The Journey

Friends-
Let me get you up to date on a huge need at West County (The WC).
We need help in serving. Set-up/Tear down, Journey Kids, Sound and Media.

Journeyers, we've talked a lot lately about not being church consumers and getting our eyes off ourselves so that we can help others. Steve spoke to us Sunday about the difference between a missional church and a consumer-driven church. He spoke specifically about how sometimes a church's back door is as big as its front door. How does that happen? One way it happens is when we get away from our mission as a church, or if only a few people are on that mission. It happens when people aren't serving in the local church. For some of us, we think our part is to write a check. For some of us, we think it means getting involved in Mission St. Louis. For some of us, we balk at the whole idea.

But for all of us who call The Journey home, it means serving in our local church. Ideally, we're serving in and outside the church. If only some of the people are carrying the load, then they get burnt out, feel used and ultimately become ineffective in their ministry. If the load is shared by all, then people are able to serve in their gifting, and no one is being used just to get ministry done. We have to remember and take seriously that little saying we float around: We don't use people to get ministry done, we use ministry to get people done.

As The WC grows in size, we're seeing a growing number of kids added each week to Journey Kids. And we need help in a bad way. In fact, so badly that we're turning kids away each Sunday. We just don't have enough help.

Now let me be upfront here and tell you the truth: There are people I see every week who come and sit in the seats, worship with their hands in the air, leave with a smile on their face and don't offer one ounce of their time and effort to allow others the same worship experience to which they hold so dearly. Friends, we are on mission! Not just some of us. Not just the people on stage. Together. We've got to make this thing happen if we're going to reach the community out in West County. That means that we're committed to this campus. That means we're not stealing away to visit Tower Grove on our weeks off serving at The WC. It means we're connecting with others. It means we're leading with our actions. With servant hearts. We're showing consistency to this community that The Journey at West County is around to stay. So right now as a new campus, the primary way we're reaching that community is through our Sunday worship service. And we need help to ensure that this thing gets off the ground. Don't get me wrong...we're doing well. But that's because some gracious people are literally sacrificing every Sunday to serve in the kids' ministry. And they're not complaining. But we know they're missing being in worship. We know they're tired...and we just don't have enough people to give them a break. And it's the same in Set-up/Tear Down, Sound, etc.

We often ask the question: If our church left the community, would anyone notice/care?
If we don't act like our church is the hope of the West County community, if we treat it and other campuses like they're the Junior Varsity of worship services, then we're just going through the motions and not really getting on mission. The WC is a baby right now and we need to nurture and love it like it's the only church we have. A new startup like this is a battle and we need soldiers. The people who have been serving in our Journey Kids ministry out here are exactly what I'm talking about. Every week they're sacrificing so that others can worship in their place. This is huge!!!! God bless them and their servant hearts. We need more like them. All I'm asking is that you ask yourself, "Would I sacrifice my time so that someone else could experience one Sunday of what I love about The Journey?"
God bless you, friends. I care for you and love to serve and lead you on Sundays. Hear my heart on this: We need your time, energy, sacrifice, and love in so many ways. You are valuable to the Kingdom, and ultimately the Kingdom is what this is about--people meeting with God, seeing their sin up on the cross, responding in worship, and sharing the good news with others. Be a part of that. Get in the game.
Josh Dix