INVITE FRIENDS & FAMILY

God has been on the move in and through Willow.

We’ve seen Him in our big moments together, as we celebrated Easter, Christmas, baptisms, and Celebration of Hope. We’ve experienced His faithfulness in the unseen moments of prayers being answered, strongholds being broken, and lives being changed. As we end 2023, we thank God for all He has done and look forward to all He has in store.

A Letter From Pastor Dave

“It is hard to believe that we are already in 2024. As we look back on 2023, we are celebrating all God has done in and through our church!

We are seeing so much growth, health, and momentum:

  • In September over 11,000 people enjoyed foods and customs from all over the world during our World Food Fair.
  • Our North Shore campus has grown so much that they launched a second Sunday worship service!
  • Our Huntley campus opened an incredible new playground that is available to the public seven days a week.
  • More than 27,000 people attended Christmas at Willow.
  • And we now have over 3,500 people on our serving teams across all of our campuses.”

Read more »

A Snapshot of God on the Move!

Kids & Students

  • 2,509kids & students served each weekend
  • 177students baptized
  • 64kids baptized
"My kid loves coming to Willow Kids! As soon as we get out of the car he races inside to get to his room. HIs small group leader does a great job of knowing what is going on in his life and we are thankful for the Godly influences."
—Willow Kids Parent
“My kindergartener has developed friendships in Willow Kids, and he loves coming to church and learning about Jesus! He absolutely LOVES reading his Bible - he asks to read it every night. Thank you to the small group leaders for investing in our kids and partnering with us parents as we try to raise up kids who love Jesus! You are making a difference in the lives of these kids."
—Willow Kids Parent
"Being a leader wasn't something I thought of doing at first. My student pastor, Pat, challenged me to take that next step, and I'm so grateful he did. I serve in our student ministries with some fantastic people. Watching these students grow in ways I couldn't even imagine has been genuinely inspiring. Whether it's seeing them come out of their shell and attend a service or getting baptized, I'm seeing God move within them every which way. It has been a blessing to be the product of some fantastic leadership given to me by the church. I wouldn't be the man I am today without the small group leaders God put in my life. I know firsthand the power of volunteers and that it's only sometimes people's first thought. However, I would be remiss if I didn't take the wisdom and lessons God has given me in life and not put them back into the world. I truly believe everyone has a unique role assigned to them by God. I'm thankful he brought mine forward when He did."
—Josh Nosek, Willow Students Small Group Leader

Groups & Rooted

  • 3,400adults in small groups
  • 1,200people experienced Rooted
“I came to Willow as a skeptic, but the messages ultimately led me to faith in Jesus. We connected early on to a small group with friends who were mentors in my faith for years to come. Over time, I felt a distance in my heart from church, but our small group continued to be the expression of church in my life. I was invited to sign up for Rooted and was surprised at the ways it grew me. The spiritual rhythms challenged me to grow beyond my comfort of attending bible studies, my treasured long-term small group, serving, and church attendance—I gained new spiritual muscle that I did not know I had. In those ten weeks, I gained new brothers and sisters in the faith and I was called to a new level of transparency in my life through confession and sharing. If I had this opportunity 30 years ago, my faith would have had a different depth and growth personally and in the community. Likely, that “heart distance” that I felt would have been different. My faith gained a new depth and direction, with momentum to grow. I never want to stop growing closer to Jesus!”
—Mary Lewis, Willow North Shore
“During Rooted, I was able to be more vulnerable about the truth of my story than I ever have been before (other than with my husband). It was a transformative experience for me. I found support, comfort, and affirmation in my group. I had always feared judgment from my story; being considered not good enough to do God's work because of where I came from. But I experienced the opposite of this. I came out of Rooted feeling affirmed, that my childhood traumas were not my fault. I felt stronger and more confident through the affirmation I received from the wonderful group I was placed in. Over the past few months, I have begun to answer the calling and listen to the promptings that I've been ignoring for years out of fear of the "not good enough." I'm both excited and (admittedly) nervous about where God is asking me to go, but I know that the Rooted experience helped give me the confidence to overcome the fear and continue follow God's path even deeper in my life.”
—Jess, Willow South Barrington

Next
Steps

  • 640people baptized
  • 1,482first-time givers
  • 16%of our congregation began attending Willow in the last year
  • 182people helped through $216,365 given to the Dollar Club
"A new beginning is always difficult, especially when it involves leaving everything behind and starting from scratch. Luckily, God put the Willow Creek family in our path to ease our burden. Thanks to you we were able to turn our house into a home and we will always be grateful for that. God bless!"
—Francisco
"I felt like I had no where I could turn for help, and I still can’t believe that someone I had just met reached out to the Dollar Club for me. I still think they might be an angel." —Dollar Club recipient
"God is so so good. That is really all the words that come to mind. Thank you for being the hands and feet, literally speechless." —Dollar Club recipient

Local & Global Compassion & Justice

  • 1.1Mseed packs provided 150 million pounds of produce to 200,000 families in Zambia & South Africa
  • $1.48Mgiven to local & global partners
  • 13cars given away
  • $500Kraised by 175+ runners through Team World Vision
  • 55KHope Packs sent as Christmas gifts to incarcerated individuals
  • 34Kpeople received 1.9M lbs of food through our Care Center
  • 5,316Care Center first time guests
  • 3,194backpacks & 2000 lbs of school supplies distributed
  • 12truckloads of emergency supplies provided to individuals in crisis
  • 94welcome kits given to refugees settling locally
  • 15krefugees served globally

Reaching Out

  • 38kids enrolled in Willow Preschool
  • 10Concerts at Willow locations
  • 12conferences at Willow locations
  • 20Community Events at Willow locations
  • 10Ongoing Community Partners who operate regularly in our spaces through leased offices & classrooms
  • ≈500Knew people reached with our digital content

"We have so many wonderful things to say about our experience at Willow Preschool. Our son started in the program last year and is finishing his last year of pre-k at Willow Preschool. The teachers go above and beyond to make the kids feel comfortable, learn social skills, and have fun with a tremendous amount of creativity.

This is such a safe and nurturing environment for all of the kids in the program. My son that is enrolled in Willow Preschool is my 6th child and we have been enrolled in several preschool programs throughout the years. Willow is by far the best! Thank you for giving my son and our whole family such a wonderful experience!"
—Willow Preschool Parent

2023 Financial Wrap-Up

Year-End Fund

As we closed 2023, we presented an opportunity to fuel our Missional Spaces vision to help make our campuses more accessible to our community throughout the week. We also wanted to serve locally by providing culturally responsive foods through our Care Center. And you responded!

912 households gave and $708,002 was given (a 24% increase from the 2022 year-end fund!

2023 Total Impact Report

Curious about the total impact of your giving?

  • # New givers in 2023: 1482
  • Total dollars given in 2023
    • $27,627,606 through General Fund / Tithes & Offerings
    • $1,029,631 through Celebration of Hope
    • $846,458 through Catalyst Funds
    • $216,365 through Dollar Club
  • Where does this money go? *
    • 37% to Worship & Programming
    • 24% to Outreach
    • 22% to Supporting Activities
    • 14% to Ministries
    • 3% to Other Program Services
*These percentages are derived from the 2022 audited financial statements and can be reliably used to reflect how funds continue to be utilized.

Fuel the movement of God

God has been on the move at Willow and we can’t wait to see what He will do in the future! Be a part of making a life-changing impact in our church, community, and world by giving. Online giving is easy! You can make a one-time gift or set up recurring giving here.

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