Watermark Community Church started in 1999, so this year, we’re celebrating 25 years of the Lord’s faithfulness and goodness with 25 stories in different ways—films, podcasts, stories of grace, and more. In this week’s Watermark News, we’re taking a look into Watermark’s global engagement.
Since the beginning of Watermark, we’ve felt called and commanded by God to bring his Word to the nations and unreached people groups around the world. From trips to Uganda, Ethiopia, and Haiti to our more recent trips to Southeast Asia, the Lord has allowed the people of Watermark to travel to far places to love others and share the Good News of Christ–that his death on the cross made provision for and covered our sins, and there is no way to God except through Jesus (John 14:6).
Jeff Ward, who served on staff at Watermark for many years, said, “The beauty of global missions is that we didn’t have to create it as a mission statement–it’s given to us by God as the church in the Bible. Matthew 28:18-19 says, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . .”
Through partnerships with local churches and a focus on development and discipleship, Watermark desires to work through, empower, and support local indigenous churches and ministries. As we’ve sent groups all around the world, we’ve also been able to leverage the marriage and recovery ministries like re|engage and re:generation, which were created right here at Watermark to help people grow closer to Christ.
Our church body is also involved in global missions from home through prayer, financial support, and specific projects that help strategically reach areas of need for our partners. Whether we are giving, going, praying, or sponsoring, we see international involvement as a chance to make disciples.
Bruce Kendrick, Watermark’s Global Engagement Director, reflects on his own experience with mission trips through Watermark, “It is evident that the world’s a really big place, and there are a lot of moving parts that we have no control over. Whether it’s a weather event or a certain political change, we still see God opening doors and making ways for his truth to be made known to those who don’t currently know it.
We’ve also been able to see that God has already been at work in these places, even if they don’t know him or the gospel. We get to be seed sowers in the midst of the work God’s been doing for ages.
Bruce continues, “While we can’t track the full impact of our global engagement, we can be strategic and faithful to the people and places we go. God’s evangelism strategy is really organic–he’s not putting parameters or programs. It’s a mustard seed that multiplies out and becomes big because of God. We’re just required to be faithful with what little we can see of God’s big plan.”
Locally, God has also opened doors to serve the international community right here in Dallas. Through the Watermark International Students Initiative (WISI) and For the Nations Refugee Outreach, we’re seizing opportunities to love people and share the gospel with people from all around the world in our own backyard. Some of our very own members have been transformed by Christ through these local efforts. Sherry Jia, a member of Watermark for over ten years, shared her journey: “Through a WISI home group with the University of Texas at Dallas, I was asked if I wanted to participate in a Bible study, and I accepted because I wanted to learn English. After a month, God really grabbed a hold of my heart and pursued me. Eventually, the Lord brought me to a place where I was ready to give my life to him.”
Through Watermark’s global engagement, our church body has been blessed to see and experience God’s transforming power on display in countless lives. We are deeply grateful to the many members and leaders who have dedicated time and resources to these ministries, and we celebrate how the Lord has faithfully guided our steps, showing us where to go and how to serve.
As we look ahead, we continue to pray for God to lead us in new ways to share the gospel. We invite you to join us in praying for the nations and for those who faithfully serve both locally and abroad. Pray that God will keep our hearts open to his call to the nations—both here and far away—and trust that He will continue to lead us in making disciples of all people!
Pray for God to stir your affections for the nations and pray for members who faithfully serve different people groups in our city or overseas. If you’re interested in learning more about Watermark’s global engagement internationally and locally, you can find more information as well as ways to serve and give at watermark.org/global.
Look back and celebrate all 25 stories of God's faithfulness. New stories revealed weekly.
