Willow Creek Church Barrington Il

Willow Creek Community Church

Willow Creek Community Church is an Evangelical non-denominational, multi-site megachurch. Its largest campus is located in the northwestern Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois. It was founded on October 12, 1975 by Dave Holmbo and Bill Hybels, who was its longtime senior pastor. As of February 2020, the church averaged 18,000 attendees each weekend at seven locations, down from a high of 25,000 in 2015. Willow Creek has seven locations in the Chicago area, and their Spanish-speaking congregation, Casa de Luz, meets at the South Barrington campus.

In 2018, the church’s entire senior leadership and elder board resigned, admitting to having mishandled abuse allegations against Hybels. Steve Gillen, the longtime pastor of the church’s North Shore campus, was named interim senior pastor in August 2018. In January 2020, it was announced that Gillen would step down in March and that the two candidates who were being considered for the role of senior pastor had been “released” from the search process. Dave Dummitt became senior pastor in June 2020.

The Layoffs Come As The Church Struggles To Rebound From Covid

Willow Creek Community Church, a Chicago megachurch that was one of the largest and most highly regarded congregations in the nation, will lay off 30% of its staff due to post-COVID-19 declines in attendance and giving.

Willow is about half of the size we were before COVID, which is right in line with churches across the country, Dave Dummitt, Willow Creek Community Church senior pastor, told his congregation in a video announcing the cuts. But as you can see, and as you can imagine, that has fiscal impactions.

Founded in the mid-1970s, Willow Creek grew from a start-up congregation meeting in a movie theater to one of the most influential Protestant congregations in the United States, drawing more than 25,000 worshippers weekly by 2017, according to Outreach Magazine.

But the church has struggled in recent years after the resignation of co-founder Bill Hybels, who was accused of sexual harassment and abuse of power. The co-pastors who succeeded Hybels also resigned not long afterward, followed by the entire church elder board.

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Hybels has denied any wrongdoing. A 2019 investigation by a group of outside Christian leaders found the allegation against him credible.

Pastor Bill Hybels, the former senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, in Washington on July 1, 2010.

Willow also laid off staff in 2019 and 2020.

This story has been updated. Dummitt started as pastor of Willow in 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions About Willow Creek Community Church

What forms of payment are accepted?

Willow Creek Community Church-South Barrington accepts credit cards.

How is Willow Creek Community Church-South Barrington rated?

Willow Creek Community Church-South Barrington has 4 stars.

What days are Willow Creek Community Church-South Barrington open?

Willow Creek Community Church-South Barrington is open Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun.

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See Willow Creek Community Church

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If your event is canceled, we will notify you as soon as possible. You may havethe option of accepting either a voucher good for 110% of the value of your original purchase, lessapplicable delivery fees , or a refund of youroriginal purchase price, less applicable delivery fees.

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Where Can I Find Tickets To See A Chris Tomlin Concert At Willow Creek Community Church

Tickets to see Chris Tomlin live in concert at the Willow Creek Community Church – South Barrington can be found in the ticket listings above with the lowest prices located at the top of our ticket listings and the highest-priced tickets at the bottom of our ticket listings. You will find tickets in almost every section and row for a Chris Tomlin concert at the Willow Creek Community Church – South Barrington.

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Willow Creek Announces Abuse Allegations Against Church Co

Willow Creek Community Church co-founder Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian is believed to have “engaged in inappropriate behavior” according to an email sent to all the church staff by acting Senior Pastor Steve Gillen.

Bilezikian, widely known as “Dr. B.” was a mentor to church founder Bill Hybels. Hybels founded the Willow Creek Church located in South Barrington, IL in 1975. At present, the church has seven locations throughout the Chicago area.

Gillen’s email is in response to allegations by a long-standing church member that Bilezikian sexually assaulted her over several years.

She told her full story in a Facebook post dated Jan. 25, including the fact she first notified church leadership in 2010 but was disappointed by their response and lack of action.

Gillen addressed the allegations posted over the weekend in his email to the staff writing, “while there are circumstances of the case that should have been handled differently, I believe our staff has taken these allegations of misconduct seriously.”

He also asked his staff to pray for the woman and her family.

In an email to the Religion News Service on Tuesday, Bilezikian said he denied the allegations against him. He also forwarded an email message he said he sent to Willow Creek’s interim pastor, saying that the church had violated the Bible’s teaching on dealing with accusations against fellow Christians.

The elders also noted in their online post that leaders in the church must be held to a higher standard.

All The Events Happening At Willow Creek Community Church 2022

Discover all 2 upcoming concerts scheduled in 2022-2023 at Willow Creek Community Church.

Willow Creek Community Church hosts concerts for a wide range of genres from artists such as Natalie Grant, Danny Gokey, and Tauren Wells, having previously welcomed the likes of Casting Crowns, Phil Wickham, and Pat Barrett.

