In Alief
Sunday Worship Gathering - Components of Worship
Singing
Welcome/Greeting
We want everyone in our gatherings to feel welcomed from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.
Stories of Transformation
We want to regularly highlight in our weekly services, online, and film what God is doing in the lives of those living in our church body (specifically our West Groups) as well as in the Alief community.
Sermon
Silence
Prayer
Communion
West Kids
Giving
Announcements
Biblical Benediction
Ministry Teams
We provide opportunities for acts of service within The West Church. Each part of the body of Christ is important and vital whether they are serving in hospitality, operations, prayer team, worship or media/communications. The church functions best as a unified team.
Communications
We seek to reinforce our vision frame and culture through every available means of communication such as but not limited to Sunday gatherings, West Groups, website, mobile app, email, blogs, podcast, video, etc.
Beliefs
Our Statement of faith can be found at https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/
Our Structure
Staff
The staff of The West Church exists to support disciple making in the life of the church. Thus, our staff are themselves involved in discipleship relationships. Though the gifts of an individual are important, the most important ingredient in the life of a staff member is humility. A humble and teachable spirit is valued more than gold. Along with humility, an individual must have a sense _calling_ to our staff, a strong character alignment with our convictions. competency in the role they will fill, and a chemistry with the rest of the team. We aim to develop and assess our staff in each of those five areas.
Facility
We believe that the Sunday Gathering space is a tool that reinforces our values, aides our strategy, and helps further our mission. In the Old Testament God’s people met with him in the Garden of Eden, the Tabernacle, and the Temple. But in the New Testament God comes to live among us in the person of Jesus Christ and through his Spirit we are now the temple of the living God. Therefore, we don’t believe any facility is sacred (a building is just a building – brick and mortar) but we do believe that sacred things take place in the spaces where God’s people gather to worship him. Below are some helpful guidelines we use in finding a facility for our Sunday Gathering.
- Don’t just look for a space but for a space that fits our values and supports our mission.
- The way a space makes people feel is important.
- A facility that minimizes the amount of work/time for set-up & tear down is ideal.
- Clean Restrooms (especially women’s) and children’s area is important.
- A space that can be occupied weekly is better than Sunday only usage.
- A multipurpose space that can generate additional revenue is ideal.
- Good parking is preferred.
- The gathering space is a part of the vision, but it is not all of it.
- Find the best, available, practical, affordable, step ahead space and trust God.
With Alief
Christ’s Mission: Making Disciples
Jesus’ mission while on earth was to make disciples. Jesus commanded his church to make disciples. We not only continue his mission, but we also continue his methods. Jesus’ method of discipleship was at least threefold:
In our discipleship, we aim to follow the method of Jesus to share the message of Jesus. We proclaim the gospel in large groups (Sunday gatherings, special events, etc.), we live in community together by the dozens, and we have smaller intentional discipleship relationships of 1 on
- He made disciples by teaching large crowds
- He made disciples by living life with people by the dozens
- He made disciples by living life with people in smaller 1 on 3 relationships
In our discipleship, we aim to follow the method of Jesus to share the message of Jesus. We proclaim the gospel in large groups (Sunday gatherings, special events, etc.), we live in community together by the dozens, and we have smaller intentional discipleship relationships of 1 on
Definition of a Disciple
Definition of Discipleship
A faith union relationship with Jesus Christ that has present and future consequences.
Present Consequences
Transformation. Christ-centered friendships that are life giving, life changing, and life enriching.
Future Consequences
Definition of Discipling
Definition of Disciple making
The West Church Discipleship Tree
How our assumptions become visible
West Groups
Membership
Huddles
West-U
Roots of Discipleship
Assumptions Under the Surface of The West Church Discipleship Tree:
Discipleship is a crockpot
not a microwave
Discipleship requires culture,
not program
A disciple’s aim is the next step
of obedience
The path of discipleship narrows,
and the bar raises at the right points
Discipleship & Mission are cut
from the same cloth
1. West Groups
In West Groups we move closer to God and to one another. These are small groups of about 12-15 people who commit to living in community with one another as they discuss God’s word and how it applies to their lives. These groups are the intersection between Word & prayer and meal & mission. In these groups we grow together, pray together, mourn together, and do life together. They typically meet in homes but not always. Doing life in a West Group is not always easy, and sometimes it can be difficult, but its goal is to help mature us into disciples who can go and make disciples of Jesus Christ.
West Groups are cross-generational
West Groups are geographic
West Groups are open groups
West Groups welcome children
Rhythms of West Groups
Weeks 1, 2, & 5 (if there is a 5th)
Gather for word & prayer – Our groups gather during these weeks to discuss God’s word together and for times of prayer with one another. The sermon text for that week may or may not be the text for that the group is working through that week
Week 3
Our groups gather for meal and mission. During these weeks our groups share a meal with one another, with a special emphasis on inviting their non-Christian friends to join. We want to regularly pray for people who are from God. A common question that should be asked in a West Group is this: “who are you praying for and what is your plan to invite them to the next meal?”
