Venture Church Family,
"By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith ... Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God." (Hebrews 11:8, 10)
Scripture challenges us to stretch our faith and “go” so that in our obedience we might experience something that only mighty God can do. As unimaginable as it may seem, God has given Venture Church a vision to go and reach 10,000 people in the next ten years. Talk about a faith-stretching exercise! Much like Abraham, Venture's journey of faith has required following in obedience before knowing where we are going.
Scripture also says, “Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!” (Luke 12:48) Church, God has blessed us immeasurably, and we are accountable for the great gifts He has given us. But we can never surpass God’s goodness. For those who respond in faithful obedience, He always has even more in store than we are capable of imagining.
To equip us to go where God is leading, we are launching a new initiative called “Venture Out.” Venture Out is a movement. It is a movement to go in faith to unknown places to reach 10,000 lives - one person at a time. It is a movement ignited by your generosity and defined through your acts of love. It is a God-led movement to reclaim the lifeless and repurpose them for life.
Please begin praying with me now about how God wants you and your family to participate in the “Venture Out” journey of faith. The one thing I know is that no matter how big or small, God wants to write every person who calls Venture Church their church into this story.
In obedience, we follow.
By faith, we go.
Jeff Clark
Senior Pastor
Who We’re Reaching
6,079 in attendance at Easter 2016
85 Baptisms in 2016
150,000 people in Greater Hattiesburg (including Forrest, Lamar and Perry Counties)
17,500 people in Stone County
80% of these people are not regular church attenders. We’re on a mission to change that.
What "Venture Out" Will Accomplish
Stone County Campus
In 2015, we knew God was leading us to Stone County, and in the spring of 2016, we began to “venture out” in faith. This resource initiative will allow us to purchase property in Stone County that includes a former bowling alley consisting of approximately 20,000 square feet and situated on approximately 2 acres of land.
Unknown Campus
With a vision to reach 10,000 people across south Mississippi, we may not know the destination where God has called us to go next, but we know we have been called to go in faith.
Assets for Existing Campuses
Venture Out will allow us to update existing campuses to ensure we keep the Venture experience fresh, relevant and consistent across campuses.
Expanding Local Missions
“Venture Out” will allow us the financial resources to expand our partnerships with to impress the love of Jesus into the lives of other people through acts of service.
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Questions about Venture Out?
Email Jason Golden at jason@venturechurch.org
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Our Venture Story
One of the most defining moments in our 132-year history occurred when our church answered God’s call to leave a legacy built in Historic Downtown Hattiesburg for a new venture that would position us to become a church for the unchurched. Without an access road to the newly purchased property, what is now The Lincoln Road Campus began without even an address. But, who needs an access road when God has a thoroughfare in mind?
After almost one year at The Lincoln Road Campus, our church began growing at a rate that brought us recognition as one of the fastest growing churches in America. Not only were we reaching the unchurched, but lives were being changed, marriages were being salvaged and families were being rescued. Before we knew it, we were out of room, and once again, it was time to go. But where?
In 2014, in a series of events that seemed more fabled than fathomable, God brought us to a shell of a building defined by a history of violence and tragedy. A former bar with a bowling alley forced into foreclosure was soon to become God’s next venture for our church. Much like the building itself, The Hunt Club Campus tells a story of broken and discarded lives reclaimed by God and repurposed for life. Today, The Hunt Club Campus is reaching an average of 500 people every week! But, we know that the vision doesn’t end there.
Sometime last year, God began opening doors for a new venture into Stone County. Once again, we had no road map to tell us where to go or what to do, but after realizing that somewhere between 75 and 100 people were driving to Hattiesburg weekly to attend Sunday worship, we knew we had to go. We launched Growth Groups in Stone County earlier this year not knowing if anyone would come. Not only did they come, they brought their family and friends!
We may not know what the future holds, but we do know that we are not ready for God to be done writing this incredible Venture story. Will you allow God to write your name into the story, too?