« The Gospel | Main | The Golden Compass: An Honest Critique? »
January 06, 2008
The Failure of Seeker Friendly Churches
Topics: Christian FolliesIt's hard to objectify spiritual growth but a new study of Illinois based Willow Creek attempted to do just that. The conclusion is that activities and love for God do not necessarily correlate:
The findings, based on research at Willow Creek and similar churches, showed that involvement in church activities did not carry with it a boost in spiritual growth, defined as "increasing love for God and others."The question is whether or not seeker friendly churches will attempt to solve the crisis with new programs or seek their answers in Scripture. The response reported seems a bit contradictory and shallow:The findings were not only enlightening for Willow Creek and it's 20,000 weekend worshipers, but also for the more than 12,000 churches in the Willow Creek Association that look to the church for guidance on meeting the needs of spiritual "seekers."
"They (church activities) don't seem to be lifting them up the spiritual ladder to a new level," said Cally Parkinson, who helped manage the evangelical church's research effort.
"It is causing me to ask new questions," Hybels acknowledged in the foreword to "Reveal," the 110-page book that detailed the research results. "It is causing me to see clearly that the church and its myriad of programs have taken on too much of the responsibility for people's spiritual growth."What questions should these churches be asking and where should they seek their answers? The situation is not easy but the solutions are available.[snip]
Willow Creek is now building an online "next-step tool" that will direct people to books, videos and other activities based on answers to questions about their spiritual path.
Tags:
Posted by calvin at January 6, 2008 10:42 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.contemplative.us/mt/mt-tb.cgi/6146
