Celebrating Pentecost: Promise & Possibility Are Here

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Dear Church:

What a glorious Pentecost celebration we shared on Sunday! The Spirit is alive and active—promise and possibility are here! Thank you to everyone who poured your heart into worship, to our amazing Hospitality Committee for a delicious meal, and to the inspiring Just Values team for their thoughtful presentation. The Spirit of God has come, and she is moving us to do beyond what we can imagine!!

At the conclusion of the Just Values presentation, many of you completed powerful sentence stems on flames of Red, Yellow, and Orange—vivid signs of the Spirit’s fire among us. From your voices, six beautiful summary statements emerged: 

  1. WACC is a church community that welcomes all by practicing love, acceptance, and inclusion to create a safe and affirming space for everyone.
  2. WACC is a church community that seeks justice by educating ourselves and advocating for equity to transform systems of oppression.
  3. WACC is a church community that values diversity by embracing and caring for all people to reflect the love and compassion of Jesus.
  4. WACC is a church community that grows together by sharing, listening, and working in unity to follow the Spirit’s guidance into the future.
  5. WACC is a church community that lives authentically by being open to all people and ideas to embody the truth of the Gospel.
  6. WACC is a church community that seeks wisdom by praying and studying together to inspire Christ-like living and deepen spiritual growth.

Even if I weren’t your pastor, these statements would make me want to run—not walk—into the heart of this church! Church, you are living out the Gospel in real time, bearing witness to the world of the future God wants and ultimately will have. Well done, good and faithful people!

So, what’s next on this Spirit-led journey of Just Values? Here’s a glimpse: the Chair of the Board, the Chair of the Elders, and I will be diving into Eugene Peterson’s Practicing Resurrection, with the hope of leading a church-wide study this fall. We’ll also be sharing powerful stories and videos of “Values in Action” through The Spire and our social media—testimonies of how God is moving in and through our community.

And yes—keep reading in this newsletter for an exciting update on our sanctuary renovation! This project is about more than just meeting needs; it’s a bold expression of our values, breathing new life and vision into our sacred space.

Friends, we’re only just beginning. Now is the time to walk in step with the Spirit, to move forward in faith, and to make plain declarations and public demonstrations of the very best, most beautiful, gospel-good news of Jesus Christ.

Let’s go, Church!

Pastor Nathan