[vc_row row_type=”1″][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”832071″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][maxtitle type=”2″ maxtitle_content=”The People of St. Peter’s”][vc_column_text]We are a thriving, welcoming congregation of young and old, married and single, gay and straight, people from all different backgrounds. Below are some personal stories from members of St. Peter’s Church:
“I trained and completed my first marathon and I was beginning an amazing relationship with my boyfriend but with all my successful accomplishments something appeared to be missing and I felt depressed. I dearly missed the lasting happiness I once had as a child knowing God’s love. This longing motivated me to re-discover my faith.” Read Kat’s story
“The news was filled with stories of people committing atrocities in the name of God, misbehavior in the priesthood, politicians were using religion. I found it hard to reconcile the hypocrisy I saw with my experiences growing up and organized religion came to seem divisive and judgmental. I found myself saying things like “I’m more spiritual than religious” which was code for I’m confused and angry and scared that everything I have believed in and held on to all my life is wrong.” Read Jen’s story
“I came out to my parents as a gay 15 year old. I’ll spare you all the details, but although it wasn’t easy, we grew together as a family and my father found a greater faith in a God who created and loved his gay son without condition. However, the church at which he was employed did not feel the same.” Read Bryan’s story
“Through college and the years thereafter, Sunday mornings were for sleeping in, reading a newspaper, having a leisurely breakfast. I hadn’t lost my faith; there was no jarring experience that caused me to push away God in my life. We had walked by St. Peter’s many times. And so one Sunday we walked into this beautiful sanctuary. It was scary. We were new.” Read Lathrop’s story
“I suppose I was looking for inspiration, the breathing in of faith. An animating influence. I was looking for faith to energize me, to quicken my imagination. And it wasn’t working. And so I stopped looking. For me, the literature and the ballet and all the other “disorganized religions” in the world would have to suffice. And then, five years ago, we walked into St Peter’s.” Read Rick’s story
“Almost a year ago, in his Sunday sermon, (the Rev. Ledlie Laughlin) told us of a conference he attended where a speaker suggested that each person turn to his or her neighbor and state – ‘what it means to you that you are Christian.’ Since then I have found myself pondering: What would be my answer?” Read Kathleen’s story
“I love music. I have discovered that it hits me so directly in my emotions that I believe it is one way that God calls to me. It gathers me in to the worship service. When I walk up to take communion and pass between the choir members as they sing, I feel that I am about as close to Heaven as I can be on this earth.” Read Jonathan’s story
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