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Move: What 1,000 Churches Reveal about Spiritual Growth

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It may be impossible for us to tell the secrets of people's hearts, but it really is possible to know whether the people in church congregations are truly growing more in love with God and extending that love to other people, according to Greg Hawkins and Cally Parkinson in this book. The book describes findings from surveys which probe much more deeply than the typical "number of attenders", "number of baptisms", and "number of participants in small groups" figures which are traditionally used to gauge the health of churches.

The "Reveal" surveys used by the authors measure the state of respondents' spiritual growth by asking questions relating to spiritual beliefs, attitudes, motivations, behaviours and satisfaction. Based on their responses, the respondents from each church can be divided into four groups: Exploring Christ, Growing in Christ, Close to Christ, and Christ-Centred. Some 250,000 people from more than 1,000 churches have taken the survey, and the results allow the authors to draw some interesting inferences about the catalysts which move people in their spiritual journeys from one group to the next, and about barriers to growth and how to overcome them, and about what steps church leaders can take to help the spiritual growth process.

I recommend that church leaders get a copy of the book and study carefully the various catalysts of spiritual growth at each stage of the journey. The catalysts for growth from "Exploring Christ" to "Growing in Christ" are different from those for growth from "Growing in Christ" to "Close to Christ", and these are different again from those for growth from "Close to Christ" to "Christ-Centred". Apart from these catalysts, the authors identified some actions taken by churches which had markedly higher-than-average results in the surveys:

* Get people moving, by having a clear pathway for people on their spiritual journeys.

* Embed the Bible in everything the church does.

* Create ownership by inspiring people to adopt the vision of the church as part of their identity.

* Pastor the local community by taking responsibility for addressing local community needs.

Interestingly, the churches with the best results in the surveys ranged in size from small to very large. Some were predominantly white, some predominantly African-American, and some were multicultural. Very few of the pastors of those churches are famous, and most seemed surprised to discover that their churches ranked well above the average for spiritual growth.

I admire the authors of this book as they are willing to go against the flow. Modern churches and ministries are often focused on attendence, buildings, and cash. This leads to gauging success on how full the building is, the state of the art facilities, and the offering amount. Nothing is farther from the truth as the Bible does not gauge success that way. God says, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you...", (Matthew 28:19-20a). Success in God's eyes is equated with the above Great Commission. It includes the balance of winning souls to Christ and discipling them so they will grow in their faith.

In the eyes of the world, Willowcreek Community Church is an tremendously successful. Yet, Greg, one of the authors asked, "Are all the things we do at Willow that these people so generously support really helping them become fully devoted followers of Christ or are we just giving them a nice place to go to church?" The research results to answer that question are as follows...

1.) Increased participation in church activities by themselves barely moved their people to love God and others more.

2.) They had a lot of dissatisfied people.

3.) They had a lot of people so dissatisfied that they were ready to leave.

4.) All the great things they were doing and their people were barely moved.

A survey was done to check out other churches and to get an overall picture of churches in America. This led to a comprehensive approach to re-focus Willow's ministry and assist other churches too.

The book, "Move", is about having an action plan to move people from exploring Christ to growing in Christ, from growing in Christ to close to Christ, and from close to Christ to Christ-centered.

This year, when I attended a simulcast of Willow Creek Church's Global Leadership Summitt, I heard the leadership of the church talk about this recent study they had done about spiritual growth, and how the people at Willow Creek wanted to share what they learned about spiritual transformation with leaders everywhere.

Now, they have recently released their gleanings of their study on how people grow spiritually in the new book Move. Move shares about a well thought out, revealing, and somewhat surprising picture of how people grow. One thing the study revealed is descrete describable phases of spiritual development. Another thing that the study revealed were best practices of churches that effectively help people mature in their faith, instead of feeling "stuck" in an immature, stagnant faith journey.

Many churches feel stuck. This fine book will be helpful for many leaders in identifying where their church has stalled, and it will help those leaders to think through how to wisely lead people to take thei next step(s) in their faith. A great purchase for pastors and churches across the country, and well worth the cover price.

As a long-term participating member of Willow Creek Community Church, I was very interested in reading this book, because I've been part of the REVEAL study and hearing about it throughout its 5+ year history. In particular, I was interested in why the study lit such a fire under Willow, and what further changes we can expect as a result.

The last several years have been interesting at Willow, to say the least. First there was the neighborhood strategy, trying to focus small group efforts into neighborhoods. That had worked well in the Texas church where it was developed, but was less successful during Chicago winters. It also worked against another major Willow effort of recent years - to become more culturally diverse. Sadly, Chicago area neighborhoods remain more culturally homogenous than in Dr. King's dream.

The neighborhood strategy now appears gone, and diversity appears to have been well achieved. Another huge success in recent years has been getting the whole congregation involved in serving those in deepest need. One of the things I most love about Willow is how much it does for "the last, the least, and the lost", both locally and around the world.

Mid-week service changes have also been interesting, and driven by results from the REVEAL study. Whether they have been successful seems to me to still be an open question, as I sometimes find excuses not to venture out for them lately.

