“Because of God’s work in and through you…the homeless find places of rest…women with unplanned pregnancies choose life…prisoners gain hope and freedom as they’re taught life skills and transition back into society…and the hurting and sick get medical care for their physical needs and biblical counsel for their spiritual ones.” – Christy Chermak
A watermark on fine paper or higher denominations of currency represents excellence and authenticity. These are qualities we talk about often, and we prayerfully hope they daily define the way we live, lead, worship, and serve. But a watermark also represents a lasting impression. Just as the continual presence of water at a certain level leaves a mark long after it is gone, it is our hope, because we have lived faithfully as God’s people, that long after we have gone we would make an impact for His Kingdom that would be seen for generations to come.
Few have a clearer view of the mark the Lord is leaving on this community through the faithful service of His people than Christy Chermak. Christy is on the leadership team at QuestCare Clinic, a Watermark Community Church Partnership. The clinic was created to meet the physical and spiritual health needs of the poor and underserved in Dallas. Among the 8,000 patients the clinic sees each year, 50% are foreign born and 85% are uninsured. People from more than 90 countries have made their way to the clinic, where volunteers not only offer healthcare services, but biblical counsel and encouragement.
Today, Christy shares her thoughts on the impact God’s people are making in classrooms, clinics, homeless shelters, and other places where the people of God are actively serving. If you are interested in finding a way to make a kingdom impact on our community, visit watermark.org/go.
WOULD THE WORLD NOTICE IF WATERMARK DISAPPEARED? Would our city, our nation, our world take notice if the people within our body of believers stopped being the Church in their neighborhoods, offices, and communities? Are we really a church that goes beyond our four walls? Are we truly more than a building? Are we leaving a “watermark” outside our doors that will advance the name of Jesus for years to come? I have considered that question from my vantage point of our clinic lobby and am daily encouraged by the clear answer. I watch as hurting men and women make their way in our doors to meet Christ, through the love and care of our volunteers who give of their time and resources every day to meet our city’s physical and spiritual needs. Daily we see the Lord flex through this church body, and we walk away in awe.
But as encouraging and eye-opening as that one vantage point has been, I know with confidence that our clinic is just one small puzzle piece in the bigger picture of how our Watermark family is deployed across the Metroplex.
On a day like this, it is right to celebrate all that Jesus is doing through you – the people who call Watermark home – in our city, our nation, and our world. As we partner with faithful and committed organizations, it is clear that our world is being changed for the better.
Because of God’s work in and through you, Watermark, the homeless find places of rest and are reminded that they matter. Refugee children and families learn the love of Jesus as they’re picked up from the airport and established in their new homes. Women with unplanned pregnancies choose life – and receive support and love throughout their parenting journey. Children learn to read and find mentors who offer their lives in addition to their words. Uptown residents meet others like them, who tell them of the way the truth and the life. Prisoners gain hope and freedom as they’re taught life skills and transition back into society. Teachers find encouragement and support while they raise up the next generation. Families facing poverty are supported as they work to rebuild their lives. Drug houses close – or get shut down – as neighbors seek justice. Women in sex trafficking are being saved. The hurting and sick get medical care for their physical needs and biblical counsel for their spiritual ones.
And that’s just in D/FW.
Overseas, church and government leaders learn the Bible’s principles for their vital work. Orphans receive food, find family, and go to school. Former child soldiers get job training and treatment for past trauma. Churches “add to their number daily” through building relationships with nearby households. People displaced by natural disasters receive new homes and new community. Remote villages, big cities, established churches, underground churches, and many others are strengthened and encouraged by their brothers and sisters halfway around the world. The hope of Christ is both shared and shown in countries where earthquakes have ruined, where false religions have reigned, where tribal warfare has ravaged.
So would anyone notice if Watermark disappeared? Because of the way the LORD is working through YOU, I think the answer is a resounding YES. – written by Christy Chermak
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.” (Isaiah 61:1)
Check out this handout for ways you can get connected with some of our ministry partners.