About US
At the moment, Journey of Faith is a small, diverse, inter-generational, mission-oriented Christian community in Ann Arbor. Having served and fought for justice as Memorial Christian Church for 125 years, we are entering a new moment in our life, one in which we are posed for growth and excitement.
The Disciples grew out of the Stone Campbell movement in the early 1800’s. The early founders sought an alternative to the divisive polity of the church. They wanted a way to live faith in community without “tests of fellowship,” and with “no creed but Christ.” It was a frontier journey, in more ways than one. This was to be a place where all were welcome to receive communion; all would be received in baptism; and all could worship together, even if they did not entirely agree on the letter of the law.
Today, we are a church where authority lies within the local congregation. We handle our own money, own our property, hire (and fire) our pastors, select our own leaders, and are not bound by the demands of any hierarchy.
Our mission is expressed from the ‘bottom up,’ in that churches support the larger structure for ministry — and not the other way around. That means the local church can hone its own mission statement, set its own vision, find its own way to serve and establish presence in the community. We are guided by the same basic principles, but not bound by them.
It is both wonderful and maddening, all this freedom.
It means we don’t always know how to sit together when we disagree. It means we struggle to navigate the racial tensions, conservative and progressive strife or uncomfortable conversations about sexual identity present in the world outside our walls, when we come together within. It means we don’t always know how to share our message ‘out’ there, when we can’t always get it together ‘in’ here. It means it can be hard to focus our energy and our resources to affect real change in the world – when everybody’s idea of ‘change’ is broadly varied, deeply valued and not open to re-examination.
But what we do offer—and always have—is a safe place to live with all that ambiguity. A place where people worship together (however imperfectly) and try to organize for good. A place where ‘movement’ of the collective body, and the Spirit, are valued over any statement of faith; and where the communion table, at the center of worship and community, calls us back to a shared belief in Christ’s love: embodied within us, and made flesh for the world.
That table anchors us, and all that we carry, including the sacred ambiguity of our mismatched selves. Sometimes, sitting at that table together doing hard work is messy work. It’s awkward and there are times when we really mess things up,
At that safe place, however, ‘movement’ of the collective body, and the Spirit, are valued over any statement of faith. At the table, worship and community, calls us back to a shared belief in Christ’s love: embodied within us, and made flesh for the world.
So, however we see ourselves – either inspired by the Holy Spirit or just united on our separate, spiritual journeys to discern God’s still-speaking voice, we try to pursue Christ’s vision of a new world in the ordinary, everyday act of sharing a meal and taking the bread and cup. It’s Christ’s love, faith and works at the heart of the table that the church and we are called to live out.
If you like – thank God, grab a piece of bread and break it, drink from the cup. Let this become your daily ritual and remember Christ.
“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much." — Matthew 25:21
WHY ATTEND THIS CHURCH?
We know attending church doesn't make sense for a lot people today. You might have even asked yourself — why bother?
For us, there are two compelling reasons to attend church:
o Being the church (not just attending) is about living your life for Christ. That’s deeply scriptural and holy and powerful.
o Gathering together to journey in faith together and help others was Jesus’ idea. We figure Jesus knows something we don't.
So, why attend this church?
o This is a safe place for people to explore their faith.
o Nothing changes the world more powerfully than the love and hope of Christ shared with a world that so desperately needs it — we want the church to be a part of that.
o We believe everything this church says or does should try to reflect God's love for everyone.
o We’ve got a great team made up of people like you who long to make a difference.
"Join us any Sunday to worship and be fed by our living God!" —Pastor Alex
1900 Manchester Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: 734.971.4245 | Email: jofdisciples@gmail.com