On Palm Sunday, Journey Christian Church celebrated its fourth anniversary in an unusual way.  Instead of guest preachers and singers, Pastor Dan Henley had guests from Agape Child and Family Services administer a church survey.

Part of a churchwide effort on April 5, Pastor Dan Henley (left) and youth pastor William Turner complete the church census survey, a process to determine the needs of individuals and families in the Journey Church congregation.  “Once we get the results back, we’re going to find out the needs of the community and that’s going to be our priority,” says Pastor Dan. (Photos by Florence M. Howard)

Smiling First Lady Dee Henley and Pastor Dan Henley of Journey Church greet members and visitor after service on Palm Sunday, April 5.  The church is located at 1755 Appling Road in Cordova.

Pastor Dan’s message was a show and tell of the instruction in Habakkah 2:2 to “write the vision and make it plain.”  In a PowerPoint presentation, he reminded the congregation of his ­vision for Journey Church (www.journeychurchmemphis.org), its Deedan Marriage Mentoring Ministry and the Appling Manor and Conference Center, located at 1755 Appling Road in Cordova where services are held.  

Rev. Henley then introduced Linda Oxford, the Agape trainer and consultant who explained that anyone over age 12 could complete the Church Census Survey and those under 12 could participate by drawing a picture of their church and family.  

“Let us better know your family’s needs,” said Oxford as she encouraged family members to sit apart in order not to influence one other.  She said the anonymous 11-page questionnaire would be sent to Baylor University (in Waco, Texas) for scanning and tabulation.

The survey seeks to learn what members of the church – old, young, single and married – feel they need from their families and the church.  

Agape, now in its 39th year, is a Christian-based, non-profit agency that serves children and families in Memphis, West Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi.  Its varied menu of programs and services include foster care, adoption, maternity care, counseling and family training.

Three years ago, the agency partnered with Baylor University’s Center for Family and Community Ministries in its church-based Life Changes Initiative.   

Executive Director David Jordan said the 20-plus year-old survey used to assess  relational health within member families helps to increase and improve relational health within the church.    

The survey measures “what’s going well, what’s not going well and ‘how do you see the church being able to help’” with the ultimate goal of “helping churches be engaged in meaningful ways in the community.”

Citing issues that plague blighted areas of Memphis, Jordan said the idea is to help churches get ready internally so they are able to reach out into the community.
“We’ll walk alongside you and help you do that,” said Jordan, who was hired in 1995.  
 
He said the initiative started with 3 churches in 2007 and it added 12 churches in 2008.  Now 15 churches are served with an ultimate goal of reaching 10 to 20 percent of the churches in Memphis, by 2020.  

This week, Jordan and other team members met with 26 new churches from AME, Southern Baptist, Church of Christ and COGIC denominations to explain the initiative and to challenge them.

“Historically, churches are significant in every community.  (But) the church, generally speaking, has lost its way for some period of time as it relates to the community,” said Jordan, pointing to suburban white church flight and mission trips that focus on other countries rather than the work that must be done closer to home.    

He said 50 percent of the churches that attended meetings this week committed to further discussion.  He applauded the faith communities that already are offering tutoring, GED programs, counseling and other community programs.

He said the approach used by Agape is strength-based.   “Even the most blighted communities have real strengths.  What are your strengths?  How can we help?  Invite us to come in and build on the strengths (you) already have.”

Adding, “It’s their community let them own it.”

Building on strengths and building partnerships

Rev. James Williams, who opened a church location in the Bent Tree Apartments 10 years ago, is among those meeting multiple needs in its community.  Jordan offers Agape as a partner in community support for tutoring services, GED services, literary programs for adults and more. 

He calls Agape “one organization locking arms with many other organizations” and is calling upon the religious flocks to lock arms and rebuild families, communities and community pride.  

Among the issues waiting to be addressed: infant mortality, teen pregnancy, crime, alcohol and drug abuse, lack of education because those issues impact the well-being and welfare of children and families.  

Before a church can reach out, it first needs to develop the right tools such as implementation strategies, which is where Agape comes in, providing technical assistance and consulting.

He noted that Forbes Magazine (February 2009) named Memphis the second most miserable city in the country.  For Jordan who came here 14 years ago from Nashville, that is unacceptable.  

“We love our city. Memphis means the Place of Good Abode.  We want to live up to our name.”

He said, with the presence churches hold in the community and the services that Agape can provide to assist them, churches can go into schools and workplaces to change the community in which they operate.  

Agape has identified 10-20 “high need” communities in Memphis, Jordan said, and they want churches to “step up in every way.”   

In a few weeks, Journey Church will receive the results of its survey.  

“We’re always planning and working on our vision which is reconciliation and right now we’re teaming up with another church, The Love of Christ TLC with Pastor Dana and Anita Keyes,” said Pastor Dan.  “Once we get the results back, we’re going to find out the needs of the community and that’s going to be our priority.”  

He said Agape is a great partner and often recommends him for help with marriage ministries. “It’s really a neat partnership,” Henley said.
To contact Agape Child and Family Services, call 901-323-3600.