Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers!)
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Who are We?

Q. Who are the Wesleyans?
A.

A Simple Description
In the most inclusive connotation, a Wesleyan is not a member of a particular denomination, but one who adheres to a distinctive doctrinal teaching.

The Wesleyan Church is an evangelical, Protestant denomination. We offer the good news that faith in Jesus Christ makes possible a wonderful personal relationship with God, a holy life empowered by His Holy Spirit for witness and service, and assurance of eternal life in heaven. Our ministries emphasize practical Bible teaching, uplifting worship, and special programs to meet a variety of life needs.

With World Headquarters in Fishers, Indiana, The Wesleyan Church has nearly 400,000 constituents in 5,000 churches and missions in 80 countries of the world. Formed in 1968 resulting from the mergers of several like-minded groups, dating back as far as 1843, The Wesleyan Church has its roots in John Wesley's Methodism.
[more about this]

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Q. Who can I contact with my questions?
A. Peter Damaska, Pastor [email]

Josh Hilty, Discipleship Pastor [email]

Tammy Smith, Secretary [email]

Board Members
Christine Shaw, Secretary 
Tim Reinhardt, Treasurer
Earl Diller, Trustee
Rich Reamer, Trustee
Rex Vroman, Trustee
Dave Richardson, Member-at-Large 
Gert Zyrowski, Member-at-Large 
Mike Knickerbocker, Member-at-Large

Ministry Leaders
AWANA:  Traci VanTine and Shelly Reamer

Youth Ministry:  Zac & Melissa Russell, Chris Vroman, and Mindy McInally

Nursery:  Debbie Bowman

Worship Team:  Chris Shaw

MOPS: Dawn Deshetsky


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Q. What is the story of North Branch Wesleyan?
A. NBWC is part of The Wesleyan Church.  We have been meeting in North Branch for over 75 years and are excited about our future.  We take seriously our heritage but fully recognize the importance of charging into the future and making a difference through Jesus Christ in us.

[read our history here]

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Q. What do you believe?
A. We believe in one God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We believe Jesus is the Savior of all who put their faith in HIm alone for forgiveness of sins.  We believe that those who receive new life in Christ are called to be holy in character and conduct, and can only live this way by being filled with the Holy Spirit.  We believe in the Bible and seek to establish our faith and actions on its teachings.  We believe God wills for people everywhere to know Him.  The purpose of the church is to proclaim the love of Jesus Christ through worship, witness, and loving deeds.

[learn more here]

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Q. What can I expect if I explore your church?
A. NBWC is proud of its rich heritage and excited about the future.  A typical Sunday morning worship service involves a community of people of varying ages and demographics; young to mature, casual to formal, on-time to running a bit late. 

The atmosphere of our worship service is welcoming and inspiring.  We believe you will meet Christ through the teaching and preaching of God's Word and thorugh a high energy worship celebration led by our worship team.  The message of Christ's love and transformative power will encourage you in your journey of faith. 

Our community is caring and welcoming and come from a variety of walks of life, all who are pursuing God's purspose for their lives in the living relationship with Jesus Christ.


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Youth Ministry FAQ's

Q. How can I partner with the youth ministry?
A. There are several ways a parent can partner with us. 

A. Sign up for youth emails, which provide information about upcoming special events, teaching series, and Home XPs. 

B. Participate in the Home XPs with your teen(s). The Home XP is meant to give the family a chance to XP (experience) together the same truths that students are hearing at youth group. Some XP's are more involved than others. They

C. Volunteer to let us use your home for special events. We'll let you know if we're in need of a house to crash at for a meal, movies, or games. Don't worry, we won't really crash anything into your house.

D. Attend parent meetings when they're announced. We realize you're busy, so we don't plan too many of these. We'll promote these in advance so you know when they're coming. 

E. Be honest about concerns or questions you have. These may be concerns about what is taught, the cost of a trip, or relationships your teen is building in the youth group. Feel free to email Pastor Josh (josh@nbwesleyan.org) or call him with your questions (810-688-2380). 

F. Volunteer as a youth sponsor. This is a big time commitment, but for some of you, being a youth sponsor is the way you can partner with the youth ministry. Look on the Parent Page for downloads on our expectations and an application for becoming a youth sponsor. We'd love to have you!

Q. How can I sign up to receive email updates from Pastor Josh?
A. Click on this link to sign up for regular emails regarding the youth group. Pastor Josh sends out emails before each new teaching series that give an overview of what we're talking about in our foyer environment on Sunday nights. You will also receive emails regarding off-site trips, fundraisers, and other activities. 

If you would prefer, you can also email Pastor Josh at josh@nbwesleyan.org and he will add your email to the list. 

Q. When do I have to fill out a permission slip for my student?
A. Permission slips are necessary for any trips we take off of the NBWC campus. They give permission for us to take care of your student in an emergency and give both the church and your family a safeguard if something were to happen. 

Q. How do you determine the cost of trips? Why are we paying for this and not for that?
A. We realize that families have more than just our youth group events to pay for when it comes to their teen(s). We also realize that some of you may have multiple teenagers in your family, which means our activities cost you double or triple than other families. That's why we try our best to

A) keep costs as low as possible,
B) do fundraisers for trips that cost a good bit of money (mission trips, youth conventions), and
C) provide scholarships for families in unique circumstances, 
D) think carefully about why we participate in certain trips and ask ourselves, "Does this experience fit with our mission?" and "Will it lead our students to the next right step in their walk with Christ?" If we can't answer those questions, then we will not take a trip for the sake of taking a trip.

If you have a question about a particular trip cost, please address it with Pastor Josh or one of the youth sponsors. The last thing we want is for money to be the reason why your teen doesn't participate in a potentially life-changing environment.   

Q. What will my teen hear taught on a typical Sunday night?
A. While we cannot list every subject in this space, here is a good overview of what we are teaching this year and why we are teaching it. Our senior high uses XP3 curriculum, which emphasizes three things: wonder, discovery and passion. See our main youth page for descriptions of what we mean by these three terms and for a link to the XP3 website.  

XP3 is actually not a curriculum but a strategy. It is, as Reggie Joiner says, more like a GPS than a map. While a map can tell you where places are in reference to other locations, it cannot tell you where you are and how to get to where you're going. A GPS tells you where you are and gives you step-by-step directions to get to your destination based on where you're at. 

That's a strategy. Our goal is to take teens from where they are now, whether they have grown up in church or are here for the first time, to a certain destination. We believe that there are certain things they need to know, practice, and become by the time they put on a cap and gown. So we use XP3, a strategy which takes Biblical truth and applies it to today's teenage context, to guide us toward our destination. 

Some of the series we're going through this year include: 

On the Lot: The Bible is a light to our path and we read it to change who we are. 
Upside Down: Living for God's kingdom means living in an upside down world. 
GodView: The most important thing about a person is how they view God. 
Forward Motion: Following Christ is about the steps we take everyday, not the big leaps. 
If Only: The regrets of yesterday can be redeemed for tomorrow. 

Q. When do you meet?
A. Both junior and senior high teens (7th through 12th grade) meet in a foyer (large group) environment on Sunday nights from 6:00-8:00PM in the Activity Center. Watch the website for information about living room environments such as lock-ins, water wars, progressive dinners, destination unknowns, laser tag, etc.