Vision cake!

It’s so good …

The chance to hear our Executive Elders, to ask them questions …

… and to make them laugh.

Obviously we’ll sing …

and pray.

You’ll be able to check out some plans

and take a cello lesson. Just kidding. But our cellist is good.

Your friends will be there. You can talk to them if you arrive early …

Or you can catch a few Zzzz’s until it’s time to begin.

Share

Listen

and go in peace.

Until then, you can read the General FAQ page at vision.sojournchurch.com to learn the elders’ answers to our 32 most asked questions regarding this Vision campaign.

Photos courtesy Dan Canales

And now, Kirstin Jackson tells the story of her salvation, which led to a recent baptism at Sojourn Gathered:

I grew up in the church my entire life. I believed in God and thought I understood the price Christ paid on the cross to save me from my sins. But I never truly grasped the extensiveness of God’s grace, mercy and love for me until I was 29 years old. Up until this time, I was a rebellious young person who sought gratification in the world. I wanted to have fun and live life as I pleased.  I believed in Jesus but I did not walk in daily faith with my savior, nor did I call upon Him except in times of need.  I could “talk the talk” but was definitely not “walking the walk” of a true Christian.

Before I was saved, I was going through many changes. I lived out of town and was having second thoughts about past decisions I had made. Upon the advice of my mother, I started attending a local church every Sunday. Each time I attended service I would sob through the entire praise and worship time. The repentance I had in my heart was so compelling that I knew it was time for me to surrender my life completely to Christ. He loved me despite my transgressions and for the first time I allowed the presence of the Holy Spirit to burn brightly and live in me.

The seed of faith my parents had planted so early in my childhood had finally emerged from hibernation and began to grow. My walk with Christ started slowly and there have been plenty of potholes along the way. But with each day my pace grows faster and steadier. I now live each day for Christ and know that the Holy Spirit is my compass on this journey.

Rather than striving for worldly riches and status, I look for daily opportunities to share Christ’s message of salvation and find ways to be His humble servant.  Each time I think I am running the race at a good pace, God brings me to my knees and challenges me to move from my comfortable pace to the next level. There are times when I question these requests and remain stubborn, but in the end the Holy Spirit softens my heart to hear God’s plan for me. For I know that “Everything is possible to those who believe (Mark 9:23)” and “I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).”

Baptism is the final affirmation of my complete surrender and repentance from my old life of sin. Today I am born again and washed white as snow by the blood of my dear Savior Jesus Christ. I want all to know of God’s unending love, grace and mercy for all of us.

Here, Pastor Daniel shares “Vision 101″ with you.  In three minutes you’ll learn why we do what we do, and how we do it:

Vision 101 from Sojourn Community Church on Vimeo.

Pastor Daniel will discuss:

• Three fundamental realities: Kingdom, Cross, Grace

• How these realities form the Church

• God’s fundamental command

• How the gospel drives every aspect of who we are

Video recorded, edited and produced by Sojourn member Chip Lewis.

Satan is a very real enemy, and likes nothing more than the chance to stop momentum and keep you from growing in Christ.  Learn about how to fight the enemy and draw near to God during these times.

Listen to this 5-minute interview right here with the Audio Acrobat media player, or download it through iTunes or RSS at our Inside Sojourn podcast.

Get Inside Sojourn on iTunes Here

If you do not see the episode listing on iTunes, simply hit “Refresh Podcast” in the lower right corner of the Inside Sojourn content page.

• Why he would move from sunny, southern California to Louisville.
• How he, wife Chandra and their four kids are adjusting and settling in
• What he’ll be doing here in the Sojourn community.
• When he’ll first preach at Sojourn Community Church

You’ll learn of his passion for church planting and training, mentoring and raising up leaders.  You’ll also hear about his experience in these areas.  Take a few minutes to begin getting acquainted with our newest pastor and member of the Sojourn staff and Executive Elder team.  You can either listen through the link below, right here in this blog post, or you can subscribe to the free Inside Sojourn podcast through iTunes or RSS:

Listen to the Brian Howard interview now through the Audio Acrobat media player.

Get Inside Sojourn on iTunes Here

If you do not see the episode listing on iTunes, simply hit “Refresh Podcast” in the lower right corner of the Inside Sojourn content page.

Click Here To Get A High-Res Version Of This Card Design, Then Print!

Watch this video (less than two minutes) and Art Director Michael Winters will show you how to turn it into an Invite Card in short order!

