REVEAL Blog

REVEAL in action at Granger Community Church

Wow. For the REVEAL team, the 2008 Leadership Summit was a great encouragement. From Bill’s “Facts are Your Friends” message on Day 1, to Chuck Colson’s whole-hearted endorsement on Day 2, and even a reference to REVEAL by Best Buy’s CEO Brad Anderson – the Summit was inspiring in many different ways.

The high point for me was our REVEAL Lunch Q&A with Tim Stevens, Executive Pastor from Granger Community Church. Granger took the REVEAL survey in January 2008.  Tim wrote in his blog about the impact of REVEAL on Granger’s decisions to reinvent significant areas of ministry, including weekend services. He graciously agreed to share highlights from Granger’s REVEAL report and the decisions that followed. The video of our conversation is available at the Summit Next Steps website.  You can download the slides from Granger's report so you can follow along with the video. Download reveal_granger_slides.ppt

My dream for REVEAL is that it will help advance the Kingdom by putting “facts”, generated by the finest research tools available, in the hands of local church pastors. The jury is still out on whether or not pastors will want to see the facts by having their own church take the survey.

The Granger story is encouraging because it’s such a great example of what can happen when facts are REVEALed (☺).

Cally

REVEAL Gives Birth!

It won't grab the kind of headlines we saw recently about the birth of Angelina Jolie's twins.  But for those of us at REVEAL, this is a spectacular, fireworks-worthy milestone.

The REVEAL Spiritual Life Survey is born!  It's finally available to any church that wants to use it to gauge the spiritual health of its congregation.  After four years of refining survey language; drafting and redrafting the report about church findings; building the operational platform to process the surveys and reports; and testing it with 500 churches and 157,000 people...we are now done.  The survey is just a click away for any church in the U.S. and Canada, priced in different tiers based on church size and available for fielding to church congregations starting after Labor Day.

I invite you to check out all the survey information on the web site.  I especially encourage you to check out the 90+ statements from church leaders all over the country who experienced REVEAL during our laast phase of development.  Here's one of my favorites, from Good Shepherd UMC in Missouri:

"I was surprised about our results until I dug down deep.  I realized that we were providing our members what we thought they needed for spiritual growth, rather than listening to how the Spirit was speaking to them."

This is what REVEAL is all about -- bringing pastors insights about the spiritual needs of their church directly from the hearts of their people.

So -- Happy Birthday, REVEAL!  Here's to a long life of blessing the local church -- not with data and charts, but with facts.  Facts about what we're doing to help people grow spiritually.  And what we're doing that gets in the way.

Take a look at the web site. I'd love your feedback.

Cally

REVEAL in the Wall Street Journal

REVEAL has been referenced in two articles in the Wall Street Journal -- one article last Friday and one just this Thursday.

I bring this up because they offer me a chance to draw attention to a key fact about REVEAL that many miss and which frankly drives me a little crazy.

Both articles suggest that REVEAL and its findings are exclusive to Willow Creek. This is not true and in fact misses the whole point of REVEAL.

If a church leader thinks the findings from REVEAL apply only to Willow – at best, all they can say is “how interesting for Willow.”  But, if they realize that the findings from REVEAL hold true across 420 churches of a cross section of sizes, denominations, and regions of the country – then they can wrestle with the findings from REVEAL and have a new lens to look at their own church and make better-informed decisions.

Check out our REVEAL FAQs for the demographic profile of the 420 churches and you’ll see they include a large percentage of churches that consider themselves “seeker-friendly” and/or “evangelical”.  But the flip-side is that a large percentage DON’T identify with those labels. You’ll also see solid diversity in geography, size and denomination. 

Admittedly, 420 churches represent a fraction of the thousands of churches in the United States. Nonetheless I’ve seen no church congregation that doesn’t include the four segments of the spiritual continuum (Exploring Christ, Growing in Christ, Close to Christ and Christ-Centered). I’ve also seen no church congregation without a healthy share of “stalled” and/or “dissatisfied” people in their midst.

What am I saying? It’s hard to deny that Willow is the poster child for REVEAL, since it was within the Willow congregation that we first discovered the REVEAL “lens” for understanding what drives spiritual growth. 

But it would be a mistake to dismiss the findings as relevant only to Willow, or “seeker model” churches, or evangelical churches.

This Sunday I would invite you to look around the congregation at your own church and ask yourself the question – what would REVEAL “reveal” about them?

I’d wager lots of money that every pastor will be looking into the eyes of people at every stage of the spiritual continuum, and also a good number of people who are “stalled” and/or “dissatisfied”.