Browse the list of upcoming concerts, and if you cant find your favourite artist, track them and let Songkick tell you when they are next in your area.

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Current Series: Love Like Jesus

The world often asks us to choose sides: its either left or right, pro or anti, for you or against you. But just as we are faced with these decisions to determine our position, Jesus was challenged with the same: What commandment is the greatest? Who is my neighbor? Who is the greatest in the Kingdom? The law says to stone the woman what do you say?

When you study His answers, you realize He chose a third option: love.

Willow Creek Cuts Staff Amid Steep Drop In Attendance

Willow Creek Community Church is cutting staffagainamid a steep drop in attendance and giving, the megachurch has announced.

In a May 9 video message to the congregation, Pastor Dave Dummitt said the church was about half the size we were before COVID . . . and as you can imagine that has financial implications. He said leadership would be working to right-size our budget going into next year.

Dummitt said almost three-quarters of Willow Creeks operating budget was devoted to staffing. The rule of thumb for healthy churches is to maintain staffing costs at or below 50%, he said.

An update posted today on the churchs website states that staff were told May 4 that some positions would be eliminated. Leaders met with staffers Monday, Tuesday, and today to tell each one whether their position would remain, change, or be cut, according to the update.

The cuts will result in $6.5 million in savings, according to todays statement, and staff costs will make up 52% of the churchs overall budget next year.

Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Wounded Faith, edited by Rev. Dr. Neil Damgaard. To donate, .

Liz Schauer, a Willow Creek spokeswoman, said the latest cuts arent happening immediately.

For people with roles that were eliminated, they have transition timelines that are in playwe want to close out work well and have time to thank and honor the staff who have served, Schauer told The Roys Report by email.

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Willow Creek Community Church Company History Timeline

Incorporating contemporary music, drama, and multimedia technology, the new congregation first met on October 12, 1975, in Palatine’s Willow Creek Theater.

On October 12, 1975, the church met for the first time, renting Willow Creek Theater in Palatine, Illinois.

In 1975 leaders of Son City, a successful youth program at Park Ridge’s South Park Church, decided to create a new ministry for unchurched adults.

In 1975, he and his leadership team opened a new church, naming it after the space they rented: Willow Creek Theater in Palatine, a residential suburb of Chicago.

Bilezikian has been “credited with Willow Creeks inclusion of women in its highest levels of leadership”. In 1977, the church purchased 90 acres in South Barrington to build its own building.

The first service was held in the new building in February 1981.

In 1992, Hybels launched the Willow Creek Association to link and resource thousands of like-minded churches.

In 1995, he began the Global Leadership Summit, an annual training event for hundreds of thousands of ministry leaders.

President Obama, who was the first sitting president to visit a federal prison, on December 19, 2016, granted clemency to 231 people, the most ever by a president on a single day.

On April 10, 2018, following allegations of sexual abuse, Bill Hybels announced his immediate resignation as senior pastor of the church he had previously planned to retire in October of that year.

The 2018 Summit begins today.

Willow Creek And Harvest Struggle To Move On

Its been 22 months since Bill Hybels resigned from Willow Creek Community Church, and the Chicago-area megachurchone of the biggest in the countryis still without a senior pastor.

The multisite congregation, once celebrated as a model and training ground for Christian leaders, has struggled to transition to steady leadership in the aftermathleaving the well-being of its eight locations and thousands of congregants at stake as attendance and tithes dip.

In the fallout of Hybelss departure over sexual misconduct allegations, the esteemed megachurch lost other top leaders: The churchs elders, as well as Steve Carter and Heather Larson, who were slated to be Hybelss heirs, resigned the same year. Steve Gillen, who has served as interim senior pastor since then, recently announced his plans to step down next month.

And theres no successor in sight. The new elders said in late January that after narrowing a months-long search down to two senior pastor candidates, they decided to release both and start over.

The elder board has passed its goal of naming a senior pastor by the end of 2019 but hasnt announced a public timeline for the continued search, only stating that filling this pastoral role is the top priority.

The current tumult at Willow Creek and at its greater Chicago neighbor, Harvest Bible Chapel, showcase how long lasting the effects of a fallen pastor can be.

Dear Bill Hybels, tweeted …

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Elders & Policy Governance

Throughout the New Testament, principles of church leadership point to a central theme: plurality. We believe churches are best led with multiple leaders and good systems of accountability. Our Elder Board is a team of volunteers who provide spiritual oversight, direction, and leadership for the church. They entrust the implementation of that direction to ministry leaders and staff, under the leadership of the senior pastor. This system of organizational leadership, known as Policy Governance, allows the Elders to focus their gifts and time on their biblical mandate to lead and shepherd the church, while allowing ministry leaders the opportunity to maximize their gifts and talents as they lead their ministries and make practical decisions on how to implement and carry out the direction provided by the Elders. Learn more about our Elders and Policy Governance here.

