Anyone here from a Willow Creek-style church?

phydaux

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Is anyone here from a Willow Creek-style church?

I'm from a Calvary Chapel background, but there is a Willow Creek-style church opening in my town and I'm kinda getting involved on the ground floor. The church campus is opening in March, but local home fellowships are kicking off in January.

I'm still in the feeling out process, as I'm still trying to find my place in this new body. I'd love to chat with someone who is currently involved in a Willow Creek-style church.
 

1watchman

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I am not involved in such, but let me suggest you seek a scriptural-only style church fellowship. Does this one at Willow Creek meet the criteria for what God gives in His Word?

It sounds like you are looking around to find something new, phydaux, but I believe that something old is what we need. That which God gave in His Word, apart from all the innovations of men we see developing every year, is what honors and pleases our God ---don't you think? Let us be sure we know God's order and ways and not sectarianism.
 
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Guru03

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I listen to Willow Creek style church podcasts and would attend Willow Creek style churches if I could. I began a personal relationship with God after listening to WC style churches. Feel free to PM me or chat me, as I would be happy to help you in any way that I could.
 
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phydaux

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Willow Creek Community Church was founded with a mission to reach the unchurched for Jesus. "Unchurched Harry" is the target for their marketing campaign... er, I mean, um, OUTREACH campaign.

Unchurched Harry is an American between 30 and 40 years old. He is married and has kids. He and his wife, Unchurched Marry, both work. He watches prime time TV, he goes to movies, he listens to popular music, and he is active on the internet & social media. He may or may not have a college degree.

He and his wife do not go to church, may have never gone to church in their lives, and currently view the bible, the church, and traditional church music as utterly irrelevant to their lives.

But this is key - Unchurched Harry would probably go to a weekend church experience if a close personal friend invited them.

So Willow Creek-style churches engineer their weekend experiences to be welcoming & relevant to the unchurched, and present Jesus to them where they are at. This means no christian lingo, no 300 year-old songs.

This also empowers new Christians to assist in the work of evangelism, because all they have to do is invite their friends & family members to come to church.
 
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phydaux

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Anyway, since every weekend experience is geared to the unchurched, the messages tend to be a mile wide and an inch deep. All well and good for non or new Christians, but no solid food for more mature believers.

Willow Creek-style churches have an answer for that, too. They run networks of cell groups for fellowship, prayer, bible study, accountability, and discipleship.
 
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