Craig and Julie Wenning are one example of a faithful Watermark family abiding in Jesus and making disciples together. Read about how they came to faith and how they view discipleship in their story below.
When did you surrender your life to Christ, and what has it looked like since?
Craig: “I grew up in church, but I didn’t always enjoy it. I didn’t think the people in my youth group were very fun, so I found myself hanging out with multiple groups: my sports friends, my party friends, and my church friends. I changed the way I spoke and what I did to fit in so much that a buddy called me a chameleon. I lived in several different worlds.
“In my college and young adult years, I chased success, and I got it. I had a prestigious degree, made money, partied with friends, got attention from girls—anything the world would tell you is a mark of a successful life.
“But I felt empty. There was no peace. There was no joy. I knew my life had to change.
“In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’ I had believed intellectually that Jesus was God’s Son who died and rose again to forgive my sins, but now I saw that reality had implications for my life: I should obey his will for my life over my own.
“I started by changing where I spent my time and who I spent it with. I moved in with other followers of Jesus and got involved with the young adult ministry at my church. As I continued to surrender areas of my life to God, he transformed my heart. Some sin patterns, like cussing and drinking, went away pretty quickly. Others, like lust, pride, control, and the love of money, gripped me for much longer, but I learned so much by following the example of faithful believers who followed the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).”
Julie: “I had a similar experience: I grew up in church but spent a lot of my younger years changing who I was to try fitting in with different friend groups. I had invited Jesus into my life in third grade, but I wasn’t confident that I was truly saved, and this anxiety led me to try finding security and worth in the approval of others.
“In high school, almost everything I did was to please others, fit in, or feel accepted: going to church, underage drinking with friends, and staying in an emotionally abusive relationship that made me believe I was unlovable. Through all of this, I remember faithful leaders in my church continued to remind me of the gospel, but deep down, I didn’t believe God’s way was best for me.
“In college, I began to abuse my newfound freedom and independence by giving into a dark spiral of drinking and unhealthy relationships. When I was at rock bottom, I turned to Jesus. He reminded me that he died to forgive me of my sins and rose again to make me new. I turned to him, choosing to believe that his way was better than mine and that his opinion of me was the only one that mattered.
“Knowing Jesus washed me white as snow, I was free from my shame and full of joy and peace. I wanted to help younger girls avoid my same mistakes, so I started serving in my church’s youth ministry to show them life was so much better with Jesus.
“Later, I met Craig in a way only God could’ve orchestrated. When we got married and moved to Watermark, we shared the same desire to serve others and help them walk with Jesus.”
Watermark’s vision is: “Abiding in Jesus, we are making disciples together.” What has discipleship looked like through your time at Watermark?
C: “We started off serving in the additional care ministry, then got recruited to serve students. We each led sixth-grade small groups all the way through twelfth grade, and we loved it. We still keep in touch with our old students, and two of them now lead our son's small group, which is a cool, full-circle moment.
“When we first got to Watermark as newlyweds, faithful couples invited us into their lives, and we learned so much from conversations and experiences with them. Now, we lead Foundation groups, which are community groups for newly married couples at Watermark, and get to do the same thing for them.”
J: “Leading Foundation groups has been a sweet way for us to do ministry together as a family. We involve our kids in some conversations, and we all get to learn from one another and use our spiritual gifts together.
“We’ve seen how discipleship happens organically as you invite people into your lives (1 Thessalonians 2:8). It’s investing in relationships that already overlap in your life and sharing your stories, praying together, and talking about what God has taught you through his Word.”
C: “Discipleship is more about consistency and commitment than formality. All my time belongs to God, and anyone God has placed in your path is someone you can invest in. This means every hour I have can be leveraged to intentionally care for those around me. It starts with your family, then includes the people you serve, coworkers, and even your kids’ teachers or church leaders.
“You don’t always realize how much God has taught you until you come alongside someone walking through a season you’ve already experienced. Getting to remind people of God’s goodness and love has strengthened our own faith, too.
“Discipleship is really just a byproduct of living on mission for Jesus, and when you’re living on the lookout for people to serve, life becomes way more fun.”