Greetings to our Guests---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our church and our family here at Woodlawn. We want to tell you a little bit about our wonderful church in South Austin. We are an exciting, growing church that offers all sorts of opportunities for you and your family. Here we have briefly outlined our purpose, personality, beliefs, what to expect when you visit, and how to join.
Let me be the first to welcome you and invite you to be a part of our church this Sunday,
Pastor David Ritsema
Purpose--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The purpose of the church is described in Acts 2:42, and it includes: Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, and Evangelism. Our church seeks to live out these activities through everything we do at Woodlawn. We meet together every Sunday morning at 8:30 am and 11:00 am to Worship. We have Sunday Morning Bible Study at 9:45 which is a time of both Discipleship and Fellowship.
At Woodlawn we believe that a church should be a place where “everyone knows your name and they're always glad you came.” We enjoy Fellowship and we also look forward to opportunities to get together and eat (Yes—we are Baptist).
All of our programs are designed around Ministry and Evangelism. Whether working with children at Manchaca Village
(a local apartment complex ministry), helping out at local retirement homes, assisted living environments, or handing out bottles of water to people in our community, Woodlawn has an outward focus on reaching people to share the love of God.At Woodlawn we sense that the mission of the church (as found in Matt 28:19-20) is to “make fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.” Basically this means that we are in the business of helping people transform their lives. Our goal is to help people become fully devoted to Christ. So whether in our worship service, in Bible Study, or just gathering at someone's home for fellowship or coffee, we seek to make opportunities for life transformation.
Our vision is that our church will look more like Jesus today than “they” did yesterday. Yes “they”! It is bad grammar but good theology. The church is the people. Also, look out, or you will find yourself on one of our many Mission Trips to New Orleans or even crossing the world to work on the far side of Africa (in our mission emphasis to Uganda).
Personality----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our church is a warm fellowship of believers. There is a long of tradition of a strong moderate Baptist presence in South Austin which makes our church a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds.
We are a multi-ethnic church which seeks to blend cultures, worship styles, and life experiences together forming a beautiful tapestry of God’s people.
We have a casual feel on Sunday morning (most people do not wear suits—some even wear shorts). Our worship at 8:30 is more traditional, while our worship at 11:00 is much more contemporary with screens, band, choir, and Powerpoint presentations. We hope you will come and enjoy our friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
Beliefs----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While we have no formal document that you must sign or agree to in order to join our church, we do have a basic set of beliefs. A good expression of our beliefs could be found in the Baptist Faith and Message (1963 version). However, while we are a Baptist church, we believe that there is no “creed” but the Bible.
We believe in the priesthood of the believer. This is means that as a Christian you don’t need anyone to be your mediator between you and God—we are Christians first, and then Baptists. As Baptists, we do believe in being immersed in water before you can become an official member. However, we do not believe that baptism is essential for salvation. Rather, baptism is an act of obedience (Matthew 28:19-20).
We also believe that human beings are sinful and need a savior. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and we all need someone to save us. The good news is that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins and forgive us of all our past wrong doings. This is good news, indeed!
What to expect----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When you come to Woodlawn expect to be greeted and welcome into our warm family. Expect to be greeted by the pastor and invited to become a part of our church. We love to have new members and would love for you to make your home here. Expect that our 8:30 am service is more traditional and our 11:00 am service is much more contemporary. Expect that our facilities are older and they are not always easy to get around in. Please feel at ease asking anyone for directions around the campus.
Expect to find a nice, warm, Sunday morning Bible Study class that will fit your age and stage in life (Children, Youth, College, Young Married, Single, Parent of Youths, Median Adult, Senior Adult, whatever—we have it all!). Expect to find our building under construction, remodeling will begin any day now so when you visit you may find construction taking place.
Expect to find one of the best Youth programs in Austin. Expect to find a clean, healthy environment for your children and preschoolers. By the way, we have Extended Session for our Infants. So if you have a new born or a toddler, you can leave them with our caring staff of volunteers in our Preschool Facility.
Expect to hear a solid, biblical sermon that speaks to the issues of your life and family.
Expect to find a church with a global mission to change the world.
Expect to find a friend and a family which you will naturally fit into.
Woodlawn is not perfect, but it just might be the perfect place for you!
How to Join---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are three ways to join our church:
(1.) Transferring membership from another church. In other words, if you are already a member of Baptist church, we can send for your membership letter.
(2.) Joining by statement. This means, that if you were a member of a different congregation and were baptized there, we do not require you be baptized again. Just let us know, and we can accept you by “statement of faith.” We will take your word for it.
(3.) Profession of faith and baptism. While we do not believe that baptism saves you, we do find in the New Testament that believers were always baptized. We consider this essential for church membership. You can come and be a part of all our ministries, but if you want to become a member of our congregation, we do have this requirement. So unless you have already been baptized, we do require that you follow the Lord "in believers in baptism.”
If you have questions about this or other procedures feel free to contact us (especially Pastor David at david@woodlawnbc.org).