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Restoring the Church.

Former Willow Creek Campus Pastor Starting New Church Amid Controversy

By J.C. Derrick
Amy Mikal
Former Willow Creek North Shore Pastor Amy Mikal announces her resignation on September 27, 2020. (Video Screengrab)

A popular, former Willow Creek Community Church campus pastor is starting a new church, two months after resigning amid a controversial restructuring plan. 

Amy Mikal, former pastor of Willow Creek North Shore, sent out an email Tuesday morning announcing formation of A Restoration Church, which will aim to serve the same North Shore and Chicagoland area.

“Many of us have felt God calling us toward something new,” Mikal wrote in the email to hundreds of former North Shore congregants. “A church community shaped and built by God through the voices and gifts of people. People centered around the calling of Jesus, marked by sacrificial love and radical hospitality, living lives full of worship and surrendered in prayer.”

The church will begin meeting remotely on Dec. 18, the first of four “devotional experiences” leading up to Christmas.

“In January, you’re invited into a process of prayer, worship, conversation, scripture, and reflection as we support each other, dream together, and explore what kind of church community God is inviting us to build,” the church website says.

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In her email, Mikal said the January meetings are open to everyone. They will include a Bible study Mikal will co-lead with Brenden Lang, one of several former North Shore staffers helping launch the church.[pullquote]“Many of us have felt God calling us toward something new . . . A church community shaped and built by God through the voices and gifts of people.”[/pullquote]

Mikal’s announcement comes on the heels of a second campus pastor resignation. Last Sunday, Willow Creek South Lake pastor Gina Cherian told the church she would step down in January.

“With the support, prayers, and wisdom of my family, God has made it clear that it’s time for me to step out of this role,” Cherian said in an emotional farewell. She said the central church leadership did not ask her to step down: “The decision was mine.”

The ongoing tumult at Willow Creek comes more than two years after its founding pastor, Bill Hybels, resigned—along with the entire elder board—amid numerous allegations of sexual harassment and abuse. That led to lower attendance and giving, which the church says has accelerated this year during the pandemic.

In April, the new elder board voted in Dave Dummit as senior pastor after a national search. He has sought to streamline and centralize operations, including cutting 92 staff positions across Willow Creek’s eight campuses in early October. Thirteen were at the North Shore campus.

Another 14 staffers at North Shore chose to take a buyout option, leaving only five of the 32 people who served North Shore up until September.

Willow Creek quickly named a new lead pastor at North Shore, but its online attendance has plummeted as the original staff departed and other changes took place. On Nov. 1, Willow Creek switched North Shore’s worship from its own campus team to a stream from the main campus worship. That service had almost 1,500 views on YouTube—roughly the same as the prior week. The Dec. 6 service has just over 300 YouTube views.

The North Shore campus grew eight-fold in its first 14 years—from about 250 to 2,000—while worshiping in temporary space. In late 2016 it opened a huge, state-of-the art building that is owned by the central Willow Creek organization.  

Longtime North Shore member Cliff Nelson said the campus had been a bright spot in an otherwise dismal time for the eight-campus Willow Creek community. He said Hybels’ problems developed as he began acting more as a CEO than a pastor—an approach he believes is to blame now.

“It’s the same thing being repeated all over again,” Nelson said. “The elders of Willow have no authority over the senior pastor.”[pullquote]“It’s the same thing being repeated all over again . . . The elders of Willow have no authority over the senior pastor.”[/pullquote]

Amid the backlash over the reorganization plan, on Oct. 6-7 Dummit and Executive Pastor Tim Stevens held two tense Q&A sessions with North Shore congregants, who turned out en masse. Members pressed Dummit on the lack of communication and asked if the campus could separate from Willow Creek.

“I felt called to be a church planter, not a church splitter,” Dummit responded. “I just (don’t) think God would bless it.”

Now, it appears a split has happened anyway. Nelson said he expects A Restoration Church will likely attract at least 1,000 of North Shore’s pre-pandemic 2,800 parishioners.

J.C. DerrickJ.C. Derrick is a journalist and former managing editor at WORLD Magazine.

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33 Responses

  1. God will not be made a mockery of by this new central Willow leadership! I find it funny how the truth and people’s will always wins out in the end. God bless Amy Mikal and the NS team – I cannot wait to help the team launch this new church.

  2. The Bible is CLEAR (Isn’t it?). Women are not called to be Elders in or of the church. God cannot and will not bless Restoration church or any other church for blatantly violating The clear teaching of His word.

