Willow Creek Community Church 2013: Cool Global Engagement Strategy

By Mary Fairchild  Willow Creek/Politics

Update: Summer Notes: Dave Dummitt Picks Up Bill Hybels’ Mantle at Willow Creek Community Church to Promote Peter Drucker’s “Next Society” (July 2022)

Bill Hybels preaching at Willow Creek Community Church; 5/5/13. (Flickr Pictures; Globalism Post.)

“The beauty, the power, and potential in the local church is head-popping to me.  There’s no other organization or institution like it on the planet.”  Bill Hybels

“This is the Great Commission. It still includes healing the sick, casting out demons, saving souls, multiplying churches and feeding the hungry, but it goes far beyond these activities.”  The job of the church is to bring God’s kingdom to earth and that goal includes the taking over political and social institutions.  C. Peter Wagner

This weekend Bill Hybels was expected to describe what he called his “super cool global engagement strategy” to the congregation.  He said the compassion and justice team wanted him to make it “blindingly clear” why his church carries out its global engagement strategy differently from almost every other church in the world.  Briefly home from travels, he announced his plans to travel to Burma, Vietnam, and India soon and that Nancy Ortberg would be preaching for Mother’s Day.

“There’s nothing like the local church when the church is working right.”  Bill Hybels

He shared that his childhood church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, did not help those in need but only preached spiritual things.  With much emotion in his voice, he described the moments when single mothers would come up to him at Willow “all slobbery” and repeatedly thank him for his church and the support they had received through the car and financial ministries in particular at Willow.  He proudly described how Willow’s ministries were “holistically” serving the community not just spiritually.

“Look at Acts 2:44-45, all of the believers were together and had everything in common, selling their possessions and goods they gave to any who was in need.”  Bill Hybels

Then he made his appeal to the congregation, “All of you afflicted with affluence, when it comes time to trade in for a new car if you don’t absolutely have to have the value of your car would you please consider giving that car to our church?”  During the giving portion of the service the big screens had pastors from all over the globe praying for the special offering that was being taken for their churches today and then there were some very talented and well-dressed singers from around the world singing their praises as well.

I have never heard Bill Hybels mention it, but I know that he is on C. Peter Wagner’s list of Apostolic Churches.  Is his “cool global strategy” part of the emerging church wineskins for the 21st. century described by Wagner?

Wagner writes, “Every time Jesus began building His Church in a new way throughout history, He provided new wineskins.” He references Matthew 9:17 and adds, “The growth of the Church through the ages is, in part, a story of new wineskins…. these new wineskins appear to be at least as radical as those of the Protestant Reformation almost 500 years ago.  ‘Apostolic’ connotes a strong focus on outreach plus a recognition of  present-day apostolic ministries.”

Vision Night, “Jesus used to say every now and then you have to change the wineskins.” Bill Hybels.

In the beginning, Wagner considered naming the new movement “postdenominationalism,” but many of the new apostolic churches were remaining within their denominations.  The churches, according to Wagner, that are to be effective will be giving up their declaration of independence.  They will be “interdenominational.”  This change is the “new apostolic reformation movement.”  It is not a reformation of faith, but a reformation of practice, he says, and he describes Willow Creek Association, an alliance spawned by Willow Creek, “as an example.”

(click image to enlarge)

Wagner believes that a “visionary apostolic leader” is needed to oversee a move of God. He and other proponents believe that the apostles and prophets will lead the body of Christ in establishing the Kingdom of God on earth.  In his book, “Apostles of the City: How to Mobilize Territorial Apostles for City Transformation,” Wagner describes the organization of the apostles. Translocal apostles are to be over the pastors who are over the people, being accountable to one another going up the hierarchy.

Wagner writes in his book his idea that the Holy Spirit is an apostlic Spirit and only an “aposotlic church” can fulfill the Great Commission (p.24).  He also claims that apostles are not only officers of the Church, but that they are executives that have the authority to execute commissions (p.32).

“When a local church really starts working right and if it were to link arms across an ocean, across a culture, across a socioeconomic chasm, with another church on the other side of the world through that linkage partnership of one ‘Acts 2 church’ with another ‘Acts 2 church,’ one from a large resourced country and one from an under-resourced country, I think that is a dynamic through which God does miracles.”  Bill Hybels

Bill read out loud, ” In Acts 2:47–the members of the early church devoted themselves to the apostles teaching… everyone was filled with awe and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles and all the believers were together and had everything in common…they sold property and possessions.” Then he shared that no other passage in Scripture has touched him as deeply about the beauty, power, and potential of the local church as in this text.

