I love the fall. It is my favorite time of the year. Maybe you are like me. Here is my list of top 4 reasons why I like the fall:
- Thousands of college students descend on our city making the lines at Wal Mart longer, the traffic on Lindsey Street insufferable, and my life . . . full. We came to Norman as college students, came back as a College Pastor, and love the life OU brings to our city.
- For twelve Saturdays every fall, I wear crimson and cream, cheer until I am hoarse, sunburn my face while sitting in the east side upper deck, and argue with friends over who is better Bob, Barry, or Bud. I was an OU fan back when the schooner tipped over on Owen Field . . . and love fall gamedays.
- I love having to pack a jacket for after the sun goes down, the cool breeze of an Oklahoma autumn, and the sunsets that paint the western sky in September/October. The best part of Oklahoma weather is September and October in my opinion . . . cooler temps without the tornados.
- I love dropping my son off at school and watching him run to the door, eager to spend a day learning with his friends. God has given us a great community at our son’s elementary school, so “back to school” night feels a bit like a family reunion.
I LOVE this time of year. Beyond these reasons, though, I also love the fall because it is the kickoff to our ministry year as a church:
- Our students (birth through seniors in high school) promote to their new grade each fall in our children’s and student ministries.
- Our hallways are flooded with college students coming to be a part of what God is doing through Wildwood’s College Life community.
- Small groups start and serving opportunities launch for the coming ministry year.
As a Pastor, the last few weeks of August are a great Kickoff to our ministry year.
Recognizing this launch, we are intentionally kicking off our ministry year together at Wildwood in a special way over the next three Sundays. Here are a few of the highlights:
- We want to begin the year in a spirit of dependence upon the Lord. To facilitate that, we are joining together as a church to pray this Sunday morning (August 17) at 8:45 in the Gathering Hall at Wildwood Community Church. We will spend 15 minutes in prayer together. Please make plans to join us . . . and bring your kids!
- Throughout the day on Sunday (August 17), we will have some light refreshments in the Gathering Hall. Feel free to stop by and catch up with an old friend and meet some new ones!
- In our worship service the next three Sundays, we will be walking through a 3 part series breaking down three components of Wildwood’s mission statement:
Wildwood exists to glorify God by connecting people to Christ: His worship, His community, and His mission.
- The series will break down in the following way in our 9:30 and 10:50 worship services:
- August 17: Worship (Isaiah 6:1-9). We will look at how an accurate understanding of who God is drives us to worship Him and reorganize our lives with Christ at the center. We will worship together, look into God’s Word, and hear a testimony from Wildwood Elder Courtney Brackin about how God has worked in his life.
- August 24: Community (Hebrews 10:24-25). We will look at the importance of living our Christian lives in community and what a true “Christian community” looks like. We will also be sharing more about opportunities you have to connect in deeper fellowship at Wildwood this fall.
- August 31: Mission (Romans 10:14-17 & 1 Peter 4:10-11). On this Sunday, we will wrap up the series by talking about what it looks like to live on mission with Jesus in this world. We will talk both about serving opportunities inside and outside the church as we share the good news of Christ with those in need.
So, we have an exciting time at Wildwood over the next few weeks. We would love to have you “Kickoff” with us the ministry year August 17-31. See you Sunday!