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P.E. Church Net

CHRISTIAN NEWS
18th September 2002

MEDIA RELEASE
Willow Creek Association Impacts Churches Worldwide.

Churches in Southern Africa helped by culturally relevant biblical training

A recent survey of church leaders in 10 countries, including Southern Africa, indicates that the growing Willow Creek Association movement is helping churches impact their communities - and their nations.

In Southern Africa, churches that have worked with the Willow Creek Association for training and resources are growing at a much greater pace than other churches. This growth is seen across denominational lines and is consistent in each of the 10 countries surveyed: Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

“The study clearly illustrates the benefit worldwide to the churches that partner with the Willow Creek Association,” said Gary Schwammlein, the International Executive Vice President of the WCA. “What we’re teaching churches is biblical, therefore it is relevant and can impact any and every culture.”

“This survey is one of hope,” said Wynand Malan, the National Director for WCA Southern Africa. “Whereas most surveys indicate that things look bleak for churches in our country, this study of the Willow Creek Association shows that this doesn’t have to be the case. This survey shows growth, and with growth comes hope.”

The survey was conducted with churches that are either WCA members or have attended at least one WCA conference. Churches from more than 70 denominations participated.

- More than 60% of the churches that responded indicated that their church had grown by more than 5% in the past three years.
- More than one third of the churches have grown more than 10%.
- 75% of WCA churches have grown at least 5%, with 47% having grown at least 10%. And median attendance for WCA churches was 200 (compared to 130 for non-member churches).

“We attribute these differences to the idea that the more training and resources churches receive through the WCA, the more they see the benefits of the WCA strategy.” Schwammlein said.

Since becoming a WCA member, more than 60% of respondent churches indicated they have put a stronger emphasis on evangelism. And more than half (54%) of WCA member churches had more people come to faith in 1999 than they had had in 1998.

That’s just one of the factors helping churches grow. According to the survey, the three top benefits of Willow Creek Association training are;

- that it is biblically sound,
- it is relevant to their churches,
- and it is applicable to any church.

- More/-

After being exposed to a Willow Creek Conference or Willow Creek Resources;

- 57% of the churches in South Africa that participated in the survey put a stronger emphasis on evangelism.
- 41% of the churches indicated that they started a strategic planning process in their churches, a process that is already bearing fruit in most of these churches.
- 36% churches indicated that they started a small group ministry after being challenged at a WCA conference
- while 54% of the churches have shown more than 15% growth in their small groups since they start using the Willow Creek Small Group Resources.

“Becoming a member of the WCA hold numerous benefits”, said Doug Howie, the chairperson of the WCA-SA board of directors. “These benefits aside, membership is also a statement of vision declaring that the work of Christ through the local church is the hope of the world. Participation as a WCA Member Church directly contributes to the revitalization of local churches around the world.”

J. David Schmidt and Associates, a well-respected consulting firm based in Wheaton, Illinois (USA) conducted the survey. The survey is similar to the one the company did five years ago for the Willow Creek Association - United States and the results are similar.

The Willow Creek Association is an international movement of like-minded churches with a desire to help irreligious people become fully devoted followers of Christ. The independent WCA, which began as a ministry of Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago in 1992 with a handful of churches, has more than 7000 member churches worldwide, including nearly 400 in Southern Africa. The WCA purpose is to provide vision, training, and resources for prevailing churches.

For more information on WCA membership, available resources and upcoming events, contact the national office at 086 194 5569. A copy of the study summary is available by contacting the WCA SA office.

ENDS

Issued by Willow Creek Association Southern Africa
Pretoria
18 September 2002

Contact: Wynand Malan - Executive Manager
WCA-SA Tel: 086 194 5569
P.O.Box 11895
CENTURION 0046 admin@willowcreeksa.co.za

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