2014 ANNUAL REPORT AND YEAR IN REVIEW

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1 2014 ANNUAL REPORT AND YEAR IN REVIEW

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3 TABLE OF CONTENTS // 1 ANNUAL REPORT WELCOME 03 THE DOTS 07 THE STATS 11 YEAR IN REVIEW STORIES 19 EVENTS 27 THE TEAM 51

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5 WELCOME

6 2014 ANNUAL REPORT Dear Way of Life Community, 2014 is in the books! Once again it was a year full of change, growth and greater clarity! I want to say THANK YOU for supporting the vision of Way of Life Community. The pages that follow will restate our vision, celebrate some awesome accomplishments and stories as well as reflect on a few of the highlights of the year. It s a great reminder of why we love our church! You may remember that we started 2015 asking the questions... what s your one thing this year?... what s your one word this year?. If you identified your one word for 2015 that s great, I encourage you to stay committed to it and live it out daily! Even now, if you are still waiting to be inspired, invest the time in prayer to hear from Jesus

7 WELCOME // 5 about where He wants you to focus. Search for a verse in the Bible and make it your anthem. I shared my one word as we kicked off the new year... Mine is STRENGTH, I want to be STRONGER spiritually, physically and emotionally. I want to grow STRONGER! I want our church to become STRONGER! In order for our influence to grow LARGER our roots have to grow DEEPER. Isaiah 54:2 says... Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. We are excited that we ve been able to launch additional services to make more room in our Sunday morning gatherings and offer more opportunities for people to experience Jesus! Thank you for serving on the Dream Team to make this possible! If you re not involved, you need to be! Get into Growth Track (it happens every Sunday) and discover where you desire to plug in. Don t live life alone. Join the Dream Team, get in a Community Group or a Life Group! We gain STRENGTH from each other. The stories and pictures in this Annual Report are proof of lifechange and relationship! Again, thank you for investing your time and treasure through the church! Let s be prayerful in 2015 to remain on point and see even greater things! Sincerely, Pastor Wade

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9 THE DOTS

10 2014 ANNUAL REPORT WHAT ARE THE DOTS? The dots are the ultimate win at Way of Life Community. They represent life-change, one step at a time. They re a process that begins with the first dot of salvation, and ends with ultimate fulfillment by living out a God-designed calling, through serving. Exodus 6:6 7: Therefore, say to the people of Israel: I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt.

11 THE DOTS // 9 SALVATION We consider reaching people one of our greatest responsibilities. Our weekend gatherings serve people at all places in their spiritual journey. FREEDOM Life change only continues and deepens in the context of relationships community groups. We discover freedom through life-giving community and transparent relationships. DISCOVERY God designed us with talents and abilities that He wants to redeem for His purpose. The Growth Track leads people through discovering how God has designed them to make an eternal impact on their world through a step-by-step process of growth and leadership. FULFILLMENT All of us were created by God to make a difference in the life of another person. God has a place for you where your unique abilities and passions can touch the lives of others. We believe that your life will never make sense until you find, develop, and fulfill that purpose.

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13 THE STATS

14 2014 ANNUAL REPORT WEEKLY GIVING WEEKLY AVERAGE 2014 $19,008 21% 2013 $15, $10, $9,782 94% GROWTH SINCE 2011

15 THE STATS // 13 WHEN YOU GIVE GIVING DISTRIBUTION 1 1: MISSIONAL LIVING 2 9% 2: MINISTRY 16% 40% 4 3: FACILITIES 4: PERSONNEL 35% 3

16 2014 ANNUAL REPORT WEEKLY ATTENDANCE WEEKLY WEEKEND AVERAGE 34% % GROWTH SINCE 2011

17 THE STATS // 15 TOTAL BAPTISMS ANNUALLY % : % GROWTH SINCE 2011

18 2014 ANNUAL REPORT TOTAL COMMUNITY GROUPS NUMBER OF GROUPS CREATED 139% : 4 1,750% GROWTH SINCE 2011

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21 STORIES

22 2014 YEAR IN REVIEW MIKE S STORY The last eighteen months have been like a roller coaster ride for me, with more downs than ups. That was until I found Way of Life Community. In December of 2013, I saw a friend from high school who was coordinating a fundraiser for a group he had started through his church. I reached out to him to see if I could help in any way, and I volunteered to make the desserts for the fundraiser. Two weeks later my life took a serious turn. As I was giving someone a ride home, I was pulled over. I had no clue as to what was going on, or for what reason the officer wanted me. The officer found a large amount of drugs in my car. Even though I did not have knowledge of them being there it didn t matter; they were still in my car. I was arrested that night, and taken to jail. The next day I was released on bail. Other than my family, my next call was to Randy Spencer. I wanted him to know what had happened and I asked him if I could still be part of the fundraiser. He responded back a few days later to tell me yes. So I made the desserts for the event, and stayed the whole night. After that I figured it was time that I find my way into a church, and the day after the fundraiser I went to Way of Life Community s Rising Sun campus for the first time. From the very first time that I walked through the doors I felt like I was right at home. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. After hearing the message that day I decided to check out Growth Track. I went to Growth Track 3.0 in February, and started serving the next day. Soon after that, I made the decision to be baptized, which was a day that I will never forget. It was a wonderful experience, surrounded by my family and all my new friends.

