By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) – Journey Church is in revival and all signs point to this movement of the Holy Spirit continuing for some time.
Since January, Pastor James Greer has seen lives changed as they have recorded 222 salvation decisions and 43 baptisms.
“I’ve never seen anything like what has happened the first four months of this year,” Greer told the Baptist Message. “It’s not what we are doing but what God is doing.”
Originally Lee Heights Family Church in Pineville, the congregation moved in 2009 to the former site of Donahue Family Church and changed the name to Journey Church. Since then, the congregation (which averages 562 in Sunday worship and baptized 105 in 2022) has celebrated the baptism of 1,072 new members into the body of Christ and witnessed hundreds of other spiritual decisions, including repentances to restore fellowship with Christ, and commitments to vocational missions and ministry.
The congregation’s core value, “Growing People Change,” facilitates growth.
Meanwhile, its message to the lost, “I mess up, you mess up, we all mess up,” helps start conversations to convey the truth that Christ is the answer.
That mindset is what drew Arlene Clark to Journey Church. Clark was baptized Sept. 28 alongside two friends, after the Holy Spirit convicted her of the need to make her decision to accept Christ public and follow through with baptism.
“I chose to do it as an outward symbol of how Christ changed my life,” she said. “While watching the ‘Chosen’ series, I saw even Jesus was baptized and I was like ‘girl you need to get baptized.’ If this Savior was baptized, I should.
“Our church has a warm, non-judgmental atmosphere,” she continued. “The world beats a lot of people up. They don’t have to put on anything special to come to each week. At Journey, we show a lot of love. When people walk in, that’s what they feel and my life is a testimony to that.”
Journey Church ministries include Fall Fest, Vacation Bible School, tailgating at all Tioga High School home football games, a “stuff the bus” with school supplies for students at Lessie Moore Elementary School, Together Tuesday (an effort where they joined community members for a time of encouragement before the school day began at area schools), Celebrate Recovery and a Christmas lights display. Greer said its presence is needed in an area where thousands still need the love of Christ.
“Our staff, leaders and church are truly excited about evangelism,” he continued. “Our main focus in everything we do is to help bring people far from God, close to God. Our people step up for events and other outreaches that we do both in serving and giving.
“It’s our church culture to intentionally invite new people to a weekly worship service and we seek to make our guest experience something special,” he said. “Our church truly welcomes everyone. No matter what people have done, their race or their socio-economic status, we invite anyone in. You will see smiling friendly faces greeting you anytime you walk through our doors. We hope that people will come with their mess ups, experience a miracle and leave with a life changing message of hope.”
