Willow Shift: Our New Strategy to Reach Seekers if to Focus on Mature Believers
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Thu, April 17, 2008
- Viewed 151
- (37) comments so far
Also changing… beginning in June, Willow will end their mid-week worship service that had been geared toward believers. Midweek will now offer discipleship classes aimed at different levels of growth for believers. And on weekends, the ‘anonymity factor” will be gone. According to Hawkins, “Anonymity is not the driving value for seeker services anymore. We’ve taken anonymity and shot it in the head. It’s dead. Gone.” Willow’s weekend ‘seeker’ services will now be packed with worship music, scripture, and more challenging Bible teaching, led by Bill Hybels the majority of the weeks.
In summary, Hawkins said, “They want the Bible, they want to be close to Christ, they want to be challenged. Yes, I will give them what they want!”
More here at Christianity Today...
Any thoughts?
Willow announced some major changes in the way they are going to be doing church at the recent Shift Conference held on their campus last week. Chief among the many changes they are implementing (as a result of their recent REVEAL study) is pretty much the death of the seeker sensitive service format they pioneered years ago. According to Greg Hawkins, Willow's Executive Pastor, "Our strategy to reach seekers is now about focusing on the mature believers. This is a huge shift for Willow.”
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Derek on Thu, April 17, 2008
Hoorah for Willow.
I know that the critics of the SS approach will have a “see I told you so” heyday, but I find this consistent with Willow’s vibe all along. It never was about the seeker sensitive service. It was all about connecting people with Jesus. The SS service was just a method, a method they have apparently found to have lost its effectiveness. They evaluated and are apparently moving in a different direction. Some people wrongly assumed that Hybels was tied to this method. I never thought he was. I always thought he used it as a tool to reach people for Christ.
This move is not about Willow becoming more biblical as Willow-haters would assume. It is about Willow becoming more effective.
Derek
Amber Cox on Thu, April 17, 2008
I’m with Derek! In my humble opinion, Hybels is one of the best leaders this century has seen - He is just a man, but he is a man who is trying, like the rest of us, to listen closely to God and follow His direction. It takes someone very special to lead a congregation of 25,000 and lead over 12,000 WCA churches all over the world. Willow hasn’t failed, what they’ve done so far hasn’t been a big mistake and these changes just solidify the fact that Willow isn’t afraid to step out of the traditional model and take some risks. It was a risk for Willow to do the “Reveal” study in the first place. I don’t care how big or small your church is - if people are encountering Jesus, then the church is being the church.
Wendi on Thu, April 17, 2008
One of the [many] things I appreciate about Willow is that they regularly check themselves. Because this is part of their DNA, and because there is plenty of other supporting evidence, I am sure that their methods over the years have been very effective, have indeed reached thousands of lost people and discipled them into a deep relationship with Christ. Because something isn’t working now doesn’t mean never did.
Plus, it’s easy to get in a tizzy about people leaving or feeling dissatisfied, but in the big picture, that is always part of the refining process for a learning organization. It is impossible to know that something isn’t working until it isn’t working for a while. Only then can an organization make needed changes. This is where many of our churches get stuck, we just say “good riddance” or go back to business as usual to pacify the discontent, instead of carefully assessing where the Holy Spirit is leading in relation to the mission. As I said above, one of the best things Willow models for us is that they are relentless about evaluating their effectiveness. It is good stewardship.
I think this shift at Willow reflects the deeper shift into post-modernity, and it affirms the findings of Thom Ranier in his book Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them. Even when they first show up, people are seeking spiritual answers to their questions. It’s true that there is a resistance to universal truth and an embrace of pluralism, but along with that is a desire to understand.
Wendi
CS on Thu, April 17, 2008
It is great to hear that Willow Creek is finally going back to doing what they should have been doing in the first place in their services. Yet the problem that remains is that they did not reach this by reading the Bible and following what Scripture teaches, but having gone through a survey format once more.
When will they learn that the way they should do things is according to what God says they should do, and not through group consensus? I imagine that if they had a survey where the results told them that they wanted people to sing the Canadian National Anthem at the beginning of each service, they would have done it, too.
