Posted on 04/11/2008 2:32:16 PM PDT by Between the Lines
Today, Greg Hawkins, executive pastor at Willow, recapped the study and then shared some changes that the church is now making in response to the research. He said they’re making the biggest changes to the church in over 30 years. For three decades Willow has been focused on making the church appealing to seekers. But the research shows that it’s the mature believers that drive everything in the church—including evangelism.
Hawkins says, “We used to think you can’t upset a seeker. But while focusing on that we’ve really upset the Christ-centered people.” He spoke about the high levels of dissatisfaction mature believer have with churches. Drawing from the 200 churches and the 57,000 people that have taken the survey, he said that most people are leaving the church because they’re not being challenged enough.
Because it’s the mature Christians who drive evangelism in the church Hawkins says, “Our strategy to reach seekers is now about focusing on the mature believers. This is a huge shift for Willow.”
One major implementation of this shift will occur in June when Willow ends their mid-week worship services that had been geared toward believers. Instead the church will morph these mid-week events into classes for people at different stages of growth. There will be theological and bible classes full of “hard-hitting stuff.” Hawkins said most people are very enthusiastic about the change.
On the seeker end of the spectrum, Willow is also changing how they produce their weekend services. For years the value people appreciated most about the seeker-oriented weekend services was anonymity. This is what all their research showed. People didn’t want to be identified, approached, confronted, or asked to do anything. But those days are over.
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(Excerpt) Read more at blog.christianitytoday.com ...
I wonder how many mature believers they lost over the last 30 years while they were focusing on seekers.
“based on [market] research”
Willow Creek has at least three major problems:
1) their message of the gospel - Christianity without the cross, pandering to unsaved, depraved man’s selfish urges.
2) their motives - numbers for numbers sake- totally unbiblical
3) their methods- pragmatism - a “whatever works” approach abandoning the historic Biblical faith.
For anyone interested in the root problems of the seeker friendly movement or those believers who attend one of these churches and desire real spiritual growth I suggest reading “Ashamed of the Gospel” and “Hard to Believe,” both by John MacArthur.
what, exactly, is an "executive pastor?" And what has it got to do with church?
John MacArthur disapproves of everyone besides John MacArthur, doesn't he?
I don’t agree with MacArthur on everything- but he does nail this.
To market oneself in selling the gospel, “I am just going to hang out with white, upper-middle class people” to share my faith is a disgrace.
Let’s just sipp our cafe latte in the pews and “get blessed.”
Their whole approach is so carnal, so worldly.
Did’t Jesus Christ say [13] Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
[14] Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Bonhoeffer called it “Cheap Grace.” It was predicted by his mentor Richard Niebuhr as a characteristic of emerging 20th century American protestantism.
I attended Willow Creek a number of times (as a visitor) back in the late eighties. Even then it was a HUGE church where they had traffic directors with radios on the roof, large TV screens in the church, etc. It seemed like too much was focused on the personality of the pastor. It definitely catered to affluent young singles and families. Willow Creek was a leader in modern day “cheap grace” messages and its services were filled with pop psychology, “hip” music, drama skits, even interpretive dance. (LOL!)
Looking back now as a (JOYFULLY!) converted Catholic, I know why churches like that left me feeling empty and alone.
Sounds good. Will be interesting to see how they follow through.
In a corporate structure, it would be the Chief Operating Officer (COO), with the Senior Pastor serving as the Chairman of the Board and CEO. The EP is generally going to be responsible for staff and facilities, with Facilities, HR, Comptroller, etc, answering to him.
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