Bill called Acts 2 the “creedal text” upon which Willow Creek was founded.  It was the motivation of the original founders when Willow was just beginning in the Willow Creek movie theater in Palatine, Illinois.  They hoped to build a modern day church that would function like the very first church that exploded on the scene in Jerusalem in about 33 AD.  Bill said, “Our lives simply had been seized by the vision in the text….”

Wagner says the job of the church is to bring God’s kingdom to earth and that goal includes the taking over political and social institutions. The New Apostolic Reformation began roughly in 2001.  Churches who have embraced the Second Apostolic Age are part of the fastest growing segment of non-Catholic Christianity.  The International Coalition of Apostles (ICA) and its National Coalitions are expressions of the New Apostolic Reformation.

National Public Radio interviewed C. Peter Wagner in 2011.  This charismatic Christian movement seeks to take dominion over politics, business and culture in preparation for the end times.  The leaders are considered apostles and prophets, gifted by God for this role. NPR, 10/3/11

Seeds Bookstore:  Top left “Finding Your Spiritual Gifts” by C. Peter Wagner.

“Apostolic” connotes a strong focus on outreach plus a recognition of  present-day apostolic ministries.  “New” adds a contemporary spin to the name.  The New Apostolic Reformation is an extraordinary work of God at the close of the twentieth century that is, to a significant extent, changing the shape of Protestant Christianity around the world.

Women’s Ministries:  Sacred Journeys

Sybil Towner is a spiritual director for One Life Maps (picture: bottom shelf at Willow Creek Bookstore)and she volunteers at Willow Creek.  Both Gail Donahue and Joan Kelley, who were leading the recent women’s class “Sacred Journeys”(pictured) , are also involved with One Life Maps.

Ruth Haley Barton, who co-led spiritual formation with John Ortberg at Willow Creek, and has trained at Tilden Edwards’ Shalem Instititue, is “the founder” of The Transforming Center.

Sybil has completed four years of instructional experience in Spiritual Leadership with The Transforming Center in Wheaton and continues to serve as a spiritual director for their retreats. Note the “list of facilitators” on the sidebar of Sybil’s page at One Life Maps.

When Sybil was leading my women’s mentoring class briefly in 2003, she had a website called Hungry Souls with Karen Mains.  On the website Karen Mains describes her struggles and why she felt Protestants were ignorant.

She learned how to repeat a word over and over again until she heard a voice.  My original article on that year (Protestant No More).  See also, similar spirituality of Willow’s global leadership guests and relations: Globalism and Willow Creek Church.

Ruth Haley Barton, who co-led spiritual formation with John Ortberg at Willow Creek, and has trained at Tilden Edwards’ Shalem Institute, is “the founder” of The Transforming Center.  I purchased a Tilden Edwards book at the Seeds bookstore in 2003 because his name was referred to in the books used in the women’s classes.

Edwards describes in his book, “Spiritual Friend,” Paulist Press, 1980, pp. 210-212, “..a time of grouping together of the Catholics and Protestants.” He calls this grouping a reconstellated understanding of direction in which no one is thoroughly confident and that it is a humble sense of equality. He writes of a dimension of charisma that can only be attended as an unfolding process and how the program can provide launching, sensitizing, and securing platforms, yet they are only puny in comparison to the spirit’s movement in the person when the time has come. Future “spiritual friends” were to be selected mainly from those who have a B.A. or equivalent and express commitment to Truth through a particular major religious tradition and at the same time are open to learning from other traditions. In 1978 they had about 50 people apply for their first program. He was disappointed with having no black applicants. They chose a group of almost equal numbers of men and women and of Roman Catholics and Protestants, and a good mix of parish clergy, religious community members, chaplains, seminary faculty, advanced students, formation directors, and laity working in various church and community situations. He claimed it was unfortunate that they had no apprenticeship to a master because we still live in a masterless time and trainees at least need to be with someone who is their director, who can help them attend to the master of loving Truth within. He described the training as a mid-wife, attending the birth of deeper spiritual sight through cleansing, aligning, and resting.

Ruth’s book called Sacred Rythms encourages the monastic “rule for life” exercises and is on the resource list at the center. Both of the Ortbergs use the monastic terminology “rule of life” and “centering” in their teaching (click picture).Richard Foster’s book in the Seeds Bookstore at Willow Creek is recommended by Sybil Towner in the Women’s ministries and Foster gives Mindy a reference on her website.  Richard J. Foster’s Renovaré [to make new, spiritually] movement is a Quaker-spawned organization promoting techniques such as guided imagery, visualization, astral projection, Zen meditation, and Jungian psychology.

