REVEAL:WHERE ARE YOU?

by Cally Parkinson and Greg L. Hawkins

Book Overview

With contributions from Eric Arnson Foreword by Bill Hybels Is your church really making a difference? How do you know? Do you ever lie awake at night wondering . . . Do our programs really help... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 074419234X
• ISBN13: 9780744192346
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Willow Creek Association
• Length: 110 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 7.0" x 0.3"

Customer Reviews

Honest

This was an honest and well written, easy to read review of some research from Willow Creek in a way that is relevant to many churches. I can't wait to hear more follow-up on what they decide to do next. It has changed the way I look at spiritual growth in the context of the church and would be great for anyone on staff at a church OR anyone who is interested in being apart of any growth at a church (personal or congregation) and some ideas on how that happens (qualitative, but it would probably lead to quantitative as well). The best part is that it's based on research's evidence.

Objective Study of Growth and Connection to your church

FINALLY, some one has taken the best of consumer marketing study and applied it to why do people connect or not connect to their church as they grow in their faith. There is enough Statistics, and Technical discussion to keep the people who need it satisfied but not so much that the people who just want the results get distracted. I had many 'Ah-Hah's in the course of this book and saw myself in several stages along the way. Must reading for Church Leadership who wonder why they are losing some of the people they most want to keep.

Reveal is helpful

I had heard mixed reviews on this book and was hesitant to purchase it. But, it was a helpful read that is currently helping us process through some key issues that help people move forward in their spiritual growth. So often you read about how to grow the church which equates to more behinds in the seats...purely numerical growth that fools us into believing that we're accomplishing the purposes God has called us to. This book is more about investing in discipling people toward spiritual maturity. People who are mature in their faith naturally serve, give, attend, and invite which will lead to numerical growth anyhow. I would recommend purchasing this book.

Get the Facts About REVEAL

THE FACTS ABOUT REVEAL THE SITUATION: The Willow Creek Association published a book called REVEAL in August 2007 about "ground-breaking" research findings regarding spiritual growth. These findings were based on survey results from seven churches and have now been confirmed through research with an additional two-dozen churches around the country, including two Canadian churches. Some in the Christian blogging and media world point to these findings as evidence of a church model "flaw"/breakdown that applies exclusively to Willow Creek and/or the seeker movement inspired by Willow Creek thirty years ago. This is not what the research shows. Here are several quotes based on partial or incorrect information: * World magazine; November 10, 2007 "`We made a mistake'. Bill Hybels...on a study that showed the Willow Creek model had not produced spiritually mature Christians." * Bob Burney, Townhall; October 30, 2007 "The report reveals that what they've been doing for these many years and what they've taught millions of others to do is not producing solid disciples of Jesus Christ...Numbers, yes, but not disciples...." * H.B. London, The Pastor's Weekly Briefing; November 9, 2007 "Hybels goes on to say `If you simply want a crowd, the "seeker sensitive" model produces results. If you want solid, sincere, mature followers of Christ, it's a bust." Bill Hybels did not say this. Focus on the Family is printing a retraction. FOUR FACTS ABOUT REVEAL: 1. REVEAL's findings go well beyond Willow Creek and the "seeker" church movement. o REVEAL's findings are based on thirty churches besides Willow, chosen specifically to reflect a diversity of church models. We've surveyed traditional Sunday school model churches, missions-focused churches, mainline denominations, African-American churches and churches representing a wide range of geographies, sizes and styles. In all thirty churches, we've found the six segments of REVEAL's spiritual continuum, including the Stalled and Dissatisfied segments. * REVEAL is currently surveying five hundred churches, including more than a dozen denominations and English-speaking international churches. Early results from the first 200 demonstrate REVEAL's segments exist across multiple church model/style/size alternatives. * 40% of these 500 churches do not describe themselves as "seeker-focused" or "seeker-friendly". 2. REVEAL's findings show that Christ-followers are being developed at Willow Creek and all other surveyed churches. o The two most spiritually mature segments, called the "Close to Christ" and the "Christ-Centered" groups, account for over 40% of the total thirty church sample. To date the spiritual profiles of those churches show a range of 30% to 60% for these two segments. o The controversy is: * REVEAL discovered a Dissatisfied segment that fell out of the two most spiritually advanced