As most of you know by now, the Westpoint Church family is seriously committed to cultivating for unity among followers of Jesus in West Orange County and beyond. We want to take Jesus' prayer in John 17 seriously, and we try to do so by praying for other local church expressions and ministries, supporting them financially, serving alongside them, and encouraging them especially when they are walking through difficult times. Well, the praying and encouraging parts are what led to our relationship with the West Orange Baptist church family.

As most of you also know by now, we have been walking with and slowly growing in a relationship with the West Orange Baptist church family. We have hunted for Easter Eggs. We have gathered together for Sunday morning worship. We have prayed for one another. We have met frequently with their interim pastor and deacons. Some of the people in their church family have visited with and worshipped with us on a Sunday morning at the school. And some of our leaders have had a Q and A session with their church family exploring what our growing relationship might mean.

The purpose of this email / blog post is simply to keep the Westpoint church family up to date with what has been going on. AND it is to inform you as to how we can further pray together and converse together about an opportunity for a greater relationship with the West Orange Baptist church family.

First, the leaders of the West Orange Baptist church family have themselves told us that they are unsure of what their long-term future will be if they don't make a significant change in their current structure and focus. They have been battling through various conflict for some 10 years now. They have, to their own admission, become so consumed in their conflicts that they have both missed their intended purpose as well as developed a poor reputation in their community. Life both on their campus and off of it out in the community has diminished, and they are praying and hoping for renewed life and purpose.

Second, West Orange Baptist leaders, during the process of Westpoint praying for and encouraging them and them encouraging us, made it known that they were not currently looking for another pastor (they have had 8 in the last 10 years), but rather were seeking the Lord for wisdom about their future and for possible drastic change. They wondered if it might be best to find a church family in the area with whom they could connect and possibly pass on to a new or younger church family that would continue the Great Commission focus into the future and continue the Gospel ministry that has been going on there on their campus for some 60 years.

Next, as we were relating together, Westpoint began to be considered as that possible new or younger church family. The question was asked as to whether this would even be an interest. We said it was interesting enough to consider for sure. And so their church family voted to officially enter into talks with Westpoint about a possible merger in which "West Orange Baptist Church," both their people and the campus on which they gather, would become part of the Westpoint Church family.

Since that vote to enter into talks with us, our leaders have met once again with their leaders as well as had a Q and A session with their congregation. It has gone well, at least well enough to bring to the forefront of our attention as a church family. The Westpoint Vision Team continues to pray for wisdom. We have asked many of you to be praying with us. And we have received some great insight and feedback. And now the time comes when we begin to make it a priority of prayer together while West Orange Baptist decides what they may or may not do.

One other important note. In 2005, our second year as a church family, the Vision Team of Westpoint Church decided to make a commitment to not go into debt over land or facilities. We committed to the Lord that if He wanted to give us a sending and gathering place that He would please do just that - GIVE IT TO US. We have trusted Him in that regard and have been grateful for our wonderful gathering place at Whispering Oak Elementary School. The potential of this opportunity with West Orange Baptist includes with it the giving of a sending and gathering place.

We understand that there are some stylistic and cultural differences between the West Orange Baptist church family and the Westpoint Church family. We do believe, however, that the spirit and purpose and mission of both local church expressions are one in the same. IF a move is made in which their church family becomes a part of our church family and we move our gathering to a new location on what would be a "Westpoint" or even a "theChurchofWestOrange.com" campus, let it be known that we realize it would not be without the need for highly intentional efforts to cultivate for unity and very specific emphasis in order to stay focused on being the church together and living sent daily.

Moreover, it would be an opportunity for Westpoint to be strengthened by followers of Jesus who have been longer on their journey with Christ who could give into the lives of younger believers and younger families the wisdom and love given unto them over the years (Titus 2:1-8), AND it would be an opportunity for West Orange to be strengthened with renewed vision and energetic leadership with regard to these God-given dreams for the future of their ministry (Acts 2:17). It would require selflessness and leadership and energy. It may result in a few changes, but it would not mean in any way a change of focus and desire to be becoming exactly what Jesus intended His church to be - a longing that has defined Westpoint for over seven years and will define her into the future.

Finally, Westpoint does not NEED to make a structure or focus shift. We continue to try to be the church together and to live sent daily. However, if we decided to make this potential move, we (Westpoint and West Orange) would need to be focused in some very specific areas:

:: we would need to recognize one and only one head of the church - Jesus Christ - and surrender all personal agendas desiring His intention for His church and His alone.

:: we would need to continue to commit to living daily to make disciples, continuing to beg Jesus to reorient us from the ritualism of consumeristic religion toward the life-giving mission for which He created His church.

:: we would need to continue to seek Christ for growth in the way we shepherd and care for one another, specifically in how we are doing life together on mission through SENT groups and other care-for-one-another, stay-focused-on-mission-together emphases.

:: we would need to begin praying for specific ways to give ourselves away into one another as well as into our community from a new location, dreaming and brainstorming and listening for God's direction on specific ways to grow in our "together generosity" with an added asset.

:: we would need to become more intentional than ever about cultivating for the multiplication of disciples, leaders, ministry groups, and local church expressions.

:: we would need to commit to not gossiping, understanding that if there is a concern or a conflict, we must voice it to the one with whom we have issue and never to anyone that can do nothing about it except to further the frustration.

:: we would need to celebrate the culture of a people different from us all the while intentionally cultivating for a unity that can only occur when Jesus unites self-absorbed people together around His Gospel and His mission.

:: we all would need to humble ourselves, not holding tightly to any preferences but rather living grateful that we are held by Him and thus respond TOGETHER in worship to Him in the ways that are unique and expressive to each of us.

There is more that could be listed. But you get the gist.

The BOTTOM LINE:
This is a great opportunity to continue to see UNITY and MISSION lived out together as His church in West Orange County and beyond. Please pray for wisdom for West Orange Baptist as they continue to discuss the possibility and will eventually vote as to whether to request that this "merger" or "marriage" officially take place (we will let you know when that vote is going to happen). Please pray for wisdom for us as a Westpoint family as we desire to listen for and obey how God is leading us in our next steps. It is not a necessity for Westpoint to make a move like this, but is it what Jesus is leading us to do together as His local church expression? That's what we need to discern together.

What are the questions you have?

PLEASE SEND ALL QUESTIONS TO info@westpointchurch.org. We will be posting all questions sent in along with all answers given in an newsletter and on a blog post on the Westpoint website next Thursday.

WE WILL THEN TAKE FROM 11:15 TO 11:45 on Sunday morning August 28th to pray and converse together about this opportunity.

Where we go from there will be determined both by our discernment together of God's leading along with West Orange Baptist discernment of their Christ-led direction.

These are exciting times. We are anxious to hear from you.
-the Vision Team