Saddleback Magic and Willow Creek Voodoo
Author: Andrew8 Jan
I picked up a copy of Bill Hybels small group Bible study, Authenticity, this morning. I’m currently researching the Christian fascination (or infatuation) with the word authenticity. Hybels’ Bible study seemed like one obvious avenue to explore in trying to figure out how Christians employ the word with variety.
But before I got to the study I was struck by the introduction to the series, “In just three years, almost a half million copies of these small group study guides were being used in churches around the world.” And those words were penned ten years ago, imagine how many copies are in print today.
That’s insanity, because the stuff isn’t bad, but it’s not that great. Especially at the youth ministry level the stuff coming out of Saddleback and Willow is often sappy — and there are a bunch of other adjectives I could use.
So, why are people so addicted to megachurch resources? There aren’t many other resources on the market; they’re not as bad as the denominational crap that comes out; the list could go on. But overall, let me suggest that we buy these Bible studies and employ them as Christian totems. I mean, maybe a little Willow karma will rub off on my church. Maybe Saddleback magic or Willow pixie dust is pre-packaged in these Bible studies and if I use them, maybe my ministry will grow, too. This stuff must be good, almost magical, right? Of course, there are plenty of us who buy Willow and Saddleback because it makes our work easy. But deep down our love for everything Purpose-Driven and Willow-ized is a form of evangelical voodoo. Admit it. We purchase this stuff not because it’s good, but because it must be good, and maybe it will make us good, too. I’m guilty as charged of having done this when I was a youth pastor. Anyone else willing to fess up?
Maybe I finally found a resolution for this new year: Apply a bit more critique to brand names and theolo-hype.
I wonder what we’d be using as resources in ministry if we weren’t swayed by the celebrity and voodoo?
(Updated 15 hours, 48 minutes ago)
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16 Responses for "Saddleback Magic and Willow Creek Voodoo"
On one hand, I think you’re dead on. My pastor back in New Jersey is currently on a sabbatical. Guess where he spent a few weeks “researching”? That’s right, my neck of the woods: Willow Creek. And I think he’s doing it for precisely the reasons you list - quite simply because he thinks it will make his church grow.
On the other hand, the church I’m currently attending has small groups. And in our small group, we’ve been using a program published by Tim Keller on the nature of the Gospel. It has been deeply engaging, powerful, and an all-around thought-provoking adventure. We’re not using it because we think it will make our church grow or because we want to be Redeemer in New York. We’re using it because it gets to the point and helps us to translate the Gospel into our lives.
That to say: there are good resources for parish education, and there some resources that are not so good, or, at best, are stale. I commend Keller’s stuff as some of the freshest and best.
Hope you’re well….
kp
I have nothing witty to say, except “Amen.”
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I think you’re spot on - people think that if they just know what the mega church pastor knows and do what he does, they too can have a mega church, they too can bloat…umm…err…I mean grow…the same way they have. Superstitious? yes. completely explainable and understandable? yes. but equally sad and telling.
Thanks Andrew. You’ve hit the nail on the head. I would also add that pastors lack the necessary time and creative thought to write their own literature and develop their own curriculum these days, which would be preferable to the theological outsourcing. No wonder all churches are starting to look and feel the same - kind of like American cities.
Interesting proposal! I like the totemism language here. It’s ok to buy a prescriptive curriculum. What’s not ok is to leave it as it and try to force it into your own community needs. Good teaching and curriculum design is about scavenging stuff that works. the art is to assess how well it works for your own community. It’s the assessment piece that churches, at least ones at which I have worked, do not do. How well did this curriculum work? And how do we know that? Has anyone been to a church that tries to address those two questions in a strategic and systematic way rather than an ad hoc “So what did you guys think about it?” way?
You make a good point, Drew. Assessment is severely lacking when it comes to curriculum and teaching in the church. I think a lot of the problem is we have no idea how to assess and measure beyond the “what did you think” kinds of questions. I’ve seen some theological assessment happen here and there, but measuring spiritual growth and impact is a slippery business. Any suggestions for how we go about strategic and systematic evaluation?
It doesn’t stop at megachurches either. This is my biggest fear for the Emerging Church conversation, which (IMHO) is otherwise refreshing and meaningful. But I buy every single Emergent book that comes out in the hopes that the “emergent voodoo” will rub off on me.
Perhaps the difference is that the “totem” of megachurch curriculum represents their underlying value of size and growth, while the “totem” of Emergent books represents an underlying value of “change.”
And both are marketable products, in a very market-happy culture.
Any suggestions for how we go about strategic and systematic evaluation?
I know it isn’t ideal, but have any churches used confidential reporting, like that used in a university setting? That might get at least marginally better responses than the popular waddya-think approach.
***
Chris, a great point (original) curriculum. Where do we think Saddleback/Hybels got their stuff in the first place? Shane Berg once told me the story of a good friend of his, who had studied for a year-long fellowship at Cambridge following seminary, but who wanted to take a pastorate. The session of a tiny church in rural California was shocked to find him as extremely interested in taking their call. His only condition: he would do NO administrative work, and would devote all of his time (at LEAST 40 hours per week) to creating original Bible study curriculum, to be used in the pulpit and in the classroom. Shane said that so far it’s been working very well. The church runs itself (waddya know?) and the pastor does exegesis in original languages and preaches rich, theological sermons.
I do have ideas, but based almost entirely on learning objectives. Do you think that assessing learning can be a means to assess spiritual growth? I think that there are ways, but I have not thought about it at length. These are really raw thoughts at this point, but issues worth pursuing at some practical level.
That’s encouraging to hear, KP. Thanks for the story.
KP, honestly I’m of the opinion that it would be more destructive for a church to have its pastor spending 40 hours creating curriculum and crafting sermons than using canned stuff from elsewhere. There needs to be a careful balance between the teaching/preaching ministry with the pastoral nature of caring for people in the church. Let’s keep that in perspective. A pastor who spends 40 hours behind books in the office, I’d suggest, has stopped being a pastor.
So much for working on a thesis about “Karl Barth, Pastoral Theologian,” or, “Lesslie Newbigin, Pastoral Theologian”….
I would agree that there has to be balance. But canned stuff? Really?
By the way, now that I think about it, it well may not have been 40 hours per week that the guy spent on study. I know he spent time as a pastor because I would have raised the objection to Shane when he told the story. Maybe it was 20 or 25 hours devoted to study. But in any case, suppose a pastor could side-step strictly administrative business - which is not unrealistic - and could manage both pastoral care and the kind of intense study necessary for original biblical-theological engagement. Wouldn’t that be a good approach?
Your comments are applicable to most of us at one time or another. I believe one reason the “big dogs” are used so much is because they have the budgets to market their material. They can market easily through publishers, conferences, etc. while the little guys content may be equal or even better, but the quality of marketing and production is lacking (due to finances.)
Thanks for causing thought.
yup, i agree… it’s like the band scene… you gotta be BIG to be good and accepted…. my son is in a band with a bunch of great guys, and it’s sure an uphill battle (like i mean YEARS of uphill)…
Their website is www.aftertheanthems.com if anyone wants to take a look (and maybe an invite)… they’re just FINALLY getting played on the local Christian radio.
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