Welcome and Belonging

Welcoming others to church isn’t that hard. We like to greet each other and say, “glad you’re here.” What is more challenging is creating a culture where people know they belong and they are part of a family. I believe the call for the people of God is not just to be a welcoming church but a church where people feel they are more than welcomed, but they really belong. Let’s dive into what that means.

To belong is to know your identity and your role within the body. I think that is what we long for deep in our hearts because God made us in such a manner that we want to walk with others both giving and receiving. We see this all through scripture. The covenant people of God found identity as God’s people who are called to be a blessing to the nations. Covenant membership meant more than just a piece of paper saying you belong, it meant being known, being needed, being loved. It meant belonging. Waypoint Church, how can we be a church where all people feel welcomed and a sense of belonging?

Right now, at Waypoint we have an inclusion ministry called Buddy Ministry that serves children who need extra support in order to participate in Waypoint kids. We love buddy ministry, and we thank God for our volunteers! However, my desire is for us to go farther into what it looks like to be a welcoming and belonging church for all people, including teenagers and adults who might need more resources. Towards that end, there is a team that has been put together to help launch our inclusion ministry which we are calling “Embrace”.

Embrace desires to provide the extra resources for people of all abilities to have what they need to be able to attend service, grow in their faith, and serve our community. This is a church wide endeavor that needs all of us to embrace the call to help everyone feel the belonging we all desire. In return, we need to hear the voices and experience the gifts of all people. My hope is to communicate to everyone who is reading this and everyone who walks through our doors that you are vital, you are needed, you belong.