Hello Watermarke,
One of our volunteers, Amy McCreary, is starting a short-term small group for moms this fall. I think it will be a great environment for young moms to learn together and get encouragement from one another. Please read below for a message from Amy about this cool new group!
Brett
Group Life Director
__________________________________________________________________
Hey all you first time mommies I am starting a mom's group in the fall and would love for you to join me and learn a little about yourself, your baby and your purpose.
Just to introduce myself.....My name is Amy McCreary and I have been attending Watermarke Church for 2 1/2 years. I am married to my amazing husband Lare and we have three beautiful children.......Lauren-5years, Ian-3years, and Preston-2months.
When I first became a mom the one element that got me through that first year was knowing that I was not alone. It was important that I had other mom's to talk to that were experiencing the same things I was.
So I invite you to come alongside me and learn about our God given purpose as mothers. To enjoy the company of women and offer our experiences so that we can understand more deeply this honor that God has given us as mommies!
We will meet for 6 weeks every Wednesday morning from 9:30-11:00. We will start on October 1st and end November 5th.
I encourage you to sign up quickly for space is limited. Please email me for more information.
I can't wait to meet you!
Amy McCreary
adianemccreary@comcast.net
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Africa Update - Praising God for His perfect timing!
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." 1 Peter 5:6
How amazing! As I am writing this, I realize that I will soon be calling 410Bridge and verifying that YES we are going to Kenya and our tickets will be purchased! A little over a month ago, I had to call 410Bridge and tell them that we were not able to send them half of our deposit ($17,000). By God's grace, they extended our deadline. Again, three weeks ago, I had to ask for another extension....we still had $18,000 to raise. Last Friday was our initial FINAL deadline but again it was extended to today........we had approx. $4,000 more to raise. I must admit, from my perspective, it seemed like a huge amount to raise in such a short period of time. But God's timing is not ours. His methods are usually unconventional. But what we can know is that He is faithful to come when we call!
Quite honestly, if we had raised the money according to "our plan", then we would have felt it was aresult of OUR efforts....... now we can only say that HE did it!! It was so exciting to see the body of Christ pull together and give with open hearts......working together as a community. What an impact it will have, not only on us, but on those outside the church who hear the amazing story of how God provided. And yes...it was at the last hour.....when we were still $600 short that someone came up and wrote a check for $1,000!!! God not only gave us 100% but even gave us more which will start a mission fund for our church. Praise God!!!!
THANK YOU for listening to the Lord, for giving so freely. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful opportunity to go as a church and help the people of Kwambekenya. To HIM be the glory!
Asanti Sana!
Sue Shook
Kenya Trip Coordinator
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more then all we ask or imagine" Eph. 3:20
How amazing! As I am writing this, I realize that I will soon be calling 410Bridge and verifying that YES we are going to Kenya and our tickets will be purchased! A little over a month ago, I had to call 410Bridge and tell them that we were not able to send them half of our deposit ($17,000). By God's grace, they extended our deadline. Again, three weeks ago, I had to ask for another extension....we still had $18,000 to raise. Last Friday was our initial FINAL deadline but again it was extended to today........we had approx. $4,000 more to raise. I must admit, from my perspective, it seemed like a huge amount to raise in such a short period of time. But God's timing is not ours. His methods are usually unconventional. But what we can know is that He is faithful to come when we call!
Quite honestly, if we had raised the money according to "our plan", then we would have felt it was aresult of OUR efforts....... now we can only say that HE did it!! It was so exciting to see the body of Christ pull together and give with open hearts......working together as a community. What an impact it will have, not only on us, but on those outside the church who hear the amazing story of how God provided. And yes...it was at the last hour.....when we were still $600 short that someone came up and wrote a check for $1,000!!! God not only gave us 100% but even gave us more which will start a mission fund for our church. Praise God!!!!
THANK YOU for listening to the Lord, for giving so freely. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful opportunity to go as a church and help the people of Kwambekenya. To HIM be the glory!
Asanti Sana!
