Coming To Journey this Summer

"It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's Carlo, our Children's pastor. He's dressed up like a Super Hero in order to promote our new Summer Teaching Series at Journey. We are doing a series called Super Hero's. It's a study of Old Testament Characters, unmasking the super powers of courage, perseverance, faithfulness, courage and more. To help us we are looking at the characters of Daniel, Elijah, Abraham and Joseph.

It's not just a series for our adults and teens, our children, Kindergarten through 5th grade are studying the same thing. This weeks Super Hero is Elijah. if you want to get a head start, read 1 Kings 18:1-39 and see if you can find out what his super power is and where he got it.

Journey by the NUMBERS

4982: total number of donuts consumed on Sunday

312: gallons of coffee drank on Sunday

86: number of people who volunteer to help with set-up, worship, children’s & hospitality ministry.

6: Number of states and countries in which we supported missionary or relief projects; Tennessee, Germany, Malawi, Haiti, Slovakia, Argentina

402: Number of families served this Christmas through the manger; 844 adults, 1245 children

27: percent of increase of offerings in 2010 over 2009

$49,702: Amount of money given away for ministry and missions

45: percent of people who are connected in a house church

5: number of house churches in 2010

1: number of churches planted in 2011

Those are the numbers we shared with the people of Journey Church last Sunday. It was all part of our annual “Souper Bowl” Celebration. It’s a time we set aside each year to share all that God has done through us. It’s amazing because that’s exactly what Paul and Barnabas did following their first missionary journey. They didn’t eat like we did but they “gathered the church together and declared all that God had done with them and how that he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.” Acts 14:27

Notice they glorified God in their report, “. . .and declared all that God had done. . .” and how “he had opened up a door of faith to the Gentiles.” If I have any problem with a church’s “annual report” it’s that it more often than not glorifies the church and it's leaders. Paul’s goal was to glorify God.

But how do you do that? Well I think one way is to not talk about yourself. Paul and Barnabas experienced a great deal of opposition on their trip. They were opposed almost everywhere they went, whether it was the opposition of the false prophet, Elymas, or having their teaching rejected in Antioch of Pisidia or being stoned in Iconium. Either way it couldn’t have been easy. Yet Paul does not emphasize the hardships he endured but rather reported on all that God had done and especially the new thing of opening the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Second I think you glorify God when you let Him do new things in our life, things that you maybe never thought or even dreamed of doing. For Paul and especially the Jews it was a new thing that God would open up the door of faith to the Gentiles. Certainly Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles but almost everywhere he went, he went first to the Jews and understandably so, but God wanted to do a new thing and the new thing He wanted to do was open the door of faith to the Gentiles.

For us, or at least for me, the new thing He wanted to do was use us to “plant” a church. That wasn’t on our agenda for the year but it was on His agenda. We are still young church and smaller than most so how can you plant a church? Maybe the more important question is how can we not plant a church, especially when the Holy Spirit sets two of your leaders apart to do so, Acts 13:1-3. Pray then for us and for Tom and Vicki Chappelear as they seek to follow the Lord and plant a church in Grove City. To lean more check out this “new thing” check out the church at OneSpring.

Besides planting a church God also wanted us to expand the Manger ministry this year. It began three years ago by serving 80 some families. Last year it more than doubled by reaching over 200 families. This year it grew to serving over 402 families. It wasn’t because of anything we did or could have even dreamed of doing. It was because of what He did. God laid it on the heart of Columbus Dispatch Newspaper reporter, Holly Zachariah to write an article allowing us to reach more families and receive more donations than we could have ever imagined.

Now we have plans for 2011. There are some things we think we are going to do and some things we are not going to do, but I don’t want to put God in a box. Those are the plans we’ve made with the wisdom we have but I want to hold them loosely, loosely enough that when we meet for SOUPER BOWL V we will all be surprised and God will get the glory!

How Christians Share Their Faith

Of evangelical Christians who are the ones most likely to share their faith? Where do they live? What is their race? and how old are they? Well interestingly enough those most likely to share their faith are hispanic "busters" (25 to 40 year olds) who live in the west.

That’s right, a recent survey by the George Barna research organization found that hispanics are more likely than blacks or whites in America to share their faith. The survey found that 76% of hispanics compared with 63% of blacks and 41% of evangelical white Christians have shared their faith at least once in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, 65% of westerner’s, compared to 59% of southerner’s and 58% of northeasterner’s shared that faith while only 41 percent of midwesterner’s shared their faith. And of those who shared their faith verbally, busters (25-40 year olds) shared their faith the most, 81%, compared with 64% of boomers (40-65 year olds) and 62% of builders (65+) sharing their faith in a discussion or dialogue.

