Plugging In: Six Ways To Get Connected In Community

By Luke Friesen

Howdy! My name’s Luke, and I recently joined Watermark staff out of the corporate world, as Director of Single Men’s Community. My role is to provide opportunities and encouragement to get connected in authentic biblical community. If you’re a guy, not married, and looking to get involved, let me know! Ladies--a great gal named Lindsay Hall is your go-to girl, and you’ll hear more from her soon.

Community is a big deal to us at Watermark. More importantly, it’s a big deal to God! Todd Wagner preached a sermon in February titled “Together is Better…” and he went as far as to say that if you are not in community, you’re living in sin. That won’t be the focus of this post, but check out the “one anothers” of Scripture if you’re interested in learning more.

If you are part of the Watermark church body, we want you to be fully engaged in community. Here are six ways to get started:

1. Connect @ GroupLink

Every quarter we kick off new Watermark community groups through GroupLink. This is a fun and friendly four-week process where you’ll meet others, develop natural relationships, and gain knowledge of biblical community. After the four weeks, you’ll be all set in your new community group!

To find out when the next GroupLink starts, or to sign up for it, click here.

If you are a part of another church body on Sundays, we encourage you to get fully involved in community there. If they don’t offer community, contact us for resources that can help get you started!

2. Connect @ Studies

Watermark offers many Bible studies, and learning about God’s Word together is a great way to get connected! Head to www.watermark.org/ministries, and check out things like Benchmark, a class on biblical theology; Summit, our men’s Bible study; Equipped Disciple, a practical class on discipleship; or our Watermark Women study.

3. Connect @ The Porch

If you come to The Porch, you know that there are thousands of people there, which might be overwhelming or exciting to you. We encourage you to be bold in initiating with others. To connect with a smaller group of people, join us for Open Community Group after the message, which is a relaxed way to discuss the message and build relationships with others. There’s a group for guys, and another for girls, open to all.

4. Connect @ Service

Serving together is a great way to get to know others. There are many ministries within Watermark where you can serve. We also have many partner ministries, both locally and internationally, that impact poverty, families, health, justice, education, and mentoring. Click on the “Serve” link on the ministries you are interested in, and contact them to get started!

5. Connect @ Sports

Exercising and competing together builds bonds. Check out the Watermark Sports page on Facebook, and jump in! Folks are involved in softball, basketball, soccer, running, cycling, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, and even a Crossfit-style workout called ChristFit.

6. Connect @ Launch Retreat

Over Labor Day weekend, 700 young adults head out to Sky Ranch for the biggest party of the year. It’s a great way to get to know new folks, and we’ll have some special activities for those looking to get into community. Mark your calendars now!

Of course, you can do all these things and build a lot of friendships, but still not be connected in authentic community. There can be a big difference! For some great thoughts on that, check out a recent post called “Biblical Community vs. Friends at Church.”

I pray that you get deeply connected to authentic biblical community, and experience the spiritual transformation that it brings! If you have any questions about this, please reach out to me at lfriesen@watermark.org, or to Lindsay at lhall@watermark.org.