September 2011 Update
September 22, 2011
Dear WOL Family,
Fall is here and I can hardly believe it! We have spent the last two weeks working hard on our new offsite video venue located on our leased campus in Upland. Many of you have inquired about this project and its relationship to the new property on Sierra.
The Upland venue is a stopgap project to fill an immediate need to open seats so we can continue to reach and touch our community. A week doesn’t go by that people drive through our parking lot and just keep going because it is so crowded. If we don’t act during the time we are purchasing the Sierra property we will miss touching hundreds of people for Christ.
We believe that offsite venues like Upland are the most cost effective and quickest way for us to immediately reach those who are lost and need Jesus. Most of you know that we have cried out to God the last three years for some relief. We have repeatedly looked for other venues that would allow us to move some folks off the East Avenue campus on Sunday mornings. The Upland venue does just that. It seats over 400 people per service so we can, theoretically, reach another 1,000 or so people, if we ultimately offer three services there. Our long-term goal is to establish four offsite video venues: one to the north, south, east, and west of our Fontana campus. So please continue to pray with us for the Holy Spirit to lead us to the places He wants us to go and that He would make us a success for His Kingdom (Nehemiah 1).
This in no way impacts our vision or our need for a new and much larger campus where we can disciple those we reach. The Sierra property will provide the access, visibility, and expandability for WOL to reach thousands more. Funds are coming in at a rate that will allow us to begin work on the Sierra campus in about three years and we will probably need another year before we can occupy and begin to hold services there.
We began this past weekend with a 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning service at the Upland venue and it was attended by more than 400 people. We are excited, actually thrilled, to be able to reach and touch more people! There are so many of you getting equipped in the School of Ministry (461thistrimester), and opening new venues offers you an opportunity to put your gifts and callings to work.
As I do each time I write one of these letters, I am again asking each of you to stand with us in prayer and faith as we continue asking the Lord to bless and move with power in our people. Please lift up those who serve on this new campus, as well as believing Him to continue expanding His Kingdom through us into the Upland area.
Again, thank you for standing with us as we believe God to provide the finances we need to purchase the land on Sierra. We are having a night of prayer on Friday, September 23rd, from 7:00 p.m. until midnight, so plan to join us for prayer and intercession that will bind our hearts to our Father’s will for us as a church family.
Until the Whole World Hears,
Pastor Dan and the Leadership of WOL