—
CS
Leonard Lee on Thu, April 17, 2008
CS, What a load. I did not know your bible has a book of first churchalonians that is a how to manual. Good grief, there was nothing un-biblical about Willow and for you to comment like that states a huge amount of disrespect for those leaders and their personal walk with Christ.
Derek on Thu, April 17, 2008
CS,
My comment: This move is not about Willow becoming more biblical as Willow-haters would assume. It is about Willow becoming more effective. was for you buddy.
I anticipate there would be somebody who would say finally they are “doing what they Bible says.” I know we will disagree on this, but I would say Willow is and has always been trying to do what the Bible says.
Derek
Peter Hamm on Thu, April 17, 2008
Wonderful news, and GREAT refinements on this.
Derek, you hit it, I agree, they are now doing and have always done what the Bible tells them to.
Eric Joppa on Thu, April 17, 2008
Wow, CS,
I watch your posts every week, and while there are a few times that I don’t hear bitterness, I hear it enough not to be surprised when you say something as judgmental and pious as…
“When will they learn that the way they should do things is according to what God says they should do, and not through group consensus?”
I will admit that I have never liked “seeker sensitive” services. When they became a larger strategy of the church, I had just become a believer. I always felt that if I went to church, I expected spiritual stuff, I just didn’t want to hear about a God that was angry and wanted to kill me or change me. (eternally speaking of course)
The problem has been not sensitivity, but paranoia. Seeker sensitive services have been paranoid that anything resembling church or God will turn the unchurched off. I don’t think that is the case, and so I am glad to see them end the “seeker sensitive” services.
However…
CS, I have been in a number of churches that live “solo scriptura” (all information and knowledge we need is scripture alone) as you have suggested. These churches are in a state of stagnancy and atrophy. They loose more and more influence in the culture, while producing believers that care less and less for people who do not know Christ. I know that seems a harsh statement, and on the surface is a gross generalization, but let me explain what I mean.
The statement made about or to non-believers when presenting the gospel has everything to do with hell, and the damnation they are headed for and nothing of the love God has for them and the desire to share eternity in relationship with them.
I will not assume whether or not you are a part of a church like this or if you approach the un-churched in that way, but I will say this.
That you are so willing to assume that reaching so many people with the gospel as Willow Creek has is not what they should have been doing in the first place, IMHO, is troubling at the least. I suggest you ask what Jesus really values. I am sure you are aware that He died for the sins of the world. What I think you might be forgetting is that the church needs to be about that work.
Unfortunately, a lot of churches have made growing the higher priority. While I believe the growth of the saints is vital to the church, so is the addition of those who did not believe, and now do.
Don’t devalue such a fervent effort for the gospel. It may just be that Jesus is pleased by that kind of heart.
-E
Jan on Thu, April 17, 2008
Eric you said what I wanted to…
At least Willow WANTS to reach the non-believer.
How many churches have we served in where they talked and talked the good talk that was “Biblical” but never once shared their faith?
I’d much rather make mistakes and re-work and try new things, then sit on my hiney talking about so called Biblical evangelism and the Great Commission that I obviously don’t think is all that great since I don’t do it.
Then I sit back and criticize those that do go for it in a big way, and am the one who says “I told you so!” while still not reaching one person with the gospel.
I agree that Bill Hybels is a great leader and a man of God and the impact he’s had and the lost who have been reached is astounding. I personally know several who have come to Christ and are serving Him today because of Willow Creek’s ministry.
And C.S. it would be great if just once in awhile you could post something nice and positive.
CS on Thu, April 17, 2008
Everyone:
I’d like to address the comments concerning my “negativity” on this topic.
In hearing that Willow pretty much put to, “death of the seeker sensitive service format they pioneered years ago,” I was intrigued in hearing this. It sounded like they had turned a new leaf, in light of how they were going to take formerly seeker-sensitive services and pack them, “with worship music, scripture, and more challenging Bible teaching, led by Bill Hybels the majority of the weeks.” This was good stuff.