Another insightful bit of information the survey uncovered is how do people share their faith. Of the 55% who shared their faith at least once over the last 12 months the most prevelant way people shared their faith was by promising to pray for someone (81%). Second was life-style (74%), discussion/dialogue (54%), Moral confrontation (50%), invite to church (49%), invite to event (45%).

However people share their faith Scripture makes it clear that God wants us to share our faith. Jesus told his disciples on the day that he went back to heaven that he wanted them to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth, Acts 1:8. That apostle Paul gives us a four fold pattern for being His witnesses. The pattern is speaking, opposition, perseverance and fruit-bearing. It’s repeated over and over throughout the book of Acts, but more important than Paul’s pattern is our pattern. Jesus wants us to be his witnesses and whether we are black, white or hispanic, a “buster” “boomer” or “builder” and live in the west, south, midwest or northeast God wants us to be His witnesses. Therefore if we want to carry out his purpose we need to do three things we can do.

1. Choose to speak up when given the opportunity.

2. Refuse to be disillusioned when opposed and

3. Commit to persevere.

If you want to know more feel free to check out last weeks message on the Journey Church website, The Pattern of Evangelism, and then join us this Sunday to find out Paul’s Pattern for Maturing Disciples.

It All Started and Ended at Caribou

Caribou is probably my favorite coffee shop right now. Although Panera is still better for breakfast and lunch, Caribou has the best coffee. Consequently Carol and I start every Sunday morning Caribou Coffee. We have a large light roast and a French toast muffin. We share them both, but more importantly she brings in her computer and I bring in my notes so we can review the morning and make any final changes on the power point.

This Sunday morning was going to be different though. I wasn’t going to be speaking. I was going to share communion but we were going to open up the service to let people share their Thanksgiving “stories” instead. I wasn’t sure how many people were going to share their “stories” but I knew there were a lot of people with "stories" that I hoped they would share. As it turned out there were more than a dozen people who spoke. They were all lined up in front of the auditorium and simply shared their "stories" and then passed the mic down to the next person so they could share theirs.

The “stories” were awesome. None of them were stories of thanksgiving for a simple life, instead they were stories of thanksgiving for God being there when life was tough, when they lost a job, when they got sick or when their children or parents got sick. Isn’t that the way it is, we sometimes forget to be thankful when life is “easy.” It’s not until we lose something or at risk of losing something that we stop to be thankful. It was so moving that someone said, "the only thing we need to do next time is hand out Kleenex."

In the beginning I wondered "can you do that?" "Will anyone share?" "Will people feel “cheated” because there wasn’t a “message?" "Would they get bored with people just telling their “stories?” Well I didn’t need to worry, everyone loved it, and so did I. Not because I didn’t to speak, but because God got to be lifted up in “real life.”

That’s what I am thankful for about journey. Not just that there is permission to do things different but that you get to be “real.” And then after being “real” you are still loved. That’s what I think church is. It's not a place or a program but a people, a people who are on a journey together towards loving God and one another.

But as great as that was our day wasn’t over. After church Carol and I went out to dinner with the family. We celebrated our daughter in-law's birthday and the boys being home for Thanksgiving. Then we went home and took a nap. We needed it after a busy weekend that included hosting Carol’s family for Thanksgiving on Saturday. We must have had too much coffee because we couldn’t rest for too long so we went shopping. After shopping we went out to eat again and then stopped by Caribou to finish the day off where we started, only this time we didn’t have to share, we each got our own coffee!

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” 1 Chronicles 16:8

Hey, Can You Do That?

Well, I sure hope so. At least we are giving it a try. Last week at journey I began team teaching with Andy Stanley. Yes you read it right, Andy Stanley. He's not actually there live, but he is there on video. I try to introduce the message with a few personal comments and then Andy comes up (actually we just turn on the video) and teaches for about 3o minutes. After that I try to wrap it up in with some sort of application.

The first week went pretty good so I am looking forward to doing it again this week. It's a series called "The Best Question Ever: Learning to Foolproof Your Life" It's based on the book and DVD teaching of Andy Stanley by the same name.

