Blogging Ottinger (tim)Willow Creek says Oops
If you’re involved in a church in the past few decades, you have been touched by Willow Creek Community Church in one way or another. They have been the church growth experts, and churches seeking growth have been following this large and influential thought leader. There is a new development in the Willow Creek story. Apparently, their growth plan worked very well, but with unintended consequences.
I have never been to Willow Creek. I hear it’s quite nice, and certainly a mega-mega-church. They managed to grow not only a very large congregation for the Chicago church, but also a very large reputation as experts in how to “do church” in current times. WCCC has been a mecca for pastors who want to reach out to a population, a generation, a community and do good for their communities. Sadly, there is a foundation problem with the approach.
I don’t want to kick Willow Creek for having succeeded in ways they really didn’t plan to succeed. I want to applaud their leaders for a truly significant and heart-rending act of leadership: they publically stated that their plan was not working for them. Tell me that didn’t take grace and heart. I might suggest the term “heroic.” Given influence and reputation, they could have tried to keep it quiet. Instead, they lay it out where you can see it. That’s guts.
An act of humility and leadership deserves grace and forgiveness and perhaps some hearty applause. In this one public statement WCCC has moved into a realm we call “the dying church” (in a positive way, read the site to get the jist of it).
Good on you, gentlemen and ladies.
God bless.
