Willow Creek, which has a staff of 500 full and part-time employees, is renowned for its conferences and seminars that teach other churches how to market themselves as well as for its "buzz" events, featuring well-known personalities such as country singer Randy Travis , NASCAR Champion owner and former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs and Lisa Beamer , widow of Sept. 11, 2001, hero Todd Beamer --all intended to attract nonchurch goers.

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