REVEAL

Book Review

Hawkins, Greg L. Parkinson, Cally. REVEAL. Where are you?
Willow Creek Resources. 2007

Comment. Henry
Here is the document that explains what has been called by some “Bill Hybel’s confession that he has been doing it wrong”. It is in fact the assessment of ministry that Willow leadership went through for a number of years that resulted in some major changes. As such it becomes a useful resource for others to use in their own churches. The potential pain of honest assessment is by far more desireable than the devastating results of resisting necessary change.

In his ‘Foreword’ Bill acknowledges the validity and value of what Willow has gained from this painful yet profitable journey of assessment.

Measuring spiritual growth is about measuring the unseen. The question that needs to be asked is “Where are you?” (8) This question will focus on our (personal) movement toward God (Christ) and toward people. The contents of this book are the results of an extensive search about how to actually identify and measure spiritual growth.

Strategic planning involves answering three questions: “Where are we? What do we see? How do we get there?” (20) These questions address “current reality, vision, and action plan”. (20) It is not easy to discover and correctly understand answers to the above questions. An interesting formula that becomes a part of the research around the above questions is: “attitudes/emotions + behaviors = segments of people with unique sets of needs”. (26)

Spiritual growth is defined as “an increasing love for God and for other people”. (29) Some insights are shared regarding the ‘tools’ for research. Through this research six discoveries were made:
1. Involvement in church activities does not predict or drive long-term spiritual growth.



2. Spiritual growth is all about increasing relational closeness to Christ.
3. The church is most important in the early stages of spiritual growth.
4. Personal spiritual practices are the building blocks for a Christ-centred life.
5. A church’s most active evangelists, volunteers and donors come from the most spiritually advanced segments.
6. More than 25 percent of those surveyed described themselves as spiritually “stalled” or “dissatisfied” with the role of the church in their spiritual growth.

By way of vision and strategy three changes were agreed upon by the Willow leadership.
1. Our message to the congregation has to change.
2. We need to coach next steps.
3. We need to extend the impact of our weekend services.

Her are three basic steps (questions) to bring about major ministry changes.
1. Ask more than “How many?’
2. Go beyond “How are you?’
3. Ask “How does that help someone grow?”
Helping people grow happens when you try new things and keep assessing the results of these new things and, if necessary, make changes.

The Appendices include helpful information about the tools used in the research and they present further conclusions arising out of the research.