A change is coming. After nearly three years of ministry, two borrowed venues, countless prayers, and an unknown amount of fasting, the Journey Church is moving to our own location! In January of 2010, we will move into our 9000 square feet venue (pictured above). We are so excited about this opportunity for so many reasons. First, it will meet our future needs. Our new location off of Treeland Drive in Summerville will have a 300 seat worship center, 5 large children's ministry rooms, a coffee bar, and plenty of parking for new guests. If you would like to view our rough drawings, click here. Second, the location provides us with ample opportunity for growth. The location of our venue is viewable from Interstate 26 and is set between two key interchanges leading to Hwy 17A and College Park Road. Our location will give us exposure allowing us greater opportunity to impact our community Finally, we have a special opportunity to see God do an amazing work before our eyes. Someone once told me, "Will, if you want to witness God do something great you must put yourself in a postion where God alone is your solution." We are trusting God to provide the resources to bring about his vision. We are trusting that God is going to form a special team to sacrifice together to see his vision realized. We are trusting that God is going to draw us closer to Him, and closer together, as we continue to Journey together.
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.
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.
 Well, over the last several months I have sent out onto the wonderful world wide web a little update, or you might say, thoughts on each of my children. I thought it only appropriate to conclude this series with some thoughts about my wife.
Tarah and I went on a special date a few months back. For this special date we had to answer some questions. What kind of date has assignments you may ask? Hence: a special date! One of the questions said, "If you had to get something tattooed on you to describe your spouse, what word would you choose?" Tarah chose, "Trustworthy," to describe me. Pretty good, right? Well, I couldn't be topped but I also couldn't delay in my response. I didn't want a delay to be misread as unpreparedness.
My mind started with, "Hot!" Tarah is one beautiful lady. She is all the girls' envy. After birthing a kid and 30 years of life, she still has a perfect figure. But I wondered if I said, "Hot," if I would be thought of as shallow. My mind hurried to, "Fun." Tarah is always the joy of every party. Just last night she got several girls together to watch her wedding video. One girl saw it for the seventh time! How do you get people that interested in home videos? Well, you have to have an infectious attitude, which my wife has in the bag. But I didn't say that because I thought it might be read by Tarah as a little simplistic. Looking into her eyes now at the table I knew I must rush. Too much delay would give the wrong impression. I added a, "Well, let me think," to buy an extra moment. "Adventuresome," I thought. Tarah has always been up for any challenge and adventure that I have put before her. From adopting two kids and birthing a child all in five months to moving 600 miles away to start a church with little to no means of security - she has always been willing. My fear was that all these words wouldn't do. I had to choose one? So hard. Then I thought of my favorite thing about Tarah in one word.
"Nurturing." Maybe not what she expected (and maybe not what you expected from me) but I love the fact that Tarah loves me. She loves me through thick and thin. She cares deeply about our kids, our home, and my well-being. Okay, yes, this response does make me sound like a momma's boy but I love that Tarah takes care of me and nurtures the goodness out of me. I love that she cuts my toe nails, fixes me breakfast, and pops the zits on my back (that is all true). She is the love of my life and the greatest gift that God has ever given me.
Do you have friends in your ministry? You know, those people who believe in you in a way that most other people don't? It isn't often that people see more in you than you see in yourself. It isn't often that people dream bigger dreams for you than you dream alone. It isn't often that you find people who think you can fly to heights that, to you, are too scary to even attempt.
When I felt called to ministry in 1999, I was going to a service at Northpoint Community Church for singles called 7:22. Just before leaving for my first ministry position, I stood in line to encourage the preaching pastor at that time, a well-know Christian speaker, Louie Giglio. After a short wait I told Louie,"Sir, I want you to know that God has used you mightily in my life. God has spoken to me through your preaching and I leave tomorrow to fulfill my call to the ministry." I fully expected that we would shake hands and I'd walk out the door. But Louie replied with a question, "What is your greatest dream for your ministry, Will?" I stumbled to answer. He then spoke some words that continued to shape me since. He said, "More than likely your dreams are too small. You don't recognize the God-sized dreams that our Savior could accomplish with a life dedicated to him. Will, don't dream your dreams for your life, let God dream his dream for your life."
