There you are!

Intentionality pervades every aspect of our Sunday gatherings. Our worship songs are carefully selected to evoke a just and generous theology. Our eclectic teaching team represents a diverse range of professional and experiential backgrounds.

You’ll find that our service is contemporary and informal in style. However, we seek to incorporate a blend of artistic, cultural, and liturgical elements gleaned from the depth and breadth of Christian tradition.

Kids and students of all ages are invited into our family ministry space, The Garden. There, they can experience carefully crafted, age-appropriate lessons and discussions led by our amazing volunteer team (all background-checked and well-vetted).

Children are also welcome in the main gathering; we have busy-boxes with coloring books, fidget activities, and more. Feel free to grab one before service if they (or you) need a little extra help feeling grounded.

We keep things casual at Watershed. Whether you dress up or dress down, we encourage you to come in a way that feels comfortable for you.

Absolutely! We always have coffee in the back, so feel free to grab a cup as you come in or anytime throughout the service.

Watershed is a progressive, non-denominational, post-evangelical church located near the

heart of Charlotte, North Carolina. While initially planted in 2005 as a fairly straightforward, urban evangelical church, Watershed has evolved over the years in both beliefs and practices to become the still-journeying faith community it is today.

We tend to identify more in the post-evangelical space today where we affirm the full leadership of ALL humans who are curious and desire to learn: no matter sexuality, gender, race, income, or doctrinal minutia!  We are uninterested in partisan politics, but find the Gospel to be inherently political (it would take a lunch conversation to unpack that last sentence). We are diverse in every way possible which leads to our conviction towards a universal non-belonging (no one fits perfectly anywhere which is what we all share in common). We are committed to living into the paradox of our faith, and never settle for easy answers to complex questions. We believe that God is love, generosity, and joy. We try to be the same.

We invite you to hang around a bit after service! Our pastors LOVE to answer questions and get to know our visitors. And with so many great restaurants, coffee shops, and breweries nearby, there’s always a group looking to continue communing over lunch.

We are nestled in the Chantilly neighborhood and our parking is limited (because we love trees!).  Please feel free to try to park in the lot that wraps around the back of the building OR just find a convenient spot on the street!  We only ask that you don’t block any of our neighbor’s driveways. 

We get it. Lots of people have trauma from a past religious experience. God…the Divine… is love, but church people forget that sometimes. We hope that Watershed might be a place of healing and recovery for your wounds. We will err on the side of grace whenever possible. If your religious trauma is more acute and you would like to speak to a pastor, please contact us and we will happily sit down over coffee and share our stories.

If you are more introverted, then visiting a new church is about as fun as a root canal without nitrous oxide. Here is a possible morning routine for your first visit: Email a staff member and let them know you will be visiting and might lay low for a bit. Arrive early enough to not feel rushed. Come in the Shenandoah entrance where you will find our greeting team. Someone there will let you know what to expect on that particular Sunday. The auditorium doors open at 9:45am, and the service begins at 10am (until Sept 1). There is a digital connection card that will help us get to know you better. You can scan and complete that anytime during the service. And as always, you can slip out as fast as you need to and whenever you need to.

We are a FULLY INCLUSIVE church, so the simple answer is Yes(!) we want to experience the fullest expression of who you are. It is a sad reality that church is commonly a place where people are scared to show up in vulnerability and truth. Definitions of identity are swirling in the larger culture, and we hope Watershed is a place where we learn how to be fully ourselves, only more so and more truly. So yes, you are welcome here. All of you.