Launch Season is here!
For the past few months, our Team has been focused on establishing our church’s structure and rhythms. Last week, we completed 52 weeks of getting to know each other. We've served our neighborhood in different ways, learned about the mission and context together, went through the book of Ephesians, and began establishing a culture of what our church hopes to be. We are ready to launch! As the 4th church in the Sojourn Houston family of churches, we are excited to be marked with the rest of the churches by a shared theology, a shared ecclesiology, a shared philosophy of ministry, and shared values. Every church in this family of churches is distinct, meeting the specific needs of its neighborhood, and at the same time united with the rest of the churches in Sojourn Houston. We are excited to open our doors to the neighborhood!
SIMPLE STRUCTURE
We are a church that consists of Neighborhood Parishes and Sunday Gatherings. In Parishes, disciples of Jesus make more disciples. In Sunday gatherings, disciples of Jesus come together to worship God through songs, a sermon, and sacraments, that remind us of the grace of God in our lives. We believe that as disciples are made, parishes multiply. And as parishes multiply, our church hopes to plant other churches in Houston and in other places. Over the months, that simple structure has been set.
RESTFUL RHYTHMS
Our church believes that everyone, upon starting to know God and His ways, has the privilege to join the Father, Son, and Spirit in the historic work of redemption. So, making disciples of our neighbors and friends looks like building relationships, exposing them to the Christian community, and sharing the gospel in word and deed. It is in the everyday of life that this happens. Over the months, those restful rhythms have started to get traction within our Team.
We hope to see a family of multiplying Neighborhood Parishes equipping the saints, empowering new leaders, and sending new parishes until each neighborhood in Spring Branch is saturated with gospel presence. This is our hope and we pray to that end.
LAUNCH
On October 9 at 5pm, our church will gather at The Faith Center (8009 Long Point Rd. 77055) and launch from a place of simple structure and restful rhythms that we have been practicing for the past few months. I am thrilled for our Team be a part of this historic moment in the life of our church and in the life of our neighborhood in Spring Branch.
Launch Season starts Sunday, October 9. So, what will it look like? It looks like a lot of singing, a lot of rejoicing, a lot of handshakes and hugs, a lot of praying, and a lot of times to remember Christ, His cross and resurrection! For families that have children, your kids have the opportunity to sing and pray with the church. If your kids are between the ages of 1-7, they will be dismissed at a certain point in our gathering to receive a Bible lesson tailored just for them. Children ages 8 and above will remain with the rest of the church for the sermon while they listen/write/draw in the Kids’ Workbook provided to them.
Sunday, October 9, is when we open the doors to friends, neighbors, and the rest of the community who has heard about a new church opening up in our neighborhood.
2 WAYS YOU CAN JOIN
1) VISIT A SUNDAY GATHERING
If you have been praying for us or have been waiting for our church to open to the public to visit, come on October 9! If you desire a deeper understanding of Christ, a better grasp on your identity, and a stronger battle against sin, we will be starting a sermon series through the book of Colossians. We believe this sermon series will be helpful to you.
2) VISIT A NEIGHBORHOOD PARISH
If you live in or near Spring Branch, we invite you to get to know us by visiting a Neighborhood Parish. Here is where a small group of families seek to minster to each other and their neighbors. The way they aim to do that is to simply live life together, love and serve one another, and love and serve their neighbors. You can find a list of parishes HERE.
We hope that you continue to pray for our church as it enters its Launch Season and that you would join God in the historic work of redemption in Spring Branch.
Launch Season, here we come!