REVEAL Where Are You? by Greg L. Hawkins and Cally Parkinson

I like books about improving the Church. I guess my 30+ years being married to a minister didn't go away when the minister did. (that's kind of a joke - albeit a poor one!)

Anyway, I picked up this copy of REVEAL Where Are You?  this last week, Randy listed it on Amazon and it sold right away. - But not before I read it! 

The book is about Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois. The authors ask the questions "Is your church really making a difference? How do you know?"

From the book:

".. Willow Creek invites you to learn what it discovered in a three-year process of study and research—involving six other churches as well as congregants from Willow Creek.

• Discover the four segments that characterize the journey of spiritual growth.
• Learn more about what catalyzes and stunts spiritual growth.
• And understand how the church needs to change in order to help people become more like Christ.

What you discover here may challenge you. Or confirm nagging suspicions you've had all along. Either way, the findings in REVEAL will undoubtedly change the way you think about church—and what it really takes to make a difference."  

You can read more about this book HERE .

Over the last 30+ years I've heard of churches that are doing God's work in a big way. Several years ago I read Rediscovering Church by Bill Hybels and was very intrigued by this church Willow Creek and how they became the church they became. So when I saw this copy of  REVEAL Where Are You?  I knew it was a book I wanted to read.

This is a small book, easily read. I feel as if it's a book that one would want to keep in their library to reread often. Willow Creek surveys their church people every three years or so and they actually LISTEN to what their people are saying. This is how they have come to be the church that meets the needs of their congregation.

The authors of this book are all leaders in Willow Creek Community Church.

 

Randy often says a church needs to have more of a "business" sense to function effectively. - Servicing your customer in all aspects. This need is addressed in this book.

My favorite quote in the book is "There is a passionate instinct born in all of us that desires to draw closer to God."  This statement could be a book (blog) within itself. 

Bill Hybels, the pastor of Willow Creek says in the forward: "When I first heard the results [of these surveys}, the pain of knowing was almost unbearable. Upon reflection, I realized that the pain of not knowing could be catastrophic."

I really liked this book and would recommend it to all church leaders - easy and fast to read with LOTS of information very well laid out.

*****