Waypoint United Methodist Church
Waypoint is all about “leading people to love and live like Jesus.”
We are a church for all generations aiming to share God’s love, grow in faith, and positively impact our community by helping people discover the way to Jesus.
Jesus – Everything we do points to Him.
Relational – We are better together.
Growing – Our faith leads us to change.
Future – The next generation is worth everything.
Authentic – We are real people following a real God.
Excellence – We always give our best.
Hey there! My name is Brett, and I have served in local churches of all sizes for over a decade in various roles. Before becoming a pastor, I served in worship leadership and music. I began serving as the pastor of Waypoint in 2021. Originally from South Central Missouri, my family and I are excited to be back in the beautiful Ozark mountains. My wife, Bethany, teaches High School English. We have two children, Connor and Savannah.
My studies are in Communication with Central Methodist University, Fayette, Missouri, and theology with the United Methodist Church. Before entering ministry full-time, I worked in finance, funeral directing, and radio. My go-to shows are The Office, Big Bang Theory, and The West Wing. I enjoy traveling, exploring new places, going to Broadway shows and museums, being with family and friends, and binge-watching shows.
I love serving Jesus and the local church. Over the years, the church has supported my family and shown us Jesus’ love. It’s my prayer that all people will discover that same grace and love through a local faith community. It is a joy to partner with people on their journey of faith, and I can’t wait for the opportunity to connect with you.
We believe in one God who is eternally present in three distinct persons. God the Father spoke the world into being, out of nothing. God the Son is Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world who lived a sinless life, was crucified, died, and resurrected from the dead after three days. God the Holy Spirit is our guide, our helper as we live the life we are meant to live. We believe the Bible is the ultimate source of truth and guide Christian living. We believe that anyone can discover the fullness of life by accepting the gift of salvation offered to all people through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. When we begin to follow Jesus, we are made new, promised an eternity in the presence of God when our physical life ends. We believe that as the church, we are to love God and love people and welcome all to hear the Good News of Jesus.
We believe there are two sacraments, Baptism and Communion. These two acts are important for us to participate in because Jesus commanded them and participated in them.
Baptism is a sacrament a believer experiences once during their life. It connects us with God’s act of salvation for the Church and us. We are not “saved” at the moment of Baptism, but accept the invitation God offers to live a life following Jesus. Once we commit to following Jesus, scripture calls us to publicly profess our faith through Baptism.
We baptize people of all ages, offering the individual and their family the choice of being baptized by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. Sprinkling is common for infants and small children, but the person being baptized (or their parents) can choose the most meaningful method for them.
Communion is a sacrament we regularly participate in during worship. It’s a celebration and remembrance of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. The bread and fruit of the vine (we use grape juice out of respect for those in recovery) are symbols of Jesus’ body and blood, which were broken and shed for us.
We practice Open Communion, which means everyone is welcome to participate in it. Communion is a special moment that reminds us all of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
As a United Methodist Church, we are a part of a greater “connection” made up of churches all across the globe. To learn more about the UMC, visit www.umc.org.
To learn more about the Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church visit, www.moumethodist.org.