Youngstown Metro Church began as a vision that God placed within the hearts of founding pastor Josh Shank and his wife Aimee during their last year of Seminary. In 2003 they followed God’s call back to their home city of Youngstown where they started a small group gathering in their apartment. Before long the new church had moved to a local coffee house. At this point, Metro’s original mission statement was created:

“Youngstown Metro Church is a community of people who gather to experience real friendships and a real encounter with God. It is a place where a generation often abandoned by family, friends, and the church will feel at home. It’s a place to connect with the one thing that will truly satisfy the human soul. It’s a place for you. We invite you to come, seek, and find the God who is relevant to every generation. Come seeking. Come expecting.”
The church began to grow, and soon it became necessary for us to find a larger space, which prompted the move to a Christian school gymnasium located on the outskirts of the city. This was a great location, but we knew that God was calling us into the heart of the city, so when the opportunity arose for us to meet in a downtown theater building, we took advantage of it. In the fall of 2007, our contract with the theater came to an end, and through a miraculous set of circumstances we were able to purchase a multi-million dollar cathedral only a few blocks away for much less than it was worth.

In addition to all of our location changes, these first years in Metro’s history also brought about many variations in programs, leadership structures, and membership, as is often the case with a young church. In 2009, two elders were ordained to come alongside Josh in leading the Metro community. Most of the church’s important decisions regarding both systematic and spiritual direction were made by them, so when we found ourselves less than two years later with all three having stepped down from their positions, we knew that our leadership structure would have to change.

The strength of the Youngstown Metro community has always been found in our family groups: small groups who meet during the week to share meals, thoughts, and support with one another. It is here where relationships are built and where our understanding of the gospel is challenged and deepened. During a time of transition between pastors, such as the one that Metro is currently experiencing, these family groups become more important than ever. Even when a new pastor is brought in to lead the church, it is our intention to keep the same strong emphasis on living life together in community, for the real calling and mission of the church lies with its members.

Where We Are Now

Since December, 2010, Metro has officially been without a pastor. A search committee has been formed, and the process has begun to find the person that God has called to lead our community. In the meantime, we are learning to work together as a church body, to rely on the Holy Spirit, and to identify our needs and opportunities - and there are plenty of both:

Needs

- There is a great need at Metro for more consistent internal structure (pastor, elders, deacons, etc). We recently took a survey called the Natural Church Development Survey, which breaks overall church health into eight quality characteristics, and then assigns the church a score in each of those areas based on the answers given by thirty representatives of the church body. Our two lowest scoring characteristics were empowering leadership and functional structure.

- The NCD survey also revealed to us other areas on which we should focus if we are to improve our overall church health (and as a result, if we are to grow). We need to continue to cultivate loving relationships with one another, in order to maintain unity, and also to provide a more accurate picture of Christ to the world around us; and we need to allow the work of the Holy Spirit to be the driving force behind all we do by becoming a church of passionate spirituality. These are concepts that we have always understood, but have not always practiced to their full potential. Our prayer is that God would continue to mold us into a church community that can be identified by these things.

Opportunities

- In the fall of 2007, Metro purchased a beautiful stone cathedral-style building. Having our own location to meet and worship is wonderful, but we believe that even more can be done to make 801 Wick Ave. a place where the church can connect with the city.

- The Metro building is located only a few blocks away from a state university of around 15,000 students and 3,000 faculty. This is a great mission field for us, especially considering that most of Metro’s current members are between the ages of 18 and 35.

- Over the past few years, we have had the opportunity to send two teams to Liberia, Africa to provide medical assistance and build clean water wells, and also to organize an event called “Race to Cure Thirst,” a fundraiser for clean water projects. We consider our positive relationships with organizations such as Water of Life, Youngstown Pregnancy Help Center, and Defend Youngstown, as well as our experience with various social action projects, great resources for continuing to make a difference to the world around us.

Ultimately, there is only one truth, one story on which Youngstown Metro Church is founded; it is the story that we call the Gospel: Jesus Christ, Son of God, came to our world from His own to redeem His people. He did this by dying in our place, with our Sin on His shoulders. Three days later, He was raised from the dead. Not only did he take on our identity, but he provided us the chance to take on His, to be seen as blameless in the eyes of God. At Metro, we have made it a common practice to take communion at the end of our services each week. It is a reminder that, no matter what songs have been sung or what sermon has been preached, we must always come back to the body and blood of Christ, and the message of His redeeming love. As Metro continues on its journey of finding a new pastor, growing as a community, and learning what it means to truly love God and love each other, we pray that we may always remain focused on the Gospel - the one story at the center of all others.

Time & Directions