A GENERATION BEYOND WILLOW CREEK
Reaching Austin Al and Alice
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___SAN ANTONIO--If you want to reach young adults with the gospel today, don't copy the model of Willow Creek Community Church, a Texas church starter advised.
___The Willow Creek model, which has been studied and adapted by thousands of churches nationwide, was cutting-edge 25 years ago when it was launched by Bill Hybels as a means of reaching what he called "Unchurched Harry and Mary." Hybels and Willow Creek pioneered a highly successful means of reaching baby boomers with the gospel.
___But boomers aren't young adults anymore, noted Brian Lightsey, pastor of Lakeline Church in Austin and a speaker at the Innovative Church Conference in San Antonio Jan. 29. The session was part of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Evangelism Conference.
___"The Willow Creek model was based on needs 25 years ago," explained Lightsey, who affirmed what Willow Creek has done in its context. Hybels accurately determined that boomers were seeking to confirm the reality of God. So he crafted a low-participation church environment centered on detailed sermons seeking to answer the question "Is God real?"
___Young adults today, however, are asking a different question, Lightsey said. "The question now is, 'Which God is real?'"
___Also, young adults today are attracted by a high-participation style of worship, he added.
___At Lakeline, a contemporary church in North Austin mainly reaching people in their 20s and 30s, the Willow Creek concept has been adapted into a new generation to reach what Lightsey calls "Austin Al and Alice."
___Most Texas Baptist churches are not reaching Austin Al and Alice because they have not adapted to change, Lightsey said. "It is hard to connect with the unchurched because times have changed and changing times change people.
___"To connect with the unchurched, we must understand the times and change accordingly," Lightsey said.
___This does not mean changing the gospel, watering it down or lessening biblical authority, he asserted. Rather, it means changing the way the church presents the message.
___To explain how Lakeline is meeting this challenge, he presented 10 characteristics of Austin Al and Alice, adapted from the Willow Creek book "Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary."
___First, Austin Al and Alice "might reject the church, but they probably accept God," Lightsey said, noting polls that have found 90 percent of Americans say they believe in God but only about 30 percent regularly attend church.
___Second, Al and Alice are open to hearing about Jesus Christ but they are proud that they tolerate other religions.
___This is one of the most difficult barriers for the Christian church to overcome in witnessing to young adults today, Lightsey noted. "When you talk to them about the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, they accuse you of religious bigotry."
___A good way to overcome this is to help them see the distinction between tolerance and validity, he said, explaining that Christians should be tolerant of all religions, even if they cannot affirm the validity of those beliefs.
___"Most Americans have never really thought about what they believe," Lightsey said. "Begin by showing them the inconsistencies in their beliefs. They eventually realize they have to pick one."
___Third, Austin Al and Alice might not want church for themselves, but they want moral teaching for their children.
___"Al and Alice probably received some religious training when they were young" and look back to that as a source of moral education, he said. "Latch onto that and say, 'You know the church has validity.'"
___Fifth, Al and Alice resist rules but respond to reasons.
___"They don't like to be told what to do," Lightsey said. "You can't just say, 'The Bible says.' You have to lay out underlying reasons behind the Scriptures."
___For example, he recently preached a sermon series on the how, what and why of the Ten Commandments. "Don't just tell them what to do; tell them why."
___Sixth, Al and Alice don't ask "Is it true?" but do ask "Does it work?"
___"You have to show them that Christianity works," Lightsey said. "Talk about relevant life issues."
___Seventh, Al and Alice are not loyal to labels, but they are attracted to places where their needs can be met.
___Lightsey said he meets almost weekly people visiting his church who say they are "just shopping around."
___Eighth, Al and Alice distrust authority but are open to authentic biblical leadership.
___Pastors must understand that the image of the ministry has been tainted by high-profile failings of televangelists and others, Lightsey said. "People look at religious leaders no differently than they look at political figures."
___What they will respond to however, is servant leadership, Lightsey said.
___Ninth, Al and Alice "don't want to join an organization but do want to connect with a great cause," he said, noting a national poll that found 20 percent of unchurched adults said they would participate in a church they believe worked to make the world a better place."
___This requires contemporary churches to blend evangelism and social ministry, Lightsey suggested.
___Finally, Al and Alice probably would go to church if someone invited them, he said. "But too few Christians try to reach out to them and too few churches try to adjust their style to connect with them."
___This does not mean every traditional church ought to become a contemporary or innovative church, Lightsey said. "There will always be a place for the traditional church. But there needs to be a variety of choices."
Where to learn more
___ "Inside the Soul of a New Generation," by Tim Celek and Dieter Zander.
___ "Starting a Seeker-Sensitive Service: How Traditional Churches Can Reach the Unchurched," by Ed Dobson.
___ "Sacred Cows Make Gourmet Burgers," by William Easum.
___ "Growing Spiritual Redwoods," by William Easum and Tom Bandy.
___ "ChurchNext: Quantum Changes in How We Do Ministry," by Eddie Gibbs.
___ "Church for the Unchurched," by George Hunter.
___ "Faith Quakes," by Leonard Sweet.
___ "AquaChurch: Essential Leadership Arts for Piloting Your Church in Today's Fluid Culture," by Leonard Sweet.
___ "The Purpose-Driven Church," by Rick Warren.
The Baptist Standard
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