About Our Name Change
Why change our church name?
A church’s name often describes its vision and purpose. God has given us a clear vision and a call to make disciples that make disciples. The proposed name “Waypoint Baptist Church” most clearly identifies that vision and we are looking forward to living up to the call God has placed on us.
What if I don’t like that a change has been made?
In the Bible, several names were changed by the Lord, and those people adapted and faithfully followed His direction. With the Lord’s help, we can do the same.
The Lord brought us here and we love what this church has meant to our families, marriages, kids, and relationships, especially our relationship with Jesus. None of that is going away.
The Lord gave us relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ here. We love the people here, and they love us. None of that is going away.
The Word of God is faithfully taught here. Not going away.
The name of the church did not bring us here, and we have not stayed because of the name of the church.
Who made the decision to pursue a name change?
In conjunction with the January 2020 proposal by the Strategic Planning Team, the church voted to assess the church name within one year of hiring a new lead pastor.
With that in mind, in August 2020 the Name Assessment Team was formed and its existence was announced to the church from the stage.
The Name Assessment Team was charged to prayerfully seek the Lord‘s will for the name of our church.
This team consisted of Josh Allen, Charlotte Gramling, Kellie Hill, Dawson Loewen, and Julio Michel (with voting privileges), along with Karen Harrold and Liliam Penalver (with no voting privileges as they are current staff members). Pastor Eric was the elder providing oversight and bringing reports back to elders in monthly elder meetings.
After meeting a number of times over prayer, Scripture, and discussion, this Name Assessment Team determined it to be God’s will for the name of this congregation to change, but no name was discussed before this time.
After more months of prayer, Scripture, and discussion concerning God’s vision for us, the Name Assessment Team unanimously brought “Waypoint Baptist Church” to the elders for their approval. The elders prayed and discussed this before unanimously accepting their recommendation.
On August 15, 2021, the name, along with proposed Constitution & Bylaws changes associated with the name change, was brought to the church by the elders.
A church conference will be called on August 29, 2021, to vote on these official recommendations made by the elders in conjunction with our Constitution & Bylaws.
How did the Name Assessment Team select the name “Waypoint Baptist Church”?
As the team prayed, read scripture, and discussed the vision God has for us as a congregation, they noted that the early Church was often described as “those belonging to The Way.”
“Waypoint” was suggested as a term that might capture the heart of the vision God has given us. Over time and after prayer, and discussion, it was determined to be the direction God would have us take.
The word waypoint is defined as “a stopping place on a journey,” “an endpoint of the leg of a course,” or “a stopping point or point at which course is changed.”
We see our weekly worship gathering as a waypoint, a stopping place on our journey with Christ, where we worship Jesus together by studying His Word, praying, singing His praise, and stirring one another up to love and good works.
We see our small groups and one-on-one settings as waypoint opportunities to speak the truth in love to one another, to be iron sharpening iron together, and to pray for one another in order to grow in Christlikeness. We are to interact as a waypoint on this leg of our course with Christ calling one another to holiness, repentance, and the love of Christ while “we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
We see ourselves as waypoints who are sent out to engage the lost world in Cumming, all of North Georgia, and to the ends of the earth with the Gospel of Jesus. Our prayer is to see all come to a stopping point where their course is changed from the wide road, which leads to destruction, to the narrow path that leads to eternal life.
Were other names considered instead of “Waypoint Baptist Church”?
Many potential terms were discussed while seeking God’s will and the name for the vision God has given us.
Ultimately, the team gained such a deep conviction that Waypoint Baptist Church was God’s will for our new name, that they stated to the elders that should the elders turn down this name, the Name Assessment Team would simply pray until the elders’ hearts changed.
What does our new logo look like?
How can I be praying?
Please pray for:
...a deep and abiding unity around the vision God has given us.
...us to get excited and serious about achieving and living according to this vision the name so clearly captures.
...our church family to continue to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding.
...our church family to continue to acknowledge Him in all our ways so that He may make our path straight.
...biblical wisdom, discernment, and humility for all of us.
...our love for Jesus and one another to override our preferences.
...God’s hand to be upon us that we would live as waypoints in one another’s lives and in the lives of the pre-Christians near us and around the world who have not yet trusted in the name of Jesus!