The first week we looked at "the Best Question Ever". It's not, "Is it moral?" "Is it legal?", or "Is it right?", but rather, "Is it wise?" Is it wise based on my past, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams? That seems to be what the apostle Paul was saying when he wrote to the Ephesians, "Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, as making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

This week we are going look at Proverbs 1 and notice three kinds of fools, the simple (naive), the foolish and the mocker. Hopefully we'll discover what kind of fool we are and how we can move from either the seat of the naive, the foolish or the mocker, into the seat of wisdom.

What I'm Thankful For

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3

Name one thing you can thank God for this year that you couldn't thank Him for last year. Here are a few of my thoughts...

One thing we can be thankful for is the price of gas. Who would have thought we would ever see gas prices under $2 a gallon, let alone $1.57?!

Another thing I am thankful for is that the elections are over. That means no more political commercials! (at least for a while).

Also, I am thankful for the prospects of a new roof, courtesy of Hurricane Ike.

As I reflect over this past year, I am MOST thankful for where the "journey" has taken me - a deeper relationship with the Lord, birth of Journey Church, and the MANY new & deeper friendships I have with people like YOU!

A year ago we prayed that if God wanted us to plant a church that He would provide three things: a people, a place and provision. Now, a year later, He has provided all three! How thankful I am to just be a part of His plan and to obey His command to "go into all the world and make disciples." (Matthew 28:18)

Chulo the Clown @ journey church

Well one things for sure this Sunday night at journey church will not be boring. Boring is one of the six things the authors of the book unchrisitian said is true of the church. It won’t be boring because it will be a Family Focused Fun Night at journey with Cholo the Clown.

Chulo will entertain children of every age with his entertaining antics. His goal is communicate Biblical truth in an entertaining and unassuming way so that everyone learns and enjoys it. Chulo says, “my goal is for them to feel joy, have a good time and laugh.”

As perhaps the only Bilingual clown in Columbus Chulo brings his act to hundreds of children in homes, churches, schools and yes, even parking lots. You can come and enjoy the “show” at the Dublin Community Recreation Center, this Sunday night at 4:30 p.m. Come and bring a friend. Admission is free and so are the popcorn and balloons.

NUMBER ONE MOM

The results of the survey are in and the number one TV mom is, you guessed it. . .Carol Brady from the TV show The Brady Bunch. The number 2 TV mom was Mrs. C, Marion Cunningham of Happy Days. The number 3 mom was June Lockart of Lassie and Lost in Space.

We shared these and the rest of the results of the survey last night at journey church. It was a fun way to celebrate Mother's Day and to honor our moms. The answer to the rest of the questions are below. Check them out to see how they compare with the things then enjoy this video in honor of our moms. Thanks mom!

2. How many times a week growing up did you eat supper together?

72% Every night
18% 6 nights a week
10% 5 nights a week

3. What is one of your favorite “momilies” (as my mom used to say)? Have you ever used it with your kids?

#3 "Stop crying or I'll give you somehting to cry about."
#2 "Because I said so."
#1 "Wait till you dad get's home."

Truth is everyone said they at sometime or another have said the same thing to their kids that their mother said to them.

4. What’s one “everyday” fun thing you remember doing with you mom?

#3 Baking and cooking

#2 Playing games

#1 Eating together

5. What important lesson(s) did your mom teach you?

Generosity
Independance
Be your own person, don't worry about what others think.
When you work on somthing, give it your all.
Cook, clean and do laundry.
that I could do anything I want to
Treat others they wasy I would want to be treated
to know God, prayer and serve others.

Thanks again for helping out.

Mother's Day Survey

In honor of Mother's Day, I put together a little Mother’s Day Survey. I want to share the answers at our Mother’s Day gathering at journey church next Sunday. Take a minute and give me your answers. Also feel free to forward the link to your friends for their input. I’ll post the results next week or you can join us Sunday, May 10^th 4:30 p.m. at journey church. Thanks in advance!

1. When you were a child, who was your favorite TV mom?

2. How many times a week growing up did you eat supper together?

3. What is one of your favorite “momilies” (as my mom used to say)? Have you ever used it with your kids?

4. What’s one “everyday” fun thing you remember doing with you mom?

5. What important lesson(s) did your mom teach you?

Thanks again for your help. I'll give you my answers in my next post.

Easter @ journey church

This week I shared some ideas to help prepare ourselves for Easter. If your tradition is to hide Easter eggs, you may be interested in this...try hiding cans of soda instead of Easter eggs. Seriously! This is something a family actually does. It was a family tradition someone shared as we began our house church meeting tonight. We were one of five different homes where journey church met to observe Good Friday communion.