The New Age movement, as promoted by Richard Foster is the culmination of pantheist mysticism and cosmic evolutionism throughout history. It denies the biblical Christian faith and its sovereign, personal, transcendent God. Instead, it is monastic, seeing the world as all there is, and as equal to divinity (“God). It uses religious as well as non-religious language to “transform men’s consciousness” and put them “in touch with their Higher Selves.” It puts no difference between man and other creatures. It believes in the eternal existence of the world within a cyclical history, in reincarnation, and in guidance by “Spirits” or “forces.”

Mindy Caliguire is the founder of Soul Care, a spiritual formation ministry, and Director of Transformation Ministry for the Willow Creek Association.  She serves as a frequent speaker and leadership consultant, working with local churches and national organizations including Richard Foster’s Renovare and her own home congregation Willow Creek Community Church.

“Today the interior life of vast numbers is empty, parched, dry. And the reason? In our daily, desperate scramble of panting feverishness we have never so much as considered the health of our soul. This is why Mindy Caliguire’s Soul Care Resources are so valuable and so timely for the contemporary scene. They are practical, well-grounded, wise books that help us cultivate a life of robust soul-health. I recommend Soul Care Resources highly.” ~ Richard Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline.

Lynne Hybels shares her relationship with Mindy Caliguire at Willow Creek on her List of Speakers:  Mindy Caliguire ; www.soulcare.com; We met when Mindy was a new mom and my kids were nearly grown; our friendship thrived despite our different seasons in life. She uniquely combines a real-world practicality with an unwavering commitment to ancient spiritual practices.

Compassion & Justice Blog had a post that echoed Bills teaching on Sunday:  “When Jesus came to usher in the kingdom of God on earth, He turned the world’s value system upside down. To a culture obsessed with position and power, He modeled servanthood and love, lifting up the lowly and embracing those who were marginalized. In fact, in His very first public sermon, Jesus announced that He had come ‘to proclaim good news to the poor … to set the oppressed free’ (Luke 4:18).

(The Message Bible at Willow Creek.)

The English paraphrased text of the New Testament written by Eugene Peterson, The Message, uses mystical/occult terminology.  Peterson writes, “Discover ancient wisdom you can use in your life today.” “Ancient wisdom” is a term that refers to the esoteric wisdom, doctrines, and terminology taught by the ancient mystery religions. Mr. Peterson goes on to say that his version of “Proverbs makes these words of ancient wisdom accessible to modern generations…” (The Mystical Bible ; The Theosophical Society ).  

During the years 1919 to 1949 Alice Bailey and Djwhal Khul established a close telepathic contact. One of the results of their cooperation is the book series on Ageless Wisdom Teachings…

Fundamental Teachings of Ageless Wisdom:  Humanity is ‘ONE’

1. The Kingdom of God, the Spiritual Hierarchy of our planet, can and does materialise on earth.
2. There is a continuity of revelation down the ages in that God has revealed Himself from cycle to cycle to humanity.
3. The God Transcendent is equally the God Immanent. The “Sons of God” have to express the three basic divine aspects, namely knowledge, love and will.
4. There is only one divine Life, expressing itself through the multiplicity of forms in all the kingdoms of nature. Humanity is therefore ONE.
5. Within each human being is a point of light, a spark of the one Flame, the soul, the second aspect of divinity, which St. Paul referred to as “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.
6. An ultimate perfection (though relative in nature) is possible for the individual aspirant and for humanity as a whole through the action of the evolutionary process. This process is exemplified in the teachings in various ways, from the humblest atom up through the four recognized kingdoms of nature, on through the fifth kingdom, to those exalted spheres where the Lord of the World works out the divine Plan.
7. There are certain immutable laws governing the universe; man becomes progressively aware of these as he evolves. These laws are expressions of the will of God.
8. The basic law of our universe is to be seen in the manifestation of God as Love.
9. There are necessarily many subsidiary factors presented in the teachings like the Law of Rebirth or Reincarnation, the cyclic nature of all manifestation, the nature and aim of the evolutionary process, the existence of the Spiritual Hierarchy, the existence of the Masters and Their work, the nature of consciousness with its various stages culminating in the Path of Initiation etc. 

Universalists hold to contemplative spirituality and believe in a form of ecumenism which includes non Christian religions and all “faith groups.” Only if you omit the gospel of Scripture and adopt the view that all are saved this makes sense.  Contemplative Thomas Merton says one can work with the Christian traditions but view universalism as the broader truth:

“The contemplative has a unified vision and experience of the one truth shining out in all its various manifestations.  He does not set these partial views up in opposition to each other, but unites them in a dialectic or an insight of complementarity.”  The contemplatives believe the call to salvation is actually a call to a transformation of consciousness to be psychologically awakened to the unity and oneness of all creation.  They believe that all religions at their deepest mystical level use myth and symbol to say the same thing.”