Do you disagree?  I’d love to hear your perspective. 

 

We're Back!

Saturday marks the four-month anniversary of our last REVEAL blog post. Wow. Where have we been?!

Well, we’ve been busy – unfortunately, too busy to be the kind of conversation partner that we intended to be when we started this blog. Now, we’re back with an update on what we’ve been working on since you last heard from us.

First, we have a new book, Follow Me, which will definitely stir up some spirited dialogue.  This book is all about what drives – and derails – spiritual growth based on a database of 200 churches and 80,000 congregants. We identified those core beliefs, church activities, spiritual practices, etc. that really catalyze movement from one phase of spiritual maturity to another. I think you’ll find the insights fascinating and I’d love to hear your reactions.

Second, we’re very excited about the REVEAL Conference. On October 14-15, 2008, we’ll feature sixteen churches that ranked in the top 5% of those in REVEAL’s database regarding spiritual “effectiveness.” (Link)

Finally, we’re getting ready to launch the REVEAL Spiritual Life Survey as a resource for all churches to use. More on that to come next month.

Now we’re going to make up for lost time! You can check out our video page to hear Jim Mellado interview Bill Hybels about some of the “buzz” and misinformation swirling around the blogosphere about REVEAL and Willow Creek.  The Out of Ur blog site just posted a reaction to this interview today.  We really appreciated what Marshall Shelley editor of Leadership journal, had to say.

And we also just posted a short video of comments about REVEAL made by Nancy Beach at the recent WCA Arts Conference. Check it out.

So, we’re back – and we want to hear from you. Read the books and watch the videos and let us know what you think.

We’re all in this together – trying in our limited, flawed ways to do the best we can to advance God’s kingdom while we’re here on this planet. We hope we can help you, and we know you can help us.

Bradley Wright Podcast

A few weeks ago, we invited Professor Bradley Wright to join us for a conversation about REVEAL's methodology.  Wright is a professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut who wrote an 11-part series of posts on his blog about the REVEAL study from his perspective as a sociologist.

We enjoyed our time with Bradley talking over the research behind REVEAL and benefited from his insight and suggestions.  After a few hours of great conversation, we sat with Bradley to record a podcast. 

On the podcast, Greg Hawkins gives an update on REVEAL, then I have the privilege of introducing our newest team member Terry Schweizer, Director of Research & Development for REVEAL.  Next, Terry interviewed Professor Wright and Eric Arnson, a contributor to the REVEAL book and our chief researcher.  Their discussion was informed by the questions we've received about REVEAL's methodology and comments that have been posted on various blogs.

We enjoyed our discussion with Bradley and hope you will as well.

Our March podcast will feature a conversation between Greg Hawkins and John Burke, Lead Pastor of Gateway Church in Austin, Texas.  Gateway was one of the 500 churches we surveyed recently and John will be sharing his experiences in leading his congregation through the survey and processing the results and their implications for his church.

Let us know if you have any questions that you'd like for Greg or John to answer.

We love hearing from you,

Cally

REVEAL Podcast Links:

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     Listen or Watch Podcast without Subscribing

Fuller Board and Reveal

Last Monday I had the privilege of presenting an overview of Reveal findings to the Fuller Seminary Board of Trustees. There was also numerous faculty and staff members present. We had a great 90 minute exchange of ideas and I found the group to be very supportive of our work. In addition to the standard Reveal stuff,  I shared some early findings from the research we just completed in November with 200 congregations. The new stuff is very powerful and I look forward to showing more of you that during one of our upcoming On the Road workshops.

On the way back home from California, I reflected on my visit and was strongly aware of three things. First, I was overwhelmed by how encouraging people were to our research. I really sensed lots of common ground and support. Many people came up to me afterward and offered their help. That was nice and unexpected.

Second, I was so aware that we are only touching the surface of understanding. For many of the questions asked, I did not have a ready answer, but I knew we had the data back home to analyze and arrive at an answer. The next year spent analyzing that data is going to be incredible.

And finally, I felt so excited. It was so clear that many people are asking the same question - how can we catalyze people's spiritual growth? I felt honored to be a part of the bigger question and to be involved in work the Holy Spirit is fueling all over the world. Humbling, challenging and exciting at the same time.

A year ago we had survey results from 7 churches and were thinking about writing a small book. A year later I am in front of some great men and women of faith discussing how people grow spiritually, based on research in 230 congregations. Only God.

