Creating Community

When someone wants to know what we are about as a church community, its really not difficult to discover.  In the front of both of our worship venues there is a banner that states it quite clearly; Engage God, Engage others, Engage the world.  Three short statements that hold some very profound truths about our mission.  However, I will tell you that they are only truths if we seek to define them by consistency in our actions.  If "Engage God" is a truth for us, then the element of worship must be seen as a priority.  Whether it happens on Sunday morning or throughout the week, one our fundamental truths is that we are all about creating a vibrant worship community. We are committed to providing resources which help in that process, and we are committed to a corporate worship experience which brings us before the throne of God in a variety of ways. Consequently, for it to be true of us, that we desire a life marked by "Engaging God" in worship, then taking advantage of these opportunities would be a priority in our own lives as well.  We do well in the "Engage the World" area as a church.  We are known as a church with a heart for its community and communities throughout the world.  Yet individually, many of us struggle with what this means.  How do we "live out" our faith?  Why would we want to?  Isn't that the realm of the paid professional?  Don't we support missionaries to do this?  The church has that as its mission and yet our people still struggle with this.  Sometimes it is more words than truth.  This brings us to our new teaching series.  The idea that "I am a missionary".  I have been "sent" into a part of the world that needs to see and experience what Jesus is really all about.  Truth and not merely words is what we are all called to provide.  In order to live a life on mission, to live as one sent, we need desperately to "Engage others" along the way.  Our church claims the ideal tat we would "Engage others" yet it is not nearly the truth yet that we desire it to be.  Engage others happens in small groups.  It happens when we serve together.  It happens when we learn together, pray together, even eat together.  It doesn't happen with the whole group, it happens with a small group.  Small groups we are not good at, for as many different reasons as there are people to give them.  Still it remains a value here @ WSCC and one which we pray that you will be encouraged to help us establish as truth.  Here's how you can:

• Our new teaching series "I am a Missionary"begins on January 27th and with it a number of small groups throughout the community.  The series and the groups will follow the book "Missional Essentials".
• buy the book! ... it is available after each service for $10.  With an investment of $10 and a 12 week comittment to following along, by the end of April your life will not be the same...I guarantee it.
• join a group... groups can be as small as two and as many as 12...follow along the series and the book with a group of people on the same journey.  We were created for community.
• groups can form in a number of ways:
• form your own...invite friends...invite people you've just met...just invite.  If you dont feel comfortable with the idea of leading (the book is pretty well "self led"), then let me know that you would host a group and I probably have someone who could "lead it"
• some will be listed here and at church ... join one of them
• don't get hung up on childcare... each group can "figure out" their own childcare situation or you can decide to have your own childcare in place.  Again, it is an investment.  Get creative, problem solve, work it out ... in community.
• There is nowhere in scripture that we are taught that this journey towards Christ is a journey best traveled alone, yet it is the single most chosen route by people claiming to be trying to follow Him.  "Engage God" must become truth for us as a church and for each of us as individuals if we are to be the people we were called and sent to be.