Stories Of Worship Chris Tomlin

Friday, March 3, 2023Willow South Barrington

Join us for a fantastic night of worship with Chris Tomlin. Get your seats now using Willows special online presale promo code ALWAYS for an extra $5 off November 6 through November 11.

New Date: Thursday, April 13, 2023New Location:9S200 Illinois Rte 59Naperville, IL 60564

Due to unforeseen issues related to Hurricane Ian, Tauren Wells had to reschedule fall tour dates and locations. All tickets for the November 18 show at Willow South Barrington will be honored at the new show date and location. If you wish to go to the rescheduled date no further action is needed. If you cannot make the new date, email with your order number for refund options. If you purchased tickets in person in the lobby at South Barrington or in the cafe, please contact for refund information.

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Do I Need To Print My Chris Tomlin At Willow Creek Community Church

After you purchase your Chris Tomlin tickets for the Willow Creek Community Church – South Barrington concert, you will receive instructions on how to download or print your tickets. For most Chris Tomlin concerts at the Willow Creek Community Church – South Barrington, you will need a mobile phone to gain entry with mobile tickets.

Join Us This Fall For A Rooted Womens Group

Rooted is a 10-week small group experience designed to connect you to God, the church and your purpose. Together, in a small group, you will explore the Bible, engage in prayer and service experiences, share stories and practice truths essential to a healthy spiritual life.

Each Womens Class hosts a network of small groups that meet weekly throughout the semester to study the scriptures and grow in relationship with Jesus and one another. You will be assigned to a specific small group within the larger class structure. Please contact your Groups Pastor, Lauren Menzer with any questions you may have about Womens classes, Rooted, or taking a next step at Willow Creek!

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Misconduct Allegations And Resignations

On March 23, 2018, the Chicago Tribune published an article detailing allegations of sexual misconduct by former Senior Pastor Bill Hybels spanning decades, including a prolonged affair with a married woman, though this was retracted by the woman herself. The Tribune wrote that elders of Willow Creek had conducted an internal review of Hybels’ behavior which led to no findings of misconduct, leading to the resignations of at least three leaders of the Willow Creek Associations board over what they believed to be an insufficient inquiry. All accusations have been denied by Hybels.

Hybels had planned to retire in October 2018, to focus his energy on the Willow Creek Association. On April 10, 2018, Hybels announced that he was resigning effective immediately, stating he didn’t want to be a distraction to the church’s ministry. He also announced he would leave the board of the Willow Creek Association and would no longer lead Willow Creeks Global Leadership Summit.

On April 21, 2018, the Chicago Tribune and Christianity Today reported more misconduct allegations not included in the initial investigation. Church elders received reports of other unwanted sexual comments and advances by Hybels that not been previously investigated by the elder board. The elders indicated they would seek wise counsel and work with experts to investigate the allegations, developing a collaborative process.

How To Buy Chris Tomlin Tickets For A Concert At Willow Creek Community Church

Browse for Chris Tomlin concert tickets at the Willow Creek Community Church – South Barrington in Barrington, IL for upcoming show dates on the Willow Creek Community Church – South Barrington concert schedule in our ticket listings above for the concert that you would like to attend. Choose the tickets for the live music concert from our inventory. Proceed to checkout. You will get an email on how to download your Chris Tomlin at Willow Creek Community Church – South Barrington concert tickets or receive an estimated shipping date.

All Chris Tomlin Willow Creek Community Church – South Barrington ticket sales are 100% guaranteed and your seats for the concert be in the section and row that you purchase.

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What To Expect

Welcome to Willow South Barrington! We are passionate about loving God, loving others, and changing the worldespecially within our own city. Each weekend we gather to worship and learn from Gods Word, but we believe church is much more than a one-hour event. The relationships formed through volunteering and small groups provide the ideal place to truly belong, celebrate the joys of life, weather the storms together, and become who God made you to be. Wherever you find yourself in life or faith, we hope your first step will be checking out Willow South Barrington!

There are three entrances to Willow South BarringtonAlgonquin Road, Barrington Road, and Mundhank Road. We recommend parking in our D and E lots if youre a first time guest. No matter what road entrance you come in, our traffic team will gladly point you in the right direction!

We are here to help as much as you need! If you like to find your own way, youre more than welcome to go straight into our Main Auditorium or Atrium and sit wherever you like. If you have children, connect with one of our volunteers in the lobby who will help you get to the right Next Gen ministry . Staff and volunteers are standing by in our Next Steps room to help you get connectedor you can fill out our digital connect card before you come!

Building Open Hours: