Welcome to The Journey! To skip the somewhat weighty theological banter below, click here to see what sets us apart from your typical youth group. If you want to know the deeper reasons for why we are the way we are, keep reading.
The Journey, a part of Second Presbyterian Church, is one of Charleston’s newest youth groups which combines the historical orthodoxy of Reformed theology with the post-modern philosophy of the Emergent Church.
OK, so what does that mean?
Reformed theology is the cornerstone of contemporary Presbyterian theology, tracing itself back to a rich history of reformation minded thinkers, like John Knox, John Calvin, and Martin Luther. At the core of it we believe the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God and are sufficient for us in following Christ. Reformed theology, coming from a time where religious power was abused at the hands of cliquish church councils and a single leader, also emphasizes democratic governing of the church. We believe this encourages community participation and lets the Holy Spirit speak clearly through church body. At the same time however, we are not dogmatic in the minor details of theology, and allow an unusual amount of freedom on more secondary theological issues.
As for Emergent philosophy, it isn’t some esoteric New Age thing and isn’t so much about what (i.e. what theology), as it is about how (i.e. how we fulfill the Great Commission). Emergent thinking is that, generally speaking, people are seeking spiritual truth and spiritual connection in their lives, and our role as followers of Christ is to help with the question and answer process. It is therefore critical for us as believers to focus on helping others find the love of the Triune God, but equally important for us to be culturally attuned in our mission. Like the Apostle Paul on Mars Hill, we prepare the timeless message of the Gospel for a culture very much stuck in a certain time and place in history. Our certain time and place in history is post-modern and often post-Christian America, so the emphasis in how we present the Gospel shifts from a modernist approach that stresses evidence and formulae to a post-modernist approach that stresses relationships and experience.
OK, so what does all that mean to the everyday youth program?
Multi-Sensory Worship- Worship isn’t just about music, it’s about prayer, meditation, and art too. We encourage our students to use our prayer and art stations when they feel led to so they can better worship and connect to God with the gifts He gave them (1 Corinthians 12:4).
Sharing the Gospel- Sharing our real and genuine faith is priority number one at The Journey. Heaven is real, Hell is real, and the way we prove our love to our friends is by helping them on the search for the joy and forgiveness that God offers freely (John 3:16). However, we don’t believe it’s best done through emotional altar calls or rallies, but through speaking to people’s needs and living out Christ in our daily lives (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, John 13:35).
Humble Teaching- We don’t have all the answers and what we see now is only a part of God’s whole truth (1 Corinthians 13:11), so we try to emphasize Jesus and the clear teachings of the Bible while saving the debate on pre-millenniumism versus post-millenniumism and other such "isms" for another day.
The Big Picture- If we give our lives to Christ, then every thought should be brought under the Christian worldview (2 Corinthians 10:5) - our relationships, our sports, our classes, our values. Everything. The Journey wants to be a place for students to explore how knowing God changes everything.
Why not check us out?
If this sounds like what you’ve always been looking for, OR entirely new but intriguing, we encourage you to check out The Journey on Sunday nights. Parents are welcome to come too.
If you like a more traditional and classical form of worship, please consider visiting the rest of the “Second Family” here at Second Presbyterian Church on Sunday mornings. Sunday school (for both adults, students, and children) meets at 10:00AM and the service (for all ages) is at 11:15AM.
Hope to see you soon!
Grace and Peace.
Colin Kerr,
Director of Christian Education and Youth Ministries