  3. I need a job. I don’t want to move. I am hurt and angry at my former church leadership. I don’t want to be an Uber driver. So I will start a church as a vanity project near my old church and say its God’s fault– lets meet to have a conversation about what this new church, built by God (not like the last one), will be like, dreaming together. I suspect it will be a lot like me though– just say-in. In the meantime, I promise to give you 4 devotional experiences whatever that is, just in time for Christmas! Oh, and speaking of Christmas what a great time to give! I need your money because I need a job. And I’ll need a ton more money because we need a ton of staff, spaces, and tech stuff. Dream Big! I will be a nightmare for that former church and all the little churches who are not doing church right in the North Shore area, or they would be big, like I will be again. God is shaping this all so you don’t want to be fighting against God!

    1. I got news for ya, Kevin. The vision of this church was started long before the central leadership team at Willow came in and cleared house. The NS congregation loves Amy, so naturally, we’re excited that she’s starting a new church.

  4. Pride cometh before ( and even after) the fall. Humility before God and man up escapes them all. Repent and close up shop.

  5. If the congregants want to attend “A Restoration Church,” even though Mr. Dummit “feels called” to have them attending Willow Creek, best wishes to them. It’s a funny thing about the United States: people can pretty much attend (or not) whatever church they like.

  6. What most of you are missing is that the NS congregants have felt totally disrespected, disregarded and demoralized with having their church totally rearranged by someone who could not be bothered to even make a pretense of soliciting their input. I do not attend NS myself but a close friend of mine does and he used those words to report that the vast majority of NS attenders are very upset about this reorganization.

    Dummit has made a massive strategic mistake in forcing radical change on a population that has already suffered a lot of upheaval these past 2 – 3 years. He will probably be gone by this time next year.

    1. but that’s okay for grossly sexist Dummitt, as he inevitably has a massive parachute clause in his contract (just like his unrepentant sexual predator predecessor at Willow had). He can just go back to Michigan where he can spend each Easter instructing women on how to dress in the privacy of their own homes so that he is able to feel comfortable.

  7. Interesting the writer of this article doesn’t mention that in God’s church, God established the rules who can be a pastor, and it is not a woman.

    1. UWE

      If it is biblical for Male Disciples to pastor a church?
      And take for themselves the “Title” pastor?
      How come there are NO Males?
      With the “Title” pastor?
      Pastoring a church?
      In the Bible?

    2. UWE
      You write…
      “God established the rules who can be a pastor,”

      Was wondering…

      In the Bible…
      What are these “Rules” for, “who can be a pastor?”
      Where are these “Rules” for, “who can be a pastor?”

    3. UWE

      Now, I did find some “Rules,” Qualifications, for elders, who desired to be overseers. Seems Paul, and most likely Jesus, gave some tough Qualifications, in 1 Tim 3:1-7, and Titus 1:5-8, to Timothy, and Titus, when they were ordaining elders who desired to be overseers, bishops.

      And, Those be some 17+, very tough “Qualifications.” Yes? ;-)

      Here’s just three Qualifications in Titus…
      That many congregations, pastors, overseers…
      “Ignore,” or “Twist.”

      1 – Must Be *BLAMELESS.*
      2 – *JUST,* 3 – *HOLY,*

      Titus 1:5-8 KJV
      …ordain elders in every city…
      If any be *BLAMELESS,*
      the husband of one wife,
      having faithful children
      NOT accused of riot or unruly.
      1 – For a bishop “Must Be” *BLAMELESS,*
      as the steward of God;
      NOT self willed,
      NOT soon angry,
      NOT given to wine,
      NO striker,
      NOT given to filthy lucre;
      a lover of hospitality,
      a lover of good men,
      sober,
      2 – *JUST,*
      3 – *HOLY,*
      temperate;

      1 – *Must Be*
      Strongs #1163, die. – It is necessary (as binding).
      Thayer’s – necessity established by the counsel
      and decree of God.
      This *must be* is the same Greek word…
      You *must be* born again. John 3:7
      Seems to be a small word but very important. Yes?

      1 – BLAMELESS
      Strongs #410 anegkletos – unaccused, irreproachable, blameless.
      Thayers – cannot be called into account, unreproveable, unaccused.
      Dictionary – Without fault, innocent, guiltless, not meriting censure.

