You Submit the Questions, we'll provide the answers!

Q: Hey Guys - I've been coming to Engage for three years now, and I love it. I am a senior at North Greenville, and I'm going into the ministry myself. My roommate and I speak often of how we feel a calling to a ministry team very similar to that of Wayfarer. (I think I want to help write material and maybe run conferences that teach the lay person how to properly read their Bibles - it's my passion) I tell you all this to let you know that I love the way each of you writes messages based entirely on the truth of God's Word. For those of you who do more of the behind-the-scenes work, I hope that each of you get word of this e-mail as well (the stage hands, sound guys, video producers, greeters, etc.) - you are all a blessing to the children of God! Thank you all for providing me and so many of my friends with a place to hear innovative, relevant messages. All that being said, as I finish up my undergrad this year I have put a lot of time into studying the emerging church. I am sure you all would agree that there is a fine line that has been crossed by many churches today. With the best of intentions, they have tried to reach the world - unfortunately, they got so close to the world that they fell in. I don't want to come across as that college-know-it-all who thinks he can hold you accountable. That is not my goal here. I wish to explain my position so you can better answer these questions: Why the Handlebar? Is Engage going to become much more evangelistic? I know Jesus was a friend of the sinners; but would he advocate having worship in their sanctuaries? Is the Handlebar still going to be serving alcohol while we are there? Please understand my concern. I am so very afraid of being led astray at my age. I fear everyday that my immaturity now could hinder my ministries later in life. It is out of sheer reverance for our Almighty Father who sits on His throne that I want to live a life pleasing to him. That life must find a balance between holiness and reaching people. It is a difficult balance to find, but I think it is one worth finding. Again, this e-mail is not to point fingers at Wayfarer/Engage. This e-mail is meant to ask you some sincere questions. I love all of you guys, and I am asking from a student's perspective. Teach me. Thank you so much.

A: Thanks for the kind words. They really mean a lot to us and keep us going. As to your question about why the Handlebar, we have several reasons. One is that we've always looked for a "neutral site" (i.e. not a church location) for Engage. Because Engage is a partner with 10 churches, we want to avoid the perception that we're a ministry of one church. In the past, finances have kept us from being able to do this, but as Wayfarer as a whole grows, this season became the time when that was possible. So when we went looking for a location, we wanted to find the best. We wanted a room that had great sound and that was closer in size to what the size of Engage really is. We wanted to find a place where there could be more energy, more freedom and responsiveness in worship, and more of a vibe that reflects what Engage really is. The Handlebar, in our opinion, is the best room for this anywhere in Greenville. So we began exploring the option there, and the people at the Handlebar were excited to have us. They've been great hosts to us so far, and we're excited to work with them. We are not opening the bar in the listening room during Engage. We're not trying to be controversial; we're just trying to find the best atmosphere for people to worship and meet God without barriers of sound, empty seats, or baggage about church. We are tremendously encouraged and excited about what God is doing in the roomt, and we're looking forward to what He will do over the fall season. Thanks for asking the question and doing so honestly and openly. If you have more questions or want to discuss it more, feel free to e-mail again. Or you can find us before or after Engage in the restaurant at the Handlebar (another big plus to us) to talk more.

Q: Are y'all going to put the final message from the Smoke series online anywhere? I have a friend I want to have listen to it and I really would like to hear it again.

A: Unfortunately, we had a recording malfunction that night and were unable to capture the message. We are going to be purchasing new recording equipment before we return to the Handlebar so that we can do all we can to avoid that problem. Chad also may do that message on the road over the next few months, so we may have a recording of a version of that message before too long. This is only the 2nd time in 7 years we've lost an Engage message, but we hate that it happened and are doing all we can to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Q: I can't get any of the devotions off of the website. Do you have any ideas?

A: If you have a pop-up blocker installed, that may be the problem. The devotions open as PDFs in a separate window. So you can turn that off for our site, and that should work. Another option would be to right-click the links (if you have a PC) and save the target to your desktop or hard drive. That will let you download the PDF to your computer.

Q: How soon is the Podcast available after Engage?

A: Generally, the Podcast goes on-line by noon on Wednesday after a Tuesday-night Engage. You should be able to download it through iTunes at that point. You can also download the current week's Podcast and past episodes at the Afterparty page in the bootlegs section.

Q: I would like to connect with other college age people for fellowship and growth. I'm going through lots of difficult changes in life and am searching for answers.

Q: I am a college student who is looking for a college ministry. My church doesn't have a college group, and I would love to get involved in a college group. I was wondering if there is a way that I could get some information?

A: The best opportunity we provide for that is the Engage Tuesday meeting, which returns to a weekly schedule on September 19. This is a great place to come and hear about who God is and how that affects our lives. At our first meeting, we'll talk about some great opportunities for you to get together with other students in the Engage community through burst lunches and burst groups. We're still lining those up. So my encouragement would be for you to jump in there. (R.N., 8/22/06)

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