Westwinds Community Church

Last updated
Westwinds Community Church
Westwinds Community Church
Location1000 Robinson Rd. Jackson, MI 49203
CountryUnited States
Denomination Non-denominational, evangelical Christian
Website http://www.westwinds.org
History
Founder(s)Ron Martoia (pastor 1986-2004)
Clergy
Senior pastor(s) David McDonald (2005 - present)

John Voelz (2004-2015)

Randy Shafer (2004-2008)

Westwinds Community Church is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian church located in Jackson, Michigan, The church has received regional and national attention for using innovative techniques during its weekly services.

History

Westwinds was founded in the early 1986 (the early 1986?) by Ron Martoia, who began the church from a high school Bible study.

In 1996, the church strengthen the use of technology to reach people. (Grammar?) [1]

Since 2005, Westwinds has been led by Pastors John Voelz and Dr. David McDonald. Both Voelz and McDonald are considered lead pastors in a shared leadership model they refer to as Coriolis using the metaphor of the Coriolis Effect to explain the team and their roles. Pastor Randy Shafer was a founding member of Coriolis and he remained part of the team until his death in 2008.

Westwinds' use of livestreaming worship, blogging, podcasts and their church social network called “Community W” has led some to note “the church’s use of media and technology is prolific.” [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concordia Seminary</span> Lutheran theological seminary in Missouri

Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Founded in 1839, the seminary initially resided in Perry County, Missouri. In 1849, it was moved to St. Louis, and in 1926, the current campus was built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willow Creek Community Church</span> Church in Illinois, United States

Willow Creek Community Church is an Evangelical non-denominational, multi-site megachurch. Its largest campus is located in the northwestern Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois. It was founded on October 12, 1975 by Dave Holmbo and Bill Hybels, who was its longtime senior pastor. As of February 2020, the church averaged 18,000 attendees each weekend at seven locations, down from a high of 25,000 in 2015. Willow Creek has seven locations in the Chicago area, and their Spanish-speaking congregation, Casa de Luz, meets at the South Barrington campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellevue Baptist Church</span> Church in Tennessee, United States

Bellevue Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch in the Cordova area of Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Bellevue is the largest church in Memphis. Bellevue's goals are to "Love God, Love People, Share Jesus, and Make Disciples." The church's head pastor has been Steve Gaines since 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abyssinian Baptist Church</span> Church in Harlem, New York, New York, United States

The Abyssinian Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch located at 132 West 138th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Lenox Avenue in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City; it is affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, USA and American Baptist Churches USA.

Houston Christian University (HCU), formerly Houston Baptist University, is a private Baptist university in Houston, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Its Cultural Arts Center houses three museums: the Dunham Bible Museum, the Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts, and the Museum of Southern History.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church (congregation)</span> Religious organization or congregation

A church is a religious organization or congregation that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by clergy or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek non-profit corporate status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peoples Church</span>

Peoples Church is a megachurch in Fresno, California, USA with an average weekly attendance of 3,950 people in 2017. The church is led by Pastor Dale Oquist. The church campus includes Fresno Christian High School, a private school attended by students in grades K-12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Malachy Roman Catholic Church</span> Church building in Manhattan, New York

St. Malachy Roman Catholic Church is a parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located in Manhattan on West 49th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. The parish has served the theatre community in a special way since 1920, and its parishioners have included many actors, such as Bob Hope and Gregory Peck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Avenue Presbyterian Church</span>

The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.. The church was formed in 1859–1860 but traces its roots to 1803 as the F Street Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and another congregation founded in 1820 on its current site, the Second Presbyterian Church. It is located at the intersection of 13th Street and New York Avenue in the city's Northwest quadrant, four blocks from the White House. Due to its proximity to the White House, a number of U.S. presidents have attended services there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillsong Church</span> Global megachurch network headquartered in Australia

