The Journey Church

We were in Boca for three weeks, so we needed to find a church. At home we attend a Southern Baptist church — VERY traditional — but our favorite church was the one we belonged to in Arizona, Chandler Christian Church. Non-​denominational, casual, modern. So after attending the famous but kind of stodgy Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church our first Sunday here, I really wanted to find something more, well — fun. After an Internet search that turned up several Catholic churches, a couple of Charismatic congregations (I only speak the English tongue, alas) and one with a self-​proclaimed «prophetess» (really??), The Journey popped up. Other than taking place at a high school (we’d love to hear the story behind that), it sounded like just what we were looking for. And it was. Yes, it’s in a high school auditorium, but they have done a GREAT job. From the parking attendants to the greeters to the worship guides, it feels like a «real,» welcoming church. But the service is of course the most important thing. We loved it. The music was awesome — current, upbeat, fun. The lead pastor’s sermon was engaging and Biblical, with humor and historical references thrown in. We left feeling like we had both worshipped and learned some things. Love that!
Our only complaint was that it doesn’t really feel like a congregation. I don’t remember from my research how long the church has been meeting, but it felt like very few members really knew each other. As my husband put it, it felt like we’d been to a theater performance, where everyone is friendly and civil, but you come, watch and leave without connecting to anyone else. I know they are working on that, by encouraging involvement and such, but we weren’t feeling it that day. It was a perfect church for us, as visitors, though. We will definitely go again while we’re here, and if we lived here we would consider making it our home church. Great place.