EVERYONE IS WELCOME AT THE TABLE

We are a community being shaped by Jesus experiencing and practicing humility, curiosity, belonging and generosity. We hope to be a people who embrace the way of Jesus by listening first, speaking second, loving freely and giving generously.

OUR ESSENTIAL BELIEFS

1. We believe there is only one sovereign God, creator of all things. He eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

2. We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. The Holy Spirit conceived Him, God with us, and a virgin girl named Mary gave him birth. Jesus lived a sinless life, was crucified, arose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven. We wait for his personal return. (John 1:14; Luke 2; Hebrews 7:25)

3. We believe that God’s motive toward us is love. Love prompted God to send Jesus as the only sacrifice for our sins. Through Jesus, we receive forgiveness by his grace and we are to extend that same grace and forgiveness to others. (John 3:16,17; Romans 8:35-38; 1 John 4:8 Col. 3:13)

4. We believe that salvation comes through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way to the Father. (John 14:6, Romans 3:28, Acts 16:31)

5. We believe the Bible is God’s true, written word. It is inspired and trustworthy. (2 Timothy 3:16-17). (2 Peter 1:19-21)

6. We believe that God created human beings in His image. Through our own choice, we fell into sin. (Romans 3:23; Genesis 1:27)

7. We believe that the Holy Spirit lives within us—guiding our lives, empowering us for service and showing us when we fall short. Through the Spirit, we glorify Jesus. (Romans 8:11; John 16:13-15; John 3:5-6, Titus 3:6, 1 Corinthians 12:7, John 15:26)

8. We believe that our true identity is found in Christ. (Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 5:17)

9. We believe in the Kingdom of Heaven as already here—but not yet fully here. We experience a taste of heaven and hell in everyday life, and we live according to the Spirit as a precursor to our eternal life. (Matthew 5; James 3:6)

HOW WE PRACTICE OUR FAITH

Love Without Fear. There’s no better word to describe modern culture than ‘fear.’ Whether the subject is politics, race, social media, cancel culture or the role of the Church, we all feel the division, isolation, and hesitation. Yet, this isn’t the life Jesus modeled and invited us into.

We remember the Samaritan woman Jesus met at a well. How He dined with tax collectors and extended a hand to those who others consider untouchable.

We believe a church community should be the safest place for anyone and any topic.

Wells, Not Fences. There’s a story about two ways to keep a flock of animals. One is to build fences to keep them from wandering and to separate your herd from the rest of the world. The other way is to dig water wells that draw the animals near.

Jesus drew people toward himself, a source of eternal, living water. While we recognize that some boundaries are good and important, we believe the Church has sometimes built fences that keep people away. As a community, Journey aspires to dig its own Jesus-shaped wells and attract all types of followers.

Sharing Our Table. Table fellowship was central to Jesus’ ministry—for the people he invited, the relationships he fostered, and the sacrifices made. We have recommitted to all aspects of this idea. We’re sharing meals together now, getting to know and understand each other. We have re-centered our Sundays on a communion that is open to all. And, we desire to share ourselves, our time, our goodwill, and our resources throughout our communities and the world.

SeRVING OUR CITIES

With these practices in mind and Jesus’ own words in Matthew 25: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” we have aligned ourselves with the following organizations:

One Generation Away: Distributing healthy foods throughout Middle Tennessee to families who do not have access due to economic and physical barriers
Mission 615: Taking the love of Jesus Christ to the streets of Nashville with programs for the homeless and for underprivileged kids
IC13: Bringing clean water, sanitation, housing, food, clothing, medical care, education and micro enterprise to those in need with mission trips throughout Europe, Africa, North America and Central America
The Public: Promoting anti-racism through education, advocacy and action so that our communities experience healing, equity and justice for all residents.
Room In The Inn: Helping those who call the streets of Nashville home with programs for shelter, recovery, self-help, work and human development.
Tennessee Alliance For Kids: Engaging the community to meet the needs of children in foster care, those at risk of coming into foster care and those aging out.

The Next Door: Serving women struggling with addiction by providing affordable, faith-based substance abuse treatment, individualized care from expert staff, and lifelong recovery support.

The Refuge Center: Offering affordable, professional counseling services in order to empower, educate and support individuals, couples and families in need.

Jen Radler: Working in Kenya to identify people in need of life-saving medical care and coordinates their care using resources available through IC13.