Blessings

Greg

REVEAL Conference

This week we had our first planning session for the Reveal Conference scheduled for October 14, 15 at the Willow Creek campus. The conference will be a true "best practices" event, showcasing churches who are doing a great job helping their congregants advance along the spiritual journey. In addition to the main sessions, we will have several breakout tracks that focus on specific best practices across the church, like spiritual practices, worship, bible study, mentoring. In addition, we will highlight best practices from great small churches, denominational churches, urban churches, etc. The selection of the featured churches and speakers will be based on the results of the 600 churches we are currently surveying (it was going to be 500, but it grew).

I am particularly excited for this event because what you will hear is not based on our opinion of who has a great church, it will be based on the facts. So that should create some interesting conversations. And the other thing you will find is that it is not about one model of ministry. Several models of ministry appear to be effective in helping people become more like Christ.

As the weeks progress we will give you updates on speakers and breakouts. I wanted you to reserve the date. And it would be good to hear from you regarding the topics that would be most interesting to you. What area of church life are you needing the most help with? Maybe we can find a great church that is succeeding in that area and highlight them.

And stay tuned for our Spring On the Road dates. Should have those posted by end of week.

Blessings.

Greg

What Does REVEAL reveal?

REVEAL’s methodology has recently gotten some attention in the Blogosphere mostly due to Sociology professor Bradley Wright’s thoughtful 11-part treatment on his blog. 

If you have any questions about the nuts-‘n-bolts of REVEAL’s research approach, I encourage you to share them here in the comments. The last week in January, we will interview our two key researchers, Eric Arnson and Terry Schweizer for the REVEAL podcast.  They’ll answer your questions and we’ve also invited Bradley Wright to join them for a detailed discussion about the issues he raises in his posts.  (Update: Bradley is working out some scheduling issues and it looks like he’ll be able to make it)

In the meantime, I have some initial responses to Professor Wright’s blog posts I hope will answer some basic questions people are having.  Know that I have great respect for the thoroughness of his academic overview and insights.  I think he does a terrific job describing REVEAL’s research from the lens of a social scientist.

Who does REVEAL serve?

REVEAL’s intended audience is senior pastors, and our goal is to give them a tool akin to the finest available in the secular world to help them better understand their congregation and make the best decisions possible to advance God’s kingdom in their local church. 

If REVEAL were primarily intended for social scientists, our research approach would have been very different.  Our goal has not been to create an empirical view of spiritual growth based on randomized, longitudinal samples as suggested by Professor Wright. We plan to do that eventually, but it’s not our primary aim. Our current goal is to help senior pastors gain important insight real-time…today…not years from now.

Reaction from pastors in the 200 churches has affirmed our sense that these results have much to offer.  More than once, we’ve heard pastors say things like “I had a feeling this is where my people are, but now I have evidence to back it up”. 

We hear from many pastors that having the results from REVEAL in black and white can be a call to action.  In February, we will interview a few senior pastors whose churches have taken part in REVEAL to hear their perspectives on how REVEAL’s findings have impacted their ministry.

Why Marketplace Research instead of Social Science Research?

In the marketplace, where I first experienced the power of this kind of research, we did not wait for longitudinal data, which can take years. We did “point-in-time” research – or, as Professor Wright refers to it, “cross-sectional” research – capturing people’s attitudes, motivations, behaviors, and needs regarding our products/services at a singular moment.

From that “point in time,” we extrapolated a hypothesis about how the market worked and where we fit into that market, based on customer needs. Then we made decisions. The power of this point-in-time “attitude-and-behavior-based” research is evident in the extraordinary success of organizations that rely on it.

The goal of REVEAL is to put “attitude-and-behavior-based” knowledge in the hands of senior pastors as input into their prayerful decision-making. That’s what REVEAL is all about – informing decisions based on “applied” marketplace research.

What’s Next for REVEAL?

Stay tuned for more REVEAL findings. We have a long-term commitment to understanding spiritual growth and our view is growing and changing as we add to our database (we now have over 60,000 responses from 200 churches).  We’ll add an additional 300 churches in the next two months including 100 international churches.

In the meantime, we are confident that REVEAL’s methodology reflects the same high analytic standards that have inspired countless success stories in organizations around the world. Our hope is that we’ll provide that same level of insight to churches, large and small, and that we’ll all learn together what God wants to reveal to us.

We are also hopeful, as Professor Wright concluded at the end of his 11-part series on REVEAL “…that REVEAL will be looked upon as an important step in the American Christian Church discovering the value of empirical data.”

First Podcast of '08

Our second podcast is now posted and it’s one I hope you don’t miss. I give a brief overview of some of the things we are working on in 2008, including the new Reveal Conference which will be held on October 14 & 15 here at Willow Creek. (In the podcast I mention that it will be October 22, 23 but we just finalized the date and it is on the 14th and 15th).

