What we’re about
WTF (A'hem): Wisdom, Truth, & Faith (& Firepits): A Modern Christian Meetup for Faith-Filled FUN & Connection
If you believe in God and you’re bored to tears or intimidated by traditional church groups, or if you’re starting to wonder if maybe He’s been trying to get your attention lately, come grab a rocking chair by the fire. Or a float in the pool. Or a paper plate full of someone’s famous mac and cheese.
I’m Janine, one of God's favorite daughters (he keeps a picture of my boys and me on His refridgerator - right next to your picture).
I'm originally, from the suburbs Boston (yes, I still occasionally say "wicked"), I was raised Catholic, but a decade ago, I became a non-denominational Christian. I attend National Community Church (NCC) in DC (wicked awesome church ever if you haven't gone yet, check it out, they bought and renovated the first train station in DC).
I don’t have every Bible verse memorized (if you do, that's superrrrr cool), and I’m not the girl who went to seminary (and if you did that's incredible too).
But I know what it feels like when God moves.
And I know what it feels like when He doesn’t.
I know He’s real, and I know He’s been faithful in ways I never could have imagined.
I’m a single mom with three boys (ages 20, 12, and 11 - all same Dad) and I’ve taught them that Matthew 7:7 is God’s phone number.
Ask. Seek. Knock. He’ll answer.
I even wrote a prayer-manifestation song that I had an AI platform sing based on that verse. Because I believe God wants to hear from us. I believe He loves to show up and show off.
This group is for the ones who are in between:
-In between who they were and who they’re becoming (umm, this is me).
-In between churches. In between relationships.
-In between giving up and hanging on.
Maybe something happened during COVID that cracked your heart open.
Maybe you’re going through a breakup or a divorce.
Maybe the dating apps are a disaster and you’re praying for someone with Southern manners and a little Northeast wit.
Maybe you’re like me, and you’re secretly hoping God brings your person right to your front door and angels tap him or her on the shoulder and say, "look again because that's the one!"
This is a group for all levels of Christians (single or already coupled up).
Whether you(’ve):
-Curious
-Got a Bible journal and a collection of pastel highlighters
-You’ve never opened a Bible because someone else always told you what it said
-Just bought your first Bible on Amazon TODAY
-Read a verse a day from your Bible app
-And the "Wait, is Song of Songs supposed to be that spicy?" kind of person
-Or maybe, like me, you’ve got three Bibles and a giant “Complete Guide to the Bible” with maps, family trees, and character breakdowns because you FINALLY want to understand what’s going on.
I created this group because I couldn’t find one like it. I looked everywhere for something warm and welcoming and faith-filled and FUN. I wanted something casual. Something real. Something that lets you be exactly where you are in your journey.
And when I didn’t find it, I felt God whisper, “Start it.” (UMM, O-KAY, He may have been nudging me for a while now to do this... bottom-line is here we are! Yay!)
So here I am. Starting it. And trusting Him to bring the right people through the front door. Maybe one of them is you.
We’ll gather in my backyard Near the inground, trampoline and outdoor pavilion.
We’ll sit around the fire.
We’ll eat good food and pray honest prayers.
We’ll read books like The Circle Maker by my pastor, Mark Batterson, and talk about how to draw bold circles around the dreams God planted in us.
We’ll build vision boards based on God's promises.
We’ll laugh. A lot. (Yup.)
And some nights, we’ll float in the pool under the stars and watch Christian movies on a blow-up screen.
No pressure. No performance. No pretending.
Just real people. Real stories. Real God.
This year, my theme verse is Isaiah 40:31.
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings like eagles.
They shall run and not grow weary.
They shall walk and not faint.”
A few months ago, had you been with me, you might have saw what I say... a bald eagle flying over Huntley Meadows Park (I was sitting up on top of the look out). It was majestic, unmistakable.
That white face! (Wow.)
But as it drifted farther away, it started to look like just another bird. That’s how it is with God. Right?! The closer we stay to Him, the more extraordinary He becomes. The farther we drift, the more we forget just how powerful and present He really is.
So maybe you’re in a season like me.
Quiet. Reflective. A little cocooned.
Maybe you’re not trying to “find a group” so much as you’re hoping to find a place where you can just be.
Where you can laugh, cry, ask questions, and grow at your own pace.
Where people speak life over each other and show up with a casserole and a hug when it counts.
Where faith feels alive and friendships feel real.
- Come hang out.
- Bring your story.
- Bring some food.
- Bring your whole, beautiful, messy, seeking self.
Let’s do life together.
Let’s learn together.
Let’s invite God to meet us exactly where we are.
Maybe He brought you to this group for a reason "brah!" (YES, I can see my TikTok now, "HOW TO SHOW YOUR A MOM OF BOYS WITHOUT SAYING YOUR A MOM OF BOYS" - Bro, Brah, bruh).
A little nudge. A God wink. A door opening just in time.
I’ll be sitting by the fire. And I saved you a seat.
xo,
Janine, Your HAPPY Host of the HAPPY Tree House and WTF: Wisdom, Truth, & Faith
