Who is welcome at your church? Would you be comfortable sitting beside a thief?
How about a prostitute?
Or maybe a strip dancer ...
A gay couple?
Could you share a row of seats with some gangbangers?
Would you move over for a smelly homeless person to have a seat?
Or are you—like most ‘Christians’—much more comfortable with the “perfect family” kind of folks?
Let's face the truth, get real, and tell it like it is. For many in our society, the doors to “the church” are locked.
At Shiloh’s Lighthouse we open the doors to ALL people. Our Community Center Ministry does not try to get people to “clean up” before they come in for worship or one of the many activities we offer here. Our ministry focuses on discovering your God-created purpose in life through a personal intimate relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. As a Community of Faith & Love we are an affirming ministry that will stand by your side in your faith journey—not tear you down and tell you what a miserable sinner you are. We will challenge you to be part of the answer for the Saginaw area by linking arms with you as together we form a unified front against the darkness that tries to tear out city down. We’ve got good news for you. God loves you! You may have been rejected by a church—told that who you are is unacceptable. Maybe you grew tired of playing dress up on Sunday wishing you could actually talk to someone about the real you without fearing judgment or condemnation. Maybe, you just … gave up hope?
Well welcome to SLM, where we believe in UNITY!
Not one of God's children is higher or lower in God's eyes, no one is better or worse than another, and all of God's children ... no matter what race, color, education or not, social or economic status, whatever the circumstances they are in ... are loved equally by Him. There are no "levels" of sin, from the most heinous atrocities to those little 'white lies' ... and since there are none among us without sin, we judge not. Not our place to do so, no human being has that right. Ours is to love all people equally, as Jesus did and still does for us.
We are spreading the word. Misfits, social outcasts, religiously judged, skeptics, doubters and those who have lost their faith are welcome here at Shiloh’s Lighthouse. Come find out what it means to be freely loved and accepted as we see ALL people through the eyes of Jesus—the One who did not come to condemn you, but to save you and make you free. Come by the office any day and meet Pastor Dana—talk to him and find out what it means to speak with a down-to-earth pastor who will not look down his nose at you. Come worship with us Sunday starting at 10:30 AM—no need to dress up (unless you like to!)—just come as you are (for real) and enjoy vibrant music and encouraging messages that help you grow in your faith.
If you are not from the Saginaw area but would like to support our ministry we invite you to go to our website HERE. SLM is a non-profit ministry, all donations are tax deductable. We are able to reach out to at-risk youth, the lost, hurt, and rejected people of society thanks to the generous financial support of people like you!
Click on Tweety Bird and Tweet this post if you liked it! 
5 comments:
WONDERFUL!! AMAZING!! AND HONEST!! Thanks for another great blog pd!!
Well, hmph - whaddabout me? I helped ya know, Tracykins! (sly wink)
LOL, it's a great message and one we all need to get behind and push this ministry into the public's eye where it belongs ... stirring up and provoking people to start walking their talk, hmm?
Enlightened post.
Love everyone each as much as they need. You may need more today and less tomorrow. Just love.
I have moved over for the smelly one with dirty clothes at St. Thomas Aquinus and been shunned in doing so and I was greatful for being shunned. Just becareful not to just accept the theif and prostitute and gang bangers and shun the "perfect family" folks cause chances are just because they are ABLE to clean up (if you're not able- that is different and all should be welcome)doesn't mean they are perfect. A shepherd should keep his sheep... if a sheep comes to him in disaray the shepherd should clean him up- teach him to stay in the pasture, not just leave him dirty and allow him to leave the pasture. Just because you found them as a theif doesn't mean you don't do anything about it and say "oh that is just who they are". ANYONE I have helped has NOT come to me asking for it and I have helped them anyway. So if someone did ask me for help... I'd bend over backwards to help them. But thats just me. I think a theif or prostitute or gang banger or WHOEVER should be welcome... If they did come to church I can guarentee it's because they are lost and broken and are in dire need of help. I can guarentee they are not looking to stay that way. So if 1 year, 5 years or 8 years or whatever goes by and they are STILL a theif the church has failed.
I asked Jesus into my heart as a child - and yet as I approach my 49th birthday I find that I still sin - I still fail. Guess I'm the lead failure blessed with the opportunity to lead other failures into the knowledge of The Shepherd who will never fail them. Thank you Jesus for the perfection found in You. Thank you for loving us in spite of our continued failings.
Post a Comment