The rest of the podcast is an interview with me, Cally Parkinson and Eric Arnson. Cally and Eric were the co-authors of REVEAL and are vital members of the Reveal team. I think you will find the conversation informative and will hopefully give you a window into why this work is so important to the three of us.

REVEAL Podcast Links:
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Listen or Watch Podcast without Subscribing

2008 will be a big year for Reveal. I really do hope you join us for the ride.

Blessings,

Greg

Ten “REVEALing” Blog Posts from 2007

In 2007 we launched REVEAL, not just as a book, but a research-based conversation about spiritual growth and the role the church plays in it.  This conversation took off in the Blogosphere.  We were fascinated to see the findings of REVEAL discussed in blogs around the globe by pastors, theologians, church leaders, and students. 

Like you, we followed the discussion online. There were times we were surprised by misinformation or harsh rhetoric. But there were many more times we were encouraged to find in a blog post or comment, that we are not alone in trying to wrestle with how people grow closer to Christ, and also trying to be brutally honest about what is working and what isn’t. 

We’ve compiled a list of 10 Blog Posts about REVEAL from 2007.  These are the posts we enjoyed the most because they sparked great dialogue, reflected a deep engagement in the core questions REVEAL asks, or simply introduced us to someone else who is prayerfully seeking to be faithful to Christ’s call to make true disciples.

We want to keep this dialogue going in 2008, so send us your thoughts and questions and we’ll keep you up-to-date on what’s happening at REVEAL.

Cally 

1. Jesus Creed: Scot McKnight

Scot’s the professor we all wish we had and a thinker we deeply respect.  He and his family attend Willow. We enjoy being in community with him because he asks tough questions and is a wise and thoughtful follower of Christ. Scot’s post offers a counter balance to the major criticisms of the study in Scot’s classic style. 

2. evotional: Mark Batterson

We love hearing how the REVEAL book has been catalytic for churches that haven’t even taken the survey yet.  Mark is the innovative pastor of National CommunityChurch in Washington D.C. and he is a leader and emerging voice in the Church that we greatly respect. His post explains how the REVEAL research inspired his opening message series of 2008.

3. Father Henry’s Blog: St. Mary's Episcopal Church

We loved this blog post where Father Henry Jansma shares his excitement at St. Mary’s from Haddon Heights, NJ being chosen as one of the 500 REVEAL Churches.

4. Gospel Communication’s Think Christian Blog: Chris Salzman

Chris’s post is a concise play-by-play addressing a quotation inappropriately attributed to Bill Hybels.  Chris begins the article by referencing another Think Christian post about how the blogosphere can be like a giant game of telephone—tell us about it :)

5. Live Intentionally: Paul Steinbrueck

Paul’s blog post about REVEAL may have been the first ever.  He is the CEO of OurChurch.com.

6. Leadership Network’s Monday Morning Insight: Todd Rhoades

Our friends at Leadership Network coin an unfortunate new word “REVEALSQUEAL” as they discuss the flurry of discussion and controversy online related to REVEAL.

7. Because People Matter: Mark Waltz

Mark is a pastor at Granger Community Church. We were struck by his passion and his thoughtful comments.

8.  Tony Morgan

Tony is an author and pastor at NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC. Like many bloggers, he read the REVEAL book and posted some quotes he found interesting.  We love hearing how people respond to the REVEAL book and share their thoughts with others.

9. Elle Pyke

Elle is a student at Emmanuel Bible College in Ontario, Canada. We found her post to be engaging and refreshing.  We love hearing about how students are reacting to REVEAL and wrestling with what it really means to pursue the Kingdom.  We are inspired by their hopes and dreams for the church.

10. Missional Muse: Derek Maxson

We don’t know much about Derek, but we appreciate his hard work.  He posted his notes from REVEAL-on-the-Road and even scanned in some of the handouts.  We look forward to going on the road again in 2008 with findings from the 500 churches we will have surveyed since last year’s tour.

Extra:

Bradley Wright

Bradley is an associate professor at the University of Connecticut where he studies the sociology of Christianity.  He wrote a detailed series of 11 posts on REVEAL where he discusses methodological aspects of the research from a sociological perspective and areas where he would like to see the survey improved.  We plan to engage with Bradley’s thoughts and others who had questions about our methodology later this year, but we couldn’t wait till then to mention his thoughtful and balanced posts.  We were honored by Bradley’s commitment to look deeply at the foundation of REVEAL’s research. We approach our research from a different discipline than sociology, but we found great food-for-thought in his posts.  He’s our kinda people :)