Willow Creek Community Church

    I. Group Profile

    1. Name: Willow Creek Community Church

    2. Founder: Bill Hybels

    3. Date of Birth: 1952

    4. Birth Place: Kalamazoo, Michigan

    5. Year Founded: 1975, South Barrington, Illinois

    6. Brief History: Hybels established the Willow Creek Community Church in an attempt to provide a "comfortable place" for the unchurched to learn about Christianity. The weekend services at the church are not worship services, but hour-long presentations and artistic interpretations of the Gospel. Using professional sound and stage equipment, contemporary music, drama, and video is used to interest visitors in Christianity. The half-hour long sermon, often emphasizing how faith is useful in everyday life, is structured around current events and themes that dominate the typical suburbanites' lifestyle. Rather than criticizing newcomers, Willow Creek attempts to woo them with such secular draws as relationship advice, recreational facilities, and a non-religious auditorium. Other aspects of the ministry include a midweek worship service, thousands of small group studies arranged according to demographics, and evangelical training courses.

    7. Sacred or Revered Texts: The Bible. Currently they use the New International Version.

    8. Size of Group: With just over 2,000 registered members, and 15,000 visitors every weekend, Willow Creek is the second largest church in America (just after Houston's Second Baptist Church). The church has also developed the Willow Creek Association, a network of 1,400 churches, in America and abroad, with whom it shares its Seeker friendly methods.

    II. Issues and Controversy

      The Church has been criticized by evangelical preachers and theologians because they are perceived to offer only "lite" Christianity, without strict demands for this-worldly behavioral codes, and for an absence of other-worldly guidance. Critics argue further that the modern marketing techniques of Willow Creek are not neutral purveyors of the Gospel. These techniques, it is argued, "water down" the true Gospel. Willow Creeks' lack of strong moral accountability and in-depth Biblical exploration, thus, is a distorted representation of the rigors of the Christian life.

      Willow Creek is also criticized for targeting only one population--upper middle class baby boomers. Hybels has been quoted as stating that evangelicals should attempt to evangelize "people who you would like to spend a weekend with." Other critics state that their focus is too inward and does not address larger social problems. The church has active volunteer programs that engage in a wide array of activities including distribution of food and support of overseas missions. They also have a network to members who volunteer their time to repair automobiles. Still, the image of Willow Creek Community Church is one of a country club environment for persons who are generally well-educated and financially comfortable.

    III. Beliefs of the Group

      The easy going style of Willow Creek, consciously structured to make the unchurched feel comfortable, might suggest that this is a liberal Protestant group. In fact, their biblical teaching that are substantially Evangelical. The church supports general Evangelical Christian beliefs, especially the Biblical teachings including the importance of acknowledging the sinful character of humankind. They believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God without error. Still, the style of presentation to "seekers" is not heavy on specific theological dogma. And, they diverge from more traditional established Christian churches because they do not belong to any denomination, and they use "seeker-services" instead of traditional worship to convey the Word.

    IV. Links to Willow Creek Community Church Web Sites

      Willow Creek Community Church Home Page
      Official Home page of the church. It has a QuickTime video tour of the church, downloadable contemporary music, and registration for its conventions. Back issues of Willow Creek newsletters are available, along with lists and order forms of all Willow Creek sermons, video clips, and dramatic sketches. Willow Creek's philosophy and beliefs are exhibited, along with answers to frequently asked questions.
      http://www.willowcreek.org

      Christianity Today Magazine
      Christianity Today magazine has written many articles about Willow Creek Church and many are archieved on-line. We list here the titles of several articles, but advise readers to search "Willow Creek" from the CT homepage for more recent publications. Also, check for additional links at the bottom of each articles.

        Michael S. Hamilton. 2000.
        "Willow Creek's Place in History." November 13.
        Lauren F. Winner. 2000.
        "The Man Behind the Megachurch." November 13.
        Verla Gillmor. 2000.
        "Community Is Their Middle Name" November 13.
        Eric Reed. 2000.
        "Willow Creek Church Readies for Megagrowth" April 24.
        Corrie Cutrer.2000.
        " Repentance or Propaganda? At Willow Creek conference, President Clinton reviews his moral failures, details his spiritual recovery." August 8.
        Transcript of Clinton remarks .

      Willow Creek: Conversion Without Commitment
      Laura Kaczorowski's Senior Honor's Thesis at the University provides important insights into the dynamics of the Willow Creek Church. She breaks new ground in the long debate over factors what contribute to growth and commitment of religious movements. This study received the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Paper Award in Sociology for 1997.
      http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/superch.html

      Learning from Willow Creek Church
      An article on this site by Anthony B. Robinson which appeared in Christian Century (01/23/91). http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/articles/willow_learn.html

    V. Bibliography

      Hybels, Bill, and Lynne Hybels. 1995.
      Rediscovering Church: The Story and Vision of Willow Creek Community Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
        "Commonly Asked Questions About Willow Creek Community Church." Excerpt from book in: The Atlantic Monthly.

      Pritchard, Gregory A. 1995.
      Willow Creek Seeker Services: A New Way of Doing Church. Chicago, Illinois: Baker Books.

      Sargent, Kimon H. 2000.
      Seeker Churches: Promoting Traditional Religion in a Nontraditional Way. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

      Sargeant, Kimone H. 1996.
      Faith and Fulfillment. University of Virginia, Department of Sociology. PhD Dissertation.

      Trueheart, Charles. 1996.
      "Welcome to the Next Church." The Atlantic Monthly. (August). 37-58.

    Created by Laura Kaczorowski
    In conjunction with her Honors Thesis
    Spring Term, 1997
    University of Virginia
    Last modified: 09/05/01