Does your pastor counsel?  Yes, he does, but on a limited basis.  Our pastor takes 30 minute appointments for those wishing to receive his counsel.  He does not engage in therapeutic counseling, but does offer biblical discernment related to the issues presented.  Pastor Scott has a bachelors degree in Psychology and many years of experience offering Bible centered counsel.  We also partner with a local counceling group that has helped many people through emotional and relationship issues.  Our pastor will refer you to this group of highly skilled and qualified counselors if he feels you need further help.

How do I find out more about Westside Church?  We offer a class called Discover Westside about 3 times a year for newcomers.  It is generally offered on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:30.  In this class we explore the basic doctrines(beliefs) we hold about God, the Bible, and the Christian life.  We also introduce attendees to the different ministries and help them understand how Westside church works. 

What do you offer for Christian growth?  We offer involvement in ministry.  If you want to grow, then minister to others and God will grow you.  Connect with one of our staff members and we can point you toward involvement in ministry that can make an impact for God's Kingdom.  Second, we offer Bible study classes on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:30.  Third, we offer special or seasonal times of topical studies related to relationships, marriage, finances, parenting, etc.

Do you have disicpleship opportunities for children and youth? We disciple children through AWANA on Sunday nights, and Youth through D-Groups on Sunday nights.

Do you have Sunday School? We call it Sunday Morning Bible study, but basically these are groups of people who meet on Sunday morning before worship to study the Bible together.  A list of classes can be found at our welcome desk or on our website under the Adults link on the home page.

     Christians are under no scriptural mandate to have a worship service on Sunday or Wednesday nights.  We are expected to gather weekly for worship and to connect with a body of believers.  Our time for corporate worship is Sunday mornings at 10:45am.  During the week and on Sunday nights we are involved in a variety of ministries for adults and AWANA for children.  The ministries are done for a reason and give us opportunities to grow in our relationships to other people(Fellowship), reach out to an unchristian world(Evangelism), and minister using our spiritual gifts.  Our conviction is that the church needs to be a community rather than just having congregational meetings.  The church today seems to have a lot of meetings where people show up, sit down, and soak in, but experience little life-change.  Many churches are filled with people who spend a lot of time in the pew, but do little actual work for the Kingdom of God.  The early church was busy in the community and in relationships sharing the message of the gospel and living out their commitment to Jesus.  We use Sunday nights and Wednesday nights for Youth worship, children's choirs, worship service preparation, leadership training, and administrative meetings with ministry volunteers.  If you take a deeper look at Westside, you will find Christians involved in ministry every day of the week.  Prison ministry, outreach ministry, apartment ministry, volunteering, etc.  We believe that churches today have become too complex and keep people isolated from world around us. A schedule filled with church activities leaves little time for impacting our neighborhoods and community.  So we ask our people to come to worship on Sunday morning, involve themselves in a small group of growing Christians, and find a way to use their gifts and resources for the Kingdom of God as a ministry.  If our members are interested in working for the Lord, or growing in their knowledge of God through Bible study then we have many opportunities.  If they want to come to a worship service, then we only have one opportunity (but it's a good one): Sunday morning at 10:45am.

How do I get involved in a ministry in the church? All of our ministries are lead by a staff member or by a lay ministry coordinator.  The best way to get involved is to contact this leader and ask about opportunities to serve.  If you are unsure about your gifts or abilities that can be used in ministry we have a 5 week course that you can work through to discover your spiritual gifts and passions.  It is called PLACE and you can take the course by contacting Pastor Scott for the materials.

Why should I be baptized? Baptism was the common symbol of conversion in the early church.  The practice was established for Christians by Jesus and his followers.  We are baptized by immersion because:

• It was commanded by Jesus.  He said, repent and be Baptized(baptized in the Greek language means to immerse in water). And He said, Go into all the world and Baptize
• It was role modeled by Jesus - Matthew 3:13-15
• It declares the nature of Jesus' salvation in our lives.
• It binds us together in Christian community. - 1 Corinthians 12:13

  How do I find out what is happening for my children and youth?
     There is a calendar of youth ministry and children events available online.  There are also email newsletters sent out regularly from our staff members that keep parents and youth informed about what is happening.  To get on these newsletter lists simply send a request to one of our staff members.  You can find these email addresses on the contact page of our website.

What do the Elders do at Westside Church?  Elders are the central core of leadership at Westside Church.  They focus on a variety of needs in the church. 1. They pray for the congregation  2. They Influence the overall direction and ministry of the church. They answer the questions: "Why are we doing what we are doing?" and "Is it working?"  3. They protect the body of Christ from the influence of false doctrine.   4. They mediate conflict when lower levels of resolution fail to find a resolution.  5. They live an example of membership and ministry in the church.  6. They shepherd the people alongside the pastor.  7. They advise and provide wisdom to the pastor about church matters.  8. They influence the congregation by involving themselves in ministry areas of the church.  9. They partner with the pastor in decisions about staffing the church.

What do the Deacons do at Westside church? Deacons are the ministering caretakers of the church.  They have a number of families assigned to their care.  They keep tabs on these families and provide support when needed.  Deacons also pray for the church, and act as an information source to the Elders which can help them lead the church.  Deacons administer the Lord's Supper to the church.  They also handle tasks like building security, and special work projects around the church.

Why do you have contemporary worship? Our worship is not locked into one style.  But we have the deep conviction that the music we use should be relevant to the people who worship here, and ought to be a vehicle that declares the glory of God.   Trends in music style are always changing.  We don"t have an "anything-goes" mentality, but we want to fully express ourselves through music that is done with energy, passion, and quality.  We do a variety of music, from congregational hymns to contemporary solos, but always with a desire to give praise to God in a passionate and quality way.  Our conviction is that worshipers should reflect the patterns of worship seen in the Bible.  The way worshipers look as we study them in the scripture is what we strive to express in our connection to God.

What does Westside have going on during the Winter, and Summer? 
     Our winter months are December and January.  During December we limit our programs because the holidays are a demanding and stressful time for families.  We also encourage our people to maximize their quality time with family during the holidays.  We focus our energy on Sunday Morning worship and holiday services.  Sometimes we offer special events that help our members celebrate the season.  Our normal program starts back up in January.

     During the summer there are opportunities for specialized discipleship for men and women.  We focus on missions and our youth and children have many ways to plug in.

If you have a question that was not answered here please submit it to pastor Scott via email - smackey@westsidechurch.us