Forward In Faith - Special Offering Overview
The FORWARD IN FAITH Special Offering begins now and continues through January 31, 2013
Over the last 10 years The Journey Church has become a thriving and growing church with campuses in Manhattan, Queens, Boca Raton, FL, and San Francisco and we continue to do all we can to "give the people of Metro New York City the best opportunity to become fully-developing followers of Jesus."
Now, with this Special Offering we have the opportunity to deepen our impact in our community, enlarge our ministry to our our regular attenders and children, and engage those without a church in our country and world.
***Before anything else - FORWARD IN FAITH will be used to meet the urgent needs of Journey attenders and members who have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy and to help with the broader relief effort in Metro New York City. We hope by reaching our God-sized goal not only can we respond to those affected by the hurricane - but we can also fully fund these 6 essential ministry initiatives for 2013.
The FORWARD IN FAITH Special Offering is a call to sacrificial giving with a goal of $202,000 for six vital ministry initiatives:
- Global and U.S. missions, and the effort to start new churches.
- A brand-new Journey campus in New York City: The Journey – Staten Island (Phase I).
- The Journey’s new campus in South Florida: The Journey − Boca Raton (Phase III).
- The spiritual and physical needs of the less fortunate in our city through Community Ministry.
- The 2013 Benevolence and Counseling Ministry of the church.
- Journey Kidz improvements and other new ministry initiatives.
This Special Offering will be received through January 31, 2013.
*Watch the video below to hear Pastor Kerrick share the vision of the FORWARD IN FAITH Special Offering.
THE PURPOSES OF THIS OFFERING
To Support Global/U.S. Missions and Start New Churches
From the beginning, The Journey has always been an outwardly-focused church that supports missions around the globe, starts new churches in the U.S. and passionately reaches the people of New York City with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This year, a portion of the FORWARD IN FAITH Special Offering will go to support 3,000+ North American missionaries and 5,000+ international missionaries serving in some of the most unchurched countries in the world. 
In addition, we will be directly supporting Journey missionaries JC and Mindy Choi (and their daughter Sydney)in their new work in East Asia, as well as supporting our growing church in San Francisco (The Journey – San Francisco) and expanding our impact in South Africa through First City Baptist Church and their ministry to children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.
To Start The Journey's Newest Campus In NYC:
The Journey - Staten Island (Phase I)
The Journey is excited to announce the launch of our newest NYC campus:
The Journey – Staten Island.
Staten Island is known as “the forgotten borough” because it often receives less attention than the other four boroughs, but it’s home to almost 500,000 residents who are desperately in need of a new church, as 87% of Staten Island residents don‘t go to church anywhere.
God has called current Journey Pastor Nick Mustakas to lead this new campus in Staten Island. Nick has served as a pastor at The Journey for the last three years as our Pastor of Ministry and then as our Pastor of Growth Groups. He grew up in Staten Island and God has placed a passion and excitement in his heart to reach the people of his home borough for Jesus Christ.
If we hit our financial goal with our FORWARD IN FAITH Special Offering, we will begin monthly services in Staten Island in September 2013 and then launch weekly services with a “grand opening” in February 2014.
Launching a new campus in Staten Island won’t happen without YOU!
To Meet The Spiritual and Physical Needs of The Less Fortunate In Our City Through Community Ministry
Through the FORWARD IN FAITH Special Offering we have a unique opportunity to help those in the greatest
need in our city, both spiritually and physically. We partner with local organizations that are really making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate in our city. That’s why we work with Graffiti Community Ministries on the Lower East Side to support their after-school programs for kids and youth, their clothing and food programs for the poor and their job training and GED programs. We will also continue partnerships with organizations like Habitat For Humanity by volunteering to build houses and donating Bibles) and Covenant House for runaway teens by serving regularly and growing this partnership). As a church, we can make a difference in their lives through our serving and giving.
To Support The Journey's New Campus In South Florida:
The Journey - Boca Raton (Phase III)
On February 13, 2011, led by Pastor Nelson Searcy, we launched weekly services at our newest Journey campus in South Florida: The Journey – Boca Raton (BocaJourney.com). South Palm Beach County in South Florida is one of the most unchurched areas in the United States, with 84% who claim no church affiliation, and our new campus is already having a BIG impact for God! In our first twenty months at The Journey – Boca Raton, over one hundred people have already been baptized and we have grown to average over 325 in weekly attendance. Go God!
This year will be our final year (Phase III) of financial support to our Journey – Boca Raton campus as they approach their goal of becoming financially self-sufficient by December 2013.
Your support of FORWARD IN FAITH will make it possible for The Journey to continue our efforts to reach some of the most unchurched urban areas in the U.S. through our “one church, multiple campuses” strategy. Our Manhattan campus is joined by campuses in Queens, Boca Raton, San Francisco and what’s soon to be our newest campus in Staten Island.
To Fund The 2013 Benevolence and Counseling Ministry, Which Supports Those In Our Church During Their Time of Greatest Need
Since 2005, our church has served hundreds of people at their time of greatest need. To date, we have been able to approve all valid requests for benevolence funding due to your generous giving to our annual offerings. The Benevolence Ministry has allowed us to come alongside of people in distress due to difficult financial times, job loss, apartment loss or a death in the family. In addition, we’ve been able to provide for those who needed professional Christian counseling, strengthening dozens of marriages in the last year. We are preparing for an increase in benevolence requests in 2013 due to the current economic climate.
To Enhance Our Journey Kidz Experience and Other New Initiatives
Since 2005, our church has served hundreds of people at their time of greatest need. To date, we have been able to approve all valid requests for benevolence funding due to your generous giving to our annual offerings. The Benevolence Ministry has allowed us to come alongside of people in distress due to difficult financial times, job loss, apartment loss or a death in the family. In addition, we’ve been able to provide for those who needed professional Christian counseling, strengthening dozens of marriages in the last year. We are preparing for an increase in benevolence requests in 2013 due to the current economic climate.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the
commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.”
– Matthew 28:19–20