23 STORIES // 21 If I had to, I would go through all of these challenges again to have the relationship with Jesus that I do now. My first court date was scheduled for June. Unsure of what the outcome would be I found Lori Devine and let her know that I didn t know if I would be able to serve anymore. We sat, we talked, and we prayed a lot. In late August my mother became very ill, she was in the hospital for nearly a month. During that time my church family was there for me, and took care of me. My trial was scheduled for late September. Knowing that my family couldn t be there, Lori and Desiree Davis stepped up and supported me. I accepted a deal that would have me spend 90 days incarcerated. My mom was still in the hospital at the time, so I asked the judge for a week to spend time with her before turning myself in. My request was accepted, and my hard times became worse when my mom passed away on September 25th. Luckily I was able to attend her funeral and spend time with family and friends until I began serving my time on October 3, I honestly feel like it was all part of God s plan for me. Had I not gotten into this trouble and had not found my church, I wouldn t have had all of the love and support from so many wonderful people to help me through the loss of my mother. If I had to, I would go through all of these challenges again to have the relationship with Jesus that I do now. I m glad that I am moving on from my past, and can finally close this chapter of my life. It is time to move on to bigger and better things. I m very excited to see what plans God has in store for me.

24 2014 YEAR IN REVIEW LEXI S STORY Lexi Chavis started coming to Way of Life Community in May of She grew up in church and knew who Jesus was, but didn t ever feel like He was truly a part of her life. Lexi experienced different spiritual highs and lows throughout her life, but felt particularly close to God while attending a Christian Camp during the summer. But every time she left, she had a difficult time keeping her passion for God alive once back at home. During high school, Lexi struggled with partying and an unhealthy dating relationship. She felt lost and completely empty on the inside, and tried to fill those empty spaces with unhealthy things to try to feel whole. In May 2014, Lexi was invited to come to Wired through a friend. The first Thursday night that she walked in the door, she felt a sense of peace and a home environment. She created true friendships that she had never experienced before. She felt like she was learning what it meant to truly live for Jesus and not just experience a temporary spiritual high. That fall, Lexi invited her brother Zach to come to Wired as well, and they both attended the fall retreat in November of At the retreat she finally realized that when she stopped trying to control her own life or fix those around her, that was when God could come in and take hold of everything she thought she could fix on her own. As Lexi and Zach found a new family in Wired, their parents found a new home in Way of Life Community. In December, Lexi went public with her faith through baptism along with her brother and her dad on a Thursday night at Wired. She feels she is now learning what it is like to open up to

25 STORIES // 23 It s shown me a completely new way to live that I have been unconsciously searching for my whole life. people at work or at school about her faith. In those times, she thinks back to her baptism when she was sitting in the water while her story was being read out loud; her dark past that she had kept hidden for so long was now out in the open. This gives her courage to be open with her faith and pushed out of her comfort zone. Each of these experiences has helped her become more confident and recognize that the only opinion she truly cares about is God s opinion. Lexi serves in Slam Planet on Sunday mornings, is a student leader at Wired and is currently attending a LIFE group. When talking about Way of Life Community, Lexi said, This church has brought me into a world that I really didn t know existed. A year ago I never would have believed that I would have the amazing friendships that I do now; let alone meeting them in church. I ve met people I now call my best friends to do life with me, lift me up and keep me accountable. It s shown me a completely new way to live that I have been unconsciously searching for my whole life. I know that I am completely blessed with Way of Life Community.

26 2014 YEAR IN REVIEW THE HAMBY S STORY Our experience with LIFE began in late 2013 with an invitation from Pastors Andy and Melinda to join their very first group. It was a brand new community group that was beginning at Way of Life Community. My husband Troy and I were a bit skeptical as LIFE was brand new, and we had no idea what to expect or how it would apply to our lives. We were at an unsure place in our lives as it related to our feelings towards any local church. In the past we had been deeply hurt while serving in a full-time ministry position, so we spent the past few years avoiding any sort of commitment related to church. We were still struggling with trust issues and it was a big step for us to do something as simple as joining a community group. Regardless of our reservations, we took the step to join LIFE. LIFE is a community group offered at Way of Life Community, its an acronym for Living In Freedom Every Day. The first twelve weeks are a study through the curriculum, and it s followed up with a two-day retreat on-site at the Forest Hill Campus. LIFE is a group that helps us process our past, re-think our relationship with Jesus in the healthiest way possible, and move forward living free the way God truly intended. During that 13-week period we thoroughly enjoyed the weekly meetings and the friendships we made, but were unable to make it to the first retreat. We didn t fully complete the LIFE experience at that time. A few weeks later, Troy and I mutually separated as our marriage hit a very low point. I was starving for community and I knew I needed to make some spiritual changes, so I contacted Eric and Tresia

