Speaking is highly overrated...we should just write our thoughts to each other.

Yesterday, a friend told me that she is a Christian and has known about WCCN and CCM for over a year, however she has been reluctant to take part in any Christian community here because she was afraid that she would not be accepted. I have so much compassion for this person and I can empathize with her loneliness and confusion.

In talking to her, it made me stop to think about all the churches and all the communities that are not always loving and not always welcoming. It made me stop to think about the times in my teenage years that I have turned away from families of believers feeling despondent, hopeless and feeling that I could never belong. And then, I thought about my experiences over the last year with WCCN and Worcester Baptist Church... and realized how blessed I am that everyone in this "family" has always made me feel welcomed and loved and that my friend had absolutely nothing to fear about joining this community of people.

It is intriguing that although we may be a "family" in our churches and in our network, we really do not know much about each other. We do not always know what each others families are like, what our political beliefs are, what we struggle with, who our friends are, what we do in our spare time, or what our dreams are...but we do know that we are sinners that love and accept Jesus. In the end, our differences are irrelevant. We all need a little love, a little kindness, a little patience and a lot of grace.

I decided to spread the love and invited my friend to church and to Ignite and she plans to invite some of her other Christian friends, who have struggled with the same fears. I do not know if she will ever come, but at least she knows that she has a place to go when she feels alone and in desperate need of community.

P.S. Thank you all for your dedication, hospitality and sincere desire to follow Christ.

Not sure how to spell his last name, but that boy good...

Just wanted to throw this out there...James Thiele is a super fun evangelist who happens to be speaking at Ignite on February 3. If you haven't come or come and brought friends or even if you have come and brought friends, you need to bring yourself and some new friends.

On a side note, I think that the last Ignite was really good. It was a huge blessing to have so many gifted people sharing through testimony, music, speaking, and even some grunt work. I think Ignite this semester is doing more to bring us together as a WCCN than anything else the ministry's done since I've been in Worcester (August 2003).

Looking for a church?

Being part of a community of believers is a very crucial part of your walk with God. If you do not have a church home I cannot urge you enough to get plugged in at a place that teaches the Bible and can use your talents that God blessed you with to help further the kingdom. These churches would be a good place to get plugged in...

Worcester Baptist Church
contact Jimmy Mauldin at jimmysmauldin@yahoo.com

Wachusett Valley Community Church
contact Marty Holmes at martyholman@charter.net or visit www.wachusettvalley.org

Belmont St Baptist Church
contact George Kohl at gakbsbc@juno.com or Norberto Soto at ntsoto@juno.com or visit www.bsbc777.org

Holden Chapel
http://www.holdenchapel.org/holdenchapel/welcome_to_holden_chapel
contacts
Pastor Tom Curtis: 508-829-4441
Jason Destratis (Director of student ministries): 508-829-4441
Jamie Sauvageau (College Ministry Leader)774-696-2151

Zion Lutheran Church
Contact Scott Brill at thebrillopad@att.net

IGNITE, 1/20/05!!

Thursday, January 20, 8:30 PM

IGNITE begins at Pleasant Street Baptist Church,
corner of Ashland & Pleasant, Worcester
Parking next to the Rob Roy Academy

This is our new beginning! Come with your ideas, your friends who are leaders in campus ministry, your pastors, and your posse. We will enjoy some worship together and then cast a vision together for what the rest of the semester will be!

WCCN: Worcester Collegiate Christian Network
An Emerging Christian Community

WCCN exists to ignite a holy passion for God in Worcester by engaging college students in relationship with Jesus Christ and with each other. We are a ministry of the Baptist Convention of New England, Southern Baptist Convention. We seek to facilitate an emergent Christian community of students across the campuses of Worcester.

College Students
All college age students and high school seniors are welcome to attend our events: IGNITE worship services, Fall Conference and Spring Retreat, as well as many different weekly meetings and bible studies on individual campuses. Most of our students come from Clark University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Anna Maria College, Holy Cross and Fitchburg State College. We also have a special outreach to international students through friendship evangelism and Conversational English classes.

IGNITE: A worship experience where we come into the light of God through worship in order to see what God is doing among us. As a community we open our hearts and minds to the work of God’s Spirit in the Worcester Consortium. We provide a place where Christ’s followers and seekers of the truth can be transformed to go back to their communities to make a difference.

”But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:21


Calendar:

Thursday, January 20th, IGNITE Leadership Launch
Invite ministry leaders, pastors, student leaders, etc.
Music, vision casting, prayer time, ministry groups/planning

Thursday, January 27th, 1st Full Blown IGNITE

Thursday, Feb 3rd, James Thiele, guest speaker


Contact: Joanne Rojas, Collegiate Ministry Coordinator
508-798-5204
rojas@peoplepc.com