honest, we are not bringing those outside of the kingdom into our church by the hand fulls let alone the dozens or the hundreds or the thousands. I really do not want to serve a church of 5 thousand, but I really do want serve a church that reaches those right around us with the gospel of Christ.
I have frustratuion not depression. If God can do it in one place I am certain he can on our corner.
Until one realizes that he goes to church to worship a GOD who bestows good things to his people because;
1) GOD loves him/her more than we will ever know
2) GOD showed that love by sending his only son ( JESUS) to die for OUR sins
3) Accept JESUS into our hearts on a personal level ( a church can not do that for you )
4} Because we were born in sin, but JESUS came to give us new life by his death, burial and resurrection ( something to really praise GOD about)
all the fantastic singing,dancing, “ enjoying all the splendor of a mega-church” sad to say, doesn’t mean anything to the the people who attend, and to GOD.
Great news about Willow Creek’s latest satellite outreach. I understand James’ Lykins sentiment about wanting people to develop a commitment to the Lord, but I think the key is that this approach is able to bring them along a step at a time....especially for people who have had bad experiences in past or perhaps mis-conceptions about the concept of church and particularly evangelicals. By bringing them in, you give the Holy Spirit an opportunity to work on them over a period of weeks or months as they learn, begin to understand their personal need for the Lord, become more committed to true worship and study of the word, and progress through small groups and believers’ worship services into personal service and outreach.
In response to Mr. Lykins’ comments: I learned your items #1-4 through Willow Creek seeker-oriented services 27 years ago, when I heard the gospel and accepted Christ. Willow made the gospel accessible to my mom, who’d had a terrible experience with a traditional church in her childhood, yet was seeking God after a time of soul-wrenching pain. She could “hear” the gospel there and it transformed her life. And my life. And my sister’s life. And my dad’s life… (etc.). It was clear to me from the beginning through Bill’s teaching that “accepting” meant “following” Christ - there was NOTHING shallow about or weak about the message.
As I read the updates on Willow while working on my Biblical Studies M.A. thesis in a seminary library in another state, I praise God for what He has done and what He continues to do there. I am confident that it is the great intention of those who teach, lead worship, greet, serve and lead to point to God as the source of “splendor,” not themselves. God created the arts, and it is our job to redeem and harness them for His glory and to communicate His message. May many more desperate sinners find the truth in a theatre as I did. And may many more believers celebrate the wonder of what God is doing there.
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