27 STORIES // 25 It has made such a powerful impact on our lives that we feel a sense of responsibility to share it with others. Diaz to ask if I could join their LIFE group for a second time. This time, it was truly life changing. Troy joined me a few weeks into that semester. Through that time, God changed many things in both of us. He completely restored our marriage, which was barely hanging on by a thread. He helped us deal with areas of un-forgiveness and bitterness stemming back to deep hurts we experienced in our former ministry position. He helped us to recognize things we needed to change in ourselves to be a better husband and wife. Most importantly, He drew us closer to Him. an experience that neither one of us will ever forget. It was so powerful. It was life changing. We had the incredible opportunity to serve on leadership at the first retreat hosted in-house at Way of Life Community in the fall, and it was awesome. What an honor to be able to lead people into an atmosphere of freedom in their own lives. We are also honored to be co-leading a LIFE group this semester. It has made such a powerful impact on our lives that we feel a sense of responsibility to share it with others. We pray that everyone takes the opportunity to experience freedom through LIFE. We attended the retreat after this second time through the group and it was

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29 EVENTS

30 RISING SUN COLOR FUN RUN

31 With over 3,000 participants, WOLC s first ever Color Fun Run was the largest event in the history of the town of Rising Sun.

32 Thanks to your support, and the hard work of 115 volunteers, WOLC was able to provide the community with this amazing FREE event.

33 In addition to the one and a half mile race, kids enjoyed inflatables, nerf gun wars, zorbing, dunk tanks, food and much more.

34 I HAVE DECIDED WOLC saw it s biggest increase in baptisms in 2014, with 133 people deciding to go public with their faith.

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36 Thanks to programs like WIRED and Slam Planet, WOLC had over 30 student baptisms in 2014.

37 Many new families have found their church home at WOLC as a result of baptism Sundays.

38 NORTHERN IRELAND MISSION TRIP

39 Thanks to your support, WOLC was able to invest $3,263 in the Northern Ireland Mission Trip.

40 With 22 volunteers, WOLC was able to host a youth sports camp, where meaningful relationships were formed.

41 Volunteers also constructed a playground, completed various renovation projects, and participated in an open mic night and prayer walks.

42 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL Between our three campuses, 274 kids had the time of their lives. Each night they learned more about God and were equipped with Bible truths to grow stronger in their relationship with Jesus.

43 With the help of 135 adult volunteers serving at VBS 2014, kids danced, sang, played the brain drain game, and had a blast in the foam chambers.

44 YOUNG LIFE CAMPS Young Life summer camp the guaranteed best week of your life! Over 30 Young Life students spent a week at Rockbridge summer camp in Goshen, Virginia.

45 Over 50 Young Life students traveled to Lake Champion in New York for the annual YL Winter weekend.

46 DAY OF HOPE WOLC participated in the Day of Hope in Baltimore City where 1,200 guests were served lunch, given groceries, and offered free entertainment for the children.

47 WOLC invested $74,281 towards missional living in 2014.

48 TOY DRIVE WOLC served over 50 kids in Harford and Baltimore County. Over 250 gifts were donated.

49 WIRED RETREAT Over 60 Wired students went to Summit Lake for the Wired fall retreat.

50 FREE LUNCH FRIDAYS Launched on June 20th, 2014, Free Lunch Friday feeds an average of 100 guests per week.

51 COLLIDE Did you know COLLIDE is the largest all-campus gathering at WOLC?

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53 THE TEAM

54 2014 YEAR IN REVIEW WADE AND DAWN HASKINS MARK AND SHERILYN GRISSOM RYAN AND NICHOLE BLANKENSHIP

55 THE TEAM // 53 KELLY AND HELEN HARRISON CLIFF MAGEE TYLER AND RACHAEL RESTRICK

56 2014 YEAR IN REVIEW JONATHAN AND CHRISTIE STEPHENS MATT AND KATY STEVENS COBY AND ALICIA WILLIAMS

57 SPECIAL THANKS: EDITOR: Ryan Blankenship. LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Chris Boston. CONTENT SUBMISSIONS: Ryan Blankenship, Mike Brown, Lexi Chavis, Paige Hamby, Cliff Magee, and Rachael Restrick. STATISTICS AND FINANCIAL DATA: Mark Grissom, Kelly Harrison, and Dawn Haskins. PROOFREADING: LJ Baker, and Dawn Haskins. PHOTO CREDITS: Ryan Blankenship, Bingo Castro, Johnna Frantz, Kelly Harrison, Lydia Harrison, Maggie Nolan, Patrick Nolan, and Joe Stephens.

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60 SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook.com/mywayoflife Twitter.com/mywayoflife Instagram.com/WayofLifeCommunity new.livestream.com/mywayoflife PO BOX 160 BEL AIR, MD MYWAYOFLIFE.ORG