      How many, pastor, overseers, would be leaders, who honestly examine themselves, seriously considering this one qualification, can see themselves as BLAMELESS, above reproach, without fault, innocent, and thus qualify to be an overseer? And if you can see yourself as BLAMELESS? Is that pride? And NO longer without fault? :-)

      The Bible talks about elders who desire to be overseers.
      And qualifications for elders who desire to be overseers.
      Can you have one without the other?

      If a pastor/elder/overseer does NOT Qualify???
      Shouldn’t they remove themselves?
      And be a good example to the Flock?

    4. Here are two more “Qualifications” found in Titus…
      That many congregations, pastors, overseers,
      “Ignore,” or “Twist.”

      2 – JUST
      Strongs #1342 – dikaios {dik’-ah-yos} from 1349;
      Thayers – 1) righteous, observing divine laws
      1a) in a wide sense, upright, righteous, virtuous,
      keeping the commands of God
      1a2) innocent, faultless, guiltless
      1a3) used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting
      is wholly conformed to the will of God,

      3 – HOLY
      Strongs #3741 – hosios {hos’-ee-os}
      Thayers – 1) undefiled by sin, free from wickedness,
      religiously observing every moral obligation, pure holy, pious.
      ——-

      Now that’s three tough Qualifications for
      “pastor, overseer, leader, reverend” – Yes?
      1 – Must Be BLAMELESS.
      2 – JUST. 3 – HOLY.
      ——-

      If WE, His Ekklesia, His Church, His Sheep, His Body…
      Take seriously the many tough Qualifications
      Found in 1 Tim 3:1-6, and Titus 1:5-9…

      The number of Biblically Qualified – pastor, leader, reverends…
      Is quite small. ;-)

      But, will these UN-qualified, pastor, leader, reverends…
      “Remove Themselves?”And be a good example to the flock?

      Do you know many? any? pastors, overseers?
      Who meet just these three qualifications?
      ——-

      What should a pastor, leader, reverend, do?
      When they realize they do NOT Qualify?
      ——-

      Ps 138:6
      Though the LORD be high,
      yet hath he respect unto the lowly:
      but the proud he knoweth afar off.

      Ps 40:4
      Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust,
      and respecteth not the proud,
      nor such as turn aside to lies.

  8. When will the ‘church’ as narcissistic, entrepreneur project ever end? Why do people even go to these ‘start-ups’ and thereby continually perpetuate this? As a gen-xer who’s seen this all my life…. (and been in churches almost as long, that were personal ‘projects’ of some individual visionary with no accountability…) I’m so sick of it, so tired of american church run like everything else in this selfish, individualized culture…

  9. I can’t comment on this particular situation or this particular individual since I am not familiar with the situation and I will not comment on hermeneutical matters except to simply point out that considering context is one part of interpreting Scripture.

  10. I am disappointed in the majority of these comments. It seems like “Christians” find a woman pastor more offensive than a woman being raped. Wake up people. You’re fighting the wrong battle. Amy is doing far more work for the kingdom than most of you who judge her.

    1. ANONYMOUS

      If it is biblical for a women to pastor a church?
      And give them self the “Title” pastor?
      How come there are NO women?
      With the “Title” pastor?
      Pastoring a church?
      In the Bible?

      1. There are way too many conflicting Bible versus regarding women’s leadership roles in church and don’t really want to get into a debate regarding women’s leadership roles – however, the ONLY time I see “pastor” used in the Bible is Ephesians 4:10-12, without regard to gender.

        1. Tom

          Up thread – A similar comment was sent to UWE.
          About “Male Disciples,” taking the “Title” pastor.

          This comment was about…
          Women, “FeMale Disciples,” taking the “Title” pastor.

          Haven’t you ever wondered why? In the Bible?
          NOT one of **His Disciples,** Male or FeMale…
          Ever took the “Title” pastor? Or shepherd? Or leader?
          ——-

          And other sheep I have, which are NOT of this fold:
          them also I must bring, and they shall “Hear My Voice; “
          and there shall be “ONE” fold, and “ONE” shepherd.
          John 10:16

          One Voice – One Fold – One Shepherd – One Leader

          {{{{{{ Jesus }}}}}}

        2. Tom
          “Pastors” is 9 times in the KJV.
          Once in the NT. Eph 4:11
          Eight Times in the OT. All in Jeremiah.
          Six times God is NOT happy with “pastors.”
          Because “The pastors” have scattered His flock…
          And driven them away…

          You are NOT likely to hear these verses from the pulpit. :-)

          Jeremiah 2:8 KJV
          …”The Pastors” also transgressed against me,
          and the prophets prophesied by Baal…

          Jeremiah 10:21 KJV
          For ”The Pastors” are become brutish, (beastly, carnal)
          and have not sought the LORD:
          therefore they shall not prosper,
          and all their flocks shall be scattered.
          (Sounds like today? Yes?)

