What is Shiloh’s Lighthouse Ministry?

Just exactly what is Shiloh's Lighthouse Ministry? 

First, here is what we are NOT:

We are not 'just' a 'church'. We are much, much more than that (see below).

We are not 'religious' in the traditional sense of dogmatic, judgmental, man-made rule-driven regimens of 'acting righteous' in order to 'be worthy' of heaven and salvation. We teach and practice the true freedom of life and a life of abundance through knowing and having a personal, intimate relationship with Christ Jesus--submitting to, reuniting with, and becoming One with God and God's Will. 

We are not here to judge or condemn anyone, no matter what your life circumstances, habits, problems, whatever, are. We love and accept everyone, in whatever situation, and we "See all people through the eyes of Jesus" --- who never judged or condemned anyone, except the self-righteous, pious 'religious' people of His times. No matter your race and/or ethnic background, social and economic status, or political, sexual, religious (or not) persuasion, all are accepted and loved equally.

So that's what Shiloh is not. What are we then?

A church?  Yes, we are – we have regular worship services each Sunday starting at 10:30 AM. Our services include a talented Praise & Worship Band (they call themselves the Average Praise Band) that do original music as well as contemporary favorites and updated versions of many of the classic hymns. Each week there is special programming for children as well. There is a message that challenges us straight from the Bible and lots of fellowship before and after the service. SLM is a non-denominational church.

A Boxing Program? Yes - in 2009 we put in a full boxing facility, including a sparring ring, heavy punching bags, speed bags and other boxing training equipment, and established Shiloh Boxing Club. Our program is a USA Amateur Boxing program that has certified volunteer coaches who train children through young adults in the sweat science. Out team participates in several boxing shows each year throughout the state as well as in national tournaments such as Silver Gloves, Golden Gloves, Junior Olympics and US Amateur Men’s Open.

A Home for At-Risk Boys? Yes - since SLM began it has provided a home to a dozen at-risk young men in the form of temporary shelter to long term housing. Pastor Dana mentors the young men and stands in the gap for them as a father figure.

A Community Center? Yes – from social activities to tutoring to physical fitness programming, Zumba Dancing, and music lessons, SLM opens its doors to the community for people of all ages to come in and have a safe place to gather for a wide variety of programs.

A Mentoring Program? Yes – many at-risk young people come through the doors of SLM each week that are in need of caring adult mentors to help guide them in their development into adulthood. Mentors help provide Whole-Person guidance, Mental, Social, Physical and Spiritual.

A Non-Profit Ministry? Yes – SLM  is a 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry. All donations to SLM are tax deductable.

When you support SLM you are helping a fledgling program reach a wide variety of people. SLM is making a real difference in the lives of many people of all ages. Since we reach out to many at-risk youth and families in need, we survive in large part on the kindness of others who financially support our work. This is a necessity, as a large percentage of those who come to us are living below the poverty level. Those who come to the Sunday services give as they can, and they do so faithfully, but the tithes and offerings from our still small but growing congregation is not yet sufficient to finance all of our valuable and needed programs. It is through our monthly fund-raiser dinners and appeals for monthly supporters (@ $20 per month) that we seek to raise the capital needed not only to meet our budget, but to expand the ministry as well.

The current economy has been difficult on us all. Non-Profit ministries such as SLM have struggled to meet their budgets as people have had to cut back. We face a very real need to increase our monthly support base as the winter month utility bills have drained an already slim budget do a dangerously low point. We know many read our ministry blog and have become aware of our outreach programs. We are asking and praying that you who are reading this blog would consider becoming a part of our support team at only $20 per month, just $.66 per day. The need is great, the difference your $20 will make is eternal – thank you for considering joining our team. 

