What does it mean to be FORMED, CENTERED, & SENT? Read below to find out why this is our vision at Journey! 
 

 
FORMED: What does it mean to be formed? We are Jesus-formed as we surrender ourselves to the love and grace of God. In that place we learn to pattern our actions and thoughts after the examples that Jesus gave us in his life and death. Jesus shows us who God is and how we are to live through the Holy Spirit. On our own, we are naturally drawn to sin that leads us to be divided from God, from each other, from self, and from all of creation. The way of Jesus is the antidote to living lives that are consumed with selfish pursuits. As we are Jesus-formed, we embrace kingdom values that make God’s name great.
 
How will we be formed?
  • We will make ourselves available to God’s transformative work of healing us of past hurts.
  • We will learn to listen to the Holy Spirit.
  • We will respond to God’s voice and action in worship.
  • We will live with a deep commitment to the words and ways of Christ.
  • We will allow community to shape and form us.
  • We will look for opportunities to care for and serve those who are not yet following Jesus.

 Scriptures: Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Galatians 5:16-26, Romans 12:1, Hebrews 12:1-3, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Galatians 4:19

 

CENTERED: What (what does it mean to be a Jesus Centered Church)? We are Jesus-centered when we proclaim that Jesus is Lord.  He is our highest authority. He is at the center of all that we do, giving all people a place to belong and be transformed. All people crave two basic things: meaning and belonging. We need a compelling “why” for our lives and we need to know we matter to others. A Jesus-centered church meets both. Jesus is the center of our faith and we are being drawn to Him by the gravity of His goodness and grace. The closer we get, the more like Him we become and the closer we get to one another. With Jesus, we find ways to encourage those who are hopeless, lost, and searching, with unconditional Grace and uncompromising Truth. How (will we stay centered)?

  • We will teach the Bible through the lens of Jesus’s life, teachings, death and resurrection.
  • We will keep Jesus at the center all we are and do. 
  • We will commit to being life-long apprentices of Jesus. 
  • We will live with unconditional grace and uncompromising truth
  • We will build community by constantly orienting our lives toward Him – the closer we get to the Center, the closer we get to one another. 
  • We will call people into Kingdom Living: Living in the character and power of God, living from the resources of the Kingdom.
  • We will commit to intentional relationships that offer mutual discipleship toward Jesus.

Scriptures: Hebrews 1:1-3, Galations 3:28, Colossians 3:1-3, John 14:6, Colossians 1:15-20

 
SENT: What (what does it mean to be sent)? We are Jesus-sent when we live with the knowledge that God is calling us to participate in His kingdom work of saving all people. Because God so loved the world he sent Jesus to put on flesh, move into the neighborhood, and show us a new way to live. The pages of the Bible reveal that God is a missionary God, calling and sending His people as missionaries into the world. The Father sent the Son, the Son sent the Spirit, and together they have sent the Church to join God’s mission of redemption in the world. This restoration is the central theme of Scripture as God continues to heal all of creation. As missionaries, we join God’s mission by alerting people to the universal reign of God through Christ. God sends us into the places we already are to love the people around us in the name of Jesus.  
 
How (are we sent)?
  • We will join what God is already doing in the world.
  • We will work to glorify God in whatever we are doing.
  • We will remember that Jesus is good news for all people and find opportunities to share about him.
  • We will see ourselves as people God is sending each day.
  • We will live with abundant generosity that reminds us God is in control and his kingdom has more than enough.
  • We will study the culture around us and learn how to be good news in the world today.

Scriptures: Genesis 12:1-3, Isaiah 6:8, John 1:14, John 20:21, Romans 10:13-15