Journey church will meet Easter Sunday at a different time and a different place. We'll be meeting at 10 a.m. at Embassy Suites in Dublin. (Directions here) It's not far from the Dublin Recreation Center where journey normally meets for weekend gatherings. If you don't have a place to worship this Easter, you are invited to join us at journey.

This Sunday we will begin a message series called "Desperate People: Life-changing Encounters with Christ." Desperate people demanded desperate measures, which is the reason Christ died on the cross that He might redeem & rescue us from our desperate condition. I Corinthians 15:3 & 4 says "For what I received I passed on to you, as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised the third day, according to the scriptures." Join us this week as we look at the thief on the cross and discover the hope of forgiveness found in Jesus.

Have a great Easter!

No Wonder they call it the "SUPERBOWL"

Super Bowl Sunday marks the day on which Americans chow down the second greatest amount of food. Thanksgiving is the only day on which Americans eat more food. On Super Bowl Sunday Americans eat 11 million pounds of potato chips; 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips; 3.8 million pounds of popcorn. To put it in perspective, that’s enough chips to go from here to the moon and half way back. And enough popcorn to create a popcorn string that would go around the earth almost 5 ½ times.

Furthermore, TV and antacid sales both increase. TV sales increase by 5x before the Super Bowl and antacid sales increase 20% on the day after the Super Bowl. So what are you doing for the Super Bowl? We are inviting 150 or so of our “closest friends” to join us at church for “Souper” Bowl Sunday. It will be our very first church “pot luck.” Everyone is bringing either soup, sandwiches or dessert. We will be meeting at our regular time of 4:30 and at our regular place, the Dublin Recreation Center, but instead of our regular service we will be sharing a meal and the “story” of journey church. Also, we will be introducing our “deacon/directors” and have them tell a little bit of their “story.” Feel free to join us, and don’t worry, we’ll be done in plenty of time to get you home to enjoy the Super Bowl (antacid not provided).

Staying Alive @ 55

Today is my fifty fifth birthday. I know you can’t believe it, but it’s true. Nevertheless I thought maybe I would reflect a little on the “benefits” of being so “old”. So here are my Top Ten Reasons I Love Being Alive @ 55.

Top Ten Reasons I Love Being Alive @ 55

10. I don't have to wear polyester “leisure suits" or listen to John Travolta to be "cool."

9. I can order from the over 55 menu at Bob Evans without asking “permission."

8. I can call or text message my kids on their cell phone instead of whistling for them to come home.

7. I can google "stuff" on wikipedia instead of look it up in an out of date encyclopedia.

6. I can listen to my music on an I-pod with stereo head phones instead of a six transistor radio with a single ear phone.

5. I can still wrestle with my 4 boys even though they can probably beat me.

4. I get to wake up in the morning with Carol, my wife of 12,586 days next me.

3. I have the opportunity to "journey" with a great group of people at Journey Church.

2. I have seen the incredible mercies of God that are "new every morning."

1. and even though I can't get 55% off my bill at Bill Knapps (anybody remember that) I can still enjoy eating chocolate cake on my birthday.

Marks of a Healthy Church

Recently I read that Cuyahoga Valley Church in south suburban Cleveland, Ohio is getting ready to launch a new church in the spring of 2008 called Church of the Hills. Rick Duncan who serves as lead pastor and teacher at CVC says, “we anticipate questions about the kind of church we are seeking to start."

As a church planter people have already asked me what kind of church Journey Church is going to be. Is it going to be contemporary or traditional? Seeker driven or for the saints? Topical or expositional? Will it appeal to baby boomers or busters? Etc. . .

Rather than define the church in these terms Rick suggests you look for a church that is first God-honoring and healthy. To help he gives six signs of a healthy church that I hope will in the end be true of Journey Church. Read them and let me know what you think. Also to learn more about Cuyahoga Valley Church and their church plant check out Pastor Rick’s blog at joy@heart.

A healthy church glorifies God

Scripture says, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31b). To glorify God means to draw attention to His greatness. The local church is the focal point of God's plan for displaying His glory to the nations. This is the primary purpose of the church and of individual Christians.

Ask yourself, “Do I sense that the leaders of this church really are seeking to glorify God? Or are they somehow wanting to get attention for themselves? Is the worship of God in spirit and in truth a top priority for this church?”

