What is the mission?
Just so we're all clear: What is the mission of The Journey? Why do we exist?
Please don't give me the frigging mission statement or vision statement or other corporate gobbledygook. I want to know what you think, in your own words.
It's about the people
People…like the couple that came last night to new comers. They first were introduced to the Journey coming to the downtown AIDS benefit breakfast…(impressed by our effort to help Africa)…. their experience was VERY bad “Baptist” hell fire… they left the orthodox church for a long time… and then slipped into the UNITY church - which is similiar to the unitarian universalist (non-Jesus centered). When that church fell apart.. .they knew they wanted community and faith… but would not go to a “orgnaized religion” church… when they started coming to The Journey.. they found an accepting / open attitude… started hearing about the centrality we put on Jesus… and now are ready to plug in… 6 month plus process for them… very hesistant.
Our mission for our Sunday morning outreach focus has been and is clear - to “connect with” 20-40 year old non-Christian non-church person who is ‘post-modern in thinking’ - (we know there is a wide variety of people within that category). NO WAY can we be “the church” for all of the people in that category…but our fundamental mission on Sunday mornings has been and is… how do we ‘connect’ with them? how do we introduce faith / Jesus / bible / following Christ to them in a non-demanding way? One hand in together on the Bible… on hand reaching out. (NEVER to become and inward only focused church).
It’s the agnostic who loves coming to The Journey the only ‘church’ he and his family have ever been to. Primarily because his daughter became a Christian at The Journey and got baptized and then dragged her parents with her. This dad, for the most part tracks, with what is offered in the messages… loved it when we talked openly about the possibilities of evolution - and that we were not scientifically “ignorant” (his word) like most Christians….He read the book Brian Underhill mentioned in the Q+A board… he likes to think about and respond to messages / topics - is TRHILLED with our effort to help the community… but who angrily responded to the message about demon-possession - Just can’t believe in that. Thinks the boy who was healed in the message two weeks ago.. .just had epilepsy. But he is willing to have coffee with me next week to discuss that.
It’s for the man who was living with a lady in our church who is a Christian.. .but wanted nothing to do with faith… and over the past two years has slowly gotten involved… even in couples group… doesn’t sing any of the songs in church.. would not claim to be a Christ follower… but comes and is discussing all this… and even considered getting baptized - but read through the commitment that baptism entails and all the Bible verses about it… and decided he was not ready yet for that.
The Journey’s MISSION is these people. Most of whom speak about the reality that they feel “comfortable” with us. They do speak about other churches - and notice a different quality in The Journey and like it. Walking with us… even while they would not claim to be Christ followers yet.
What is the mission
I hear crickets chirping.
Chirp, chirp
So…reason for not responding earlier is because it is hard for me to put into words how I view the Journey’s mission. I know the official mission statement (how many times have I had to say that) but I don’t think I can state it in one or two statements in my own words. So this is may be the long version. I’ve been with the Journey since it’s beginning and I still see the mission (or my mission) as the same—just adjusted as the years have gone by. At the Journey (and outside “Sunday mornings”) I use my spiritual gifts, my strengths, my talents to help individuals grow (which is a broad word) in their faith. This will look different for each person. For me it is through teaching, praying for people, listening to people, singing (things in line with my areas of gifting). How I go about this may be very different than the person sitting next to me. The person I gravitate towards in helping grow may also be very differnt than the person sitting next to me. That is why we are all part of the body of the church and aren’t just one single person. One person can’t do it all. It is a team effort.
The Journey wanted a place where anyone, no matter where there were in their faith journey or life journey, could come and feel accepted and loved without feeling like they were in an overtly “churchy” setting or a judgemental setting. In my opinion, the Journey has never been about “serving” fully devoted followers of Christ, but growing and encouraging people to become/grow into fully devoted followers of Christ. (I hope that statement sounded the way I wanted it to sound….but it may not have…) I “get feed” throughout the week through my own devotions, through my own relationships, through serving, through other sources…I go out and find it. I don’t come to the Journey on Sunday morning to “get feed”. I come to serve, in whatever way that looks for the day or even throughout the week. That—above anything else—feeds me. (Once again, this will look different for each person.)
Do we have gaps in our evangelism and discipleship—yes. Are we aware of that—yes. Are we attempting to improve in those areas—yes. But it is a process…for us as a whole but for each person individually. Realisitically (my opinion again)—-we can’t be everything to everybody.
The Journey is a unique place…I desire it to remain a unique place…
As I stated earlier—this is very hard for me to put into words…and I’m sure some of you may agree and some of you may disagree…which is why we have this safe place to discuss stuff.