A NEW CHURCH CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
by Ken McIntosh, Senior Pastor of The Journey of Flagstaff, AZ
 

Many of us worship in small churches, and sometimes we wonder if little congregations can still minister effectively in today’s world.  We hope you’ll be encouraged by the story of one small church.

In 2004 a congregation in Flagstaff, Arizona, had almost disbanded due to moral failure but a few stalwart leaders held onto the property. At that time Ken McIntosh, a pastor from Upstate New York, was looking for a new ministry opportunity. 

Ken and his wife Marsha came to Flagstaff planning to shut down and reopen the church with a new name and new identity. The new church opened a year later; named “The Journey” and with the motto “Living the Compassion of Christ.” Even before opening, The Journey was already an outward-focused church; six months into the planning stage the start-up team offered free babysitting for families in the community, and that ministry attracted key families for the future congregation.

Ken came as a bi-vocational minister—and he has worn several hats over the past six years. His “side jobs” as a writer and as a teacher of religion at the local community college have created numerous relationships and opportunities for the church. 

Restarting a church isn’t easy, and five years after its public debut, the Journey still has some struggles. Flagstaff is a very changeable community (especially the college section of town where the church is located) so many people join the congregation, are cherished, but then relocate after graduation. Finances have been a struggle as well, and grants from Transformation Ministries and Bellevue Heights foundation have enabled the church to continue through the challenges of the recession.

While they have their struggles, one advantage of small churches is the ability to shape ministries directly for their local communities. The university neighborhood around The Journey contains many people with “alternative” spiritual beliefs and the church seeks to meet them where they are at, offering Christ in a winsome manner, while honoring persons that disagree. A recent evening series on Celtic Spirituality has drawn participants from a variety of spiritual backgrounds including Wicca, Buddhism and Goddess worship. This forum provides an opportunity to share the message of God’s love with people that would not otherwise dialogue with Christians.

This year, the Journey has used grant monies to serve our city in a number of practical ways. A coalition named the Interfaith Flagstaff Lodging Assistance Group (IFLAG) sought churches willing to use their buildings to house homeless persons overnight when local shelters lack adequate facilities. Two churches in Flagstaff offered their property for that use—a large Catholic Church, and the Journey. Almost a third of the Journey congregation volunteered to help welcome homeless guests one night a week—and even to stay overnight at the church as monitors. The congregation also contributed piles of bedding and supplies for our guests.
The Journey is also showing Christ’s love in the community in other ways. The church sub-contracted Kim Vallen –a gifted community organizer--to implement a Jobs- for -Life training program that will equip unemployed people with vital work skills. The church likewise commissioned Joe Maniglia—a former Chicago youth pastor—to start a youth group that combines teens from The Journey and from another small church, gathering to grow in faith and participate in community service.

Discipleship and conversion come slowly with the people that The Journey serves, especially as many of them are young (twenties and thirties) and they often come feeling disenchanted toward churches; but love plus time produces positive results. One young woman reports that the Journey is “the first church I can keep coming to and not leave feeling angry.” Another is pleased that “I can invite any of my friends here and they won’t feel judged.”  Most weeks, Journey members and guests share soup and bread after services on Sunday morning. Last year eight people professed faith in Christ by receiving baptism in nearby Oak Creek. Small churches and big churches can both be used by God; at The Journey members are convinced that a small group of disciples “living the compassion of Christ” can still impact their community with the Gospel.