On the back of the 2003 book “A Glimpse of Jesus: A Stranger to Self-Hatred,” by Brennan Manning, Bill Hybels comments, “I attempt to read everything Manning writes.”  Former Catholic priest/present Catholic mystic, Manning combines Eastern mysticism, psychology, the New Age movement, liberation theology, Catholicism, and Protestantism.   Manning regularly meditates and reports having many visions and encounters with God.

New Ageism uses various bodily techniques and behaviors to alter man’s consciousness. It is supremely optimistic about man’s next evolutionary leap towards one united, divinized mankind under a one-world government. New Ageism has no concept of sin in the biblical sense. It sees “good” and “evil” as relative or as the light and dark side of one and the same divinity/force/world. New Ageism agrees with Communism/atheism about bringing about a one-world government, and in its radical enmity against the God of the Bible and His people.

This holistic view of life views the planet as interconnected, with no life form having any greater standing than any other life form. Imperfect while we are still man, our next stage is said to take us to a level that is psychologically, spiritually, and physically superior where we will be a true “planetary citizen.”  The overall paradigm shift:

• • Patriarchal (Father God)—– Matriarchal (Mother Earth—Gaia)
  • Hierarchical Leadership—to “Decentralizied”–to Totalitarian in a Crisis
  • Accountability to God—-to Accountability to Fellow Man/Earth

“There is a burgeoning crisis in the world today. With increasing affluence there is not only a growing gap between rich and poor, but also a spreading poverty of spirit and loss of communal identity…. There are currently many possible spiritual paths available to citizens in the West. All too often, these paths overemphasize individual healing, empowerment, salvation, or enlightenment and do not show us how to create a sustainable community that invites participation by all its citizens.”                   Henri Nouwen

Henri Nouwen was recommended in the women’s ministries as well and you can find his books in the Willow Creek bookstore.  The Henri Nouwen Society shares Nouwen’s view of community:  “…it (community)represents a spirituality of relatedness that leaves nothing and no one out. It is distinctive because while it is grounded in humility and inclusive receptivity, it simultaneously invites each community member to claim his or her creativity and power in a wholeness shaped by the power of the Spirit…

Can everyone be converted and disciple through modern organizational management techniques so they can affect the change in the community and the world?  The mission of Bob Buford’s Leadership Network was to “accelerate the emergence of the 21st century church.”  The paradigm of this church was not centered in theology, but it’s focus is on structure, organization, and the transition from an institutionally based church to a mission-driven church.  Even Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund has been a contributor to Buford’s Leadership Network.  See: Manipulating the Church

The European idea of social justice was a failure.  Socialism has proven to be a failure in that it unjustly suppresses human creativity by excessively taxing away its rewards, and by foolishly giving economic reward to many who, even though mentally and physically able, fail to honor their Divine privilege and duty to work creatively.

Long ago when the Communist Manifesto announced a proletarian revolution which would empower the poor by redistributing wealth all but the leaders became equally poor and all of the children were indoctrinated with an anti-Christian socialist philosophy.

In 2011, the mega-church model has begun to show signs of decay. Tim Suttle reported in the Huffington Post that financial troubles forced Rick Warren to send a desperate plea for money to his Saddleback congregation, a Kansas City mega-church just lost their 20 million dollar campus to the bank and one of the country’s first mega-churches, the Crystal Cathedral, filed for bankruptcy, and these stories are becoming more and more common.

References/Related

Willow Creek/Politics

1. 1. Mfairlady Willow Creek/Politics Posts
   2. Mary Fairchild, Protestant No More:  Willow Creek is Infiltrated by a Mystic Quaker Movement Called Renovare; 2003
   3. Willow Creek:  Vision Night
   4. Bill Hybel’s Willow Creek Community Church:  The Volunteer Revolution; 2005
   5. Human Potential Movement
   6. Charisma :Why You Must Take Dominion Over Everything 12/5/12
   7. Bill Hybels, 5/4/13, Celebration of Hope: What Can We Do Together?” (CDM1318)
   8. The Theosophical Society (mediumistic; occult)
   9. Dave Hunt, “Occult Invasion,” Harvest House Publishers, 1998; Berean Call
   10. Al Dager, Education Reform, Media Spotlight.org
   11. Merton, “Contemplation in a World of Action.” pp. 207-208; 1965.
   12. Tim Suttle, “The Failure of the Mega Church; 9/13/11, Huffington Post.
   13. Globalism and Willow Creek Community Church