What’s Next?

The Journey plans to turn the northside of Spartanburg upside down, or maybe I should say right-side up.  That is the kind of sentence that usually merits an exclamation mark.  I did not include one because it is going to take more than mere emotion to make that transformation happen.  It is going to require steady, faithful service and adherence to the leadership of God in our daily lives.   In the last month, we have seen the result of deliberately maintaining a missional focus.  What we have seen is only the beginning.  Here a few things you can expect:

Neighborhood block parties (next one is June 28th at Crown Pointe)

Multi-ethnic worship experiences (where we learn to follow Christ…together)

Movie Nights

Step Dance Ministry – “Kingdom Steppers”

Joint events with Shepherd’s Door Community Center (summer camps and Bible Studies)

Special music and performance events

If you want to be a part of seeing God turn the northside of  Spartanburg right-side up, I invite you to come and join The Journey.  Our lives can be different.  Our community can be different.  Come and experience The Journey!

Pastor Chris

Oop…there it is!

I love it when God brings simplicity to a time of chaos and confusion.  A few months ago, I asked God what he wanted me to do with some extra time I believed might soon be available to me.  He said, “Nothing.  Teach others to do the work.”  Last month, I talked with God about being overwhelmed and exhausted.  He simply said, “Ask for help.”  Earlier this week, I was again feeling overextended and rundown.  God said, “Be still.”  How simple and clear our Father’s words are to us.  In hindsight, it is almost humerous that just like a child, I have to be given the same message over and over again.  When you are looking for answers and direction from God, learn to look for the simple answer.  God is not the author of confusion and he is the master of making mysteries known.   

DIVERSITY

Diversity rocks!  Nothing screams unity like diversity in a church family.  This Sunday at The Journey was a beautiful site – people of different ages, different backgrounds, different genders, and different races all learning to follow Christ together.  God had to have been smiling!

Join us this Friday at 7:00pm as we hang out together and watch “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.”  There will be free popcorn and free drinks for everyone.  This movie is a great metaphor for the Christian life.  It will give you things to talk about for days to come!

The Time is Now

An epoch is a remarkable time in history.  The Journey stands at the brink of just such a time.  Our vision is becoming clear and is beginning to materialize.  We are abandoning all traces of a “traditional” church mindset.  For the truth is, even the non-traditional nature of community churches like The Journey become traditional in their own way.  Not anymore.  Not for us. 

We are committed to Christ.  We are committed to making Christ-followers.  We are committed to diversity in our church family.  We are committed to impacting the next generation.  Since our Epoch Teaching Series, the face of our church family has begun to change.  Our youth and children’s ministry is growing.  Saturday is our first ever block party at Victoria Gardens, where we are expecting several hundred people in attendance.  We will have a bus there the next morning to bring all who desire to worship with us to the building.  On Friday, May 30th, we will follow up this great week with a movie night open to all ages with free popcorn and drinks.

We are seeking Christ.  We are seeking to make Christ-followers in a new community.  We are seeking diversity.  We are seeking to impact the next generation.  Our epoch has begun.

Pastor Chris

A Christ-Follower

Christ was born to die.  He was known as “a man of sorrows.”  He was despised and rejected, especially by those people who he was close to during much of his early life.  People listened to him and supported him when he was giving them what they wanted.  When he required things from them in return, most walked away.  Some turned on him completely.  In his times of greatest pain and need, he was usually alone and could not count on even those who claimed to support him the loudest.  He was severely tempted, plotted against, laughed at, and ignored.  Those he loved did not realize they were being loved and resented him to the degree that they tried to kill him.  The visible, earthly impact of his ministry was not evident until after his time on Earth was done.  Only after his departure did people around the world begin to acknowledge his work and sing his praises.  So what did Christ do?  He loved them all and gave himself up for them. 

Is that the Christ you follow?  Scripture says we share in the sufferings of Christ.  Do you?  Christ-followers do.

The Journey Vision…

We envision our members living as missionaries in their own communities, engaging people and making disciples, transforming entire communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We envision a church family that reflects the diversity of God’s family.

We envision a church family that invests in and sacrifices for the next generation.

We envision a church family that is learning to follow Christ…together.

Can you picture that in your mind?  I believe that this is all part of God’s plan for The Journey.  He has already called us to make disciples, to be of one spirit and purpose, to train our children in the way they should go, and to work together to accomplish all of these things through Christ.  Let’s make our vision a reality so a lost and dying world can see it with their own eyes.

Look what God can do…

This Sunday, The Journey baptized 4 more people.  That brings the total baptisms to 54 since The Journey began in 2005.  So far this year, we have baptized 10 people.  Did you know that the average for church baptisms each year in our country is 3?  What an incredible privilege to have God moving in our midst!  In 2007 only 24 of 94 churches in the Baptist Network baptized more than 10 people.  Last year, the Journey was number 83 out of 94 churches in terms of average worship attendance, yet was number 30 in number of baptisms. 

I throw out these numbers not to cause you to compare one church with another, but to encourage you with evidence that God is moving among us!  Our average attendance in worship in 2008 has increased by over 25% and our number of baptims has already surpassed our total for 2007.  And if you are encouraged by those statistics, just wait!  Wait to see how God blesses this church family when we begin our neighborhood outreach efforts next month.  God is about to show out!  Just wait and see.

The mission begins…

The Journey will be hosting a neighborhood block party at Victoria Gardens on Saturday, May 24th. The party will include serving hot dogs, face-painting, games, prizes, live music, and most importantly, sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with an entire neighborhood.

This is the first of several mission projects The Journey will do this summer. If you desire to be a part of the block party, please set aside the afternoon of May 24th and join us.

Living the mission,

Pastor Chris

Missionaries

This Sunday, a number of people committed themselves to being missionaries in the communities where they live. One mother desired to minister to other mothers with small children. Another person chose her counseling center as a mission field. Two people chose to work with the homeless. This week, we will begin to learn how to engage people in the mission fields we have chosen to work.

Our church family is entering a new phase of our journey together. We are becoming an outward-focused, missional church family. That means that throughout this year, we will organize our efforts for the purpose of ministering to those who are not yet here. We will take Christ to our different communities and prepare ourselves for making disciples in those places.

Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his fields, and personally answer God’s call on your life.

Equipping the saints,

Pastor Chris

A Remarkable Time in History

Yesterday, over 20 people committed themselves to serving as missionaries in their community.  What an amazing sight – all those people joined together in prayer asking to be made thoroughly right with God and for God to use them to reach others for Christ.  Beginning this Sunday, we will learn what to do next.  The next step is to identify a place or people that God is calling you to reach.  Pray this week for God to lay a burden on your heart for a group of people that need to know Christ. 

                                  Expecting great things,

Pastor Chris