Each morning we awaken to experience this roller coaster ride called life.

Gain a greater insight into that excursion when Blue Mountain Community Church in Palmerton presents The Journey this Saturday at 6 p.m.Cliff Eckhart, who currently serves as the overseer of Men's Ministry, said The Journey is a new Saturday evening service being offered that represents a first for the church.He said The Journey will be very similar to its Sunday morning services (relevant Biblical messages, live band, casual atmosphere), just featuring a different speaker and a slightly different format for its Children's Ministry.Eckhart, who is also finishing up his seminary degree in preparation for becoming the week in/week out teaching pastor, said he will be the main speaker for those services.He said the idea behind this service is that Pastor Rick and he will coordinate their messages, and preach from the same or similar passages each week. For example, in a few weeks, they will start a series on 1 Corinthians, Eckhart said.With that, Eckhart said he will preach Saturday night, and Pastor Rick will preach Sunday morning, and added "We noticed that when we launched a second Sunday morning service a few years ago, that each service (9:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.), each developed its own personality; we are excited to see what develops from this time slot."Eckhart said the overall theme behind the message of The Journey will be the same at it is for other services at the church, in that its mission is always "to help today's generation come to know, love, and serve Jesus.""But we called it The Journey to help reflect my teaching style," Eckhart said. "Our messages are aimed primarily at helping people understand what the Bible means, and how it applies to their personal lives. We are all on a journey, and none of us walk alone. God knows everything that has happened in our past, He knows where we are right now, and He knows what the future holds. He has given us His Word to help us navigate this thing called life, and He has given us companions on our journey; our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even complete strangers. My messages will certainly be rooted in those themes."Eckhart said there are several goals associated with The Journey; one of which is to offer its congregation, as well as its surrounding communities, another option for attending church."We understand that Sunday is no longer 'a day of rest', jobs, sports programs, and family/community obligations often conflict with a Sunday morning church service," he said. "By offering a Saturday night service, we give people another option."Another goal, Eckhart said, is to provide an alternate way to allow its church to grow without building a larger facility."We want to maintain the sense of community and closeness that has become a hallmark of our church," he said. "Many people say that when they walk through our doors for the first time, that they "felt like they were at home". We want to offer that to everyone who comes through our door, but we also have to make room for people as we grow. By offering a third weekend service, we can grow our church without people feeling like they are just a face in the crowd."The final objective, Eckhart said, is to provide another opportunity for its congregation to serve."We wholeheartedly believe that God has equipped every person with the ability and passion to serve in a way that builds His Kingdom, and church ministry is not to be relegated to only the paid staff or pastors," he said. "By offering a third service, we increase the opportunities for people to serve in a ministry that fits their individual gifts."At present, Eckhart estimated that the church averages around 425 people at its Sunday morning services. It also offers a weekly teen ministry service called Elevate, which averages about 45 people; and a Friday night service called Celebrate Recovery, where people come to deal with any hurt, habit or hang-up that negatively impacts their life, which averages about 50 people per week, Eckhart said."All of our services are open to the community," he said. "You don't have to attend BMCC on the weekend to attend Elevate or CR."Eckhart noted "We are really excited about how God is moving in His church.""God is not dead, and He alone has the power to save, heal, and restore," he said. "Jesus is the light and hope of the world, and He uses the local church to deliver that message."For more information, visit

www.bluemountaincommunitychurch.com, or contact Eckhart at

ceckhart@bmcc.cc.