Keep the Faith- 

Pastor Dana

~~~~~

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IMPORTANT REMINDER! If you have not yet, please show your support for SLM by signing up to "Follow" this blog - you will find the "Follow" button in the upper right hand corner of this front page. Receive email updates on new posts, visit often and leave comments! - all of this helps us in our efforts to grow our readership and social network visibility. Also, if you are able and wish to contribute to our ministry with all of its valuable community outreach programs, please CLICK HERE and make a pledge and/or one time donation. We need your help! These programs cost money! Sow your seeds into the garden of the Love of Jesus that we at SLM are devoted to cultivating!

Don't Make a Vulture out of a Chickadee!

I had to face a beast today. This flying monster struck fear in my heart with ease, causing me to flinch and doubt myself with its every move. Somehow the bohemian winged savage had penetrated the outer defenses of my home and was on my front porch just waiting to find its way further into my residence to undoubtedly wreak havoc. With my very life in peril, I braved forward and, with sweat beading from my pores, managed somehow to overcome my trepidation and capture it. Brother Marvin held open the door so I could, grappling and struggling to maintain strong hold on the raging rogue, thrust it out into the world--we were safe. Victorious over the invasion of ...

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A Chickadee!

That’s right – I had to capture a 'monstrous' Chickadee and remove it from my enclosed front porch today. The poor little creature was in a flying panic as I approached it (my front porch has windows all around it) and was flapping and slamming into windows in a futile attempt to escape. Even though I knew the small bird couldn't inflict any real damage to me, every time it flew I flinched and ducked! Even as I finally captured it against a window with my hands I felt fear. Once I had it in my hands it was vainly trying to peck away at me ... and of course it didn’t even hurt. I had to laugh at myself and be glad there was no video of my less than manly approach to capturing the creature.

As I released the terror-stricken bird and watched it fly away I couldn’t help but think of how my response to confronting the tiny creature was much like how we deal with the “monster sized” sins in our life. Most of the bad/sinful habits we have started as small insignificant things –“chickadee” sized matters that we believed would never control us that now, even though they are the same “size” they are monsters that control our life. Vultures, circling our dying, sinful-habit infested 'temples', awaiting our eventual, inexorable demise so they can finish us off for good, feasting on the flesh of our spiritually dead carcasses.

For instance: take such a small thing as a cigarette – yet how many people are seemingly powerless and controlled by them? Did you know the average cost per year to the “pack a day” smoker is now up to $15,000? From dental costs to laundry to property damage to productivity loss, the incidental costs of smoking can really add up to a whole lot more than you might think. It is such a small thing – how did it get so big?

For me this one moderate sized slice of pizza represents a “small” thing that turned into a monster in my life. My personal sin of gluttony was fully exposed as I was powerless against pepperoni pizza. I used to joke that I was incapable of ever passing up the chance to eat some pizza – the joke was on me as I ate my way into obesity.

The list of apparently miniscule midgets that turn into out of control gargantuan monsters in our life--causing us to run from them like an elephant from a mouse is looooong. The reality is that we all have to face temptation; we all have a natural sinful desire to do the wrong thing that no one ever had to teach us about.

This week we celebrate the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As He hung on the cross between heaven and earth as was coming close to death He made a simple, yet eternally powerful statement:

"It is finished"

Thanks to the amazing love of God by sending us His only begotten Son, who was willing to die for us all on the cross, we can all live in freedom from sin. The religious folks will tell you that you must jump through various hoops, follow their rules, their special understanding of how to earn God’s love in order to get to heaven. If you are religious then your “small sins” are an ongoing point of guilt and condemnation. If you have a relationship with Jesus, then you can learn each day how to allow His love and grace to guide you and keep you from allowing those small things to become monsters that could ruin your life.

Pop quiz – 

How many of you can quote John 3:16? Great job! Question #2 on our quiz – now quote John 3:17….

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17 (NKJV)

You may look like a wimpy fool when facing your “chickadee” sins. On your own they will easily defeat you, growing in stature and fearsomeness until one day you have a deadly vulture circling you and you are dwindling pathetically in strength ... unable--under your own power--to defeat it.

This week I want you to know that the message of the empty cross we all can celebrate on Sunday is, that Jesus can, and will, set you free from all of your sin. He did not come to condemn you; He came to set you free. So stop ducking and running away from your sin.

