Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter 1:21 (NIV)
What’s Happening
Food Pantry Partnership with Fortson’s
Our church is teaming up with Fortson’s Deer Processing of Robinson, Texas to help serve the Waco community through our food pantry. Fortson’s will ground both deer and hog meat for $65 throughout the entire season (October through mid-January). You can drop off meat at Fortson’s and inform them it will go towards First Woodway’s food pantry. They will package the meat, and First Woodway will pick it up to help feed numerous families. Contact Scott Dixon at if you have any questions.
“Peace On Earth” Christmas Coffee House | Nov 27 – Dec 14 | The Venue
It’s that time again! Our annual Peace On Earth Coffee House is a place for you to share coffee and conversation with a friend or neighbor. Opening Day is Monday, November 27. The coffee house will be open from 6:30 -10:00 am on Monday through Thursday for three weeks, ending December 14. Come enjoy coffee and other drinks, breakfast food and pastries, and a wonderful safe space to enjoy some friends and fellowship, or just some Peace on Earth.
Wash and Prayer | Dec 4 + Dec 18 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm | Washtub Laundromat
We will be caring for and serving our community at The Washtub on 235 N Hewitt Dr. on Dec 4. We will pay for their laundry, offer drinks and snacks, and have great conversations. Join us in loving our neighbors by washing their clothes and praying with them. You can RSVP here.
Neighborhood “Care-oling” | Dec 13 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm | Fellowship Hall
Neighborhood Care-oling is one way you can serve a world in need this holiday season by caring for unchurched friends, homebound, and those in our church who need a little encouragement. We gather in the Fellowship Hall at 5:30 pm for pizza and prayer over the evening, then we form groups and head out into area neighborhoods to sing carols. Whether you can join us or not on this special night, we’d still appreciate our church family providing us names of those we can put on our caroling list. RSVP here on the app, and email Lynn Brooks with the names and addresses of anyone we can bless with caroling.
Christmas Missions Offering | Throughout December
As a church, First Woodway has strongly supported missions projects through giving, including those promoted by the Southern Baptist Convention. We combine these giving opportunities into one offering – the Christmas Missions Offering. Your designated gift to this offering will be divided among these four groups:
* 50% to Lottie Moon – benefits international missions
* 20% to Annie Armstrong – benefits North American missions
* 20% to Mary Hill Davis – benefits state missions
* 10% to First Woodway Missions – benefits local and international missions
Over the month of December, we ask that you remember the Christmas Missions Offering as you designate your gifts. You can find blue offering envelopes at the Welcome Center during the month of December, or you can give online.
VOMO
What is VOMO? We have talked with a lot of you recently and have been incredibly encouraged by your faithfulness to care, serve, and proclaim the gospel. I’m convinced we have a church full of people passionate about the Great Commandment and Great Commission but sometimes are stuck and don’t know HOW to put our faith into action. That’s why First Woodway Missions signed up for a new technology platform called VOMO that will help our church serve better both inside and outside of our walls.
First Woodway is committed to taking the love and heart of Jesus to our neighborhoods and communities. We truly want to be a people who actively live out our faith throughout our day. Think of this new platform as our Church Hub for making an impact. It has mobile apps (both Android and Apple) that helps make serving as a church easy and fun. In just 3 clicks you will be able to see local service opportunities inside our church as well as ministries we consider partners.
Your invitation link is http://app.vomo.org/invite/org/ACTSOFLOVE. When you click this link it takes you to a form to create your volunteer account and profile. Once you have an account, you can then search and sign up for opportunities to serve, go, and be a witness.
Get connected to VOMO and be a part of the Acts of Love.
Ministries
Apartments Cookouts
Contact: René Maciel
Several times a year, we fire up the grill and spend a Sunday evening cooking out for a local apartment complex and getting to know others in our community. We provide hamburgers, hotdogs, and chips for the residents. Come and enjoy the food, the fellowship, and conversation with others.
