Testimonials

We realize that finding a home church can be a long process. After all, you want to find a place that feels just right. We asked a few of our members to share their story about discovering The Journey. Here, you’ll find a variety of testimonials from people who call The Journey their church home.

Sandi Kornfuehrer

Since November of last year, I’ve called The Journey my church. Honestly, this is a new experience for me because I’ve never belonged to a church. In fact, although my husband and I have always been Christian, we never attended church. It wasn’t until we had children that we decided we should find one. As luck would have it, Pastor Kyle made an announcement during one of the Hays High School PTSA board meetings. I decided to give it a try.

What do I love about The Journey? I enjoy the casual atmosphere, the music, the sincere friendliness of everyone I met. I was surprised (and delighted!) when Pastor Kyle, Rachael, and Elias came to visit me the next week after I attended The Journey. The last few churches I tried out never put forth that much effort to make me feel welcome.

One thing I love about The Journey is the fact that it’s new; it’s exciting to be part of something so fresh and to be with people who sincerely care about each other and want to grow spiritually. Pastor Kyle, Rachael, and others who have been with the church since it’s inception continue to make sure everyone knows that this is our church.

We are blessed to have Pastor Kyle and Rachael; they have such a gift with people. I believe The Journey will grow beyond our wildest dreams!

Janet, Jeff, & Noah White

It took us many years to find The Journey. Of course, we didn’t realize exactly what we were looking for until we found it!

Kyle and Rachael came to visit us soon after we moved to Kyle. We gratefully accepted their gift, murmured how nice it was for them to stop by and then….well, that was it. Although Jeff and I had been searching for a church for years, we weren’t Methodist so we didn’t consider checking it out.

Five years earlier, we were married in the Catholic Church. We attended church at a small Catholic university congregation for many years but never found an actual parish that we wanted to join. We continued to try out new parishes and even ventured beyond Catholicism. But, we never found a place that felt “right”. From the ultra-conservative to the most liberal of the bunch, we just weren’t satisfied.

We finally agreed that we would have to settle someplace but we never could bring ourselves to do that. We avoided the issue but, once our son was born, we knew we needed to make some decisions. We reluctantly decided to start trying out churches in our new area.

After visiting a few, we decided to attend The Journey on a whim. After all, why not? I laugh now because I clearly remember where we sat during our first service and what we said to each other afterwards. It was like going on a first date with your future spouse - it felt right. We agreed to go back the next week to see if we continued to feel so enthusiastic and settled. We tried it out for about a month before we firmly decided that The Journey was what we had been looking for all along. And we didn’t have to settle!

I can’t tell you exactly why The Journey is right for us but I can tell you the things that make me love my church.

I love the genuine love and enthusiasm that the other Journey members have for God and serving others. The people are warm and kind. They show up in jeans or dresses or shorts….it doesn’t matter; the emphasis is on our shared commitment to join together to become closer to God. There are no pretenses.

I have no doubt that Kyle and Rachael are totally dedicated to serving God. To be led by people who are so young yet so focused is inspiring and they truly are an example to me. Pastor Kyle doesn’t show up for service and leave. He’s the first one there, the last one to leave, and the one sweating as he’s loading up the trucks after service. In other words, he walks the talk. He loves God, loves his congregation, and is 100% dedicated to giving us all the best he has to offer.

The services are held in The Painted Horse Pavilion which, I admit, at first threw me off. After all, it isn’t a big, beautiful church somewhere. But now, I love gathering in a space that we make sacred each week simply by coming together to worship our God. I feel a little bit like I imagine the early Christians felt, gathering in people’s homes to praise and thank God.

The last, but possibly most important thing, is that I feel free to worship God in my own way at The Journey. There are no hard and fast rules dictating that you say a certain prayer or stand up at this time, etc. At The Journey I feel as if following God is simplified. Not simple, mind you, but simplified. It’s about loving God, spending time with Him, loving others, serving others, and constantly recommitting yourself to a journey that leads you closer to God.

Nick Thacker

Nick Thacker has played music at many churches and his enthusiasm and talent would make him a welcome member anywhere. Why The Journey?

“From the onset, Journey was more than a job for me; it is a release and a privilege to share in worship in such a special place with these people.” I haven’t felt at home in any church while living in San Marcos, but The Journey is a good fit for me. 

I’ve made friends whom I see everyday outside of church, and many families whose kindness and hunger for friendship are inspiring. Fellowship is an easy word to toss around, and an easy characteristic to feign; The Journey UMC is very real, very alive, and very engaging.

The second reason (though not any less important!) for my choosing JUMC is that Pastor Kyle consistently delivers a thoughtful and meaningful sermon week after week. For many small (and not-so-small) churches I’ve attended that are either non- or inter- denominational and/or lean on the contemporary side, this hasn’t been the case. Sometimes the Message can get confused with a pastor’s own message. Kyle not only delivers the Word from a historically accurate standpoint but also from an extremely solid foundation biblically. To me this point is crucial; it helps me remain true to why I attend church – for me it is easy to be enthralled by a church’s production and feel. At The Journey, I enjoy the music and feel while being spiritually fed as well.

Jeff & Trish Cremers

We started attending The Journey before it even started! We became friends with the Toomires while he was a pastor in Austin; Kyle even married us in Florida. Jeff and I were part of a small group that met together to make plans for starting a new church, what eventually became The Journey.

Initially, we were drawn to The Journey because each and every person who became part of this church genuinely wanted to build a community, connect to God, and serve others. Now that the church is up and running, we are amazed by the wonderful, giving people that have joined the congregation.

As newlyweds, the worship services and small group settings have provided opportunities for conversations about our faith as individuals and as a couple. Before getting married, we talked about our faith but, living it side-by-side, in a church start-up setting, gave us the ability to connect to each other and God in new ways.

One of the coolest things about The Journey is that it’s still forming it’s identity and the traditions it will carry through the years. Jeff and I still have a voice; YOU have a voice. If you have an idea, before you know it, you’ll be starting a group in charge of that very idea. Whether it’s flipping burgers, hosting a table for a Valentine’s Brunch, setting up for worship, or making cookies, there are many opportunities for giving to others. At The Journey, it’s obvious that God is moving in mighty ways!