A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE CHURCH GROWTH MOVEMENT
IS YOUR CHURCH UP A CREEK?
WHAT "CREEK" IS THAT?
The "CREEK" we are referring to is the Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago, Illinois: one of the largest Protestant "mega-churches" in America. As of 2003, Willow Creek Community Church, pastored by Bill Hybels, has more than 6,800 participating members and has a weekend attendance of over 17,500 people. As evidence of their continued growth, Willow Creek is scheduled to finish a brand new auditorium in 2004 that will seat 7,200 people!
As a proponent and leader in the Church Growth Movement, Willow Creek formed the Willow Creek Association in 1992 in order to spread the Willow Creek "seeker-sensitive" and "market-driven" church philosophy to other churches of various denominations across the U.S. and the world. As of 2003, the WCA has over 7,200 member churches with a current growth rate of 5 new churches added daily. Obviously, the Willow Creek philosophy is having a tremendous influence on Christianity today.
So when we ask you if your church is "up a creek", we are concerned about the sway that the Willow Creek philosophy may be having on your local congregation.
Even if a church is not a member of the WCA, there are many churches today that have begun emulating the basic Willow Creek philosophy in their ministries. Another CGM church, Saddleback Church, pastored by Rick Warren, has also marketed similar strategies with their "Purpose-Driven" church model. Therefore, any Christian church that has tailored their ministry on a "seeker-sensitive" model like Willow Creek or other CGM mega-churches (i.e. Rick Warren's Saddleback Church or Robert Schuller's church), then those churches are said to be "up a Creek", so to speak. Or as Paul Proctor, a Christian commentator, calls them: Creekers.
Yes, the phraseology is somewhat derogatory, but with good reason.
As you will see (hopefully), the Church Growth Movement influence of the Willow Creek Association is a dangerous trend in the Church today. As Paul Proctor (and others like myself) have discovered firsthand, CGM influences are transforming thousands of established churches around the country into "sensory driven 'seeker churches'... under the guidance and direction of (the WCA), all with the same tolerance, diversity and unity theme, liberal worship format, scripturally shallow teaching, heavy on the comfort and light on the conscience, equipped with huge multi-media projection screens, large sound systems, exotic music, no choir, female ministers, feelings-motivated skits, dance interpretations and heavily burdened with millions of dollars of debt from building state-of-the-art entertainment venues they call 'worship centers'."
So whether you are actively part of a local church already built upon the Willow Creek model or are seeing your church being subtly transformed into a "Creeker" church, please take the time to look through the biblical analysis and the hard facts on this subject, and decide for yourself if the evidence shows that your church, indeed, is up a creek.
LOOK FOR THESE WARNING SIGNSIs your local church a member of the WCA? Do your church leaders use or promote Willow Creek, Saddleback, or other CGM church materials or philosophies in your church groups or from the pulpit? Does your church ask you to sign a covenant when you join or to become involved in various ministries within the church? Is entertaining the congregation with skits, video clips, or a church band being emphasized more in the worship service than the congregation praising God themselves? Is Bible exposition and emphasis on doctrine replaced with "felt needs" and "feel good" themes in all the sermons to appeal to unbelievers? Have you been given a "spiritual gifts" test to find out which specific ministry group you've been "gifted" to join? Is your church marketing to unbelievers by emphasizing their "needs" during the worship services instead of focusing on the worship of God?
