COME AS YOU ARE
We believe that God calls us to come to Him as we are, but that He loves us enough to not let us stay as we are. We've tried to create a culture at The Journey where people can come as they are.
Physically, that means whether you like to dress up or you like to wear jeans, or flip flops, you can come as you are (no Chicago sport team clothes please...ha ha). Every week I see people in shorts, slacks but also warm up pants with the snaps down the side. We want people to be able to relax, be comfortable and break down barriers to open their heart to God. Things like coffee bar, big chairs, the way we dress, attitudes, hosts and more play into the come as you are physically approach.
Spiritually, this means accepting people for where they are, if they have it all together or if their life is a mess. We have a wide range of people, from homosexuals to bounty hunters to CEO's to college students. Jesus was known as the friend of sinners. We are all sinners and we shouldn't forget it. So, we want to accept people for where they are spiritual and part of the "come as you are" environment is about allowing people to be in process, to ask questions, and stress the effects of sin and the life in Christ without negative pressure, guilt, or judgement.
Leadership on stage, in groups, and really in every aspect needs to uphold the "come as you are" environment. This means we use language that everyone can understand, we don't assume people understand Christian culture or concept, we take time to explain things (like who people are, where things are in the Bible, etc.), we are real and relevant. We try to keep these concepts in mind when we do mailers, build our website and choose our series. Most importantly, we just love and accept people for who they are. Relationships, not Religion - our motto really communicates this environment. Many people have connected with that right away. It isn't about rules, the way your dress, or what you know. It is about living...finding life in relationships with God and others. We want people to come as they are physically, and more importantly, spiritually. While we want to accept people for where they are at - we are inviting them to The Journey and on a journey into to a relationship with God and others.