Most of us are scared attempt God's dream. I have found that I need prodding by people who believe in me. This weekend one of my greatest champions in ministry came to town. Ms. Janet is one of those people in my life who wholeheartedly believes in me. She genuinely believes that God has a special hand on my life. She looks me in the eye and says, "Will, God is doing great things and he is going to do even more. I am with you and I believe!" Such words of encouragement and affirmation not only fuel the excitement of what God has called me too, but assures me that I don't walk this journey alone and allows me to see that God is moving in ways beyond my comprehension. I don't know where I would be if God hadn't sent people like Ms. Janet my way.
God thank you for those people who champion us through our calling. Thank you for those special people who see YOU in us so greatly ----- that they also believe in us.
While admissions made in this entry may seemingly strip away my masculinity, I will none-the-less attempt to give explanation as to why the Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Series is so appealing to teenage girls and young women of today. USAToday recently reported that in March of 2009 the first three books of the four-part saga (Twilight, New Moon & Eclipse) were the top three books sold in local bookstores. So why such a broad sweeping craze?
Every year, I try to read a few books that, I believe, are shaping popular culture. As a person who is expected to explain truth weekly, I believe this time of researching culture is time well spent. If I do not understand the bridges and barriers to the people’s epistemology, I will struggle to compel them towards eternal truths. So why is this story resonating so abundantly to particularly young women in America? Or to put it in Twilight terms: Why is Edward Cullen like a personal heroin to so many young ladies?
Six Reasons for Appeal:
#1 – The Main Character is a Normal Girl – Bella Swan is described as average in appearance, skills and intelligence. This is appealing to young women who are constantly prodded to fit the Hollywood scale of beauty and talent in order to receive any notice by the other gender. The story involves an obsessive love from a beautiful boy, who is the object of every women’s attention yet his only desires are for an average clumsy girl.
#2 – The Attractiveness of the Bad Boy – Edward Cullen, the mysterious love interest, is more than just the prototypical bad boy found all throughout American Romance. Edward is not just depicted as attractive and mysterious, but he is also dangerous. While this prose is familiar to the contemporary reader, the danger that follows this debonair hero is extra-ordinary but the story is built on this crucible: while Edward is dangerous, he is also driven by good will for Bella.
#3 – Desire of Women to be Pursued – Every woman’s fantasy is to be the sole pursuit of a virtuous man, to be the object of that man’s affection, and the desire of his heart. In this series, Edward finds it excruciating to even be away from Bella. His intrigue is heightened towards his damsel because, unlike everyone else, he cannot read her thoughts. This, and her smell, drives Edward’s pursuit for Bella; even bringing personal pain to his very being, yet his pursuit is unhindered.
#4 – Identifying with the Breakdown of the Family – Bella’s family, like many American families, has been altered by divorce forcing the protagonist to make difficult choices to appease the desperate decision her parents have made. Her parents seem unaware of the trials they have put Bella through and her cavalier approach to compensation for these decisions shows her unprecedented fortitude. One of the great contrasts is the solidity of the Cullen family who never abandons each other, shares the same values, and is uniquely bonded. This is in stark contrast to Swan family.
#5 – A Man who Protects – At the core of every woman is a desire to be protected. Edward fights the battle of being a monster that was made to destroy, yet leashes his inhuman power to protect Bella from both outward and inward harm. The outward beast wants to “bite” her and bring her harm, but the inward love and desire to protect overpowers the outward monster that is Edward Cullen.
#6 – Romance that it not Sexual – In a sexual charged generation, the motive for love in this novel series is not sexual. This is a refreshing bend from reality, particularly for ladies, who are constantly prodded by their opposing gender for sexual favors. The male love interest draws honorable lines of sexual purity that are fully upheld leaving this story of passion about a greater mission, the mission of love without self-gain. Their love is not bonded by sexual desire but by an ageless, timeless, fantasy from long ago.
Stephanie Meyers has captured the attention of American culture with her Twilight Series by carefully observing the systemic problems in our society. Namely the breakdown of the family and the obsessive 'sexualization' of our culture. She also identifies the fallout of the God-given masculine imperative to protect, cherish and admonish our created partners: our women, sisters and daughters.
 I will never forget after Tarah delivered Jedidiah and we went on our first "out-of-town" trip to Nashville, Tennessee. This was the moment when I found out that my connection with Jed was going to be undeniable. I was buying a pair of sunglasses in a sporting goods store when it happened. Walking up to the cashier; holding my newborn son, the lady said these words in a deep Tennessee draw, "Sir, there ain't no denying that one! He is your spit'n image." I proudly grinned in response to her remarks. Now these kinds of comments have continued as Jed has gotten older and somehow they never bring Tarah much excitement or credit. Typically she responds with, "You would think I had nothing to do with him the way people say he looks just like you." Now I don't know if it is a curse or a blessing to have my physical traits, but I am finding out quickly that Jedidiah and I share several attributes other than just our appearance.
