Dear friends-
As you all are aware, we've been praying about the future of the Watershed ministry for several months. We held a "Town Hall" meeting on May 6, and the leadership team has compiled and analyzed the results. God has spoken clearly through this survey and conversations that we've had with those of you that are still a regular part of this ministry.
The vision for Watershed started back in 2002. The young adult (18-25ish) environment was much different eight years ago. There was an entire demographic of people between high school and middle-adult age that was practically being ignored. We were seeing young adults leave their churches and go to other churches that fit their needs. Watershed stepped in to become a place where young adults in this community could "immerse" together in worship, scripture, and fellowship, with the goal of "dispersing" back into their churches and community as Christ's servants.
That brings us to where Watershed is today. Whereas we had a healthy rotation of young adults in 2003-2006 as people moved on in life and new folks came in, the influx of new people at the lower end of the age range has all but ceased. Some interesting demographics from the May 6 survey: - The average age of a Watershed attendee (even when eliminating everyone over 35) is 27 years old.
- The average attendee has been with us for 4.6 years.
- 96% of respondants say they are plugged into a local church body and serving/giving there.
- 89% say they meet regularly with other believers for the express purpose of studying scripture or accountability.
- 57% are regularly serving at Watershed. The majority that aren't say it's because they are serving in their own churches instead.
Over the past few years, it seems that many churches have finally realized that the young adult demographic was being missed, and we've seen positive changes to address that. There are several other ministries now in place that are seeking to reach these individuals. As a result, we have been praying (and I know many of you have been doing the same) about what to do next.
From the start, Watershed's vision has been to help young adults go deeper in their relationships with Jesus Christ. Looking at the strength and maturity of our current group, it has been made clear to us that most Watershedders are being called to different areas of ministry. Watershed has fulfilled its purpose in the Cedar Rapids area, and it is time for us to bring Watershed to a close so that we may serve God in the ways he is calling each of us individually.
Saying goodbye to something that I've been doing for almost 1/4 of my life is difficult, but I am at complete peace. I've been feeling this call for several months now, but have pushed back on God and said, "not yet." He finally confirmed to me and the leadership team through many of you that it is time. This chapter of God's bigger ministry on Earth is finished, making way for the new chapters that God is writing through you.
Next Thursday, May 20, I will be sharing this information with the group as part of our gathering, followed by another open dialogue. The leadership team members will be present and happy to answer any questions you may have. We will hold our last worship gathering the following Thursday, May 27. This will be a service to celebrate what Watershed has done and to commission all of you. We pray that each of you will seek God's leading in your next area of service to Him.
It's been a pleasure serving with you for so many years. I know God has great plans for each of us, and I cannot wait to see what He will do next.
In Him and on behalf of the Watershed ministry,
-Steve
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Worship Gathering Canceled - January 7, 2010
Due to the weather conditions and the roads, and the fact that all the community colleges, schools and churches have also canceled their events, the Leadership Team has decided it is best to cancel our worship gathering tonight. We will postpone Ben's message until Feb 11th.
Stay safe and stay warm.
Stay safe and stay warm.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Spiritual Maturity And Living Life For Christ
The devotional for our final park night was shared by Ben Barnett. If you were there, you heard the challenge Ben gave us to pursue spiritual maturity and live for Christ. If you weren't there, you're in luck, because Ben was kind enough to share a bloggable copy.
Paul makes an effort to point out that although he, as a servant of God, planted the seed of the good news of Jesus Christ in the hearts of the people, it was of no importance because it is God who makes the seed grow. Here it becomes clear that God is the significant contributor towards our growth as Christians, but I do not believe that this excuses us from any effort on our part. I think Paul would also agree as he then goes on to compare his work of proclaiming the gospel to that of laying a firm foundation as an expert builder. A foundation rooted in Jesus Christ, that others will build upon.
I myself have found my feet treading down the path of passiveness, and know how easy it is to be apathetic towards living out my faith. Growing up in a Christian home, I have known of God's amazing love through the sacrifice of his son for as long as I can remember. However, my life has not always reflected a healthy passion to serve and pursue Christ with all of my heart. My early years of college were a prime example, for me, of living an undercover belief where the knowledge of Christ resided within me and influenced the moral decisions I would make, yet I never truly embraced the opportunity to intimately know Christ and made a very minimal effort to strengthen my relationship with Him.
It was through God seeking me out and drawing myself towards Him that my life began to change direction from a passive Christian to the person He is still shaping me into today. My busy college schedule had been a major factor that was inhibiting my growth in Christ. I was so consumed with cramming in extra classes and enjoying athletic pursuits that there was no time left over for building my relationship with God. My life on the outside was not easily identifiable as that of a Christian, though I most certainly knew I was one. This continued for the first few years of my college experience until God made it clear to me that things needed to change. While I continued taking a crazy amount of classes with much success, my life as a college athlete was becoming frustratingly unbearable until I was so miserable that I gave thanks to God when he presented me with an opportunity to honorably give up my position on the team. This would free up much of my time for the last two years of college where God would bring me to be heavily involved with our main campus ministry, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Looking back over the past few years, it is amazing to me to see how God has continually brought me into opportunities where I can better know and serve Him. Being involved in ministries like Watershed and with a local church, I can see how God is sharpening me to live a life of worshiping Him. Even in my daily tasks, I find myself looking for ways to bring glory to God, whether it means sacrificing my own desires or simply trusting in Him. I have found myself with a longing to do what is right before the eyes of the Lord and be pleasing to Him. I think that this is merely a glimpse of what it means to be a mature Christian and that there is still much work to be done in my life, but one thing I know to be certain is that I have an excitement for what God has in store for me as I come to know Him better and become conformed to Christ's likeness.
