VOUS Church

A new year universally symbolizes a time of transformation from one chapter of life to another. Just as our lives continuously develop, our walk with God can be viewed similarly.

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The Great Commission tells us to go out into all the world and make disciples. This world-changing endeavor has a clear starting point in the city God has placed us.

During the VOUS Conference 2019 breakout "Why You Should Stop Trying to Change Your City," Manouchka Charles invites servant leaders Benny Salas and Joke Dada in a conversation on how VOUS Church makes its mark in the community through VOUS Care and our monthly I Love My City Projects.

How does the local church steward the city when there are so many souls to reach? While we may not reach everybody, when we do something, we will reach somebody. Our greatest resource is our availability, our willingness to be engaged and take part in the work God is already doing.

Outreach is an opportunity for people to encounter God. So no matter how your outreach is programmed, be it with service projects or classes, always take the approach that when you serve the city, God will change it.

We can’t help but grow. It is human nature. Yet the growth curve can slope upward or slump downward depending on how we cultivate the minute areas of our lives.

In “How Did ‘That’ Become ‘This,’” Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. alerts us to pay close attention to our small habits as we follow Jesus because they are seeds that grow.

Making progress toward our purpose can be accompanied by the reward of more challenges. The idea should fortify us because only when we push against elements can we gain strength.

To guard against accidental ruin, ask "Who am I becoming?" We can follow the example of John the Baptist and prepare the way for greatness by choosing to take small but consistent steps of obedience to God.

When our growth seems slow, let’s remember to speak the faithful promises of God. Because he handles the outcome.

At times we can view our gifts, talents, or even our experiences as nothing. We end up discounting something in our life only to realize later it had much more value than we believed.

During the “Yeah, I’m Scrappy” talk, Oneka McClellan reassures us nothing is wasted in God’s hands. What we may see as a scrappy life, God can make whole.

Throughout the Bible we see how God uses what seems insignificant for his glory. Each of us are special. God has created us each beautifully and uniquely. Regardless of what we may feel and no matter our circumstance, we were all created with purpose.

Whatever our scraps may be, as long as we turn them over to him, God’s power will redeem and restore them. Nothing is wasted, God is faithful to transform scraps to success.

Flashing back through the past 12 months, we can’t but rejoice at all that God has done.

To wrap up the year, Pastor DawnCheré Wilkerson reflects on the Best Moments of 2019 at VOUS.

No matter what you have faced this past year, know God is for you, and so are we. As we move forward building God’s kingdom brick by brick, we’ll continue to rely on our community of believers to accomplish more than we ever could alone.

2019 is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean we’re through. Our best days are ahead of us. We can’t wait to kick off the New Decade with you!

Hopefully, you're feeling blessed and highly favored in the knowledge of Lord this Christmas season. But putting the Christianese aside, what about when you don't feel so blessed?

In the talk “I Don’t Feel Favored,” Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. explores the meaning of favor to reveal it is not a feeling but a fact.

The promises of God tend to come packaged with problems. Take Mary, a virgin destined to birth a son. In a culture that likely wouldn't have taken the news gladly, she could have felt anything but favored. Yet her obedience through the trial, and for the sake of the promise, made it so her same spirit of obedience passed to her son who would face the ultimate test.

As Christ-followers, we must follow our beliefs and not our feelings. When we face troubles we can overcome and stand in favor knowing everything will be worked out for good. After all, we have the presence of someone bigger than any challenge—the Holy Spirit, our greatest present.

Register now for #VOUSConf 2020 here:

At VOUS, servant leadership is our identity. The more we understand leading means serving, the more we resemble Jesus. To lead with excellence means to serve first and lean on the talents of others.

Steering the VOUS Conference 2019 breakout session “You Can’t Do It Without a Team,” VOUS Staff Dakota Duron, John David Robertson, and Jamila Pereira speak on the servant leadership culture at VOUS.

A key element to having a healthy team is a willingness to learn from one another. Taking the approach that no one person has all the answers allows room for creativity and growth. But keep in mind that process and structure anchor a team’s efforts.

Once established, clear directives allow evaluation to be put to good use. Measuring results, much like checking vitals, tells of where a team is and signals at where it can go. In our ever-evolving servant leadership journey, we should strive for healthy collaboration. Together we have potential to go much farther and be effective in all we do for God's kingdom.

We serve a God who never stops working. He is constantly seeking and redeeming the lost. As his people, we are empowered to join his work through our generosity.

With God’s help, Nehemiah was able to do much more than rebuild a wall. He restores the soul of a nation and increases their faith. Nehemiah’s story is a lesson teaching us we must assume responsibility, create accountability, and live for legacy.

"If you surrender your life and declare, 'There is no turning back— the cross before me the world behind me.' You're going to find a peace that surpasses all understanding."

Rich Wilkerson Jr