Last Sunday we kicked off the A.D. sermon series.  If you missed it, you can listen to Pastor Daniel’s sermon on the baptisms of John and Jesus (from the Gospel of Matthew) at sojournchurch.com.

This Sunday we’ll continue in Matthew.  Specifically, Christ’s call for us to be on mission, from Matthew 10. If you’re new to Sojourn, it won’t take long to figure out that this is a church that takes vision and mission seriously.  Find out why this Sunday.

Oh, and don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour when you go to bed Saturday night, for Daylight Savings Time.  Otherwise you’ll be sauntering into the service an hour late.  I did that one year.  It’s a tad humbling but don’t let that keep you from entering and worshiping with us if it comes to that.  Best plan though, is to set your clock back. No, really.

We’ll be singing “Solid Rock (My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less)” this week.  You can familiarize yourself with it by catching this video below.  It’s one of our Sojourn bands, leading worship at the LEAD conference in St. Louis, from 2008:

We’ll sing these songs as well, among others:

“Lead Us Back,” from our Before The Throne CD (Listen to this modern hymn of confession for free at Last.fm).

“Mission’s Flame” (hear songwriter Matt Redman’s version for free at Last.fm).

“Abiding City” (hear songwriter Sandra McCracken’s version for free at Last.fm)

If you don’t know these songs like the back of your hand, listen to them once or twice so you can sing with confidence this Sunday.  Let’s make a big sound, together.  It doesn’t have to “sound good.”  The band will sound good, and they’re the ones with the mics and amps.  We just need to sing enthusiastically.

Mandy Groce:

My friends let me know that my concerns over the state of the world, our nation in particular, had started to be seen as anxiety. I am so thankful for a community that spurs me on to pray for my leaders without losing hope in my one true king.

Hilary Noltemeyer:

When Willow was born a couple months later, we had only attended Sojourn a few times, but the outpouring of support and love was crazy! We had meals provided for us, people we had never met were calling to check on us, to see what they could do to help. Now she wasn’t the only kid, but she was the 1st baby and none of us, especially me, knew what we were doing. However, that didn’t stop the love and support that flowed from strangers to support us in our time of need.

Simon Groce:

Reading through the Old Testament, God repeatedly calls us to care for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. James 1:27 tells us that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress”. Through SEED, Sojourn Counseling and the growing Adoption Ministry, Sojourn has seen many orphans adopted, widows provided for, and the hurting embraced. Praise God!

And check out these photos, from among the 50+ that Sojourners have already uploaded to our “I Want New” section of vision.sojournchurch.com. Then go tour the whole photo gallery (NOTE that the photo gallery on the site is Flash-based.  To view it, make sure that Flash is installed on your computer, and you’re using a platform that can support Flash):

One of the challenges that Pastor Daniel and the other teaching pastors feel is to adequately cover the text during Sojourn Gathered.  Of course this is why we provide free daily devotionals in print form on Sundays, and on the web at devo.sojournchurch.com.

They’ve got a little something extra in store for us this year: beginning the end of this month you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions that come to mind during the sermon and your devotional reading during special Q&A times after the services.  The pastors will hold these “Q&A Sunday” about every second week.

Here are a couple other opportunities coming up to ask questions about the gospel and the vision of Sojourn:

• The first SojournKids “Ask Class.” This is a new class that parents and kids will take together.  It’s geared up to answer questions that children may have about salvation and about baptism at Sojourn.  This is a “pilot” version of the class, so we’ll only hold it at the Midtown campus this time.  We will expand it to the East campus in the future.  You can attend this two-week class at 11:15am on Sunday, March 21 and 28.

• Vision Catalyst meetings.  We’ve been talking about these for a few weeks now.  On March 15, 17 and 31 the pastors will lead Vision Catalyst meetings for the Midtown campus, at our potential new building (the Cathedral on the corner of Shelby and Oak).  Then on the 24th we’ll hold a Vision Catalyst meeting at the East campus. This will be your opportunity to ask questions about the Vision Campaign and to hear, first-hand, the pastors vision for the future of Sojourn over the next ten years.  To tide you over, read through our General FAQ page at vision.sojournchurch.com.  You’ll find the basic answers to 25 questions that Sojourners have asked about the Vision campaign.

You’ll all meet Pastor Brian soon, and hear him preach.  Be sure to make him and his family welcome.