Confess it to Jesus:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

Allow Him to forgive you, clean you up and come into your life and you will soon be able to face those sins with a new confidence, a lack of condemnation and the power (through Jesus) to release them out of your life and watch them fly away.

If you do not have a church fellowship to attend this Sunday I invite you to come fellowship with a great Community of Faith and Love called Shiloh’s Lighthouse. This Sunday, starting at 10:30 A.M. we will celebrate Easter; have an egg hunt for the children and a full meal following the service. Bring your entire family and leave the religious guilt at the door – nothing here but freedom and grace as together we learn how to be the people God created us to be.

Keep the faith, and let Jesus help you keep your Chickadees from becoming Vultures ….

PD

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IMPORTANT REMINDER! If you have not yet, please show your support for SLM by signing up to "Follow" this blog - you will find the "Follow" button in the upper right hand corner of this front page. Receive email updates on new posts, visit often and leave comments! - all of this helps us in our efforts to grow our readership and social network visibility. Also, if you are able and wish to contribute to our ministry with all of its valuable community outreach programs, please CLICK HERE and make a pledge and/or one time donation. We need your help! These programs cost money! Sow your seeds into the garden of the Love of Jesus that we at SLM are devoted to cultivating!

Simple Fare Can Provide What Is Fair!

"Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked." 
Psalm 82:3-4

When you support Shiloh’s Lighthouse Ministry you are helping us “do justice” to many needy people. Thanks to our outreach sporting program, Shiloh Boxing Club, many fatherless young men come to us. Most have very real material needs as well as the physical need for food. Just this week I had five teenaged young men in my office for a new weekly Bible study tailored for them (giving me the chance to spiritually mentor a larger group all at once). None of the young men there had a biological father involved in their life. Here at Shiloh’s Lighthouse Ministry that is the norm for the majority of the young men we have the privilege to minister to. 

In addition to the obvious, and still much-needed monetary assistance we need and ask for—monthly pledges and/or donations—there is a very simple way you could make a tangible difference in some lives in need: 

Donations of food!

Help us feed these young men. There are lots of young guys here each week receiving mentoring; some of them for the boxing club and others volunteering time to help around the church.  Often they come hungry, not having a decent meal the entire day. An empty stomach is not a good opener of mind and gateway to spiritual acceptance. A good meal is a tangible way to make a difference.

If you are local and would like to help here is a simple list of food items we would gladly receive:

Hot Dogs

Frozen Hamburgers

Buns

Mac-N-Cheese

Juice

Chips

Milk

Butter

Hardly an extravagant list, but having such simple fare available here will help us minister to these soon-to-be adults as we help guide them, providing them a fair chance to develop into whole-person balance. And again, financial donations are also welcome and are tax deductible.

Keep the faith ...

PD

(Food donations can be brought directly to the church, at 1253 S. River Rd., Saginaw, MI 48609)

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IMPORTANT REMINDER! If you have not yet, please show your support for SLM by signing up to "Follow" this blog - you will find the "Follow" button in the upper right hand corner of this front page. Receive email updates on new posts, visit often and leave comments! - all of this helps us in our efforts to grow our readership and social network visibility. Also, if you are able and wish to contribute to our ministry with all of its valuable community outreach programs, please CLICK HERE and make a pledge and/or one time donation. We need your help! These programs cost money! Sow your seeds into the garden of the Love of Jesus that we at SLM are devoted to cultivating!

Falling Asleep in Church!

PD and a lot of other folks, The Old Silly included, enjoy the hilarious skits of Christian comedian, Tim Hawkins. This one's an exceptional hoot, and one that most of us can relate to!



 That's it for today, nothing heavy, just wanted to share some fun and laughter with y'all. Blog dismissed, peeps. Hey - if you have a favorite Hawkins skit, leave it in the comments. Laughter is good for the soul, and here at SLM we promote good, clean, and healthy humour. A bit of a dying art these days, hmm?

Click on Tweety Bird and Tweet this post if you liked it!

IMPORTANT REMINDER! If you have not yet, please show your support for SLM by signing up to "Follow" this blog - you will find the "Follow" button in the upper right hand corner of this front page. Receive email updates on new posts, visit often and leave comments! - all of this helps us in our efforts to grow our readership and social network visibility. Also, if you are able and wish to contribute to our ministry with all of its valuable community outreach programs, please CLICK HERE and make a pledge and/or one time donation. We need your help! These programs cost money! Sow your seeds into the garden of the Love of Jesus that we at SLM are devoted to cultivating!