A Unique Ministry Created By A Detroit Area Congregation Needs Your Help To Create "Gracious Community" In An Incredibly Diverse, Economically Stressed, & Fragmented Neighborhood Read on. God is doing a new thing in Metro Detroit! Peace Lutheran Church in Southfield, Michigan, is a small congregation with a large building located in the center of Metro Detroit. We have created a ministry of hospitality – a form of God's Grace – among disconnected groups and individuals as the means to encourage interaction, create possibilities, model a decent and respectful sense of the common good, and bridge cultural differences. When people of faith are in need, Jesus advised: "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you." So for the sake of all the good things happening here, Peace is asking for donations from all our friends to establish a new non-profit organization called the Peace Community Spiritual Center. And we are knocking on the door of your heart so that you may be aware that we could really use your help. My name is Tim Larson. I am the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Southfield, Michigan -- a small congregation with a large building located in the center of Metro Detroit. God has given us the honor, challenge and responsibility to serve one of the most diverse and densely packed communities in the United States -- and we need your help for this ministry of hospitality. Here is our story: Four years ago our small congregation was struggling to keep up our large building and we were advised by church experts that be that there was little hope for an urban congregation our size and in our situation to survive the Great Recession. Further, we were told that a Lutheran Church has never succeeded in a multicultural neighborhood like the one where we are planted. Being stubborn Lutherans and hopeful Christians, our congregation set out to prove that one could. The plan was not to fight our neighborhood's diversity but rather to radically open our church building up to racially, ethnically, and denominationally divergent congregations and community groups and turn our church building into a community center. Today our building houses five congregations, a community theater, three "anonymous" groups, two TimeBanks, a monthly coffeehouse (with great live music), a driving school, and various community group meetings. Our building has become a busy place where much good is done. The parking lot bustling during the week and our church and church partners worship one right after the other on Sunday mornings. Our fellowship hall has been turned into a theater, and the Rosedale Community Players present their season of contemporary plays throughout the year. We provide work for developmentally disabled adults in our area and proved special services that really engage them. We think all this is cool... and everyone gets on remarkably well. The challenge is that our large building costs more to heat, light, and maintain than our small congregation and the community contributions we receive from our partners can cover. So we are creating a new non-profit that we call the “Peace Community Spiritual Center" to run the building, initiate new community programs, and better raise the support we need from the community at the center of Metro Detroit. At the same time, the new non-profit will lift the burden of the building from our congregation so that we can sustain the mission God has handed us and give us the flexibility we need to reach out to an exceptionally diverse urban neighborhood. Your gift is tax deductible and any amount you can spare is appreciated. Donate safely using paypal -- or mail a check (made out to "Peace Lutheran") to this address: Peace Community Spiritual Center c/o Peace Lutheran Church 17029 W. 13 Mile Road Southfield, MI. 48076 Thank you!