One thing clearly we all have in common, (if we’re still breathing) we all experience an annual birthday each year. Every living, moving, shaking, or standing thing God created that has the breath of life, has a birthday. This weekend Journey Community Christian Church will celebrate our eleven year old birthday. Just like real life a lot happens in Church life by the time you are eleven years old.
A handful of current Journey regulars were at the first public worship service, 15 July 2007. We
met that first time out at the Harrison County Fair Grounds with bag chairs and sheet on
hanging on the wall for our power point slides. We borrowed a tote with speaker wires and
portable speakers for our volunteer band.
I still remember the weather was nearly perfect. It was a beautiful July summer day and about
125 gathered to see what God might be up to. We were homeless and nameless for a few
weekends. Our start up name was Portable Church as literally everything we owned for Church
services was portable and carried each week to the site in a small trailer behind a suburban.
That first weekend we didn’t have a nickel in the bank until we passed the offering plate. For months we continued to say, “We have God and each other; we have everything we need.” Even though we do have a few more resources after over a decade we’re still leasing our location and we still depend up outside and out of town gifts to sustain our budget.
We have seen progress but growing up is hard stuff. I recently shared this year, over the first 6
months of 2018, we actually met our monthly expenses from within Journey for the first time
since we launched this great adventure with God eleven years ago. (Not including funds for our
second full time staff salary). Bryan and Bridget Martinez joined us May 2018 as Youth/Family
Minster. With your help and more regular/weekly Journey givers who gather here we’re praying
and expecting to grow resources 2018/2019 to meet even this new position from within our
local Journey family.
A few weeks ago we installed and ordained our first ever elder/shepherd team at Journey.
Shawn Hunt and Doug Brooks joined me in an ordination service which set this team of leaders
apart for prayer and guidance at Journey. As we often say, “God is seldom early, but He is
never late.” 2018 is turning out to be our beat year ever. And one more thing I just discovered,
we’ve given $3700.00 in the Tide Jug from our pocket change this year since January. We are a
handful of people who, with God’s help, do crazy stuff for people no one else is reaching. Go
God, do it again. We’re discussing another car give-way soon. Stay tune for more.
This weekend is a new summer series, My Story. The Bible lessons and talks are taken from
the Old Testament. This week is the story of Daniel. Everyone has a story, some stories we like
to share, others not so much. Over the next four weekends when developing a better story our
life…. we’ll consider things to Start, Stop, Stay, and Go.
If you are in town this weekend we INVITE you to join us and celebrate a birthday together. And
if you have a friend who doesn’t have a regular place they worship and belong why not give
them a call or text. This is going to be a great series for people who don’t go to Church often
anymore.
#11…. is a pretty good year! God is good.
