Our Beliefs
Our Beliefs
We believe that the Church is marked primarily by submission to the Scriptures. Accordingly, Sojourn’s doctrine is received from and accountable to the Word of God.
The Bible is the pure Word of God, the only absolute authority for Christians, and all things within the church are governed/managed accordingly. As a broadly Reformed family of churches, we affirm three marks of a true church: (1) the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word, (2) the faithful administration of the Sacraments (Baptism and the Lord's Supper), and (3) the faithful exercise of church discipline. These marks, in addition to the Sojourn Houston values, characterize each and every Sojourn congregation.
Sojourn Galleria receives the Nicene Creed, the Gospel Coalition Confessional Statement, and the 5 doctrinal distinctives of the Acts 29 Network. Although we do not require our members to agree on every point, the confession below forms the theological identity of Sojourn Galleria Church.
Vision Frame
We exist to enjoy Jesus and join Him in the renewal of all things.
According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. At Sojourn Galleria, we agree with this catechism and seek to enjoy Jesus in all that we do. As we enjoy Jesus, we are inevitably pulled into His glorious plan to renew all things now and in its full consummation upon His return. All that we do as a Church drives us toward this mission.
MIssion
Vision
To see the gospel become unignorable in Houston’s Galleria area, bringing Kingdom renewal and unity on both sides of Westheimer between 610 and Beltway 8.
Jesus is the Lord of the nations, and the nations are here. Reach both sides of Westheimer, reach Houston. Reach Houston, reach the world. This geography is a lever for reaching the world and seeing it redeemed and renewed for Christ the King. We believe that God has placed us here and now (Acts 17.26) to hold out the hope of the gospel for such a time as this (Esther 4.14).
Strategy
We were created to enjoy God and are able to do this by being brought back into right relationship with Him through the work of His only Son Jesus. All our good works, evangelism, discipleship, church planting, and service are rooted in and grow out of this enjoyment, made possible through his work, not ours.
Enjoy Jesus
Evangelism: Every member seeks to proclaim the Gospel to those who are around them.
Discipleship: Discipleship groups are a discipleship tool we encourage every member to utilize. They help us grow in our walk with God and invite others to walk with us as we walk with Him. Groups consist of 2-5 believers and last about a year.
Leadership Development: The goal of our pastors is not to do the ministry but to equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph 4.11-12). The goal is to train and release every member of Jesus’ body for active participation in His mission of disciple-making.
Make Disciples
The neighborhood parish is a smaller expression of the larger family of God at Sojourn Galleria, the primary place of family gatherings where the lost get a taste of the family that God has created.
Parishes meet in homes, consist of ~10-20 adults plus children, and prioritize proximity (your parish should consist mainly of those you live close to). Our goal is to have a parish on every block, to saturate our geography with gospel presence. Parishes meet at minimum weekly to share a meal, open God’s word together, and pray with and for each other, our city, and our world. We gather to scatter as salt and light into an insipid, dark world, holding out the hope of the gospel in Jesus Christ.
Multiply Home Groups
Sojourn Galleria cares deeply about our neighbors, but we also desire to see the gospel go forth in Houston and around the world. Therefore, we will seek to raise up leaders and teams who are willing to move their families wherever the Lord calls them to plant new churches. Our primary focus will be saturation of the Galleria and surrounding regions, but we also aim to send and support church plants into other parts of our city and world.
Plant Churches
God’s heart for the downtrodden and shoved-aside leavens the pages of Scripture: Israel were slaves; so were all God’s children (Deut 5.15, Rom 6.17). He who was rich became poor that we who were poor might become rich with his riches (2 Cor 8.9). God has a special love for the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. We should too. Therefore we will actively pursue relationships with those in need. We will share the gospel with them, love them, serve them, and invite them into our life together as a family of God. We will also partner with those loving the poor in the Galleria, in Houston, and around the world. We pour our time, energy, and money into these pursuits.
Partner Strategically
Core Values
We exist to glorify God by enjoying Him. All of our doing for God must come from our being His children, made possible through faith in the person and work of His only Son, Jesus Christ.Enjoy Jesus
We prioritize those God has placed around us, from neighbors to coworkers, and want to spend much of our money, energy, and time on loving them as well as we love ourselves.Love Neighbor
Pray and Proclaim
Prayer and gospel proclamation are two activities we devote ourselves to. We are anchored in the Scriptures and empowered by and dependent on the Holy Spirit in all we do.Embrace Word & Spirit
Our work is a calling and one of the main ways we glorify God and cultivate his creation he has given us to rule over and steward.
Integrate Faith & Work
Engage the Culture
We want to engage culture, not retreat from it. God came in the flesh to restore all creation, not just the spiritual stuff.
Serve the Poor
We have God’s heart for the poor and will impoverish ourselves to enrich them, not just materially but emotionally and spiritually as well, sharing with them our goods and the gospel.Our Affiliations