What is particularly interesting about the REVEAL study results for me as a Creeker is that Willow didn't score all that well, even though for me being part of Willow feels like living in the eye of a hurricane - exactly in the middle of what God is doing in our generation. I can't imagine being more satisfied or closer to God at any other church, and I've visited some, fearing the day (hopefully decades hence) I'll no longer be able to drive 13 miles to church.

As a retired pastor, this is exactly the book I'll want at my hand if I ever again try to get a church moving in the proper direction. I'm extremely impressed that Willow is willing both to share so much of its best tips with other churches, and so humbly willing to admit its own remaining problems and failings.

Personally, I find myself agreeing with author Greg Hawkins that the biggest takeaway from this book is what I myself need to do to further my own spiritual development. As Bill Hybels says "95% devotion is 5% short." Specifically, my wife and I are not currently in a "doing life together" small group, and we miss that, having enjoyed it several times at Willow. Second, reading "Move" has committed me to using the Bible more directly and frequently in my daily life. I was particularly impressed by the REVEAL finding that teaching first the meaning of a passage of scripture and then showing how that might apply to a current issue is more effective than starting with an issue and then sprinkling in topical Bible passages. I'm in an Email group of believers that discusses politics, and now realize we're going at it backwards. Rather than start by arguing about issues, we should likely first see what the Bible has to say.

Whatever your church involvement or personal spiritual state, "Move" will help you get, as Bill Hybels said recently "From here to there."

Highly recommended!

To say that Move is the summary of over 250,000 church attenders surveyed in 1,000 plus churches is selling this book short. Move is much more than that. Much, much more.

Move reveals what is happening in American churches today; where we, as a whole, are both succeeding and failing in changing people's lives. It is both heartbreaking and encouraging.

Heartbreaking because is shows where we have missed the mark. Encouraging because it shows how to get back on the correct path. Move is not about implementing a program, but about changing the hearts and minds of people.

If you are a church leader or if you know of a church leader...get this book. Read it. Digest it. Read it again. Then do something about it.

This book is sobering, thought provoking, and worth serious prayerful discussion in every church. It could change church as we know it.

There are some things you need to understand before you purchase this book. It is based on two distinct things that are not necessarily common to Christianity.

The first is the belief in what the authors call a "spiritual continuum." The Spiritual Continuum is comprised of four [linear in time] stages (exploring Christ, growing in Christ, close to Christ, and Christ-centered). The continuum comes from what the authors claim is "market research" (p. 182) [which is different than scientific [Ph.D.] research... and yes I have a Ph.D.] "as the most powerful predictive description of how people grow spiritually" (p 21). According to "Move" there are three distinct subsequent movements, departing from the historical belief of one movement (salvation) or two (salvation then sanctification). Each is marked with something epic... belief in grace, belief in a personal God, and sacrificial love. The author's state the last movement is the most difficult.

The second distinct thing that not all Christianity believes in is the concept of a "personal God" who is "actively involved in my life." [p. 268] Yet, this is critical in moving from growing (learning) in Christ to the close to Christ category (the mark is evangelism), according to "Move."

Once you get past these items there are some interesting discoveries and insights. The big one is that involvement in church activities does *little* to move people towards spiritual maturity. The key to movement is personal interaction with the Bible and action in line with a belief in a personal God, not necessarily in church related activity. The logical follow up: Willow Creek conclude that Bill Hybels (pastor of Willow Creek) was "one of our biggest problems." Simply put, as they explain it, moving people through the spiritual continuum is not his area of giftedness.

Another interesting thought is their suggesting that "needs based" ministries (catering to the needs of people) is not conducive to spiritual growth because it is "self-centered" rather than "Christ-centered." It makes sense, if that is what the church does then that is what the church will attract.

One shocking discovery: the more spiritually mature the individual the more likely they are to be dissatisfied with their church. I feel their proposed reason misses the point... however, they do pick it up and admit a different possible reason in "Part 3" that is worth noting (see previous paragraph).

That's just a small sample of discussion starters I found it the book that could have included the likes of pastor needing to give up the "shepherd" role to become a "coach."

After surveying 1,007 churches (only 30% come from the northeast and the west, only 3% are churches under 101, only 15% are "mainline" which suggest two possible things: one, the book is useless to 95% of American churches and/or two, it is a fair explanation of Christianity's impotence in America) they called in the top 5% and examined what they call "best practices." (Part 3)

Read it, pray about it, discuss it. This could change church in America as we know it.

Hawkins, Greg L. & Cally Parkinson. Move: What 1,000 Churches REVEAL about Spiritual Growth. Grand

Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Here is a dynamic book dealing with the question of a lack of true discipleship or what they call "spiritual growth" among professing Christians today. It shows that "increased church activity does not lead to spiritual growth" (25)--a lesson that all church leaders need to grasp more firmly today. Instead, "spiritual growth advances in lock step with a growing personal relationship with Christ" (126).

