SOJOURN
2024
Year End Update
Kingdom Partners,
Thank you for faithfully walking with us through another year of church planting in Portland. The end of a year always provides the opportunity to reflect back on where we’ve seen growth, growing pains, and forward progress. Portland, like many cities, is very transient, which makes it challenging on young churches to get established as typically the people attracted to a church plant are transplants to the city. In spite of this ongoing reality, God continues to be faithful in building His Church here.
We entered 2024 with a renewed sense of vision of what God could do here through His church and we simply showed up with holy expectancy to what He would do in our midst.
This year, we welcomed many new people as we had more first time visitors than any year prior, which led to numerical growth; but we’ve also said our sad goodbyes to other people as the transient-ness nature of the city hits close to home. One area we continue to thrive as a church is in our value of family.
As a church we are inviting the city of Portland on a journey of learning what it means to follow Jesus. In order to do that we continue to provide multiple on ramps for people to jump on that journey regardless where they are in the journey or if they’re just starting the journey.
Like all churches, we have our struggles, one being that the majority of people who are a part of Sojourn have little to no significant church background. On one hand this presents many challenges; while on the other hand this is precisely why our family felt called and compelled by God to move here. There are some faithful churches here who have been reaching people for generations but at Sojourn we are reaching those who’ve been missed by those churches and providing a place for them to belong on their way to belief.
To borrow the words of Tim Chester, “I sometimes look around at my congregation and see a bunch of dysfunctional people thrown together, somehow managing to be family. And I smile at the ridiculous grace of God.”
God accomplished much in 2024 and in his loving kindness gave us a front row seat to his goodness. Your support allowed us to continue to live and minister here and afforded us the opportunity to see people get connected for Jesus such as one lady who back in the summer walked into our gathering and said: “I grew up Catholic but left the Catholic Church when I became an adult and have been part of nothing since; but recently I’ve had this desire to return to God and see what the Church is all about, which led me here to this place that feels like home.”
In transparency, even with some encouraging things happening this year, there were still many setbacks and challenges. Portland is known by some as “a church planters graveyard” and it is a city that will beat you up and the longer I am here the more I feel those bruises, wounds, and scars of life and ministry here. Every year I think through the names, faces, and families of former church planters who are no longer here… such as the one I learned about while writing this update. I say that to express my complete gratitude for your partnership and support as we together serve the city of Portland and see it with the heart of our Heavenly Father who loves the people of Portland because of His love. And together we continue onward into 2025!
With Gratitude,
Matt Boyd
Pastor | Sojourn Church
practicing the way of jesus
We gather in Gospel Communities to live out our core values of gospel, family, and mission as we practice the way of Jesus together. We share a meals, celebrate stories, bear one another's burdens, pray for one another, and serve our city together. This year we continued our focus on the practices of Jesus as we spent several months on our spiritual health, our spiritual formation, and living a rule of life in line with that of Jesus. The goal was not to give everyone more to do or add to their life, but rather a template for a rule of life on how to prioritize the practices of Jesus in their life be being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing as Jesus did.
We also gather in gender specific discipleship groups (Tables). Tables are a place to deepen our understanding of Jesus, remind each other of our identity, connect as friends, and pray together. The men’s table focused on transparency, confession, and repentance this past semester; while the women’s table finished the book study “Women of the Word” by Jen Wilkin as they were further equipped in studying/applying Scripture in their lives.
SUMMER 2024
During the summer months we took a break from meeting in homes during the week and instead had church in the park every Wednesday where we worshipped, heard testimonies, prayed over one another, and played games.
We were blessed to start the summer by welcoming our former intern, Amy Reyna, as our new Ministry Assistant, as she moved to Portland upon graduation to officially join Sojourn. She just crossed the six month line and has been a tremendous blessing and addition to our church family.
We also had four partnering churches send mission teams in the summer to help us with our ongoing outreach efforts. These teams prayer walked, hosted block parties, conducted our annual Kids Camp, our first ever soccer camp, shared the gospel and much more.
Thank you to Beaumont’s FBC, Western Avenue Baptist, First Baptist Universal City, and First Baptist Peach Tree for serving us and the city so well!
SABBATICAL
In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Sojourn ended the busy summer by allowing me (Matt) to take a mini-sabbatical in the month of August. This allowed our family to travel to the east coast (thanks to our sending church) and it also allowed me the space/time to allow the Holy Spirit to do some deep work within my own soul. This was a real gift and blessing. This also allowed the church to hear from several different guest preachers in my absence and allowed for others to step up in serving one another and our church body.
annual fall retreat
The highlight of the Fall was taking our annual church retreat to the Oregon coast. This year was special because we had a group from our sending church, Western Avenue, who came to serve Sojourn by providing actives for children and youth, two guest speakers, and as a daughter church it gave the people of Sojourn an opportunity to build relationships with some from the mother church.
This was our best and smoothest retreat we’ve ever had as it was a refreshing time away from the city where we could grow closer to God and one another surrounded by the beauty of the Oregon Coast.
CHRISTMAS PARTY
Our last big event of the year was our annual Christmas party! This is a time where we come together in celebration of the Advent season and what God has done throughout the year. We shared a meal, played games, laughed, and enjoyed the joy that comes in following Jesus.
Every year we have some friends who are connected to Sojourn but not yet following Jesus attend and it is a great way to build further relationships with them as we continue pointing them toward Jesus in their everyday lives.
The new year is quickly approaching, and with 2024 closing soon, I can’t help but think of the people in Portland who still haven’t clearly heard the Good News of the gospel. Those who don’t understand who Jesus really is and how He brings hope, peace, love, and joy that we emphasize this time of year and is the light to the dark world.
There are still many in Portland who don’t know Him and who are isolated from community and that is why we exist as a church to invite the city of Portland on a journey of learning what it means to follow Jesus.
Imagine the people of Portland hearing the message that Jesus has come for all people, the young and old, the displaced, those on the margins, people who've made a mess of their lives, and those that are ordinary. Imagine them hearing and realizing Jesus has come for them too.
We desire more than ever to provide a place for people to find a place to belong, a journey to be taken, where all things are being made new and united by Jesus.
We want people to understand that Jesus came to seek and save the lost…. which includes them. We are reminding the city around us, while boasting of darkness, of Jesus’ words:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
As we get ready to finish 2024 and get ready to embrace 2025 would you consider partnering with us for our continued efforts here? As a young church in one of the least religious/most atheistic cities in our country, we rely on faithful & generous gifts from our family, friends, and kingdom supporters like you.
It is amazing what we can do with your help! And now is the best time to give to help us start the new year strong. Consider giving today by going to sojournpdx.org/give.
Your financial gifts at the end of the year will help us hopefully get into a new semi-permanent or possibly even permanent space, help support our summer internship program, and allow us to bring on a part-time Kids Director.
This will give us further permanence within the community.
This will allow us to have space to build and grow a Kids Ministry.
This will allow us to have a Pastor’s Office space for counseling.
This will allow us to host outreach events throughout the year at our own space without having to rent from others: worship nights, block parties, Bible Studies, VBS, Prayer emphasis, etc.
Thank you for your consideration and generosity!