I went to Willow Creek for 16-17 years.
Willow is huge into encouraging people to get into small groups and to grow. Small groups are to make a LARGE church, smaller.
You don't connect with 20,000 people. You connect with 3,4,8,12, whatever.
These are the people you go deeper with. The ones who hold you accountable.
Is everyone there a committed Christian? Not at all.
Willow uses "marketing" to draw people in. In the hopes of drawing "unchurched people" in. From there they hope to plant seeds in peoples lives. That they'll get involved somewhere, some how, with others, and grow deeper.
The truth is, Willow has a revolving door. The 20,000 who go there aren't necessarily the same 20k from 10 years ago.
Many people get their start at Willow, then desire a smaller church.
Me. I got distracted from the size and all the superfluous stuff. I didn't WANT to be impressed.
What plants a seed for one person, or waters, or harvest, doesn't necessarily do it for everyone or any one person.
There are LOTS of people at Willow, with deep relationships with Jesus, there. There are also LOTS of people who don't. Many because Christianity is new for them.
I now go to the church I grew up in. TOTALLY different than Willow. Though we are welcoming to people and have things going on for community exposure, we will never draw people like Willow does.
So, which church is right and which is wrong?
I think that could be the wrong question.
The right question is "is the Holy Spirit at work?"
Now here's the thing.
WE might not like this or that about a particular church. Maybe it's not our "style". Maybe we don't agree with A teaching.
BUT IF...the Holy Spirit is at work there, than we better be very careful with how we tread.
....”Willow uses “marketing” to draw people in. In the hopes of drawing “unchurched people” in.”......
Since when is the church FOR non-Christians???
We are called to go “Out” and preach the gospel. The church is for believers.
Even the term unchurched is chilling....for it’s thw owrk of God to draw people to Himself...not a marketing effort.
This is soo wrong it hurts to see this happening. And then people wonder why the churches become worldly minded....it’ inviting the world in rather than going out into it.