One of the most exciting things I do at my church is teach a Jesus Journey class. It is for people trying to understand what being on the journey with Jesus looks like. Or those trying to get on their Jesus journey. Or come back to their journey.

You need to have a class like this at your church, too.

I don't mean that you need a class just like we have at Hillcrest or that I have some program to push or sell. But I do think every church ought to periodically have a class dedicated to people seeking Jesus. Hillcrest is a large church, so we offer it as an ongoing class. A small congregation might just want to offer it periodically and maybe even have the whole church involved.

Here are some things that have helped our class thrive:

It is absolutely, 100% geared to non-believers. We announce it that way. In fact, it’s not really designed for our members at all!  It is for people who want to know what it looks like to live the Jesus life. It is for people who want to follow Jesus, but aren't sure how to go about it. And it is for people who may have gotten off the Jesus road and want to come back.

If our members invite someone to the class, they have to come with them. If you are a member who wants to come, you have to buy into helping all the seekers on their journey. We have members who study with visitors, who babysit, who help out with transportation and even bills. Members who fervently pray for people to know Jesus. Who show up for baptisms and for rededication blessings and sit in hospital rooms. 

I have come to realize that every Hillcrest member in our class has had hard things happen to them. Maybe that is why they want everyone to know Jesus. When a visitor talks about losing a child, we have people who can share their own Jesus journey when they lost their own child. The same is true about broken relationships. And addictions. Whatever the pain people feel in a lost world, we have someone in our class that has traveled that same road and been healed by Jesus.

We are committed not only to getting them on the Jesus journey, but to helping them get firmly set on that road.

And our church leadership buys in. Elders and staff. Everything from hiring me part-time to fully supporting this class. One elder couple is even part of the class.

You don't have to do it just like we do. But you do need to have your version of the Jesus Journey class.