On Sunday, October 2nd at 10:00 am we officially kick-off a new era in the life of the church that we have been working towards for over a year. I would encourage everyone to come out on that day. Invite your friends and family that have been connected with the church to “come and see” what is happening here at the Journey Church on the Common. We are on a journey together as a people to refocus and recommit to a central purpose, “To bring people into a personal and growing relationship with Jesus.”
But how do we begin to connect people to Jesus? On Sunday mornings we are seeking to create a worship experience that is a little more relaxed and culturally relevant to the times in which we live. But if we only do that we will not be successful in accomplishing our purpose. Why? Because most people in our community do not go to church and have no church connection. Quite simply people do not walk through our doors on Sunday morning. No amount of advertising or stylistic changes will alter that.
Eighty-five to ninety percent of all people that connect to Jesus do so because of a personal relationship they have with someone who is a Christ follower. We see this all the time in the gospels about Jesus. In John, Philip meets Jesus and then finds his friend Nathaniel and invites him to “Come and see this Jesus of Nazareth.” In another gospel, a tax-collector named Matthew begins to follow Jesus and what does he do? He throws a dinner party in his home and invites his friends and family to come and meet Jesus. Most People connect to Jesus because a family member, friend or coworker has been praying for them and invite them to “come and see”, to hear about Jesus in some comfortable setting. If we are not an inviting people we will never accomplish our purpose.
So let’s start this journey by inviting those friends and family who have had some connection to the former “Central Baptist” to “come and see” next Sunday, October 2nd. Maybe some of those individuals have questions about the Christian faith, about Jesus, about why I should take the Bible seriously. Invite them to Alpha, starting the following Tuesday, October 4th at 6:30 pm in the Ellis Room. Pick up a brochure this weekend or refer them to our revised website where they can find out more info about the Alpha course, www.journeychurchonthecommon.org. Invite them to a free meal, offer to come along with them and invite them to check it out with no commitment.
“Come and see”-let’s begin to make that a motto of our church. It worked for the early disciples; it will work today just as well. Let’s start with those who have had some connection to us as a faith community and see what happens.