The most influential church in America, Willow Creek, is learning a sustainable ministry requires more than a “Seeker-Sensitive” model. The next few weeks I’ll explore what Willow and other ministry thought leaders are discovering. It’s apparent three “Relevant Ministry Responses” are emerging as vital for sustainable ministry in this “Digital Age”. The three are:
1) Christ Centered Growth
2) Creating a Covenant Community (Versus Consumers)
3) Missional/Incarnational Ministry
The last post laid the groundwork for the first of the three, Christ-Centered Growth. In addition to those initial thoughts, it’s interesting to note the most mature Willow members (those who consider themselves Close to Christ or Christ Centered) and top contributing Willow members had become most unhappy. Now that’s scary! Those that give the most time and treasure, 25% of the twenty some thousand members, used words like stalled and dissatisfied to express their feelings about their spiritual walk at Willow as shown in the chart below! 
Willows founder Bill Hybels confesses:
We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.
Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn’t helping people that much. Other things that we didn’t put that much money into and didn’t put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for.
Those desires for a serious faith seem to align with the expressions from the 20-30 year old age group who shared in an earlier post here titled:
ADHD Christians
And…It seems this all ties together with another recent post suggesting an interest in a connection with God that is real and grounded :
This Generation Loves “Authentage” (Authentic + Vintage)
This post concludes with the thought: Authentage is in indeed. And if thats true – that at least some unchurched individuals are drawn to “realness with roots” – then we have a great opportunity, don’t we? Christianity has a lot of “realness’ and “roots” to offer – characters fundamental to the gospel, which is both true today and beautifully historic.
So, what do you think this “Stalled and Dissatisfied” observation, the 20-30 year olds interest to be taken serious, and this love for “Authentage” is telling us about how we should parent, minister to others, or lead a church?
[...] Ed Bahler wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThe first of the three, Christ Centered Discipleship, we explores in the last post. It’s interesting to note the most mature members (those who consider themselves Close to Christ or Christ Centered) and top contributing members at … [...]