          Jeremiah 12:10 KJV
          Many “Pastors” have destroyed my vineyard,
          they have trodden my portion under foot…

          Jeremiah 22:22 KJV
          The *wind shall eat up ALL “Thy Pastors,”
          (*wind = ruwach = breath, mind, spirit.)

          Jeremiah 23:1 KJV
          Woe be unto ”The Pastors” that destroy
          and scatter the sheep of my pasture!

          Jeremiah 23:2 KJV
          …thus saith the LORD God of Israel
          against ”The Pastors” that feed my people;

          **Ye have scattered my flock,
          and driven them away,**

          and have not visited them: behold,
          **I will visit upon you the evil of your doings,**
          saith the LORD.

          YUP… The pastors have scattered His flock…
          And driven them away…
          ——-

          Jer 50:6
          “My people” hath been “lost sheep:”
          **THEIR shepherds**
          have caused them to *go astray,*

          1 Pet 2:25
          For ye were as *sheep going astray;*
          BUT are now returned to
          the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

          {{{{{{ Jesus }}}}}}

      2. why where there not a women in the 12 apostles..I am not sexiest at all it makes it clear in the bible why in Genesis…i don’t argue what God sets in order …I follow it..

  11. I am saddened to see the derisive, devisive comments regarding Amy Mikals. My guess is you don’t know Amy or her heart.

    I was attender of WillowCreek for 29 years and have attended and supported financially and through volunteering both South Barrington and North Shore campuses. The core DNA of Willow survived the Bill Hybels scandal – while many left during the scandal days, what remained were core followers of Christ who wanted to work toward repairing the flaws while keeping the fundamental DNA that “turned irreligious people into fully devoted followers of Christ” – like me and others who first came to Christ at WillowCreek.

    While Hybels was indeed a flawed human, he also was an instrument of God and the Willow DNA was built and grown under the hand of God. Note: The Bible has numerous examples of God using flawed humans to accomplish His purposes. Not that Hybels was a prophet – but many of our prophets were also severely flawed – e.g. David, Moses and Abraham, but that didn’t change God’s using them for His purpose.

    However, the Willow DNA didn’t survive Dave Dummit and the “new vision” that has departed from the core values of Willow and has been exceptionally divisive and counterproductive.

    I know Amy Mikal and know her to be a gifted, humble, God led pastor, under whose leadership the North Shore campus thrived and she simply could not continue to follow God’s direction in her life under Dummit’s leadership.

    I strongly support Amy’s efforts to lead the starting up of A Restoration Church and am confident it would be God directed and will thrive under her leadership. Yes, I am confident it will attract disenfranchised Willow Northshore members – but also confident it will continue growth through attracting the unchurch and transforming lives.

    1. I too am a decades-long attender and volunteer at Willow and I think it’s well past time to let the “Willow DNA” die. I watched in dismay over the years as the gospel-preaching church I loved slowly morphed into self-help sermons, platforming of heretics at the Summit (TD Jakes?? every year?? Really??), idolizing celebrity guest speakers (standing ovations, people planning their summer vacations around who would be speaking that weekend), and a pre-Christmas service last year that was all “fun and games” (their words), without any sort of message about the true meaning of Christmas. Over the years they deliberately stopped singing the second verse of “In Christ Alone” because they “didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable by talking about God’s wrath,” and began referring to sin as “unhealthy habits” or “not God’s best for you.” Before Hybels got outted he was launching an exploratory investigation of becoming LGBT affirming. Their view of biblical unity is “can’t we all just get along,” which is why they once had a Muslim leader on stage declare that “Christians and Muslims worship the same God” and no one corrected him. Instead of studying the Bible, small groups studied the enneagram.

      Basically the Willow DNA morphed over the years from “seeker sensitive” to “seeker centric.” Whatever the culture wanted is what Willow dished out, and the gospel, which is counter-cultural, had no place there any more.

