OUR STORY

HOW WE STARTED:

The Story of Joy Way Church began in 2020 when Ayodiran was asked to start a bible study with a few friends who were looking to rediscover and deepen their faith. They lacked community centered on God’s word and this drought climaxed as COVID-19 ravaged our beloved city. Our neighbors were alone and in need of Living Water. 

Thus, a small bible study began in an apartment building in Ridgewood dedicated to loving God’s word, humble honesty, and passionate prayer. This apartment building became a safe haven for questions and a hub for a loving community.  What started with five people quickly became thirty, as multiple small groups opened across Bushwick, Brooklyn, and Queens. Members found support and relief from the devastation caused by the virus and health for their souls. 

As the community grew, there was a need for spiritual leadership and a deep desire to share the Good News with non-believers.

We prayed and it became clear that while we were just trying to help our friends at various stages of their spiritual journey, God was planting a church. God used the brokenness of the pandemic to produce something beautiful.

But, we faced one more challenge. We were just kids from Bushwick and Ridgewood,  and we have never started a church before. We were able to reach out to friends, family, church planting organizations, and other church communities to support us in what God was doing. We learned that we were not inhibited because of our unorthodox beginning, but we were empowered by it. We saw God’s grace at work as He dignified our block as a place where he has called his people to serve.

Now we meet weekly for our Sunday Worship Gathering that is deeply rooted in christian history and reflective of our local expression. We gather during the week in small groups where we welcome others into our homes and treat them with dignity as image bearers of the one true God. We are a community where God’s word is loved and prayer is like breathing. We are committed to sharing the good news of Jesus and welcoming them into a hospitable family where we worship God in Spirit and in truth.

We seek to participate in how God is forming a people who find their joy and rest in Him.

WHERE WE ARE:

Now as a local church with an established presence Joy Way Church exists to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the people of Bushwick, Brooklyn + Ridgewood, Queens. Our desire is to see New York City grab hold of the gift of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus & we pray that when they do they would cultivate an intimate relationship with God.

As a means to see this happen we offer our Sunday worship gatherings, our small group ministry, our Masterclasses, and we also seek to do it by facilitating community service projects. 

We pray that through the work we do, our community will find connection to God, clarity, and a local family to care for their needs.

JOY WAY LEADERSHIP