Today we’d like to introduce you to Mace Perez
Hi Mace, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I used to think Christianity was a bunch of wishful thinking and that there are no rational, historical, logical reasons for believing it. Furthermore, I wasn’t a fan of Christians. To me, they were all a bunch of anti-intellectual, hypocritical bigots.
That changed when I met a Christian (the girl who would eventually become my wife) who didn’t just talk the talk; she walked the walk. She was so kind, gracious, and patient. And she was willing to sit and listen to my questions, doubts, and criticisms without judgment over many conversations. And eventually I met some more Christians who made a thoughtful case for the truthfulness of Christianity. These experiences opened my mind and my heart as God broke down these false narratives and caricatures I had in my mind.
And then I was blown away by the gospel, the core message of Christianity: that though I was broken and messed up (which I knew; I didn’t need the Bible to tell me that), God loved me so much that he sent his Son Jesus for me, to die for me. And that though he died, he resurrected on the third day, proving he is who he says he is and that the penalty for my sin had been paid in full by Jesus. And that all I had to do to be made right with God, to be forgiven, and to be given eternal life was believe.
Though I still had more questions than answers, I came to believe that this core message of Christianity was true. Not only true, but amazing and beautiful!
Fast forward, we planted The Journey Church Houston in the Heights because we want to patiently and graciously walk alongside people in their spiritual journeys and point them to the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian Story, especially as it culminates in the person and work of Jesus. It doesn’t matter how skeptical, apathetic, or even antagonistic someone is towards Christianity, we want to spend time with them, to get to know them and to love them. And as the opportunity presents itself, we want to present a thoughtful case for the truth of Christianity and how the Christian Story is the only story that ultimately satisfies all of the deepest longings of the human heart.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have, of course, been challenges. This is a bold work and has been a huge step of faith.
But we see the Lord at work in so many ways. He provided a home for my family. He has helped us make some great connections in the city and our community. He has brought us some amazing and faithful people to be a part of our team. And he has provided a beautiful, historic space for our worship gatherings.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Our church life centers around our four core values.
Our worship services highlight our Biblical value, where our liturgy (the things we do in worship, why we do them, and the order in which we do them), congregational singing, Scripture readings, and sermons aim to help us understand and be amazed by the Christian Story as revealed in the Bible.
Our Discipleship Classes highlight our Thoughtful value, where we aim to help people understand what we believe, why we believe it, and how it makes sense of our lives and the world. For example, this past fall, our youth and adults did a class called “Why Believe?”, based on a book of the same name by Neil Shenvi. We looked at a whole host of arguments for the truthfulness of Christianity, from the reliability of the gospel accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, to the existence of objective morality, to the relationship between science and faith, to how the gospel makes sense of our lived experience.
Our Community Groups highlight our Relational value, where we spend time together, truly getting to know one another, care for one another, and encourage one another. In these groups, we can take off our masks and be real with one another. We believe the church is not primarily a building or an event to attend, but the church is primarily a family to belong to.
And we equip our people to highlight our Missional value through what we call relational evangelism. This means we are not going to stand on a corner and yell fire and brimstone at you. Rather, we want to take time to get to know you and your story, to earn your trust and the right to share what we believe is the best news in the world, and address your specific doubts, questions, hurts, and objections to Christianity.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I am a classically trained musician. French horn is my primary instrument, and I also have some vocal training.
In hindsight, the Lord used my music background to prepare me for what I’m doing today in multiple ways. A lot of my friends in the music world have had negative experiences with Christians/the church and/or have negative associations with Christians/the church. That breaks my heart and is part of what led me to plant a church where we can patiently and gently get to know people and their stories, including their negative experiences with the church, and hope to help them change their perceptions and heal from their hurts over time. I also lead the music ministry at The Journey. And my background in music also fits into an overall appreciation we have at The Journey for the importance of aesthetics.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thejourneyhouston.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejourneyhouston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJourneyChurchHouston
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJourney_Houston
Image Credits
Selah Richmond