Caritas of Waco
Contact: René Maciel
We minister in the welcome areas at Caritas every 2nd and 4th Thursday from 9:00-11:00 am. We will engage in conversations and pray with those who come to Caritas seeking help. We hope that these conversations and opportunities to pray with others will lead to sharing the gospel with many. The harvest is ripe to feed and share the gospel. While there we also assist with sorting and packaging food items as well as distributing groceries. Sign up to serve on VOMO.
Given in Jesus’ Name Food Pantry
Contact: René Maciel
Looking for volunteers every Tuesday and Thursday! We need volunteers to run errands, receive and sanitize food that has been contributed, and give away donated food bags at the west doors of the main foyer. Want to serve! Sign up on VOMO. Contact us: René Maciel at rmaciel@firstwoodway.org or Lynn Brooks at lbrooks@firstwoodway.org. Given in Jesus’ Name Food Pantry List: Every week we feed families from all over Central. We need your help in keeping our food pantry stocked. Please click here for a list of current food items needed.
God’s Toolbox
Contact: René Maciel
God’s Toolbox’s primary focus is to care for, share with, and serve others through home repair projects. They assist the elderly, people of low income, and the disabled, enabling them to live in warmth, safety and independence.
Prison Ministry
Contact: Betty at 254.744.3679
Men and women from the First Woodway family travel to the Gatesville women’s prison on Monday nights where they spend time with female inmates… sharing wisdom, providing encouragement, and praying together. Try visiting a couple times to see if this ministry is a fit for you.
Wednesday Night Saints
Contact: Wanda Glaze (or call 254.666.8276)
Each Wednesday night during the school year, 30-40 people receive a warm meal along with a hug and a prayer. These homebound families love the conversation time the most, just knowing someone cares about them. Call and see how you can spend one hour each week to help deliver a meal to someone who is hurting and alone. Learn more about ways you can serve here.
Viento Fuerte Church
We are excited to have Viento Fuerte holding Sunday morning worship services on the First Woodway campus. They host a Spanish service at 9:30 am and a bilingual worship service at 11:00 am – both in the MAC Parlor. We hope you will drop in some time to experience worship with them!
Pastors Tom and Elizabeth Gutierrez lead Viento Fuerte. To find out more information, please email Tom and/or Elizabeth at egutierrez@vientofuerte.net.
Missions and Community Outreach Team
René Maciel | Missions and Community Outreach Pastor
rmacie@firstwoodway.org
Lynn Brooks | Missions Coordinator
lbrooks@firstwoodway.org
Sherrie Anderson | Missions Associate
Sanderson@firstwoodway.org
Brenda Lewis | Given in Jesus’ Name Coordinator
cbbhlewis@grandecom.net
Rhonda Jones | Acteens Director
rhondajones2@hotmail.com
Vision Statement
Open to God, open to people, open to the world.
1. Open to God – we are open to be led by His Spirit.
- Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me. 2 Corinthians 2:12
- But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
2. Open to people – we are open and want to be extended and ready to speak life into individuals.
- We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 2 Corinthians 6:11
- Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13
3. Open to the world – we are open and available to go and share the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
- On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. Acts 14:27
- Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
Click the icon below to stay connected to our First Woodway Missions Page!
Partners
Caritas of Waco
Caritas of Waco is a non-profit organization that was opened in 1967 to serve the needs of poverty-level individuals living in the Waco-McLennan County area. The mission of Caritas is to “provide urgent support to people in need in our community.” This is accomplished by offering emergency/supplemental assistance in the form of food, clothing and household items, utility assistance, prescription medication assistance, rent and mortgage assistance, emergency lodging and travel. The philosophy of Caritas is to move low income families “beyond hunger to hope” through a combination of urgent assistance (e.g., food) and the case management intervention. Caritas is effectively placing many individuals into employment positions and into vocational training programs through it case management program.
Mobile App
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