The genesis of Willow Creek goes back to the early 1970s, when a dynamic youth ministry was created at South Park Church in Park Ridge. Using contemporary music, drama, and Bible teaching that was highly relevant to the lives of high school students, the services grew from a handful of teenagers to 1,000 students a night. Nobody was more surprised — or inspired — by the response than the young leaders of the ministry, including a recent college graduate named Bill Hybels. Later, they felt compelled to offer this innovative and creative style of service to an adult audience.

Renting a Palatine movie theater (from which the name Willow Creek was taken), they launched the church with great optimism on October 12, 1975 — only to be disappointed by the initial turnout of 125 people. Even worse, attendance sank the next week. But they persisted and people began to respond.

In three years, attendance grew to 2,000 people. Faced with standing-room-only crowds, the highly motivated congregation rallied in 1977 to buy 90 acres of farmland in South Barrington.
The first service in the main auditorium was held in February of 1981— and growth has continued ever since. Nearly one hundred ministries have been launched to serve spiritual, physical, and relational needs. In 1988, the education wing was opened. One Saturday service was added, then another. Later, the building was doubled in size and the property was expanded to 155 acres.

From the beginning, however, the founders' goal was not to become a big church, but to be the church to each other and the community. Authentic relationships have always been stressed, with small groups offering opportunities for people to develop spiritually while building life-long friendships. Through it all, God has changed thousands of lives and eternities, prompting Bill Hybels to reflect recently, "I've come to believe more deeply than ever that the local church is the hope of the world."