My challenge to all of you tonight, is to examine how you are building upon the foundation that has been set within you through the understanding of God's redemptive plan, fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus. Are you passively strolling through your Christian walk, living a life that appears no different than that of an unbeliever? Or is your life as a Christian characterized by a longing for spiritual maturity with a deep heart-felt desire to be conformed and exhibit Christ-likeness?
The idea of spiritual maturity and the question of how one goes about pursuing Christ whole-heartedly in their life are two concepts that God has placed upon my heart for some time now. Paul starts off in this chapter by pointing out to the church in Corinth their immaturity as Christians. He is up front with them, pointing out that they are still controlled by their sinful desires and the outward appearance of their actions makes them indistinguishable from those of unbelievers. Now imagine that you are a part of the church, and Paul is directing these words towards you. I imagine my response would go something like this: Initially I would feel hurt by Paul's words and even a little angry at him, I mean, How dare he tell me that I am doing the whole "Christian" thing wrong when it was through him that all my knowledge of being a Christian has come into existence. But after some thought I think I would realize that Paul's words truly are spoken in love, and I would find myself stirred to make a close examination of the way I was living my life to discover the areas where I am not submitting to Christ's authority. In order to do this, it becomes important to know the heart and character of Christ which is revealed to us through God's word. With this knowledge we are better able to discern where in our lives we fall out of alignment with Christ. Sometimes, however, it is impossible for us to see for ourselves, the areas of our lives that need to be refined, and we require the wisdom of other Christians to reveal them to us, just like Paul. Immersing ourselves in God's word daily and seeking a stronger relationship with Him through regular prayer and meditation represent a good starting point from which God can begin to transform us into more spiritually mature Christians. The whole purpose for God sending His son to die for our sins was to make a way for us to have intimate fellowship with Him, and as believers we should take advantage of this great opportunity.
Paul makes an effort to point out that although he, as a servant of God, planted the seed of the good news of Jesus Christ in the hearts of the people, it was of no importance because it is God who makes the seed grow. Here it becomes clear that God is the significant contributor towards our growth as Christians, but I do not believe that this excuses us from any effort on our part. I think Paul would also agree as he then goes on to compare his work of proclaiming the gospel to that of laying a firm foundation as an expert builder. A foundation rooted in Jesus Christ, that others will build upon.
Paul cautions that much care should be taken when building upon this foundation and is right in saying so because the workmanship of the builder is of great importance. For once this foundation is set in your heart, the path you choose when living out your life will determine the quality of the structure being built. I think it is here where many Christians hit a fork in the road that leads down two paths (a watershed if you will), one of which they will follow, whether they actively choose it or not. One path leads to spiritual maturity and a greater knowledge of God's character and purpose for their life while the other path leads to a spiritual stagnation where hearts become more captivated by the ways of the world than by the awesome opportunity to deeply know the creator of the universe and play an active role in His plan.
I myself have found my feet treading down the path of passiveness, and know how easy it is to be apathetic towards living out my faith. Growing up in a Christian home, I have known of God's amazing love through the sacrifice of his son for as long as I can remember. However, my life has not always reflected a healthy passion to serve and pursue Christ with all of my heart. My early years of college were a prime example, for me, of living an undercover belief where the knowledge of Christ resided within me and influenced the moral decisions I would make, yet I never truly embraced the opportunity to intimately know Christ and made a very minimal effort to strengthen my relationship with Him.
It was through God seeking me out and drawing myself towards Him that my life began to change direction from a passive Christian to the person He is still shaping me into today. My busy college schedule had been a major factor that was inhibiting my growth in Christ. I was so consumed with cramming in extra classes and enjoying athletic pursuits that there was no time left over for building my relationship with God. My life on the outside was not easily identifiable as that of a Christian, though I most certainly knew I was one. This continued for the first few years of my college experience until God made it clear to me that things needed to change. While I continued taking a crazy amount of classes with much success, my life as a college athlete was becoming frustratingly unbearable until I was so miserable that I gave thanks to God when he presented me with an opportunity to honorably give up my position on the team. This would free up much of my time for the last two years of college where God would bring me to be heavily involved with our main campus ministry, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Looking back over the past few years, it is amazing to me to see how God has continually brought me into opportunities where I can better know and serve Him. Being involved in ministries like Watershed and with a local church, I can see how God is sharpening me to live a life of worshiping Him. Even in my daily tasks, I find myself looking for ways to bring glory to God, whether it means sacrificing my own desires or simply trusting in Him. I have found myself with a longing to do what is right before the eyes of the Lord and be pleasing to Him. I think that this is merely a glimpse of what it means to be a mature Christian and that there is still much work to be done in my life, but one thing I know to be certain is that I have an excitement for what God has in store for me as I come to know Him better and become conformed to Christ's likeness.
