06 | A Day in the Life: Planting and Pastoring Emerging Churches
Mar 11, 2024
auto_awesome
The podcast delves into the experiences of pastors from the Emerging Church Movement, focusing on church planting, community values, and the challenges of pastoring. It explores reimagining worship for community formation, success, and transitions within the movement, and reflections on impact and legacy. The episode offers insights into the personal journeys of church planters and the importance of relationships and creativity in shaping church communities.
Community at Journey Church was marked by deep connection, decentralized leadership, and authentic relationships.
Danielle's departure from Journey Church highlighted the importance of vulnerability, mentorship, and facilitating smooth transitions.
Journey Church's influence extended through its innovative community model, shared pastoral care, and emphasis on spiritual growth.
Deep dives
The Unique Community of Journey Church
Journey Church fostered a close-knit, committed community where members freely gave of themselves and felt deeply connected. They valued gathering around a table for communion weekly, following a decentralized approach to leadership for communion and welcoming pastoral care. The church prioritized authentic relationships with open communication and conflict resolution, creating a space where individuals felt supported and connected.
Transition and Reflections on Leaving
After several years of leading Journey Church, Danielle faced a profound internal struggle that led to her decision to step away, despite her love for the community. She navigated the transition with vulnerability and sought support from mentors to articulate her departure. Despite the emotional weight of leaving, she recognized the need for change and tried to facilitate a smooth transition for the community's future growth and transformation.
Impacts and Legacy of Journey Church
The influence of Journey Church extended beyond its physical presence, with other churches and pastors learning from its model and approach. By emphasizing community formation through shared experiences and spiritual growth, Journey Church left lasting fingerprints of creativity, insight, and intentionality in ecclesial environments. The spirit of Journey Church continues to inspire and influence communities with its emphasis on spiritual direction in a collective context.
The Transformative Experience of Pastoral Care
Pastoral care at Journey Church transcended traditional roles, with community members taking initiative in supporting one another during times of need. Hospital visits and spiritual guidance were shared responsibilities, showcasing a deep sense of interconnectedness and care within the congregation. The community's ability to address conflicts openly and collaboratively fostered a healthy, communicative environment where relationships and support flourished.
Rituals and Worship Evolution at Journey Church
Over time, Journey Church evolved its worship practices, embracing a more liturgical rhythm that included weekly communion and collaborative leadership in presiding over the sacrament. This shift towards a sacramental approach reflected the communal ethos of the church, emphasizing inclusivity and participation in spiritual practices. The intentional integration of collets and reflective spaces enriched the worship experience, creating a sacred environment for personal and collective growth.
Legacy and Reflections
The legacy of Journey Church lives on through its innovative approach to community building and spiritual formation. Despite the challenges of transition and closure, the impact of Journey Church resonates in the lessons learned, relationships nurtured, and the creative space it cultivated. Danielle's journey of departure reflects the bittersweet process of leaving a cherished community while recognizing the transformative power of shared experiences and intentional relationships.
For all the talk about theology and postmodernism, for all the books and conferences, the heart of the Emerging Church Movement was always one thing: planting new churches. In this episode, we sit down for extended conversations with two ECM pastors: Tim Keel planted Jacob’s Well in Kansas City, and he’s now pastoring it toward its 25th anniversary, and Danielle Shroyer was the pastor at Journey in Dallas from 2005 to 2014. If you want an inside look at the life of a congregation in the movement, this is it.
https://jacobswellchurch.org/
Music by The Cobalt Season (compliments of Ryan Sharp), Solomon’s Porch (compliments of Ben Johnson), Journey Church (compliments of Z)
Emerged is a crowdfunded project. If you join, you’ll have access to extra material, ad-free episodes, private livestreams with the hosts and guests, and an array of gifts at various levels of partnership. Learn more and join at EmergedPodcast.com.