      I know plenty of individual attendees and staff members at Willow that love Jesus and care about the gospel. But what I just described embodied the Willow DNA. Willow Creek desperately needed to reverse course so I’m glad they are making changes. I’m not sure whether or not Dummit and crew has any intentions of doing that to the extent needed, but at this point it really can’t get any worse.

      1. Fed Up—What you have shared is just a fraction of the many ways it’s clear Willow Creek has apostatized as a church. Here’s a few more for people to consider under the umbrella of, “If I were to write a book…”

        Sobering thoughts why Willow Creek Church (and other mega churches) have lost their way.

        If I were to write a book:
        “50 Days Exploring Willow World: Silly, Sad, Spoofs, Satires, Sprinkled with a Slice of Sarcasm”

        Introduction:
        Now Serving Cotton Candy Christianity: Step Right Up Where There is Plenty of Idolatry, Heresy, Blasphemy, and Apostasy to go around for everyone.

        Part 1: Church

        Ch. 1 — Church.
        Who is it primarily for anyways, believers or unbelievers?

        Ch. 2 — Churches Run Like Corporations: Shepherd of the flock or CEO of a Fortune 500 company?

        Ch. 3 — The Purpose-Driven Church:
        9 Sure-Fire, Time-Tested Strategies to Grow Your Church

        Ch. 4 — Entertaining the Masses:
        Laser light shows, rock ‘n roll music, monster trucks, dancers and dancing bears, comedians and clowns, Bubbles and bubble machines, high flying trapeze acts, petting zoos, stupid animal tricks, and many more thrills o’ plenty under the big top

        Ch. 5 — Foo Foo Evangelicals:
        Did Dr. B’s espresso bar spike their lattes with Kool-Aid?

        Ch. 6 — Ransacking Roles:
        “I AM WOMAN; HEAR ME ROAR”

        Ch. 7 — Elders:
        Discerning direction, doctrine, and discipline in the church? Or, pawns, puppets, and pigeons, marketplace movers, lip-service lawyers, apple polishers and a$$ kissers, and otherwise professionally pretty people.

        Ch. 8 — The New Community or the New Age?: Mystics, Eastern Mysticism, and Milquetoast Religion

        Ch. 9 — The Three L’s of Appraising Your Home Church: Leadership, Leadership, Leadership

        Part 2: Salvation & Soteriology

        Ch. 10 — Are you Joking ?!?
        Knock, Knock.
        Who’s There?
        Jesus.
        Jesus, Who?
        Would you just invite me into your heart already? Please, pretty please. I’m lonely without you.

        Ch. 11 — Decisions, Decisions:
        Who Chose Who?

        Ch. 12 — True & False Conversions:
        If it looks like a wolf, walks like a wolf, and howls like a wolf, why on Earth would you think it’s a sheep?

        Part 3: Man

        Ch. 13 — The best a man can get: “He’s a good person with a good heart”… and other wildly off-base assumptions that run contrary to what the Bible says.

        Ch. 14 — The Wisdom of Man vs. The Foolishness of God

        Ch. 15 — Psychologists, Scientists, and other Schooled and “Smart” People and Pundits Put on Pedestals by your ‘Pastor’

        Part 4: Our Enemy

        Ch. 16 — The Spirit of Antichrist: Peace, Peace!! Can’t we all just get along?

        Ch. 17 — Funny Money:
        How Satan Masterfully Imitates and Counterfeits Every Facet of Christianity

        Part 5: Christian Living

        Ch. 18 — Growing in your Faith:
        You can have your cake…. and eat it too.

        Ch. 19 — Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire: Allegations and Accusations of Adulteries, Abuse, and Other Affairs

        Ch. 20 — Born This Way?

        Ch. 21 — Shack Attack:
        The Shack and Other Blasphemous Best-Selling Books that were never banned or burned at Willow but instead promoted, pushed, and popularized by pretty persuasive people

        Ch. 22 — Kingdom Now:
        Giving the world one cool cup of water after the next, but not the gospel, as red hot flames lap at their feet and singe their eyebrows.

        Ch. 23 — The Afterlife: Hell No!

        Part 6: God

        Ch. 24 — Comfort Before Fashion: Comfortably Fashioning God into Someone We’re Far More Comfortable With

        Ch. 25 — The Fear of the Lord:
        Don’t Leave Earth Without It

        Ch. 26 — Well, sure God is sovereign over all… except over Salvation, storms, sparrows, self, Satan, and sticky situations.

