The Seekers’ Service/believers’ Worship Movement

A central feature of the seekers' service/believers' worship movement is the clear distinction it makes between outreach services (called seekers' services) and services designed for believers (believers' worship). This approach to renewal, pioneered by Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, now commands a worldwide following. Willow Creek Community Church began with a vision for a new relevance for God's church today. It originated from a small youth group in South Park Church in Park Ridge, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. This high school group was called Son City. Bill Hybels, a student at Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois, in the early 1970s, began developing Son City for unbelievers and Son Village for believers. With him was a core of committed students who shared his vision for reaching their friends with the gospel in new ways. Within a few years, the ministry numbered in the hundreds. After his graduation from college, Hybels, in conju…