To that end, the authors propose a spiritual continuum to help people "move" spiritually by four major segments:

1. Exploring Christ

2. Growing in Christ

3. Close to Christ

4. Christ-centered

This book is filled with helps to move people forward so that true spiritual growth takes place. It also shows in a powerful way that the most effective way to encourage growth is "Hands down, no contest. When it comes to spiritual growth, nothing beats the Bible (167). How amazing it is that we are seeing that when it really comes down to it, what God says is the most important element in spiritual growth.

Not only do I recommend leaders not only reading this book but seeking to implement some of its findings but I will be using much of it to help our own congregation "move" ahead spiritually.

One difference this book could have made to those who are concerned that this is some kind of a new idea would have been to show the biblical basis for moving in this way from the way that Christ moved his disciples from first seeing who he was and then calling them to deeper discipleship and then moving them into leadership development.

This book is a humbling corrective for those of us who are used to the old church paradigm that more active participation and church ministry means spiritual growth. For some of us, this truth is somewhat known inwardly, but seldom practiced outwardly. Thus, for this reason, this study verbalizes many of our inner suspicions, that spiritual growth has less to do with what Church is doing or planning to do, but more about Christ. Everything is about Christ, for Christ, with Christ, toward Christ through Christ.

I admit that at some point of the book, I begin to feel the book is becoming overly scientific in its approach, and too prescriptive in rushing to provide some solutions. Given that books like these should aim toward providing some insights on spiritual growth, I think there needs to be a healthy complement of spirituality alongside the multitude of data. On one extreme, one can be inundated with information overload. On the other hand, what if the assumption of a measurable form of spiritual growth is wrong?

The approach taken by the author and the Willow Creek group makes me wonder if this book is Zondervan's response to another quite similar Church study done by B & H Publishing and Lifeway Researg, "Transformational Church." Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer in that book proposes a new 'scorecard' to DISCERN a missionary mentality, EMBRACE a culture of dynamic leadership, intentionality, and prayerful dependence, and ENGAGE the community in worship, community and mission. In contrast, "Move" proposes 4 best practices (4+1) with a leadership overwhelmingly focused on discipleship.

1) They get people moving

2) They embed the Bible in everything

3) They create ownership.

4) They pastor their local community.

Both Transformational Church and Move begins with a study of Churches, the former with over 700 while the latter with 1008 Churches. Both recognizes the outdated paradigms for measuring spiritual growth. TC calls it the 3Bs (Bodies, Budgets, and Buildings) while Move is more focused on the erroneous 'greater participation = greater growth' model. Both are similar in terms of their movement toward more Christ-centered, more biblical, and a need for transformation of the entire Church culture. Perhaps, the most pertinent portion of both books is the need for leadership.

In summary, I feel that Move does a decent job in consolidating the massive amount of data over 3 years, to come up with the four best practices. The author also admits that the model for REVEAL is based on Rudyard Kipling's 'six honest serving men' called What, Where, When, How, Why, and Who (195). It reminds us that if a rather 'successful' church like Willow Creek is honest enough to look and admit their own weaknesses, what about the rest of us?

This is a great book for Church leaders to study, and learn about what spiritual growth really means. While we can be humble about our approaches to doing church, we need to be even more humble to acknowledge that ultimately, for the Church, it is the Holy Spirit who is the Prime Mover, and unless the Holy Spirit moves, everything else will be futile.

Ratings: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

This book is provided to me free courtesy of Zondervan and NetGalley without any obligation of a positive review. The comments above are freely mine.

Disclaimer: I was on staff at a church that is one of the top "performers" in this study. I served there before, during, and just after they participated in the REVEAL study. Because of that, I know very personally how the study may be flawed and imperfect, and how some of its measurements may not be as accurate as one might think.

That said, you will not likely find, for a very long time, a more complete and detailed set of data to show us how people are growing (or not growing) in our Evangelical churches, and specifically what church leaders and pastors can actually do to move people along the continuum of growth that is very well laid out in this book. I think that even if the 4 levels of growth discussed and the 3 areas of movement between them are perhaps a touch simplified from reality (perhaps a better discussion of the stages of faith can be found here. [...]), still the data and conclusions are useful, in my opinion, to every community of faith.

Some of the insights the survey found are no surprise, but some are a huge revelation. I would not have guessed, for instance, that the longer a person who doesn't profess faith in Christ stays in a church, the less likely they are to ever make that decision! There are other nuggets of wisdom like that here, and in some cases, good ideas for ways that churches can employ to practically solve them and get their people moving and spiritually growing.

In short, this study will help Your church make disciples better. And that is worth about ten times the price of admission, in my opinion.

Move asks the tough questions that churches must answer. We've spent way too long making sure that our worship, our services, our small groups, our marketing and our innovative ministries are attractive - but what MOVE shows us is how ineffective these things can be in actually connecting people to Christ and helping them grow. It's not enough to get people to church - they need to be connected to God's word. That's where discipleship happens.

A few years ago Willow Creek was brave enough to go there. Now we know that some of what we saw at Willow holds true for churches across the country. The good news is, we now also see what is working based on top churches in the MOVE study. Every church leader should read MOVE - it's too important to miss. Even if a church is not in the Willow "camp" this is not about style or affiliation - it's about the Kingdom.