Manya Brachear of The Chicago Tribune has written a story that should be read by everyone who thinks about church growth, whether in numerical or spiritual terms.
For more than three decades, Willow Creek Community Church has defined its success by tallying the throngs who walk through its doors.
But a survey recently revealed something the South Barrington mega-church hadn’t realized: Some of its members had become unsatisfied, saying they felt abandoned on their spiritual journeys.
The research yielding this uncomfortable revelation came from the business world. Using a model originally designed to find what emotionally drives consumers to buy perfume, running shoes and insurance, each of Willow’s members was placed on a spectrum of belief, ranging from curious about Christ to seeing Christ at the center of their lives.
Read it all.
Brachear keeps a SAS (short and simple) blog, as well.