__largepreview__.webp)
What story are you writing? We believe that the most radiant story we can write is one that seeks life with Jesus. We write this story together as we do our best to walk through life the way Jesus did.
God’s story begins and ends with Jesus. From the way we are called to live, to his supernatural death a resurrection, to the mystery of why he loves those who run from him Jesus is the center of it all. Through Jesus, the good life begins to take shape.
Prayer is the most significant action we can partake in as a church or as an individual. Prayer consists of us praising and responding to God for what He has done, while also asking God to help us in our needs and guide us on our way.
God loves every part of His creation and calls us to do the same. There is a scriptural mandate to care for the poor and the overlooked. Poverty, though, can be physical, relational, spiritual or personal. We all fall into one of these categories which is why the Church is called to care for others, because we have also been cared for by God, directly and through others.
Jesus is local. In our globalized world, we can get too caught up in the “big” and forget that Jesus spent the entirety of his life in a geographically small area. God is writing a story that cares for the local and the individual. No person is a number. No city is worthless. God desires abundance and generosity and cities that are often overlooked in life, like many in Downriver, are on the front line for God’s love and mercy.
A story that knows God looks different in the end than it does in the beginning. At the same time, transformation is different from person to person. God is calling each of us to write a story that is becoming who God intended each of us to be. Jesus does not just care about filling an offering plate or an auditorium. He seeks redemption and restoration from the worst and hardest parts of life - addiction, trauma, pride - or whatever we have hidden away, too ashamed to share. That can be redeemed, too.
The Church was birthed in a gathering of Jesus followers. That story continues today as we follow Jesus together. There is a beautiful mystery in seeking to connect with God on our own and with others. The story is truly one of connection, not isolation. Our best story is written in connection with God. It is also written in connection to the community around us.
