Finally, it was a home of their own.
Since the Journey Church had formed in 2008 in Franklin, it had always met in whatever space that was available. They worshiped together in homes, rented space at a movie theater, and arranged to meet at Franklin schools on Sundays.
All of those spaces allowed them to practice their faith together and form a community in Christ. But a place of their very own was always in their plans.
“I say all the time, this is just a building. It’s a tool. It’s something we can use to help people find and follow Christ. But the people are the church,” said Jim Clayton, pastor at Journey Church. “Now, we can use this to help other people.”
What started as a vision 13 years ago has finally become a reality. The Journey Church, a Franklin-based congregation, moved into its own worship building in the spring, after years of hand-renovating what had formerly been a medical equipment manufacturing business.
Led by a dedicated team of volunteers, they installed carpet and flooring, hooked up televisions, added lighting and created a stage from scratch. The process was arduous, but worth it, Clayton said.
“When we came in here and talked about buying this, I could see what it would become in my mind. So I kept telling people, ‘I know you can’t see it yet, but I can. It’s going to be great.’ It’s awesome to see it finally come to fruition,” he said.
Journey Church started as a Bible study in the home of Clayton and his wife, Jodi. After about a year, they launched the church, meeting for the first time in September 2008 at Northwood Elementary School in Franklin. The church grew, and eventually found larger spaces to meet at: Franklin Community Middle School, then Canary Creek Cinema.
“We were happy there, but we kept our eyes open in case something came open,” Clayton said.
Their vigilance was rewarded when the building at 3062 Hudson Street on the north side of Franklin came available. Church leaders toured the space, and were excited by the potential.
After lengthy discussions, they decided to purchase it in 2016.
“We decided to move forward and see what happens,” Clayton said.
With the building secured, Journey Church went to work. A capital campaign helped raise money for the renovations what would be needed. To save money, they proposed doing much of the work themselves. Clayton recruited volunteers to help with the different aspects of the church construction.
Though the medical equipment manufacturing business that had previously occupied the space was gone, the remnants of years of industrial work remained. Dust from the countless hours of grinding metal covered the walls and floors, sometimes combining with moisture to create a brown goo. Machinery had been left behind and needed to be disposed of. Electrical cords hung from the ceiling.
As volunteers cleaned and did work, they often found needles — one of the items made at the site.
“There were so many things left over. We sold as much as we could for scrap, and the rest we just had to throw away,” Clayton said.
Church members installed a new ceiling, painted the entire space, added carpet and built the stage and lighting set-up. They tore out much of the existing structure and built new walls.
The only aspects of the project church members didn’t take on was plumbing, heating and cooling systems, and electrical systems, Clayton said.
He credits one volunteer in particular, Steve Trego, who was constantly available to do work. Often, it was just the two of them putting in time in the evenings during the week and on Saturdays.
The week leading up to Easter, church leaders received word that the building had passed all inspections. They could host their first service in the new church on the holiest of Christian celebrations.
“It was four days before Easter that we got our occupancy, so we were scrambling to get everybody in here. But it was exciting,” Clayton said.
Walking through the front doors of the church, visitors are immediately welcomed into an airy and spacious lobby area. A coffee machine and snacks allows people to grab something to drink and eat after service, while tables situated throughout the lobby offer a place to chat with other congregants.
TVs broadcast the service in case parents need to bring their children out for any reason. A custom front desk made of hardwood trim made for a one-of-a-kind centerpiece right when you walk in.
“For our people, it’s something they can be proud of. They have ownership of it, because everyone gave to make it happen. A lot of people put labor into it,” Clayton said. “People are thrilled to be able to come to our home.”
On one end of the lobby is the entrance to the worship space. The high-ceilinged auditorium features a massive stage, and a booth in the back allows church officials to control sound, lighting and other aspects of the service.
Walking back out through the lobby, people enter the Kidz Zone. In a series of three designated rooms, different age groups have a place to worship with their peers.
Each room has a different theme, such as Explorers, Navigators and Pathfinders. Handmade decorations give each space a unique feel. For example, in the Navigators room — for kids in first through fifth grade — Jeep adornments on the walls and bright lights make for a lively area to hang out.
“We want the kids to have a good time, because if they don’t want to come back, their parents won’t want to come back,” Clayton said.
Parents walking their kids back there are presented with a visual reminder of how quickly children grow up. Clear canisters filled with marbles are situated on a shelf. Each canister represents a year of a child’s life, and the marbles stand for how many weeks are left until the child’s 18th birthday.
“When your child is born, you have 936 weeks, approximately, until they turn 18,” Clayton said. “This shows how the time goes away. Every week when they drop their kids off, they’ll be reminded that the clock is ticking.”
Though they’ve been meeting at the church since April, small projects such as creating spaces for youth worship carried on throughout the spring and summer.
Now, everything is essentially finished, Clayton said.
To celebrate the opening of the new building, the Journey Church is hosting a community open house at 10 a.m. Sunday. After worship service, visitors can tour the church and enjoy food trucks, inflatables and other activities.
“We’re excited to invite the community to come and see what we’ve done,” Clayton said.
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Journey Church Grand Opening
What: A celebration thrown by the Franklin-based church to recognize its new worship space. After worship service, have food trucks and inflatables for the kids, and other fun activities.
When: 10 a.m. Sunday
Where: 3062 Hudson Street, Franklin
Cost: Free
Information: journeychurch.net
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