The Browning's
Moving Forward 07/31/2009
 
The last six months have been an exciting, yet challenging time for the leaders of our church.  We have for some time been closing watching our church grow and trying to plan for the future.  We began praying towards what seemed like our next, necessary step.  As our eyes met around a table in my house a few months ago, we knew that our next step was going to be a great risk and would challenge our trust in God.  We began to fast and pray together.  As our prayers continued, our search began for solutions to our growth problems.  Over the past few months we felt like our diligent search has brought us to an exciting new location for our church.

Two Sundays ago we called our entire church to pray and fast asking God to open up this door, all-the-while asking him to close the door if it wasn't his will.  The feedback that we have received for our people, the advice we have received from strategists, and the confirmation our elders have received from God has overwhelmingly pointed us towards this plan being God's plan for our church.  We encourage all who can to be at our gathering this Sunday at 5:00 PM as we share more details with our church family.  If you are one of our out-of-town family members, I will post more details on this website as we inform our church of new information.

Bottom Line:  The Journey Church will be moving to a new location in 6 months.  We will need everyone on deck, to assist, serve, give, pray, sacrifice, and work to get this job done.  I couldn't be more excited about our future.  God is going to do great things before our eyes.  Are you ready?  If you are with us, please comment as so below.
 
 

If you were at our gathering service tonight, you heard that the Journey Church is nearing the embarkation to a great step of faith.  In the world's eyes, this would be a great risk.  Our church has grown substantially over the last few years and as we continue to grow we face new obstacles that come with growth.  Over the last 5 months our leaders have been fasting, praying, and searching for God's direction for our church.  We have known for about four months that God is calling us to take a 'Risk' that would require us to trust Him in a way that we have never been privileged to do before.  Many of you have heard me say that my life-quote is, "I want to attempt something so great with my life that it is doomed to failure unless God is in it."  Well, the plan you heard tonight has that kind of weight to its decision.

This week is about our entire church seeking God's will for our church.  This week, I want to ask you to pick a day to fast and pray.  Eat dinner the proceeding evening and then skip eating breakfast and lunch the following day.  About the same time you finished eating dinner the night before, break your fast with a dinner that evening.  This is a 24 hour fast (Remember: drink water or juice throughout the 24 hours).  Every time you get hungry, pray for this decision.  Ask God, "Is this your will for the Journey Church?  Would you be more glorified and worshiped in our community if we go forward with this decision?  What part would you have me play in this process?"  I want you to pray diligently that day and then come back to this blog and write what you heard God confirm in your heart in the comment section below.  What God lays on your hearts will help our elders find confirmation that this is the direction that God is calling our church towards.

Let me encourage all our out-of-town Journey Family to do the same with us.  Listen to the sermon online and fast and pray with us.

 
Feeling My Age 07/08/2009
 

Do you remember the chastising remarks that old people once gave to you like, "One day when you grow up, boy, you will understand."  Or maybe you heard it this way, "You don't know anything until you're thirty!" 

Today I got a chance to hang out with a few ministers who have all played a part in my development.  It was encouraging to sit at the table with this fine team men.  One of them, my former pastor, I called a few months back. I called Pastor Paul in Mount Washington, KY and told him how much more I respected him now that I have sat in the seat that he has sat in for years.  I admire him, and other ministers in a way that I hadn't previously.  I didn't know about the sleepless nights, the constant feeling of pressure, or the tremendous weight of being the mouthpiece of God.

Pastor Paul and I talked frankly about leadership, vision casting, and contentment.  Every time I get around a minister who is paces ahead of me I realize, "There is wisdom after experience."  The old sayings that I despised about wisdom coming with age is becoming more and more true.  God has sent me seasoned men who love me, who want to see me succeed, and who will talk honestly to me about ministry.  I may not have recognized it before, but I stand on the shoulders of so many men who have sacrificed greatly so I can succeed in ministry.