EVERY JOURNEY LEADS TO JESUS
ESTD. 2009

JOURNEY CHURCH
ANNUAL REPORT 2025

People tell me all the time how secure and confident I seem. What they don’t realize is that I’ve struggled for years to figure out just who I am.

I grew up knowing only abuse from my earthly father. I grew up in a hyper-religious movement that told me I had to earn God’s love and blessings. But no matter how hard I worked, it never felt like enough. I thought I needed to change who I was just to fit in, To give myself away to whatever guy would have me, And to do things to the point of not knowing and not being able to recognize myself. it felt like anxiety, depression, insecurity, abandonment, and unworthiness were my identity.

After years of church hurt and a life I so badly wanted to end, God brought me here. Today marks two years since I walked into Journey Church for the first time. In that time, not only did God restore everything that the enemy had taken from me, he broke the cycle of shame and rejection in my life and affirmed my identity in him.

I can stand here and sing and declare that his spirit changes things because I’ve experienced it for myself firsthand. Romans 8:15 says, “for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry Abba Father.”
So while I was rejected and abandoned by my earthly father, God chose me, and he calls me his daughter.

So today, I can say, I know full well who I am. Being a teacher, that’s my career. Being a wife and a mother, that’s my calling. Being a friend is my privilege, and singing and leading worship is my ministry. But my identity is found in the promise that my “yes” to Jesus resulted in the father grafting me into his family, never to question who I am again.

So hello, I’d like to introduce myself:

My name is Jessica, and I am a daughter of the most high God.

Ashley: I grew up in church, but despite that foundation, I struggled with depression, anxiety, and abandonment. I believed the lie that I wasn’t good enough. Because of that, I kept myself guarded. I avoided fully committing emotionally and spiritually, making everything feel temporary out of fear of rejection.

Nathan: I didn’t grow up going to church regularly. I went occasionally with family, but faith wasn’t a consistent part of my life. I was saved in 2003 while picking up the pieces after a failed marriage. Instead of following God’s path, I went back to doing things my own way, which led me down a long and difficult road.

Ashley: In 2020, we met at Journey Church and were married a year later. But when we married, our past struggles came with us. Blending two families was especially hard. I grew angry with God for allowing these challenges, and that anger kept me from fully trusting Him. I wasn’t ready to completely surrender to His will for our marriage.

Nathan: We spent so much time trying to fix our marriage and family that we neglected the most important thing. Growing closer to Jesus. By not walking in obedience to His design, we were missing out on His blessings. We realized we couldn’t do this alone. We needed community and Christ-centered relationships.

Ashley: Joining a marriage group changed everything. Through book studies, a weekend retreat, and real friendships, we grew closer to God and to each other. We also made intentional changes in our home. From what we allowed into it, to setting healthier boundaries outside of it.

Nathan: As we surrendered more to God, we experienced a peace in our marriage and home we had never known. The spiritual growth and healing I’ve seen in Ashley has been incredible.

Ashley: Nathan has always been quiet and introverted, but this year I’ve watched God bring so much growth in him. He’s become more open, more confident, and has truly found his voice. God has given him wisdom, and when he speaks, it’s exactly what’s needed.

Nathan: One of the greatest lessons we’ve learned is that marriage is a covenant that reflects Christ’s sacrificial love for the Church. It’s meant to be a visible picture of God’s steadfast and relentless love for His people.

We give God all the honor and glory. Our story is proof that when we fully surrender, invite God in, and walk in the Spirit, He brings peace, healing, and joy we could never create on our own.

You were never meant to walk this journey alone. If you feel like you’re facing trials by yourself, remember Galatians 6:2:“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”