As the countdown to September is coming closer and closer to an end, I've been getting this question a lot from friends, family, FBCW church family, and the interested:
How's the church plant coming along?
To be honest, it's really nice to know that so many people know about the plant and care to ask! This post is to help me communicate to my family and friends, new & old, as to where we are at in this life changing process.
Before I say anything I have to tell you that we have had some amazing families join our launch team. Amanda and I are so thankful that God has called these people to help us launch this church. They are faithful, ready to work, excited, determined, and most importantly in love with Jesus! Launching a church can be a lonely road, but we feel like we have some great friends to accompany us in this ride.
When is the launch?
Our public service launch date has been narrowed down to September 9th or 16th. The 9th is the Sternwheeler Festival (a big deal for the MOV) here in Marietta. We haven't decided if launching during the Sternwheeler Festival weekend is an advantage or disadvantage. We'll make our date choice in July.
What time will the service be?
We'll most likely start with a 10am Sunday morning service.
Where will the church meet?
We are hoping to answer this question really soon. We've had several doors open and close on us here but we feel like we're really close to figuring this out. We have a few conversations going regarding some different locations. The Harmar Community Center, Odyssey Theater, and Marietta College Campus would be currently at the top of our short list. We hope to build a relationship with one of these entities in a way that we could benefit them and us at the same time. An "I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine" type of relationship will be ideal. We really only need a space for 3-4 hours on a Sunday morning while all of our other ministries can meet in homes during the week.
What ministries will be offered by The Journey?
We know we're small and can't do everything. So, we're going to keep things really simple. We're going to challenge everyone to get involved in 2 things: Our Sunday morning service and a Journey Group. For kids, this will all happen on Sunday morning and you can find out more by clicking here. For adults and teenagers, their Journey group will meet sometime during the week according to schedules and group preferences. You can find out more about Journey groups by clicking here. All Journey Groups will be utilizing an amazing resource called The Gospel Project. We're REALLY excited about this discipleship tool at our church.
We are currently formulating a plan for women and men's ministry as well. We really believe in pushing men to step up and lead their families to Jesus so this will be a priority for us. We'll most definitely pick one day a month when all of the men of the church can gather and pray together. Amanda has already got a great start with women's ministry. Tomorrow night my amazing wife will be starting a 6 week study through the book of Nehemiah! They'll be walking through a resource by Kelly Minter called "Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break".
How can I give to The Journey Church?
Well I always appreciate getting asked this question, ha! Amanda and I actually mailed out a financial support campaign letter this month to churches, friends, and family outside of our current church family. Those letters are starting to trickle back in and have been a good start for us. If you would like a letter just send me your address at codyparman@gmail.com. If you would like to mail us a donation just make a check payable to The Journey Church of Marietta and send it to:
The Journey Church
P.O. Box 1137
Marietta, OH 45750
The Journey Church is a 501(c)3 so your donation is of course tax deductible. Online giving is something we hope to offer soon.
What's ACTS 29 and why is The Journey an ACTS 29 candidate church?
Click here and you'll find out everything you need to know about the connection between us and this amazing church planting network.
What is FBCW doing for your current youth pastor position?
It may seem strange at first to hear about a pastor giving a 6 month resignation to their church. However, this was a very intentional move. I love FBCW and I really mean it when I say that. I've given 7 years of my life to student ministry in this area. The Vine Student ministry means the world to me. I wanted The Vine Student Ministry to be in a position to continue it's growth and outreach to teenagers in the Mid-Ohio valley. I just couldn't bring myself to resign and be gone in 2 weeks leaving this amazing student ministry to fend for itself.
Since February, FBCW has put together a search committee and have found a great person for the job! They'll tell you more about him soon but I trust this committee. They are a great bunch of people who really care about seeing The Vine continue. This is such a huge burden off of Amanda and I's shoulders. We love these students like crazy and want to see them nurtured, cared for, and taught scripture. This is why we resigned so early on and to see it unfold like this has been a blessing to us. The goal is for the new youth pastor and I to work together to transition these students into a new course of ministry by our departure at the end of August.
For The King,
Cody Parman
Keep up with the latest by following The Journey Church on Twitter & Facebook!