#3 - A place to begin or a place to restart.

     This hope is a two-for-one special.  To put it simply, we hope The Journey is a place where people can learn about who Jesus is and what He has done.  We also hope this church plant can be a place where people can pick back up on something they may have left in the past. 

     We hope to see both unchurched and dechurched people reached through one approach, preaching the Gospel.  The Gospel is a story of God's redemption and love that is told from Genesis to Revelation.  Throughout the entire Bible we read amazing stories that are working together to tell a BIGGER story of God's redeeming love.  We want to tell people about what my son's Storybook Bible describes as God's "Wonderful, Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever" kind of love.  Despite the fact that we are broken and sinful God is faithful and provides our justification through His son on the cross.  We want to share this story. 

"We want to share this story."

Let's start with some scripture.

[14] How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? [15] And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” [16] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” [17] So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

(Romans 10:14-17 ESV)

     We believe that we've been given this opportunity from God and desire to proclaim the Gospel in the Mid-Ohio Valley.  We hope to see lives change.  We hope to see entire families changed.  We even hope to see our entire region changed for the glory of God! 

     With that said, our motivation is that people will hear the Gospel preached.  This is the real, not-so-hidden agenda behind what we're trying to do.  So as we plan and prepare to do ministry at The Journey we do so with the Gospel message in mind.  Like gathering kindling for a fire we plan, prepare, work hard, work with sincerity, and pray that God will ignite the fire in the hearts of those who hear!  Transforming people is the work of God alone, our efforts are just all about His business.

[32] And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

(John 12:32 ESV)

     So many people in this area harbor stories of hurt, pain, and hopelessness.  Some are burdened with stories of tragedy, despair, or even abuse.  In this particular area many share a story of frustration and carelessness even birthed from a church experience.  Several stories have seemingly concluded with a withdrawal from the local church or a failure to ever give one a chance. 

     For individuals with stories similar to the ones just mentioned, we have good news that we desperately want to share.  The Gospel is a story that trumps all of the pain, suffering, and despair in ALL other stories past, present, and future.  The Gospel gives us reason, purpose, and hope in a broken and fallen world.

"The Gospel gives us reason, purpose, and hope in a broken and fallen world."

     Our hope and prayer is that God would take this meaningful proclamation and use it to call His children back to Him.  We hope this can be a place of REBIRTH in Christ for nonbelievers and a place of RESTORATION for the hurt and broken. 

May God receive the glory in all we do,

Cody Parman

Hope #1 - A place where nobody walks alone.
Hope #2 - A place where we all use the same map.