A healthy church is Bible-based and Christ-centered

The early church emphasized Christ-centered biblical teaching. Teaching should explain what Scripture says in a particular passage, carefully explaining its meaning and applying it to the people. Solid, consistent teaching from God’s Word helps us grow to be like Jesus in several ways. It matures and stabilizes our faith in times of testing. It increases our ability to detect and confront error. It gives us wisdom. Solid teaching should also be coupled with compassionate application. A Bible-based church produces people who are not just hearers of the word, but also doers who live like Christ and who have a commitment to know God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.

Ask yourself, “Do I see the leaders of this church challenging people to learn the Word of God and to live out the Word of God in practical ways? Are they giving people practical opportunities to apply the Word – to love the Lord, serve each other, and be a blessing to the world?”

A healthy church is led by accountable servant leaders

Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant” (Mark 10:43). In a healthy church, the staff and leaders should serve in a context of loving, supportive accountability to God and each other. Since the best predictor of future performance is past behavior, it’s important to find others who have already served on a team with the leaders and to ask them questions about the leaders’ approach to ministry.

Ask yourself, “Do the leaders of this church have good track records as servant leaders? Does the structure of the church insure that the leaders are accountable spiritually and financially? Do I sense that the leaders are passionate about serving others rather than being served?”

A healthy church helps people grow

God gives leaders to the church to prepare God’s people for works of service so they will “grow up in every way” (Ephesians 4:15). Healthy churches provide various tools and so people in differing stages of the Christian life can grow. New believers, maturing Christians, as well as passionate followers all find positive encouragement to keep growing in Christ.

Ask yourself, “Does the church have a passion for helping people grow to spiritual maturity? Do the people sense that their leaders are growing in their walk with Christ? Are personal spiritual growth plans encouraged?”

A healthy church exudes warmth

Not only was the early church caught up in worship, individual devotion to the Lord, and instruction from the Word, but “they were continually devoting themselves… to fellowship” (Acts 2:42). They cared for one another. Members of the church should reflect a true commitment to the life of the church through attendance, giving, prayer and service. The leaders must be concerned not only with growing numbers, but with growing members.

Ask yourself, “Do the leaders of this church encourage people to be in authentic community with one another? Do the leaders and people in this church really care about each other? Do they have a plan to help attenders get connected with others believers? Are the leaders themselves connected to others in their church body?”

A healthy church reaches out to others

First-century Christians took their concern a step further and shared what they knew about Jesus with others. When they ventured beyond their walls, lives were changed: “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). A healthy church helps people appropriately express their faith where they live or work.

Ask yourself, “Does this church have a genuine passion to fulfill the Great Commission? Do the leaders and people care about making more and better disciples? Will I be challenged to reach my circle of influence for Christ? Is compassionate service to others in need a part of the ministry of this church and is it exemplified?”

A healthy church has a contagious style

Like a magnet, a church with a contagious style draws people to its doors. Four features comprise this style: 1) It is biblical in content. Messages are based on the Word of God, not on the opinions or interest of the leaders. 2) It is authentic in nature. This is a church that believes what it says. 3) It is gracious in attitude. The church sees itself as a family, not as a corporation. 4) It is relevant in approach. This church shows how God’s Word applies to today’s needs, issues, and concerns.

Ask yourself, “Do the people of this church freely invite others into the church family and fellowship? Would I want to invite my friends, neighbors, and co-workers to visit my church and to join our fellowship?”

Whether you are a new or long time follower of Christ or just someone on the journey to finding out who Christ is I hope you will consider Journey Church. Journey Church won’t be a place for perfect people. It will hopefully be a place that glorifies God, is Bible-based and Christ-centered, is led by accountable servant leaders, helps people grow, exudes warmth, reaches out to others, and has a contagious style.

Journey to Jesus

Last Saturday was a celebration of two birthdays, the celebration of Jesus' birth and the birth of Journey Church. It was an evening like nothing I, or any one else, could ever have imagined. I am so grateful to God and those who took the time to be with us.

The theme of the night was "Journey to Jesus". We looked at the wise men and discovered that they traveled the farthest to come to Jesus. We learned six principles from their journey to Jesus.

(1) Follow the light as far as it shines.

(2) It's ok to stop and ask for directions.

(3) Sometimes you have to journey alone.

(4) Rejoice on the journey.

(5) Worship once you get there and

(6) Journey on in obedience to the Word of God.

