Externally Focused at Watermark

Great video that captures much of the outreach and initiatives that we’ve been working on as we work to “Glorify God, Mobilize the Body, and Transform our Community”!

…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.  Jeremiah 29:7

As you know, one of our “flagship” opportunities to really engage our community is our annual “Service Day .” This year it falls on May 2.  It will look very similar to last year but on a larger scale both for Watermark and the fact that we are collaborating with dozens of other churches across the metroplex and World Vision.  There is even a website www.goandbe.org and Facebook page highlighting the collaboration.  It will be an exciting time to engage our community.  We have lots of needs as we begin planning, including folks to begin coordinating service sites, communicating with ministry partners and other organizations, bus captains, site captains, supplies coordination, folks to stay on campus and help stragglers, and logistics, such as people movement, buses, signage, etc.  We’ll begin planning in February, so let us know if you’re interested in this.  You can e-mail us at externalfocus@watermark.org.

Hope Lives is back!

Wanna join us for 5 weeks starting January 14th?  We’d love to have you!  And, if you’re reading this blog, you’re likely already praying and processing through these topics (serving the marginalized, helping the physically and spiritually needed, missions-minded) so we’d love to have you in the class to corporately continue to grow in this area.  And, maybe invite some others to join you?!

We have some first-timers coming and some repeaters … so, whether you’ve never heard of this class, heard of it and wanted to take it before but your schedule didn’t work, or already a graduate, JUMP IN with us as we search the Scriptures as to what is true about our God, what is true about us, and what is true about the needy.

And, Lord willing, as we understand these truths, our lives, our communities, and our world will be changed by the people of God doing the will of God.  [Warning:  This is not for the faint-hearted.  I thought this class was a royal-kick-in-the-pants and a big part of me wants to go back to thinking I'm doing good to serve once a week, give a little more than 10%, and know at least one homeless person ... but, by His grace, He's moved my heart and my hands have followed ... I don't deny that I kind of liked my self-centered, materialistic world without much of a conscience or burden for the physical needs of others but I'm infinitely more the BLESSED ONE by having my heart, schedule, and priorities re-aligned by intentional service and relationships with folks that I never intentionally interacted with and loved before.] This year, Jeff Ward and I will be team teaching!

click here to sign up (or copy/paste into your browser)…

http://www.watermark.org/ministries/equipping/equipping-ministry/

by Jennifer Lewis

The External Focus Ministry is looking to fill a few key roles:

External Focus Coordinator

Help us mobilize the church and transform the community for Christ! Looking for someone to assist in leading/developing teams, strategic thinking, and coordination of outreach/missions initiatives.  Desired gifts include leadership, teaching, & evangelism.  3+ years related experience required.  Watermark membership/pursuit of membership required.  Please send resumes to eshipley@watermark.org.

Part-Time Administrative Support

Looking for someone to assist the External Focus team with events, volunteer management, and a variety of other projects.  Must be highly organized, capable of using Excel and Word and marketing background a plus! Watermark membership/pursuit of membership required.  Please send resumes to eshipley@watermark.org.

I asked the Watermark staff for a list of books that they’re reading this summer.  Here’s what they came up with…

The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Tim Keller

When Sinner’s Say I Do: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage by Dave Harvey

                 Joy Kupp – Marriage Ministry/Re-Engage

Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges

Death by Love: Letters from the Cross by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears

                Aleks Stewart – Celebrate Recovery/Pastoral Care

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall

Joker One: A Marine Platoon’s Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood by Donovan Campbell

                Craig Wenning – Operations

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand

                 Jonathan Pokluda – Young Adults

The Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall

                Melissa McKee – On Your Mark

Fields of the Fatherless: Discover the Joy of Compassionate Living by Tom Davis

                Erynn Shipley – External Focus/Family Ministry

Papa Prayer: The Prayer You’ve Never Prayed by Larry Crabb

                Melissa Miller – Student Ministries

Handle with Care: A Novel by Jodi Picoult

When Sinner’s Say I Do: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage by Dave Harvey

                Beth Addy – Human Resources 

God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation by Andreas Kostenberger

                Scott Kedersha – Marriage Ministry

 Space Trilogy – Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

Smith of Wooton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

                Matt Armstrong – Audio/Visual

The Hole in Our Gospel: What does God expect of Us? The Answer that Changed my Life and Might Just Change the World by Richard Stearns

Giving Wisely: Killing With Kindness Or Empowering Lasting Transformation? by Jonathan Martin

                Todd Wagner – Senior Pastor

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller

The God Who is There by Francis A. Schaeffer and James W. Sire

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

                Blake Holmes – Equipping

Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life: Rethinking Ministry to the Poor by Robert D. Lupton

Just Courage: God’s Great Expedition for the Restless Christian by Gary Haugen

                Jeff Ward – External Focus

Compassion changes everything: how you view your world…yourself…even Jesus. This five-week exploration of compassion is aimed at both head and heart, inspiring a new way to interact with the world. The readings and the class address poverty of the heart, what the Bible says about poverty, prayer, discovering the causes of poverty, and becoming part of the solution to local and global poverty. Powerful–and life-changing!

Join us on Thursday nights, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., beginning on June 4.  Sign up online or contact Erynn Shipley with any questions at eshipley@watermark.org.

CORNERSTONE BAPTIST CHURCH
Tues. & Thur., 11 – 1 pm
Serve lunch and build relationships with homeless men and women served by Cornerstone Baptist Church. For details, contact Lindsey Davis.

UNION GOSPEL MISSION
2nd & 4th Wednesdays and 2nd Saturday of every month – 6:45-9:30 pm
Build mentoring relationships and help meet the physical and spiritual needs of men and women served by Union Gospel mission. For time and location details, contact Stephanie Schweinfurth.

Welcome to the “External Focus” blog of Watermark Community Church.