Sue Shook
Kenya Trip Coordinator
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more then all we ask or imagine" Eph. 3:20
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Starting the Year with Family Ministry
For families of school-age children/students, the start of school is similar to celebrating the New Year. Heading back to school means developing new routines for your family. While you’re developing your family’s routine for the next 10 months, we’d like to help you develop some routines that will help your family have the best experience possible in our family ministry at Watermarke Church.
1. Consistency: Whether you are the parent of a one-year-old or a sophomore in high school, consistency will make a HUGE difference in your child’s church experience. Our family ministry is built on the principle that life change happens in the context of relationships--relationships between leader and child/student, as well as relationships between peers. When a child/student consistently attends their environment, they have a greater opportunity to develop relationships with their leaders. For Waumba Land and UpStreet-aged children, it is also important to attend the same hour each week so that your child will spend time with the same leader. We believe that one thing every child/student needs is another voice in their lives saying the same things that the parents are saying. Consistent attendance helps small group leaders develop that kind of relationship with their small group
2. Activities: For UpStreet, Xtreme, and Inside Out, we have designed activities that give students additional time to spend with their small group leaders outside of Sunday morning. Nothing develops relationships faster than having fun together. In UpStreet we have KidVenture twice a year. Our next KidVenture will be at Woodstock AMF lanes on August 23rd from 10:00 to 11:30 am. You can purchase tickets beginning this week in UpStreet. For Xtreme and Inside Out, Vertical Reality offers students the chance to spend a weekend with their small group leader and be spiritually challenged. Inside Out will attend Vertical Reality October 3rd to 5th, and Xtreme will attend October 10th to 12th. Registration details will be available shortly.
3. Resources: We firmly believe that what happens at home is more important than what happens on Sundays because parents have exponentially more time with their children/students than we have. That’s why we want to resource you so that you can lead your children/students spiritually. In Waumba Land, we send home “Small Talk” cards each week with the memory verse, the bottom line, and a learning activity so that you can continue the learning begun on Sunday morning throughout the week. In UpStreet, the “Refrigerator Door” cards provide parents with the monthly virtue, monthly memory verse, weekly bottom line, and conversation starters. Because we want children to begin to set aside special time to spend with God each day, we also send home “God Time” cards. As motivation to help children begin this habit early, we give each child who returns to UpStreet with a completed “God Time” card an airhead. In middle/high school, it becomes more difficult to send flyers home to parents, so we will use this blog to let parents of students know what we are discussing in Xtreme and Inside Out. Please come back here regularly for updates.
As a family ministry staff, we are excited about what is in store for us this school year. This year, we want to “Live out Loud!”--to show Christ’s love in our actions to one another, to the children/students in our care, to your families, and to the community. We truly hope that these tips will help your families experience an amazing year in the family ministry of Watermarke Church. ~ The Family Ministry Staff
1. Consistency: Whether you are the parent of a one-year-old or a sophomore in high school, consistency will make a HUGE difference in your child’s church experience. Our family ministry is built on the principle that life change happens in the context of relationships--relationships between leader and child/student, as well as relationships between peers. When a child/student consistently attends their environment, they have a greater opportunity to develop relationships with their leaders. For Waumba Land and UpStreet-aged children, it is also important to attend the same hour each week so that your child will spend time with the same leader. We believe that one thing every child/student needs is another voice in their lives saying the same things that the parents are saying. Consistent attendance helps small group leaders develop that kind of relationship with their small group
2. Activities: For UpStreet, Xtreme, and Inside Out, we have designed activities that give students additional time to spend with their small group leaders outside of Sunday morning. Nothing develops relationships faster than having fun together. In UpStreet we have KidVenture twice a year. Our next KidVenture will be at Woodstock AMF lanes on August 23rd from 10:00 to 11:30 am. You can purchase tickets beginning this week in UpStreet. For Xtreme and Inside Out, Vertical Reality offers students the chance to spend a weekend with their small group leader and be spiritually challenged. Inside Out will attend Vertical Reality October 3rd to 5th, and Xtreme will attend October 10th to 12th. Registration details will be available shortly.