        Part 7: Jesus

        Ch. 27 — Jesus is Better than Beer:
        He can improve your flight, your portfolio, and other ridiculous assertions.

        Ch. 28 — Cultivating christ-Consciousness:
        May the force be with you.

        Part 8: The Bible

        Ch. 29 — Even-Jello-Cals who are more fascinated by the Enneagram than they are the Bible

        Ch. 30 — Making the Bible Applicational and Practical… since the Word of God and the Holy Spirit need our help doing so.

        Ch. 31 — “And what does that verse mean to you?”

        Ch. 32 — Re-interpreting scripture: A scholarly approach to understanding the Bible: Rethinking what we’ve believed for the last 2000 years.

        Ch. 33 — Tickle, Tickle:
        Feel-good messages for the whole family.

        Part 9: Theology

        Ch. 34 — A Kinder, Gentler Theology: Follow the Yellow Broad Road

        Ch. 35 — Liar, Liar; Pants on Fire:
        “Listen to your heart”; “My God would never do that”, and other deadly assertions & assumptions.

        Ch. 36 — Who is Seeking Who?

        Ch. 37 — Syncretism:
        Serving up spiritual smorgasbords. I’ll take a lil bit of this and a lil bit of that, thank you very much.

        Ch. 38 — Unity Insanity:
        What Do Roman Catholics, Muslims, and Blood-bought, Born-Again Believers in Christ Have in Common? Apparently more than God thinks.

        Part 10: Evangelism

        Ch. 39 — Reaching Unchurched Harry and Mary: If they like me, they’ll like my Jesus.

        Ch. 40 — Barbecue First!
        What was John the Baptist Thinking by Heralding the Message of Repentance and what was Jesus Thinking when He called John the Baptist the Greatest Man who ever lived?

        Ch. 41 — Cheap Grace & Easy Believism:
        Why have ‘em count the cost when they can simply count their blessings? Besides, if you tell ’em what they can look forward to living for Christ, that is, trials, temptations, tribulations, and persecution, they may change their mind.

        Ch. 42 — How to Win Friends and Lose Souls

        Ch. 43 — Life Mapping and Other Creative Ways to Learn How to Share “Your Story”

        Ch. 44 — Being all things to all people all the time so by all means no one will be unhappy

        Ch. 45 — Banning and Boycotting Bullhorns, Broadsides, and Boldness

        Ch. 46 — The Socially-Accepted Social Gospel

        Part 11: The Holy Spirit

        Ch. 47 — Shh! Shh!
        Do you hear what I hear? Could it be God’s still small voice? Those whispers couldn’t possibly be my imagination…. or from some bad sushi I ate last night? — What the Bible (I Kings 19) really says about whispers.

        Ch. 48 — Discovering and Unleashing Your Uniquely Yours Spiritual Gifts:
        Creative Arts Coach, Media and Race Relations, Compassion and Hospitality Hosts, and other opportunities where only you are specially and uniquely fit to serve alongside other people who are uniquely and specially fit to serve.

        Epilogue
        Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. (Ps. 127:1)

  12. The god referenced here must be Loki, the Norse god of trickery. He tells different people diametrically opposite instructions as to his will.

  13. Interesting comments. I attended Willow Creek for about 2 years before the pandemic shut everything down. I personally didn’t find Amy especially inspirational. I much preferred Steve Gillen, her predecessor. Willow Creek is a good place for people to go if they are unchurched or haven’t attended church for a long time. But I think it is more of an “introductory” church and a little superficial. If you want to dig deeper in your faith, this isn’t the place to go. It is more of a social hangout place. Because it is so huge, you can’t really connect with people unless you join a small group. I did not, and after 2 years of going there, I really didn’t know anyone except for a handful of people I already knew. It is a “fun” church. I don’t think I will be going back there once things open up after the pandemic. I will look for a more traditional church that offers more “meat.” I have been listening to Pastor Robert Jeffress at First Baptist Dallas Church. Not only is Jeffress a great communicator, but his sermons have “meat” to them and are biblically based.

    1. Marie, your comment sounds like something I would’ve written about WCSB 20 years ago. I went to weekend services there for a couple of weeks, but then switched to Wednesday nights exclusively, so I could get some “meaty” teaching from the associate pastors who were there at the time.
      I agree about Robert Jeffress … great teacher who rightly divides the Word of God. He boldly proclaims the Word without consideration of whether or not someone might be offended by it, and the truth contained therein.

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