My challenge to all of you tonight, is to examine how you are building upon the foundation that has been set within you through the understanding of God's redemptive plan, fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus. Are you passively strolling through your Christian walk, living a life that appears no different than that of an unbeliever? Or is your life as a Christian characterized by a longing for spiritual maturity with a deep heart-felt desire to be conformed and exhibit Christ-likeness?
Thursday, August 27, 2009
UPDATE - Park Night August 27th
Due to the deluge outside, we have decided to move our park night back to Neighborhood Church. We'll plan on starting at 7:30 and have a short time of worship and a devotional like we'd planned, and then hang out afterward at the church for a while. If you'd like to bring some snacks/drinks to share and a few games to play, our time of socializing will be very enjoyable even with the last minute change of plans. Hope to see you there!
Please help spread the word to everyone else!
Please help spread the word to everyone else!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Park Night August 27
Our third and final park night of the summer will be held this Thursday August 27th at Tucker Park in Hiawatha. We have the yellow pavilion reserved. Here is a map to the park, since Google maps has a hard time finding it. We will fire up the grill around 6:30pm so bring yourself and some food and join us for a great time of fellowship.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Prayer for Neighborhood Church
(Neighborhood Church owns the building that Watershed holds its Thursday gatherings in. We'd like them to be more than a space-provider. We'd like to have a partnership in ministry. So if you are part of Watershed, or support Watershed, please join me in praying for Neighborhood Church.)
Father God,
You moved Maranatha Bible Church out of the building that Watershed meets in, and you moved Neighborhood Church in. Neighborhood Church has chosen to continue to support Watershed like Maranatha did, and I thank you for providing for us.
God, I pray that you will help Neighborhood Church to truly become a church for the neighborhood. They are new to the area, and still meeting neighbors. Help them to show Christ-like love to the people in the area so that they become a trusted, central part of the community. Please give them the willingness to continue reaching out, and give the community the willingness to accept the love that the members of Neighborhood Church are showing.
I pray that as this body of believers loves their neighbors, you would draw people to yourself, enlarging your kingdom and your Church.
And if there are ways that Watershed can help Neighborhood Church in reaching or serving its neighbors, whether directly or indirectly, please make that apparent. Please allow Watershed to be a blessing to Neighborhood Church, not a burden.
God, I pray that you would bless this neighborhood through Neighborhood Church, and I pray that you would receive the credit, the praise, and the glory for the blessings provided.
Amen.
Father God,
You moved Maranatha Bible Church out of the building that Watershed meets in, and you moved Neighborhood Church in. Neighborhood Church has chosen to continue to support Watershed like Maranatha did, and I thank you for providing for us.
God, I pray that you will help Neighborhood Church to truly become a church for the neighborhood. They are new to the area, and still meeting neighbors. Help them to show Christ-like love to the people in the area so that they become a trusted, central part of the community. Please give them the willingness to continue reaching out, and give the community the willingness to accept the love that the members of Neighborhood Church are showing.
I pray that as this body of believers loves their neighbors, you would draw people to yourself, enlarging your kingdom and your Church.
And if there are ways that Watershed can help Neighborhood Church in reaching or serving its neighbors, whether directly or indirectly, please make that apparent. Please allow Watershed to be a blessing to Neighborhood Church, not a burden.
God, I pray that you would bless this neighborhood through Neighborhood Church, and I pray that you would receive the credit, the praise, and the glory for the blessings provided.
Amen.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Service Project This Saturday (Aug 22)
As we've announced previously, the Watershed service project for August is coming up this Saturday, August 22nd. We are going to be helping Pastor Jim and the Neighborhood Church in a project to collect food for the Salvation Army. Fliers will be sent out to about 800 homes this week, and we will be picking up the food items on Saturday. We will be organizing 16 teams to cover about 50 homes each.
If you can participate, please plan to arrive at Neighborhood Church (our usual Watershed meeting spot) at 10:30am this Saturday. We will be done with collecting food by around noon. Then, we will meet back at the church for a BBQ where we will eat (obviously) and mingle with the neighbors. The BBQ will last until 2pm.
If you have any special talents (e.g. balloon animals, face painting) those would be cool to share at the BBQ as well.
If you have questions or if you plan to attend, please leave a comment below. If you are a member of the Watershed Facebook group, you might see an invite from there as well about this project.
If you can participate, please plan to arrive at Neighborhood Church (our usual Watershed meeting spot) at 10:30am this Saturday. We will be done with collecting food by around noon. Then, we will meet back at the church for a BBQ where we will eat (obviously) and mingle with the neighbors. The BBQ will last until 2pm.
If you have any special talents (e.g. balloon animals, face painting) those would be cool to share at the BBQ as well.
If you have questions or if you plan to attend, please leave a comment below. If you are a member of the Watershed Facebook group, you might see an invite from there as well about this project.
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