Hillsong Church, commonly known as Hillsong, is a global charismatic Christian megachurch based in Australia. The original church was established in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, as Hills Christian Life Centre by Brian Houston and his wife Bobbie in 1983. Until separating from the Christian Life Centre (CLC) denomination in 2018, Hillsong was a member of the Australian Christian Churches. The church is known for its contemporary worship music, with groups such as Hillsong Worship, Hillsong United and Hillsong Young & Free with many musical credits and hits to their names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Life Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado)</span> Megachurch

New Life Church is a nondenominational charismatic evangelical megachurch located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. New Life Church has more than 10,000 members. The church is pastored by Brady Boyd and has multiple congregations that meet throughout the Colorado Springs area. The church is known for its worship music, having produced and released over a dozen worship albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen Temple AME Church (Cincinnati, Ohio)</span> Church in Ohio, US

The Allen Temple AME Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, US, is the mother church of the Third Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest operating black church in Cincinnati and the largest church of the Third Episcopal District of the AME Church.

<i>This Is Our God</i> 2008 live album by Hillsong Worship

This Is Our God is the seventeenth album in the live praise and worship series of contemporary worship music by Hillsong Church. It was recorded live at the Acer Arena on 9 March 2008 by Reuben Morgan, Joel Houston, Darlene Zschech, and the Hillsong Live Worship team with a crowd of over 10,000 worshippers. The album opened at No. 2 on the ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart in Australia.

Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV) is a non-denominational Christian church megachurch located in Metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona. The church has several campuses in Arizona. Weekend church attendance was 32,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Teresa Church (Manhattan)</span> Building in New York City, United States

The Church of St. Teresa is a Roman Catholic parish located at 16-18 Rutgers Street on the corner of Henry Street in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The parish is under the authority of the Archdiocese of New York. The church building was constructed in 1841-42 as the Rutgers Presbyterian Church erected in the Gothic Revival style on a plot of ground donated by Colonel Henry Rutgers, and it is said to have the oldest public clock in New York City. The church was taken over by St. Teresa's Parish in 1863, three years after it was founded.

Ginghamsburg Church is a multi-site church located in Tipp City, Ohio, a suburb thirteen miles north of Dayton, Ohio.

West Presbyterian Church was a congregation and two houses of worship in Manhattan, New York City. The congregation was founded in 1829 and merged in 1911 with Park Presbyterian Church to form West-Park Presbyterian Church. The first house of worship, also known as the Carmine Street Presbyterian Church, in Greenwich Village, was used from 1832 to 1865, and the second, on West 42nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, from 1865 until 1911, when it was sold and demolished. Proceeds from the sale were used, in accordance with the merger agreement, to build and endow a church for an underserved neighborhood, Washington Heights: Fort Washington Presbyterian Church. In addition, the West Church congregation had earlier established two mission churches which eventually merged to become Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church. West-Park, Fort Washington, and Good Shepherd-Faith are all active today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilborn Temple First Church of God in Christ</span>

Wilborn Temple First Church of God in Christ Inc. is a Pentecostal church in Albany, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church at Ponce & Highland</span>

The Church at Ponce & Highland is a Baptist church, founded in July 1914 and located at 1085 Ponce de Leon Ave NE at the corner of Highland Avenue in the Poncey–Highland neighborhood in the city of Atlanta. Designed by architect Edward Emmett Dougherty, the Beaux-Arts Style building is remarkable for its massive columns and the orb-shaped designs woodwork surrounding the baptistery.

Protestant liturgy or Evangelical liturgy is a pattern for worship used by a Protestant congregation or denomination on a regular basis. The term liturgy comes from Greek and means "public work". Liturgy is especially important in the Historical Protestant churches, both mainline and evangelical, while Baptist, Pentecostal, and nondenominational churches tend to be very flexible and in some cases have no liturgy at all. It often but not exclusively occurs on Sunday.

References

  1. Fox News, Churches Worship in the High-Tech World, foxnews.com, USA, July 7, 2003
  2. "Collide Magazine | ARTICLES +". www.collidemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-23.

Coordinates: 42°14′05″N84°27′50″W / 42.23476°N 84.46387°W / 42.23476; -84.46387