Go a little deeper
Brendan and Mckenna open by naming growth as the heart of what they value at Journey Church, describing transformation through the church body, through growth, and through challenging moments met by relying on what God says through the gospel and Scripture. The testimony highlights that the Bible is delivered in a digestible but firm way, and that Jesus and Scripture remain the consistent backbone even as everything else changes around them and their family.
Witnessing someone named Keith go through his own struggles and transformation is described as inspiring because it opens the door for others. The testimony stresses that people may arrive one way but will not leave the same, whether they stay five years or one day, because God's Word reaches everyone who hears the message. Their account also recalls Sundays when they felt unqualified to be there because of sadness or exhaustion, yet found they were still being changed, and the church accepted them wherever they were.
Brendan and Mckenna describe Journey's approach not as a forceful, in-your-face Jesus but as a firm, bold, unashamed proclamation of the gospel. In their account, that example has encouraged their faith and brought excitement back to going out and being the hands and feet of Jesus.
The conversation,
in their words.
Transcript from the recording’s captions. Select any timestamp to hear the original audio.
my name is Brendan I'm McKenna and this is our more story [Music] I've experienced a lot of transformation and journey not only through the church body but also removing buildings and we're growing and just to see growth happen is really really what it's all about in my opinion why would you go somewhere and keep doing the same thing over and over unless you're changing and experiencing growth experiencing challenging moments and then getting to the other side of that by relying on on what God is saying
what the gospel is saying what the Bible is saying and then having that delivered in such a palatable way it's it's not in your face but it's definitely firm and it's definitely saying this is the truth and there is no if ands or buts about it this is what it is so to have that backbone of saying hey we're going to talk about Jesus we're going to reference the Bible we're going to read scripture and that's the consistent thing throughout everything else is transforming around around myself around now our family and like I mentioned earlier with Keith to see him go through his own struggles and Transformations that's really inspiring to me because in my opinion it opens the door for everyone else in the church to
say hey you came in this way that's fine but you're not going to leave the same way that you came in whether you stay for five years one day or ten years and so on it doesn't matter because that the word of God is going to get into everyone's heart that comes and hears the message there's been multiple times where I show up even for worship on Sundays and I don't feel like I'm qualified to be there because I'm too sad or I'm too in my head or I haven't slept well or I'm not gonna I'm not gonna bring the joy of the Lord to to the church but it doesn't matter that I do that because I'm still being changed even in that moment like the fact that I show up and that the church is accepting of wherever people are at
that's one thing that I think is so powerful about journey is that you can show up at any moment at any stage in your life and there's no condemnation and I know it says that in the Bible but the church reflects that so well and I think that's what really gives people an opportunity to grow and to feel comfortable growing our culture especially in the Pacific Northwest tends to kind of lull ourselves along even in church and there's maybe there's engagement but there's not necessarily this authentic excitement or even this really audacious boldness and it almost seems like we're wanting to be politically correct with our Christianity and politically correct with our faith and something that's been really challenging and encouraging and transforming being at journey is not
this brunt Force kick down the door Jesus in your face like it or not type of approach but just this firm bold understand came to the gospel type of life and type of proclamation about who Jesus is in our community and that we're unashamed of the Gospel we're unashamed of the fact that our community needs Jesus we're unashamed of the fact that Jesus is the answer and that sort of encouragement I think has definitely encouraged my faith and brought excitement back to what it means to actually go out and be the hands and feet of Jesus
