Dear Watermark Family,
Thanks to those who joined us at our recent Member meeting (“All Hands on Deck”)!
As we shared, we are concentrating our efforts as a church on four strategic priorities over the next year. With the Lord’s help, we will:
Deepen Our Theology of God and the Church
One doesn’t need to look very hard, for even the headlines show how rapidly our world is changing. Just last week, The New York Times reported on the mental health crisis facing adolescents, The Atlantic spoke of the fracturing of the evangelical church, and our nation wept over more mass shootings.
Despite our changing world, three things remain the same – God’s character, God’s Word, and God’s mission. Over the next year, we will aim to deepen our theology of God and the Church. Our prayer for Watermark is that we would increase our awareness of the sovereignty of God and His providential will, and we would increasingly yield ourselves to His Spirit. Moreover, we pray our church family serves as a tangible representation of the Lord’s provision and grace to a watching world.
To help us in this effort, we recently hired Oren Martin to lead our Equipping Ministry. Oren taught theology at Southern Seminary and Boyce College, authored several books, and led in the local church for many years. Oren has a true pastor’s heart, and I cannot wait for you to meet him.
Make a Big Church Feel Smaller
As you can tell on Sunday mornings, Watermark is growing!
As we grow, we want to make a big church feel smaller such that every Member feels known, cared for, and equipped to serve. The primary way we care for each of our Members is through community groups. Each group is connected with a community group director on our staff team who regularly prays for and meets with those under his or her care. Our community group directors work hard to equip groups with biblical resources, answer questions about the church, and provide tangible help for the challenges our Members face.
In the coming months, we plan to add small gatherings of community groups within the same zip code. Through this effort, you will be able to meet other Watermark Members who live near you.
Another way we make a big church feel smaller is through service. The Lord has given each of us various gifts that He intends for us to employ for His glory and the good of others. If you don’t know what your gifts are or how you can use your gifts to further His Kingdom, we’d love to help you.
With such growth, we want to personally thank you for your patience as we try to improve our traffic flow and parking on Sunday mornings. We realize it is crowded.
Strengthen Families
One of the greatest gifts the Lord gives us is the provision of our family. Despite society’s efforts to redefine family, God’s design for marriage is clear. As a church, we want to strengthen families so that husbands and wives can flourish in their God-given roles while raising their children.
To help us strengthen families, we recently hired Chris Sherrod and Robin Rice. Together, they will lead our Marriage & Family Ministry. Under their leadership, we will address challenges facing families, offer mentoring opportunities, and create resources for you to use.
Furthermore, did you know that last Sunday we had 640 preschoolers in the first service alone? That is a record number! Would you please consider serving in our Kids’ Ministry? We could use your help investing in the next generation and welcoming those who are new to our church.
Also, if you haven’t already done so, please mark your calendars today for our Marriage Conference on November 4-5. You will not want to miss it!
Love Our City
Finally, we want to love our city!
Did you know that we currently have 25 local ministry partners and eight impact areas ranging from poverty alleviation to prison ministry to school impact to healthcare and everything in between?
You will hear much more about each of these throughout the month of June as we will highlight multiple ministry partners and ways you can serve with your community group or family. If you want a sneak peak of our summer plans, you can sign up now for Straightforward Service, Watermark’s monthly email newsletter designed for those interested in active service opportunities in our community.
Thank you, church, for the various ways you are leading and serving the body of Christ at Watermark and making a difference within our city!
See you on Sunday,
Blake serves as Elder and Lead Pastor at Watermark Community Church.
On My Desk
- The Institutes of Christian Religion by John Calvin
- The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs
- A Place to Belong: Learning to Love the Local Church by Megan Hill
- The Church: An Introduction by Gregg Allison, edited by Oren Martin & Graham Cole
The Church: An Introduction is just one in a series of Short Studies in Systematic Theology books that Oren Martin has edited. You can find the complete series here.