Previously, the model of Willow Creek, according to Time Magazine, was established by going door-to-door with the unsaved and asking them what they wanted in a church. This survey was what they used as a basis, and then, they delivered it. And it didn’t produce mature Christians. It produced people who liked the idea of church and got their feet wet in it, but who wouldn’t dive deeper. Many of these people were still unsaved; this was all admitted in the Reveal survey.
I always believed this model of church was wrong because (1) we have no evidence, command, or direction of churches having taken this position of church by survey in the Bible or in most of church history, and (2) the primary purpose of worship is not for evangelism to the unsaved. We are commanded to preach the Gospel (even those parts we don’t like hearing such as Hell) to reach the lost and make disciples. And worship, as discussed on other threads, is for the glorification of God, through communion and fellowship, the reading and teaching of God’s Word, and singing in praise, all by believers.
So, when I heard that they changed their format to match more of the latter than using their seeker-sensitive model, I was genuinely happy. But then I learned that this decision wasn’t to match how the Bible describes the gathering of the saints, but because a survey said they should do so. And, so, it appears, nothing has changed in that avenue.
I admit, I may have gone overboard with the whole “Canadian National Anthem” remark, but it’s not “negative” to say that something is wrong when it legitimately is. And, in this case, I fault them for letting surveys be their guides.
They have a great heart to reach the lost; let’s help them do it like the Apostles would have.
—
CS
Leonard on Thu, April 17, 2008
CS,
Just how did those apostles do it? When does the example of the church in 1st century Palestine become “how to” rather than “how did”? Your criticism assumes something wrong with these guys. How can you be sure the survey they did was not driven by the Holy Spirit?
Could you give some biblical citations at to how they have been wrong? I get frustrated because after hearing them speak, after reading reveal, after listening to Hybles, they do not say that it as wrong to get seekers. They said they were wrong about what made people mature. But the truth is CS that most churches are filled with people who are not mature. People who are growing but never maturing fill churches across this country. As a person who speaks across this country, I have seen this first hand. They are not losing sight of seekers, they are simply using a new strategy to reach them.
CS, I am personally grateful for Willow simply because prior to Willow, few churches we even asking “how do we reach and engage our culture with the gospel” rather they were simply chiding and scolding the people outside of Christ for rejecting God. The church is kind of famous for doing that. The church was not seeking to understand the language of the culture, it did not understand its thinking, it did not understand why people were leaving in mass and why we were becoming an unchurched culture. It simply said peoplpe were bad. Willow had the courage to say to people outside of the church; why did you leave or why don’t you come? What they found out was people had reasons beyond that were just bad people who didn’t like God.
Today, there are so many churches who still just don’t get it. They think they bear no fault for people being estranged from God. They think they bear no responsibility for people missing the kindness of God. In reality, the church is supposed to show the kindness. Yet over half the churches today lead no one to Christ each year. The average church leads 1 per 100 in attendance but has an attendance under 100. Here is my thought. Why don’t you turn your harshness to them? They aren’t biblical. They are not faithful to the great commission. Why trash talk Willow? I just don’t get it.
Peter Hamm on Thu, April 17, 2008
CS writes
[And it didn’t produce mature Christians.] I dispute that conclusion… You ever met some of these Willow people? WOW! Dedicated, loving, Christlike people… People who act like Jesus… pretty mature, imho…
Also [They said they were wrong about what made people mature.] Nope. Not what they said.
I think you ought to maybe spend some time reading the REVEAL book if you haven’t already. It doesn’t say what I think you think it says.
We also have no biblical evidence that that the early church used centuries-old melodies, in fact, we know that they indeed used new hymns, just-written ones, some of which became scripture.
We have no biblical evidence of expository preaching, really, either. We know Jesus preached topically, and he focused on behavior a LOT and how we should live. Paul seemed to preach topically, too, responsive to the “needs” of his hearers, even quoting pagan philosophers if that’s what it took…
We have no biblical evidence for a lot of what we do in church, except that we are supposed to make disciples and love our neighbor. Willow is good, imho, at both of those things. Seems biblical to me.
