Where Do We Go From Here?
Introduction
I care about Willow Creek Community Church (WCCC). I spent almost forty years of my life involved with this local body of believers. Thirty-five years ago, I met my wife at Willow; we were married by her youth pastor. My wife was a member of the church before me, and over the years, we have sought to use the gifts God gave us to serve the Willow community. When our three boys were infants or toddlers, my wife and I dedicated ourselves to bring them up in the knowledge of the Lord, with the help of the church; subsequently, two of our boys were baptized at Willow. God miraculously met me as I sat on the west-side balcony a couple of decades ago (Our Identity in Christ Part 2 My Identity Crisis).
Before meeting my wife, I met my two best friends at Willow, and in the past four decades, I don’t think a week has gone by where we haven’t talked or spent time together. We have been through a lot together, and these brothers have been the definition of church to me, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17, NIV).”
I love the Church of Jesus Christ, and I hope and pray for Willow Creek.
I have written two series that attempt to show the truth and give insight into the root problems at WCCC. My thoughts have been critical because the situation is critical. The views in this blog are based on my experience, research, and opinion. You may agree or disagree with what I’ve written, or maybe you aren’t concerned one way or the other. In any case, I hope and pray the articles spur you to look at what was revealed about the church over the past two years. Some of the problems have not been resolved, and we should seek the Lord for what still needs to be addressed. This is my twelfth post over the past two months. My original plan for this article was to summarize my thoughts; instead, I felt prompted to ask some questions.
Questions for WCCC
The questions below include some that I have already asked in this blog, I hope you will take some time to ponder them and to seek answers. Each item has additional questions or information to clarify the main thought; you may think of others to add:
Have the leaders reconciled with the people hurt by the church?
It has been six months since the Elders mentioned reconciliation in an update (Elder Update: Servant Leadership, October 24, 2019).
Where are the Elders in the process?
What does the Bible say about how we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ?
Have you read The Book of Forgiving, which the Elders said they are using as a guide?
How do the Elder’s actions align with this book?
Have the Elders followed the process of the book?
What have the leaders of Willow learned over the past two years?
The Elders and Senior Pastor have stated several times they desired to learn from the events of the crises at the church (Have the Elders kept their Promises? Part 3 Learning from the Past).
Have they told you what they have learned?
Have they told you their efforts and outcomes regarding the root cause of the crises?
Have they assured you how they will mitigate the root cause in the future?
Have the Elders discussed the spiritual nature of the crisis?
This could go under the previous question about what the leaders have learned, but it is so important that it deserves separate consideration.
Have the Elders, Pastors, and Teachers helped you understand the spiritual nature of the crises?
How do the identified spiritual issues impact the church?
What changes should they consider as the church moves forward?
Have the Elders completed the recommendations of the IAG and Governance Review?
The Elders promised to complete all the recommendations and keep the congregation informed of their progress (Have the Elders kept their Promises? Part 1 IAG and Governance).
Have you read the IAG and Governance Reports?
Do you know the status of each of the recommendations?
Have the Elders explained if they have decided not to complete the recommendations?
Are you experiencing the abundant life that Christ procured for you through His life, death and, resurrection?
Do you know that there was a real change in you when you were born again?
Has the teaching of the church given you an understanding of your identity in Christ?
Do you know what it means to be a new creation?
Do you know the effects of being one spirit with God?
Do you know how being a new creation affects your life in the church and the world?
Why this Information is Important
To care for the church, we should all question whether we, the body of Christ, have done everything needed to resolve the crises that were brought to light in 2018. Please remember the effects to the church were not caused by one person or even a couple of people. The problems were the result of years of mismanagement within the church.
These questions are also important because when leaders make promises, they must keep them or explain why they changed their minds and plans. I believe these are questions the leaders of the church should be asking and answering.
As the church, it is paramount that we show the world the love of Christ by how we love each other, i.e., our brothers and sisters in Christ. To show Christ’s love, we must understand who we are in Him, and the extent to which our love is an outcome of His love for us.
Recommendations for Action
Please review and ponder the questions listed above. If your answers are “no,” or you are unsure, I suggest you reach out to the Elders or other leaders to help you. Please ask the Lord if there is anything else He would want you to do or ask.
Perhaps you have other questions or comments about your identity in Christ or about the crises at the church. I would be happy to hear them if you would like to reach out to me on my Contact Page. Maybe you agree or disagree with what I have written; I would be willing to dialogue about that also. Anything you send will be considered confidential. I only share questions and comments with permission or anonymously. I continue to pray for Willow Creek Community Church.