In October 2010, Westwind switched their online giving provider. Below are answers to questions you may have about our new service.

Why is giving online a good contribution choice?
Giving online allows you to give without worry of remembering to drop your contribution in our giving box. It gives you control of when you will give.

Why did you switch to Dwolla?
Our switch to Dwolla is a stewardship issue. Paypal and ETF placed too high of service charges on their clients for their service. Westwind was paying over $100 a month some months to process checks and credit card contributions. Now we just pay $.25 per transaction, and you have the ability to pay that so that it doesn’t cost Westwind anything.

How easy is it to switch to Dwolla?
When you first sign up for a Dwolla account it takes a few days. It is much like setting up a Paypal account, if you are familiar with that. You have to check back to your checking account to see if your Dwolla account is up and running, however, once you are set up it is a very simple process. Click here to set up an account.

How trustworthy is the Dwolla service?
Although Dwolla is a new service, it is gaining a lot of local and national attention. You can find out more about the company at this link. We feel that since Dwolla is locally owned it will be easy to partner with.

Why types of features does Dwolla give?
There are several great features that Dwolla has that our other service had, but also a few more that make it the right choice for Westwind’s online service.

1. Our Westwind Hub Page: Westwind has its very own giving page that makes it simple to give. All you need to do is sign into your account, type in the amount and you are done. You can find out more here.
2. Multiple Occurrence Options: Dwolla allows you to donate with a single donation, or with multiple occurrences. This means that you can select Monthly, Bi-Monthly or Weekly based on your needs.
3. Smart Phone Apps: Dwolla has donation apps for both the Android and the iPhone. This allows you to contribute in a mobile manner.
4. Online Giving Tracking: Since your will be giving through the Dwolla website, your donations will be listed online. This means that you can easy go to your account and track your giving to Westwind.
5. Other Giving Options: Dwolla is more than a church donation program. It allows you to give to any person or business that has accounts with Dwolla. There are more and more businesses that are providing Dwolla as a payment option.

If you have any more questions, please contact the office (office@westwindchurch.org) to let us know how we can help you set up your account.

We understand that having a place for your children where they cannot only learn about God but also have fun while doing it is important to the happiness of a family at any Church. This is why we have worked to provide a nurturing environment where your children can sprout, grow, and blossom where they are planted.

On Sunday morning we have a program called Grow U Kids for children from birth to grade 4. Grow U gives parents the chance to drop there children off in a safe environment where they know they will be cared for and taught about God’s truths. Parents can then participate in the celebration service and get to know other families at Westwind. All of your children’s classes are taught by a dedicated volunteer staff who have a heart to see your children grow and love God more.

Beginning this fall we will have a mid-week program for families. GROW will be held on Wednesday nights. It is a family centered ministry where kids and parents learn and grow together. Kids go to small groups to learn about God’s virtues and how they apply to their life. Parents are given the opportunity to either go to an equipping class where they can meet with other parents and be empowered to teach their children to grow in love for Christ or they can choose to be a teacher for a small group of children. At the end of the night, parents and children come together for a large group time as families. This gives everyone the chance to experience biblical teaching and Godly worship as a family.

When we think of American churches, it is hard to believe that there are fewer churches than there were 50 years ago. However, according to Win Arn, author of The Pastor’s Manual for Effective Ministry, 3500-4000 churches are closing every year in America. In order to execute the mission of Christ laid out in the Great Commandment and Great Commission, there must be new church structures to make this happen. Westwind Church is not THE way to “do church”, it is A way. We are committed to creating an environment of CELEBRATION, CONNECTION and CONTRIBUTION that will impact the next generation of Jesus-followers. We believe this can only be done in a new church system with new church structures.

We see our worship service as a celebration–a chance to give God his due. Every time we get together we will highlight the wonder of who God is and how we fit into His wonderful story. Here’s a few other ways to describe it:

• God-Focused: We are there to worship God through prayer, learning His Word, singing His praises and other means to praise Him.
• Experiential: We desire people to take part in our service and not just be audience members. It can be through clapping hands, meeting someone new, or a myriad of other ways.
• Multiple Voice: Westwind Church is unique in that more than one person will speak from God’s Word at our worship service. We believe this provides a variety of communication styles and allows our speakers to enjoy a message from others and not just deliver them.
• Enjoyable: It sounds weird to say, but church should be a place where you WANT to be.