A mature Christian is not one who knows a lot of stuff, it is one who acts a lot like Jesus and loves his neighbor and makes disciples. He also said “follow me”, not “study me”.
CS on Thu, April 17, 2008
Leonard:
Good questions.
“Just how did those apostles do it?”
Looking through the Book of Acts, in light of this story, they went out into the people and shared the Gospel. They did not bring the lost into the fold of the church as a means of evangelism.
“Could you give some biblical citations at to how they have been wrong?”
I would cite that the primary ideology behind their philosophy is wrong—that people, by nature, seek after God (Romans 3). This cascades downwards.
“The average church leads 1 per 100 in attendance but has an attendance under 100. Here is my thought. Why don’t you turn your harshness to them? They aren’t biblical. They are not faithful to the great commission. Why trash talk Willow? I just don’t get it.”
I “trash talk” any church that is not reaching out to the lost. If a church is not following the Great Commission, they are not doing their jobs. I will speak out against the small Lutheran church in rural Iowa just as much as a megachurch in Pennsylvania, if they are not spreading the Gospel.
It just so happens that (1) this conversation is geared around Willow Creek, and (2) the influence that Willow Creek has on many more thousands of churches makes it necessary to speak out more.
—
Peter:
“[And it didn’t produce mature Christians.] I dispute that conclusion.”
Okay, it produced _some_ mature Christians. I’ll give you that. But the video from Reveal indicated that there were problems with those mature Christians so that they were leaving the churches.
“Also [They said they were wrong about what made people mature.] Nope. Not what they said.”
You’re quoting Leonard, not me. =)
—
CS
Leonard on Thu, April 17, 2008
CS you stated…Looking through the Book of Acts, in light of this story, they went out into the people and shared the Gospel. They did not bring the lost into the fold of the church as a means of evangelism.
That is simply a conclusion from silence CS. you have very few instances of people going out unless they were sent missionaries. What you have is people coming daily and being added to the church by God. We do not read of people going door to door, sitting in coffee shops, having people come to the local concert where the gospel will be explained after a concert. What we have is people finding God and becoming contagious. We have the church growing and in growing becoming known and contagious. since we do not have that many church services recorded for our study we cannot know if they brought in un-believers to hear peter or John tell again the story of Jesus.
Should we heal beggars outside the church, that is how they did it. Should we wait for a sheet to come down from heaven with a special message from God? That is how they did it. Should we wait till we are miraculously swept away in front of a guy reading his bible on a chariot? Should we find believers meeting at a river and tell them the gospel? I know lets go to a synagogue first like Paul did. How about let’s wait till fiery tongues fall and then we can go speak? Should we call down the judgment of God on people who lie and see how that makes the place shake?
The problem with your thinking here is that it is not biblical thinking but rather thinking about biblical stories. You are taking a description of what happened and making it a prescription for what should happen.
Willow was passionate about reaching people outside the walls of the church… sounds like the book of Acts to me. Willow was ready to speak the Gospel in their language… sounds like the book of Acts to me. Willow was committed to helping people discover the truth of the bible and find their gifts… Sounds like the book of Acts to me. Willow is keeping in step with changing culture and how people are changing… sounds like the book of Acts to me.
As for the primary ideology being wrong, people do seek to fill the void create by the absence of God. People are constantly seeking to cover their sin. People are seeking significance. People are seeking hope. To assume Willows philosophy is against Romans 3 again shows how little you know about Willow.
I know personally people who seek God, being drawn by the Holy Spirit. Why assume that drawing is outside of the understanding of Willow. Some of those people have been drawn in their living room and found their way to a church. Others are curious and in their curiosity they are drawn by the Holy Spirit. Some people have life changes and get drawn. These people seek God and that seeking is not contrary to Romans 3. You have to assume Willow works outside of the direction and power of the Holy Spirit to assume that the word seeker means something contrary to Romans 3. That my brother is not an assumption that their ministry, fruit and willingness to grow and adjust with time indicates.
Leonard on Thu, April 17, 2008
CS, if you are going to use Romans 3 like you do then you also have to say we all shed blood, we all are poisonous and so on and so on. I simply think you miss the point of romans 3.
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