3. Resources: We firmly believe that what happens at home is more important than what happens on Sundays because parents have exponentially more time with their children/students than we have. That’s why we want to resource you so that you can lead your children/students spiritually. In Waumba Land, we send home “Small Talk” cards each week with the memory verse, the bottom line, and a learning activity so that you can continue the learning begun on Sunday morning throughout the week. In UpStreet, the “Refrigerator Door” cards provide parents with the monthly virtue, monthly memory verse, weekly bottom line, and conversation starters. Because we want children to begin to set aside special time to spend with God each day, we also send home “God Time” cards. As motivation to help children begin this habit early, we give each child who returns to UpStreet with a completed “God Time” card an airhead. In middle/high school, it becomes more difficult to send flyers home to parents, so we will use this blog to let parents of students know what we are discussing in Xtreme and Inside Out. Please come back here regularly for updates.
As a family ministry staff, we are excited about what is in store for us this school year. This year, we want to “Live out Loud!”--to show Christ’s love in our actions to one another, to the children/students in our care, to your families, and to the community. We truly hope that these tips will help your families experience an amazing year in the family ministry of Watermarke Church. ~ The Family Ministry Staff
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Check out Small Groups on August 24!
If you’ve ever thought about checking out a community group, this is the time. Community groups are small groups of couples or singles who meet together during the week in someone's home for friendship, prayer and Bible Study.
Coming this August 24th is one of Watermarke’s best events, GroupLink. GroupLink is where we do what we like to do best: get people involved in Community Groups. Groups are where we believe real life change can take place. It’s where people get involved with one another. It’s where they grow and it’s where they empty themselves. It’s a place where you can grow strong and be vulnerable. And, this August 24th, it’s where you get connected.
GroupLink is an interactive, non-threatening environment where we hope to connect people with each other and with God. There is no pressure to join a group at GroupLink, just the opportunity. All new groups have an 8-week starter period. If you decide at the end of 8 weeks that a group is not for you, you can bail, no questions asked!
Hey, at the very least, we feed you some great food, pay for your babysitting and you get to meet some folks you go to church with!
Come join us Sunday August 24th from 5-7pm at Featherstones Grill in Bridgemill. For more details, location and to invite others, see our website at www.watermarkechurch.com/grouplink.
Brett Sharp
Director of Group Life
Coming this August 24th is one of Watermarke’s best events, GroupLink. GroupLink is where we do what we like to do best: get people involved in Community Groups. Groups are where we believe real life change can take place. It’s where people get involved with one another. It’s where they grow and it’s where they empty themselves. It’s a place where you can grow strong and be vulnerable. And, this August 24th, it’s where you get connected.
GroupLink is an interactive, non-threatening environment where we hope to connect people with each other and with God. There is no pressure to join a group at GroupLink, just the opportunity. All new groups have an 8-week starter period. If you decide at the end of 8 weeks that a group is not for you, you can bail, no questions asked!
Hey, at the very least, we feed you some great food, pay for your babysitting and you get to meet some folks you go to church with!
Come join us Sunday August 24th from 5-7pm at Featherstones Grill in Bridgemill. For more details, location and to invite others, see our website at www.watermarkechurch.com/grouplink.
Brett Sharp
Director of Group Life
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Family Ministry Kickoff
This Sunday we will be promoting all of our children and students into their new classrooms and/or areas. In an effort to prepare for that transition to take place we hosted an event called Family Ministry Kickoff on Wednesday night to gather all of our leaders together for encouragement and training. Our staff was blown away at your response. Over 70 leaders met with us on a week night during the last week of summer! I am so excited about what happened at Kickoff and can't wait to start to school year off with some great energy. For those of you that came out, we are pumped that you could be a part of our best training yet. I know many of you couldn't make it out, but if you contact the staff member over your area we will be glad to get you the training resources from the event.
I'm so glad to be able to serve with you and I can't wait to see how God will use each of you this school year. Thanks for giving what you have so that others lives will be changed forever.
Andy Jones
Director of Student Ministry
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