In May of 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off from St. Louis, Missouri, on their legendary expedition, journeying across the western two thirds of the American frontier. They explored land that would later become 11 different states. They reached the Pacific Ocean in September of 1806.

Their goal was to find a connection between two points. Commissioned by the U.S. government, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was tasked with discovering a passageway to connect what was known and developed, to what was distant and faraway. To do so required going into the unknown. It required taking an expedition through uncharted territory. To the men themselves, it demanded resolve. It demanded commitment. It demanded faith, surrender, and courage. And it brought excitement, discovery, gratification, accomplishment, fulfillment, joy, and legacy.

As followers of Jesus who live on mission, our task is not to connect different lands that are far apart, but to connect people who are far from God with their Rescuing King. No greater task exists. There is no greater privilege. There is no cause more worthy of our lives, our time, our resources, our energy, and our commitment.

Matthew 28:18–20 records Jesus’ commissioning of his disciples:

“All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you. And I will be with you until the end.”

That commission is also for all who follow Jesus today. God has called us to go into uncharted places. All the authority of Heaven belonging to Jesus, has been delegated to us, as we are commissioned for this magnificent task of going into all the world to make disciples.

Even though St. Louis was the official starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, more than one third of the crew was recruited from the Louisville area. In fact, Louisville is marked as the unofficial starting point of the journey. They had to recruit the volunteers to help make it happen. (And yes, I’ve been to the monuments here in the ’Ville!)

Like Lewis and Clark, Jesus recruited key volunteers before expanding the mission to everyone. He called a few to himself to prepare the way for others who would follow. Those first disciples were trailblazers.

In a comparable way, our Trailblazer Summits were the unofficial start of our own uncharted journey. And you, as a Trailblazer, have the privilege and responsibility to help make the OCC Uncharted journey a success.

Lewis and Clark could not have dreamed of what would become of their journey. Their legacy is beyond what they could have imagined. I have stood at the magnificent monuments marking both ends of their journey. I’ve watched baseball games and fireworks from the tiny windows in the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. I have picnicked underneath that colossal structure which marks the official launch of their expedition near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. I have watched the sun set over the ocean in Astoria, Oregon (I recommend visiting there, it’s beautiful!) where the Columbia River collides with the Pacific at the terminal point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Today, we stand at the edge of the uncharted, anticipating an exciting journey ahead. We know it will take resolve, commitment, faith, surrender and courage. And we know it will yield discovery, gratification, accomplishment, fulfillment, joy, and legacy—so much more than what even the greatest explorers experienced.

The legacy we are stepping into is not a legacy of physical accomplishment, national pride, or geographic discovery. We are stepping into a legacy of faith dating back to the time of Jesus, when the very first followers stepped out in faith to connect everyone they met to Jesus. Those early disciples could not have imagined the lasting impact the church would make on countless numbers of people who have been impacted for Christ over the last two millennia.

HOW DOES MY UNCHARTED COMMITMENT CHANGE MY REGULAR GIVING AND ANY ADDITIONAL GIVING?

ARE THERE ADDITIONAL NON-MONETARY WAYS THAT I CAN GIVE TOWARD UNCHARTED?

HOW LONG IS MY COMMITMENT?

WHAT IF I AM IN DEBT RIGHT NOW? SHOULD I STILL GIVE?

If you are currently making payments to eliminate debt, we commend you for your progress on this important goal. You should continue to do so. If we can help you on the journey to become debt-free, please let us know. OCC offers biblically-based budget counseling, financial planning resources and an annual course entitled Financial Peace University. However, being in debt doesn’t give us a pass on giving. Giving isn’t about what God wants from you, but what He wants for you. God instructs us to find a way to give with joy at all times, regardless of our circumstances.

• Sunday, Sept. 22 All-Church Vision Night 1​
• Wednesday, Sept. 25 All-Church Vision Night 2​
• Sunday, Oct. 20 Teaching Series Begins​
• Sunday, Nov. 3 Advance-Commitment Night​
• Sunday, Nov. 17 Commitment Sunday​