We get a lot of questions. Here are just a few.
Q: What denomination is Westwind?
This is tricky. Not tricky as in “we’re magicians,” but tricky because there’s more than one answer. The short answer is that we’re nondenominational. (We didn’t say it was a short word.) But we also affiliate ourselves with the Southern Baptist Convention because they offer a great way to send people who want to tell other people about our beliefs with people overseas. (Whew!)
Q: I don’t believe what you believe. Am I still welcome?
Yes, you are absolutely welcome. We do expect that you’ll be open to exploring your questions about God and wrestling with what you find. You’ll find that the Westwind worshipping community come from a variety of backgrounds, but we all strive to be teachable. And we all put our pants on one leg at a time.
Q: What do I do with my kids?
Bring them! Our Children’s Ministry at Westwind is called Grow. During the celebration service, we offer age-appropriate classes in a safe, fun environment for newborns through third grade. When you enter the school building, there’s a Grow info desk right there. Just stop by, and a friendly person will help you check in.
Q: Why should I be in a connection group?
No one really asks this question, but we sure do talk about it a lot. First, a definition: Connection groups are small groups of people (usually 10 to 14) who meet together regularly to share life together. While it’s great to worship with 200 (or so) other people at weekend services, we believe it’s in the context of a small group that people learn to connect with God and others. Plus, there’s usually some great food at the meetings.
Q: How do I become an owner of Westwind?
At Westwind we call membership–Ownership. It helps our people see their responsibility in helping our church thrive. . Owners are people who say “This is my church family.” For more information about membership, click here.
Q: Who funds this place?
Donald Trump and few key investors. No, seriously, it’s the generosity of everyday folks in our church family who give to make things happen around here. And people give their money because they usually understand that it’s God’s money in the first place…that all we have comes from Him.
Q: This doesn’t look like a church.
First of all, that’s not even a question. How about this: “What’s a church supposed to look like?” We think a church is about the people inside—not about the building—so it shouldn’t matter if we look like a warehouse or a school or a van down by the river. And while you might not find steeples or stained glass around here, there’s no shortage of really authentic people.
Q: What is the role of the elders?
When they’re not sitting around a large, round, wooden table talking about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, our elders give pastoral leadership to the church. In other words, they make sure we stay on track with what God wants. Elders must meet the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
Q: Which version of the Bible does Westwind use?
We live in a day with many good English versions available to us. We choose to use the Holman Christian Standard Version for our weekend teaching. It blends a high level of accuracy along with fluid readability. Want a longer answer? Check out a document our elder team has put together.
Q: Can I get one-on-one counseling?
Our pastors are available to counsel members and regular attenders of Westwind (And if you’ve never been here before and really need some help, we’ll probably talk to you anyway. We like to help.) Please call the office (515.401.1082) to set up an appointment.