My mom tells stories of my hyper-activity as a toddler. Some people even called me 'annoying' as a child. Okay, I hear the jeers, "Not much has changed." Jedidiah has the same energy and vigor for life. It is nothing for him to scale a dressor or jump off a counter. Jedidiah is a special little boy. While he may have the energy of a pink bunny (that was a 90's joke about energizer batteries for the younger crowd), he has the most affectionate disposition. He ran up to me just before I walked upstairs to write this entry and said, "Daddy, daddy, give me a squeeze." Then he gave me a big hug. Most nights before he goes to bed he wraps his hands around my neck and says, "Daddy, sit with me a minute. Will you hold my hand as I go to sleep."
Jedidiah was King Solomon's God-given title given to him after birth. The story is found in 2 Samuel. After Solomon's birth God chose him to be the king to follow David and set him apart by giving him this title which means, Beloved of God. I must agree, I too love this little boy and he is most definitly my beloved of God!
We finished our Philippians study this week. It was an insightful ten weeks looking through a letter that encouraged us to be bold in multiple areas of our lives. In the final section of Scripture, Paul spoke of being content in every facet of life. Whether in plenty or in want, whether in need or in abundance, Paul found happiness in the Lord. Discontentment is problematic when it comes to the human soul, but I believe there is one place that discontentment is critically important. Critically, may be an understatement. Maybe indispensable is a better word for the necessity of discontentment in this area.
Let me quote Andy Stanley to get this discussion going. "Visions are born in the soul of a man or woman who is consumed with the tension between what is and what could be. . . Over time that dissatisfaction matures into a clear picture of what could be. . . Anyone with a vision will tell you this is not merely something that could be done rather it is something that should be done." Humanity has seen this principle over and over again. The cotton gin would have never been made if there wasn't a dissatisfaction with the tediousness of picking cotton. A bowl was created in ancient China and Greece because of the shortcomings of a plates. This principle is true inside the church also. The Reformation most centrally began because the Word of God was not written in common vernacular for people to identify the truth of Scripture themselves. The modern missionary movement took root because Christians took seriously the Great Commission and the need to take the gospel to the world.
While discontentment can be dangerous for the individual soul, God uses our discontentment to bring about vision. What are you discontent with in what you see in the church? The lostness of our generation? The lack of biblical literacy in the American church? The hypocracy within christian culture? I am not calling you to complain about any of these things, but I am calling you to do something about it! I believe that God uses discontentment in leadership to bring about visions for progress.
What holy discontentment is God stirring in your heart to bring glory to him and to draw his people to him in repentance?
My daughter is beautiful.
I know that every father thinks that about their little girl, but mine is obvious. Piper is going to be an absolute, "Knock-Out!" At first this was kind of cool. I once felt a since of pride when people would say the phrase, "Your daughter is beautiful (which is strange because she doesn't share any genes with me or Tarah)." Recently, trepidation is what comes over me when I hear this complement over and over again. I start thinking of the brace-faced, hormone-raging, punk boys that are destined to be calling on the phone asking if they can take her to the movies. Earlier this week Piper asked me, "Daddy where did that bump on your arm come from?" I tried to convince her that I got that bump from giving a jujitsu forearm to punk boys and that I would do the same to any boys who don't treat her the way she should be treated. She laughed, but I was serious.
What I once saw as, "pretty cool," I am starting to feel like is a curse. Right now, I have convinced Piper that I am her boyfriend. I have accomplished this through 'daddy dates'. 'Daddy dates' by title are self-explanatory. I try to do everything for her. I pick her up, open the door for her, take her to her favorite restaurant, and pay for her meal. Tarah thinks I treat Piper with more chivalry than I do her on our dates together, but I am trying to show Piper how an honorable man should treat her. Just the other day, the boys were chasing her around the church saying, "Piper's got a boyfriend! Piper's got a boyfriend!" She made it all worthwhile when she corrected the teasing boys, "Yeah, that's right. I do have a boyfriend. My daddy is my boyfriend!" That was awesome. How do I keep this up? What am I going to do when she loses interest in poor-old dad? When she sees me for the boring man that I am? When 'daddy dates' don't work anymore?
Any of you long-time dads of girls got any advice for me?
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