Wonderful to Hear

Over the past 4 days, we have received countless (well, not literally, but numerous) emails and calls from people at Watermarke who are stepping up to fund our vision to move to American Heritage Academy. Even more, you seem to be encouraged by our approach and patience more than discouraged with delaying the move. We love that, and want to thank you for your support and generosity. Just wanted to pass that quick note along.

Gavin Adams
Lead Pastor, Watermarke Church

God, Us, and Patience

On Sunday, we spent some time looking at patience, and we announced that we were going to delay our move to American Heritage Academy for two reasons:

1. Funding - To make this move, we need to have $110,000 in disposable margin. To date, we have raised $60,000. And while we are so excited that we have make this progress, it is clear we hvae a ways to go.

2. Lease - After the financial terms were decided, some ancillary items came to the surface that will require some additional information to ensure we create a situation that provides stability and more permanence in our next location.

And as disappointing as this is for all of us, I am please to hear the feedback I have already received about our decision and our display of faith in and patience with God. Over the next few days and weeks, we will keep everyone at Watermarke updated on our progress (giving and lease), and continue to learn and grow in our patience with God's timing.

For today, here is the thought that I continue to come back to:
Isaiah 64:4; Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

God is extremely involved in what is happening daily at Watermarke Church, and we are going to continue to allow Him to stay involved through our patience with His timing.

If you missed the message, I highly encourage you to go to www.watermarkechurch.com and click "Message Archive" to listen. And please let me know how this idea of patience is being displayed in your life.

Gavin Adams
Lead Pastor, Watermarke Church

WATERMARKE MOVES TO AMERICAN HERITAGE ACADEMY!

If you missed Sunday, you missed an announcement that is going to change the future of Watermarke Church. On August 2nd, we will be moving to American Heritage Academy on Sixes Road in Canton. This move will provide us many, many opportunities to lead people into a growing relationships with Jesus Christ.

Here is a preview of what we can expect from this move:

• Permanence: We are signing a long-term lease at this location, and the facilities will allow for significant growth. Just the same, as a church, this move allows for us to plant some deep roots in a community and city.
• Better Environments: At American Heritage Academy, we have the opportunity to create environments that are more relevant and irresistible.
  
• New Environments and Events: In addition, we now have the opportunity to add new environments like Night of Worship, Christmas Eve service, KidStuf Live, MarriedLife Live, and more.
  

Of course, to get there, it will require some involvement on our part. There is a huge story taking shape at our church, and we hope that each person at Watermarke can engage in the story and have a front row seat for what God is doing in our community. Here is how we invite you to participate:

1. Invite Others: We create relevant and irresistible environments for a reason, and you are not the only reason. Our church is created for everyone in our communities, and we need to find ways to engage others at Watermarke.
2. Serve Together: Relevant and irresistible environments need to be fully staffed, and we need each of you to work together with us as we create environments.
3. Give Generously: Environments require funding, and we are going to raise $175,000 to make this move, make some initial capital improvents, and make dramatic improvements in our environments.

This is a wonderful time to be a part of Watermarke Church, and there is a lot to be excited about. Please let us know if you have any questions about our move, the funding needs...anything. And thank you in advance for being involved in what is next for our church.

Starting Point begins March 8th

Where do you go when you have questions? What about when you were exploring faith, God, or Christianity? I see too many people in churches NOT get their questions answered because they have nobody to ask.

At Watermarke, we are launching an environment called Starting Point, which is a conversational environment for people that are:
1. Seekers: people who just have questions about Christianity
2. New Believers: people who are new Christians and want to learn more about God and the Bible
3. Returners: people who are returning to church after a long period

If you are one of the people above, you need to be in Starting Point. Please be sure to attend the Starting Point orientation after either service on Sunday, March 8th. You can read more about Starting Point at www.watermarkechurch.com.

Gavin Adams, Lead Pastor, Watermarke Church

Starting Point: The Series and the Environment

I am very excited to announce that we are launching a new series and environment called Starting Point at Watermarke Church. More details can be seen below.

New Series: Starting Point

This Sunday, we begin a new series by Andy Stanley called "Starting Point." For the next three weeks, we will look more at our story and talk about how frustrating it can be to try and live the Christian life, how we desire to rebel, and how our life fits in God's story.

New Environment: Starting Point
Starting Point is a 10 week conversational environment where people can explore faith and experience community. Starting Point groups are a safe place for people with questions about faith as well as those who want to learn about the Bible and Christianity. Groups consist of
1. People who are curious and investigating Christianity
2. Those who have recently started a relationship with God
3. Those who are reconnecting with God after being away from church for a while.

Starting Point Orientations will be held on Sunday, March 8th, following each service. If you are in any way interested in joining a Starting Point group, please plan to attend this orientation. Or, you can just skip the orientation and register online at our website.

Gavin Adams, Lead Pastor, Watermarke Church

What occupies your life?

There is a place that I love. A place that had an incredible impact on my life. A place where I really first experienced God and watched God reach into others hearts. A place where I first sat with a person and led them through a prayer as they accepted God's gift of eternal life.

And now, that same place seems to have changed. The place that was so attractive to everybody and created such an amazing environment for God to do what only he can do is not the same. Now I know...everything changes. Nothing stays the same. And staying the same may be worse than changing, but the questions is HOW are we changing and to WHAT are we evolving?

This idea is extremely important to our church. As we evolve and change, I hope more than anything that we always are more preoccupied with those we can reach rather than focusing on those that we can keep. Not that I want to run the Christians off, but if we have to focus on ONLY one group, I hope we always lean towards those people not sitting in our seats on Sunday mornings. It just drives me nuts to see churches or other Christian organizations intentionally, or more often subconsciously, make decisions that revolved around making insiders happy at the expense of the outsider. And when this happens, the church can quickly become an insider focused organization, also making it an outsider irrelevant organization. I never want to lead or be associated with an organization that looks like that. That sounds like a Christian organization that is very unChristian.

I hope we never become irrelevant or incorrectly focused as a church. Who are the people not sitting at Watermarke on Sunday mornings...let's be sure we are focused on them, not us!

Gavin Adams
Lead Pastor

GroupLink at Watermarke Church

DON'T MISS GroupLink at WATERMARKE CHURCH
Saturday, February 7th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Wellesley Club House in Towne Lake (1000 Wellesley Crest Drive)

This Saturday, many Watermarkers will take a risk and attended our GroupLink event. I say it is a risk because you will show up not knowing who you will meet. For the extroverts, that's called an adventure. For the introverts, like me, that's called a risk.

I just want to thank you in advance for taking that risk. We believe it will be well worth it. And thank you small group leaders for stepping up to lead and helping us create healthy group environments all over our community.

As we just learned in the Five Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith series, "providential relationships" are critical catalysts for spiritual growth. We have been working and praying for these types of relationships to form this weekend. All we now need is you to take a risk.

If you have not yet decided to attend GroupLink, I hope you do, because it will be worth it. To learn more about Community Groups, GroupLink, or Watermarke Church, please visit www.watermarkechurch.com.

If you are planning to attend GroupLink, you need to first register.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR GROUPLINK.