Who We Are
FINDING FREEDOM MINISTERING WHOLENESS
( Journey church about 5 years ago before we moved to Smithville )
WE NEED EACH OTHER
There are about 120,000 people living in Wayne County.
People in our county with little or no involvement in a local church.
People involved in a church that have never been involved in a local church.
Christ followers who started their relationship with Jesus in a local church.
Pastor
Ron
Before Journey, Ron Williams served as lead Pastor for Dove Outreach Center for nearly 15 years, where he served in just about every capacity, working with teens, adults, and small groups. Ron has been a pastor for over 30 years and has extensive experience in spiritual counseling.
Ron, and his wife Benita, are passionate about Jesus and dedicated to helping the local church be all that He intends for it to be—where people can meet Jesus face-to-face and experience life transformation.
Ron and Benita sensed God’s call to Wayne County Ohio in 1992, and by June of 1992, they packed up their home in Harrisonburg Virginia and moved to Kidron. They had two small children when they moved who are grown now. (son John and daughter Roberta) Their vision is to lead a church that finds and becomes free in Jesus –people who love Jesus, their neighbors, and the people in this region. They want to see people enter into a life-giving relationship with Jesus, and they desire to build a church that not only makes a difference in people’s lives on Sundays but also serves the county throughout the week.
Journey is a small church with a large heart for a big God. Come. Receive. Give. Worship.
Key Essentials to Growth and Maturity
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Know Jesus
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Find Freedom
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Discover Purpose
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Make a Difference
Core Values
We believe love changes everything. Jesus’ love for us changed the world. Our love for Jesus transforms us. Love for the people in this county will make an eternal difference.
We believe the church matters. Jesus speaks when His church gathers. He is honored and moves when we gather in his name and for his glory.
Because we serve a God who is extremely generous, we believe His church and His people will be extremely generous with its resources; finances, time, and people.
It’s not just who you know, but it’s who knows you that matters most. We are a church of groups. We don’t think anyone should do life alone. We are not on this earth to compete with each other but to complete one another. The church is God’s family.
What we do is driven by our vision. It if doesn’t line up, we won’t do it.
We are a church dedicated to serving our county and meeting real, tangible needs. We want to partner with the amazing people who are making amazing things happen. We are servants first. Serving Jesus and serving others.
We believe Jesus is worthy of all of our first love. We pour everything we have into everything we do in love for him and the good of others.
Our Beliefs
The Bible is God’s Word to all people. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it was inspired by God, the Bible is truth without any mixture of error and is completely relevant to our daily lives.
God has existed in relationship with Himself for all eternity. He exists as one substance in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Although each member of the Trinity serves different functions, they each possess equal power and authority.
The Father: God is great: He is all powerful, all knowing, ever present, unchanging, completely worthy of our trust, and above all, holy. It is in Him that we live, move and exist. God is good: He is our Father. He is loving, compassionate, and faithful to His people and His promises.
The Son: Jesus Christ is completely human but, at the same time, completely God. He is the only plan for bringing people who are far from God back into a right relationship with God. He lived a perfect life, so that He could be a substitution for us in satisfying God’s demands for perfection. He defeated death in His resurrection so that we could have life.
The Holy Spirit: His presence assures us of our relationship with Christ. He guides believers into all truth and exalts Christ. He convicts people of their sin, God’s righteousness, and the coming judgment. He comforts us, gives us spiritual gifts, and makes us more like Christ.
Man was created to exist forever. He will exist either eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is Heaven. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.
Humanity is made in the image of God and is the supreme object of His creation. We were created to have fellowship with God, but became separated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, we cannot attain a right relationship with God through our own effort. Every human personality is uniquely created, possesses dignity, and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
The blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the only way of salvation through the forgiveness of sin. Salvation occurs when people place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin. Salvation is a gift from God, it cannot be earned through our own efforts.
The Church is a local community of baptized believers unified through faith in Christ. The Church is committed to the teachings of Christ and obeying all of His commands; it seeks to bring the Gospel to the world. The Church works together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.
We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers, and through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, believers are empowered for Christian service and gifted for this service. The Holy Spirit also enables believers to live a Christ-like life exhibiting Godly character.