Week 4
All of our groups gather together for an evening of reflection and prayer with an emphasis on praying for those who are far from God in our lives. Worship through song may also be incorporated during these nights
West Groups do not meet in the summer months, we encourage organic gatherings and the planning of fun activities while all of our groups take advantage of the summer months to rest.
2. Membership
Membership at The West Church consists of several classes that explain the church’s mission, vision, values, and church covenant. This is also a time where we gauge member candidates' understanding of the gospel, the church, their personalities, and giftings. The membership process ends with a meeting with a pastor and the signing of the church membership covenant.
3. Huddles
Huddles are smaller intimate groups of 3-4. They are gender specific due to the high level of transparency, vulnerability, and confession that takes place. Huddles are typically a 1-2 year commitment but by the 2nd year the group is expected to multiply if it hasn’t done so beforehand. These 4 discipleship questions are a regular rhythm for each huddle: 1. What is God teaching you? 2. Where are you out of alignment/or need to repent? 3. How are you doing in the relationships closest to you? 4. Who is an unbeliever or someone far from God that you are praying for and what are your next steps with that person? Each West Group Leader is expected to lead a huddle.
4. West-U
West-U is a seasonal commitment (~8-10weeks) where members of The West Church who are actively involved in a West Group give themselves to an intentional time of training and equipping in the areas of biblical theology, systematic theology, Biblical stewardship, gospel fluency, emotional health, etc. The goal is to equip our people to be on mission with us in whatever stage of life they are in. The discipleship track normally takes place in the summer months.
Leadership Development
As a result of our focus on making disciples we must have a plan to identify, develop, and deploy the leaders that will arise from the sea of disciples that are made. Below is a pathway for how we will discover, develop, and deploy future leaders.
Discipleship Required
The individual(s) must be a member of The West Church and must have The West Church discipleship tree embedded in their life.
Apprenticed & Recommended
The individual(s) must’ve assisted a current leader and must be recommended by a current leader.
IncubatorIncubator
During the summer months while our West Groups are on break and not meeting, we will devote 8-9 weeks for training. This is a time where we pour into them our vison frame, discuss upper room vs. lower room church, devote extended time for prayer, confession, & worship.
Retreat
Incubated leaders, current leaders, and staff gather for a time of fun, rest, food, and renewal. The retreat ends with a special time of prayer and commissioning of our new Leaders.
Monthly Meeting
We gather all of our leaders for monthly leadership development training. This is a time of equipping, meal, and discussion about what is and isn’t going well in our groups and ministry teams. This is a time where all our leaders can learn best practices from one another as well as encourage one another.
Pastoral & Staff Oversight
Each West group and ministry team meets once a month with a pastor or staff member that’s assigned to them for support and regular prayer.
Healthy Multiplication
Multiplication is the goal of every group and every disciple, and yet we also realize that seeing a new group form means that an existing group is losing people with whom they’ve built close relationships with over time. Thus, our aim is healthy multiplication, which means groups are prepared early and often about the reality of reproduction, reminded about the importance of the mission of Jesus to seek and save the lost, and where we celebrate the starting of new families to further the mission and extend God’s love in our community. Whenever a West Group is preparing to multiply, if possible, a pastor should attend that group to celebrate, pray, and encourage them as they continue the mission of Jesus.
FOR ALIEF
We serve the Alief community in word and deed through our community partnerships.
Outreach
Both Jesus and those in the early church prioritized the spiritual of those around them without neglecting the physical that arose. We follow their example by partnering with our local schools, businesses, non-profits, and ministries to serve our community by meeting practical needs while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Selection Process
- We must be prayerful, patient, & practical as we discern where God is calling us to serve.
- Identify low hanging fruit in our community.
- Aim for partnerships we can make a significant impact in.
- Only partner with schools, businesses, & non-profits that allow us to retain our Christian distinctiveness.
- Aim for ministry partnerships in need of both volunteers and financial resources.
- Only partner when there is a committed liaison within the church for relationship, accountability, and effectiveness.
- Formalize a ministry partnership agreement once the criteria are met: clear leading from God to a ministry where we can make a significant impact, a committed liaison within the church, consensus among Lead Pastor and elders on capacity to contribute though service and finance.
Commitment
- Provide each partner with a liaison from within the church.
- Make an annual financial commitment to be distributed monthly.
- Provide the church membership with easy and continual entry points to serve.
- Communicate service opportunities during Sunday Gatherings and West Groups along with websites and other vehicles of communication for.
- Annual review of need, effectiveness, and financial impact for each partner leading to a new year long commitment or discontinuation of partnership.
Transformation
Every Christian is gifted and called to be an agent of transformation in the world for Jesus. We pursue strategic partnerships with the local schools, ministries, and businesses in our community with the hope of seeing the entire community transformed by the power of the gospel as God’s people are unleashed for service.
Kingdom Movement
A movement of the Gospel requires countless churches and non-profits working together for the Kingdom of God with the understanding that we can do more together than we could ever do by ourselves. Below are a few of our gospel partners.
