Tag: welcome

Worth – Annual Appeal

Jerry Wirtley

Fighting Texas Aggie class of 25, Trevor, a Construction Science major, will be working for a commercial construction company in Austin after graduation. Trevor collects vinyl records and has a small collection at this point, he also can play guitar and has played for summer camps at Cross Trails. He also hopes to one day own a boat.

“Matt told me to check out Treehouse,” Trevor remembered. “I met Matt at Cross Trials the summer before I started A&M and they said I should go.” So, Trevor found Treehouse. “I went to the Welcome BBQ and just kept going back.”

“I would have had a completely different set of friends, a different community,” Trevor stated. “I don’t know how I would have made friends without Treehouse. I don’t talk to the people in my major.” For Trevor, Treehouse is the people. People who are community, who give space to be friends. “The people. Being able to have friends. Everyone there is your friend,” affirmed Trevor. “You don’t have to prove your worth. Everyone is automatically your friend and no one has to prove they are worthy.”

“The participants at Treehouse come from many different places and they like to share so we hear about many different things,” commenter Trevor. “The participants are interesting and wanted to be connected to something faith related and Treehouse seemed like a good place to do that.”

When asked what moment stood out as having the most impact on Trevor, he stated, “The whole of the community. The community is a place I know I am accepted and belong. I really enjoy it and will miss.” Treehouse is a place where you are welcome, accepted, and have a place. It is a community that allows you to know love and worth. Trevor found this community and it made all the difference to him.

Family

Jerry Wirtley

Texas Fighting Aggie class of 26, Brock enjoys racing on trails on motorbikes and yet cannot get around town without a GPS/map. They are also a licensed pilot who crash-landed a plane due to an engine malfunction.

Brock remembers his first encounter with Pastor Jerry and a Treehouse student at the MSC Open House, their first year before classes. “I was looking for a church,” Brock continued, “where I could ask the hard questions and not get yelled at for asking them.” The upfront welcoming presentation at the MSC Open House drew Brock to attend a Treehouse gathering.

“When I arrived, I saw Lauren who was in my math class, so I felt comfortable here.” Brock said, “The atmosphere was I would be treated like family regardless of who I am or was. There is more to reality than I realize. I hold that homosexuality is wrong, but I have no way to remove that from me. Here I heard that homosexuality is not wrong and why. We dig into the big hard questions and do not shy away.”

“I also remember the party I arrived at really late when everyone else was leaving at Pastor Jerry’s”, Brock stated. “I was out in the sun and had heat exhaustion and they let me stay even though everyone else was gone. They treated me like family, even when they really didn’t know me.”

Treehouse was the place where “I was treated less as a demonic entity or a danger to everyone else’s well-being.” Brock stated, “Other places gave the impression that the prolonged exposure to me would damn them to hell.” They were accepted as they are and felt like they belonged. “Treehouse takes me as I am,” they articulated, “Here I have almost no filter.”