Life is more than a destination, it is journey. Jesus called us to "follow him." Journey Church is not just about helping you find Jesus but journeying on in obedience to Him.

Journey Church's inaugural worship service will be Sunday, January 6th @ 4:30 p.m. at the Dublin Recreation Center, 5600 Post Road, Dublin Ohio. Please, feel free to come early and enjoy a cup of coffee as well as a few moments of conversation before we sit down (or stand up) for worship.

Happy Birthday!

Today is the birthday of Journey Church, or at least it is the day of our preview service. It feels a lot like the day we had our first baby boy. I was excited and nervous. Little did I realize how our life would change. I suppose if I did I might have thought twice about it but it seemed like the “right” thing to do. After all God’s Word is clear that we are to be “fruitful and multiply.” Besides we were having so much fun as a married couple serving in our first ministry, that we wanted share it with someone and thought that having a family would give us a chance to do that.

What I didn’t know is how much I would learn by being a parent, and just how much God would use it to change me. I knew I was going to get to teach my son a lot of things and was looking forward to that, but little did I know that having a son was the very thing God was going to use to teach me a thing or two. Now four children later I am so thankful for every one of them, as well as our daughter-in-laws, for what they have taught and are continuing to teach me.

Now as I think about giving birth today to a church, I think there is nothing more exciting that I can give my life to. After all God’s Word is clear that we are to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:18. Some think this is a direct reference to not just saving souls but planting churches, (ie Neil Cole, Organic Churches)

So, like a married couple, giving birth to a child there is nothing more natural for a follower of Christ than to give birth to a church. After all following Christ is so much fun, why not look for a way to share it with others. That’s what we are trying to do by giving birth to Journey Church today. First, to be obedient to God’s word and second, to share the joy of knowing Christ with others.

But I am still nervous. I’m nervous because we’ve never done this before. And just like parenting you have no idea what you are getting yourself in for. Yet you know it’s what God has called you to, and so you do it, trusting that in the end he will give you the wisdom, the strength and the encouragement you need to do it.

So we are having a baby and I thank God not only for getting to be the pastor of Journey Church but for all that he is going to teach me alone the way.

P.S. No that's not an actual picture of any of our "boys" but it could have been!

The Journey of a Thousand Miles. . .

It’s said that “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step”. The birthing of Journey Church has been a series of "first" or "baby steps" as Dr. Leo Marvin says in one of my favorite movies, What About Bob. It began this summer with 3 families meeting together for prayer, healing & encouragement. It continued with the formation of a home group that is growing almost every week. We are meeting to study the book of Acts and share life together. Last week we had our first Thanksgiving communion. It was an awesome time of gathering around the table, up the stairs and all around the room.

The next step in the journey will be December 8^th, 2007. That is the date of the very first public service of Journey Church. It will be a Christmas Gathering for everyone appropriately called The Journey. As the picture “post card” at the top of the page says, it will be a relaxed and casual evening celebrating Christmas with music, teaching and refreshments.

The evening will also be an opportunity to share personally the details of Journey Church including our vision to Discover...Dare...and Dream. Our vision is based on both the Great Commission and the Great Commandment in which Jesus said to love God, love people and reach the world.

While only God knows where he is taking us, we are excited to take "baby steps" and join Him in the journey of “birthing” Journey Church. If you would like more information, please contact Journey Church at journeycolumbus@gmail.com.

We're Having a Baby!!

Remember when you and your wife first found out you were having a baby? I do. I remember how excited we were to tell everyone the news and how excited everyone was to hear it. Well, now we are having another baby! It’s not a baby, baby. Carol is too old for that! Instead it is a "baby church" and I am just as excited, and nervous as when we found out we were having a real baby.

It was confirmed Sunday night when Carol and I met with three other couples from our home group and shared with them more of our vision for planting a church. We shared with them the name of the church and a vision statement. What amazed and humbled us was their excitement for our vision. It was obvious that God had done a work in their hearts, as well as ours, to prepare us for this moment.

The name of the church is Journey Church. We chose the name because the Christian life is a journey, not just a destination. None of us are there yet. We are all in process to becoming fully devoted followers of Christ. Our vision can be summarized in three words: Discover. . .Dare. . . Dream.

• Discover Life in Christ
• Dare to Live in Community
• Dream of Changing the World

Please join us in prayer as we "labor expectantly" (pun intended) towards the birth of Journey Church. You can let us know you are praying by sending an email to journeycolumbus@gmail.com. Feel free to share your requests with us as well.