Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Our Messenger
A Monthly Church Newsletter
Page 1
The Power of Forgiveness
By: Jordan Nash
Our faith teaches us that we are born sinners, considering this it is critical that we remain forgiving of others.
C.S. Lewis once said, To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable in others because god has forgiven the
inexcusable in you. Forgiveness is a cornerstone to our faith and without it we would not have salvation through faith
and although the concept makes several appearances in the bible such as the book of Romans or Ephesians, to look for
evidence from Christ himself, one must go no further than the book of Matthew.
The book of Matthew focuses on Jesus teachings on correction and forgiveness of fellow community members.
When the Apostle Peter asked the Lord as to how many times he should forgive someone who had sinned against him,
till seven times? he asked. Jesus responded by saying, not seven but seventy-seven times. He then proceeded to
liken the kingdom and heaven to a king who desired to settle debts with one of his servants. Looking to the story of the
of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:23-35 we can see firsthand how forgiving we should be. A servant owed a
some of ten thousand talents; a modern equivalent of millions of dollars. This same servant then turned around and
had a man jailed who owed him the sum of one hundred days of work, a very small sum in comparison to the previous
servants debt. Jesus is trying to tell us that our forgiveness should go without limit. Rather than counting the times of
forgiveness as the Apostle Peter inquired, we are to forgive simply because God has forgiven us. We as Christians
should strive to have this degree of forgiveness.
It is important to keep this in mind as you go throughout your week. Although it may not always be easy, for-
giveness is essential if we are to live in the footsteps of the lord. To be unforgiving is offensive to God, and for for-
giveness to take place it must be genuine.
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To Judge, or to be Judged? Mission Trip
By: Jacob Cobleigh
By: Kaitlyn Coughlin
Growing as a congregation we will always have times This past summer, twenty-
where troubles seem insurmountable and goals seem unachiev- seven travelers from our Church
able, but we must move forward and look in ourselves and to traveled to Communities of Hope in
the help of others to get through. In these times we can also Zimbabwe, Africa, a charitable or-
look to scripture for how to deal and process events we dont ganization that brings hope to chil-
fully understand. The new testament speaks a few times on how dren in need throughout Africa.
we should forgo our personal judgements and allow God to be Communities of Hope provides ed-
ucation, nutrition, and healthcare
the ultimate judge. In Matthew, chapter 7 we receive the quote
to over 3,000 orphans and suscepti-
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way ble children, while also providing
you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you shelter. The mission of Communi-
use, it will be measured to you. I think this is important to re- ties of Hope is to bring a life of last-
member in times where we find ourselves looking at others and ing hope and faith to children by
making assumptions based on our limited knowledge. We for- providing them with love, care,
get how easy it is to make these assumptions based off the comfort, and support so they can
smallest piece of information we have without objectively grow with strength and courage,
thinking through who or what we are really judging someone embracing adulthood.
on. In Luke chapter 6, we read Do not judge, and you will not Our missioners could em-
be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. bark on this life-changing journey
because of our Lord, spending the
Forgive, and you will be forgiven. These verses speak to the
entire summer in Zimbabwe, help-
effect of we should always remember to forgo judgement be-
ing and guiding not only COH, but
cause we never wish to be judged ourselves, and that the more all the wonderful children who live
we judge others the more we are judged. there as well. This community, like
a small village, includes a communi-
ty school, feeding program, clinic,
We judge others based on a variety of things but most if and individual childrens homes.
not all tell us more about ourselves rather then the person we The missioners helped with school
are judging. We tend to judge others because we are lonely, we work, tutored, cooked, served food,
are seeking change, and when we are scared or insecure. But cleaned, and joined in fun games
what we dont realize is these baseless judgements hurt others, and activities with the children.
make you feel worse about yourself, perpetuate stereotypes, Here are a few reflections
give off negative feelings, and actually encourages you to judge from some of our missioners: What
yourself more. Some ways we can prevent from judging others I took away from this mission trip
was unlike anything I have ever ex-
is by looking toward the positive, monitor your thoughts, avoid
perienced. Still, just talking about it
stereotypes, stop judging yourself, and remembering how it brings tears to my eyes, happy tears
feels all discourage judging others. of course. These children are be-
yond grateful and appreciative of
everything you do for them. The
hospitality of the people of COH
made a lasting impression on all of
Christian Lexus us, one that we will never forget. I
think thats why its so important
Xavier Lewis we continue missions like these. I
thank the Lord every day for that
Annabelle Granden opportunity. Tracey Heed
Continued on Page 6
Page 3
The Legal World
By: Ryan Alexander
As an attorney and member of this church I feel that it is my responsibility to inform the parishioners of this church
about the legality surrounding the sensitive issue of having a sexual relationship with a minor. Pastor Liffen has admitted to
have had a sexual relationship with a minor who attends this church. It has also been alleged that he has been using church
funds on the minor in the form of gifts and dates. The investigation into the inappropriate use of church funds is ongoing and
we cannot mention any more information about the investigation of the church funds until the investigation has concluded. I
also cannot comment about the investigation about the sexual relationship with a minor because that investigation is still
ongoing as well.
I can however, talk about the consent laws in the state of Michigan, knowing the difference between indecent assault
and battery and rape of a child, and what constitutes consent. One legal aspect of a sexual relationship with a minor that I
want to talk about is the legal age of consent in the state of Michigan. In the state of Michigan, the age of consent is 16 years
old. That means that people who engage in sexual activity with children who are under the age of 16 can be convicted of stat-
utory rape, and can be charged with up to 15 years in prison. However, these laws and sentences change when a minor is
above the 16 years old age of consent. Despite consent age, anyone who is charged and convicted of any of sexual misconduct
crimes also must register as a sex offender. With these laws in mind, we must remember that the courts are evaluating the
situation as it stands before them, and our prayers for a fair and just evaluation
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Mission Trip Continued
The mission trip to Zimbabwe showed me tha t speaking a different la ngua ge does not prevent us from
getting to know someone on a deeper and personal level. I dont speak their language, as they dont mine, yet, I have never
felt closer that I had with those children. No matter who we are or where weve come from, we are all children of God and
God loves us all. Aaron Sanders
I would say that I appreciate life more and I am personally trying to be cautious of what I take for granted and be
more generous. This mission trip showed me just how fortunate we are to have what we consider basic luxuries, such as
water, electricity, and much more. I want to do more for others, as God has done for me. We do not need materialistic
things to be happy, as these children were some of the happiest humans Id met. Everyone should go on at least one mis-
sion trip in their life. Madison Ridge
The Communities of Hope organization is always welcoming volunteers and visitors. Our church is proud to say
that God has given us a new relationship; we are now partnered with Communities of Hope. We will have food drives and
other activities in the future to help feed and give to these children. Our church wants to thank each one of our missioners
and Communities of Hope for being so welcoming and giving, and of course, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
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