The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Universalist Group In Milwaukie, Oregon :)

Practices Christian Living
#1

Hey guys, I recently discovered a Universalist group in my area, that meets in an Episcopalian church in downtown Milwaukie, where I work, which isn’t far from where I live… it’s called Higher Ground Outreach Ministry, and I discovered it by connecting with the ministry leader, Steve Doss, on Facebook. :slight_smile:

Over the last week I talked with Steve online and yesterday over the phone, and he struck me as a really cool guy, and he’s full-fledged Christian Universalist, and so is his ministry, and no bones about it. :wink:

Here’s a link to their website: highergroundoutreach.net/

You’ll notice there’s a link to Hope Beyond Hell as a Bible Study Help on their page :wink:

That and I dig their motto: ‘The gates of hell will not prevail and the love of God will never fail.’ :slight_smile:

Anyways, I just went to check it out today, and it was really cool. :slight_smile:

The group is very small, there was only Steve and his wife, Marilyn, an interesting and thoughtful older guy named Dean, and a sweet elderly lady, who plays the harmonica, named Louise…
I think this is the core group. Steve said there are a couple others who come and go, but thus far these are the only regular members… but they only just started the ministry in May, so it’s just starting to get off the ground…

Anyways, we all just sat in a little room in some chairs, Steve played on the guitar and we sang together (I confess I didn’t sing along, because I was feeling shy, being new there, but I listened and prayed to myself while they sang), and shared prayer requests and prayed together, Steve leading, and then, instead of Steve giving a sermon (and this was new to me, but totally refreshing), we just all talked, about God, life, faith, UR, everything… very laid back and relaxed and open. :slight_smile:
After awhile we all sat down at a table and shared a meal together in the room, some potato corn chowder (good stuff :slight_smile:), and talked some more as we ate together… and even though I was the youngest one there, they made me feel welcome. :slight_smile:

I shared with Steve and Marilyn about my relationship with my fiancee Kaylyn, and they encouraged me in that, and they expressed interest in meeting Kaylyn, and Steve even offered to marry us, being an ordained minister, if we would like that when the time came for us to marry… which is cool. :slight_smile:

Eventually I said my goodbyes and went on my way, and everyone was happy that I came, and Steve and Marilyn are hoping that I’ll come back. And I think I will, as it’s a pretty cool group, and I enjoyed the fellowship. :slight_smile:
I’m hoping that this is an answer to prayer, as I’ve been praying for more face to face fellowship. :slight_smile:

Anyways, I mentioned to Steve that I would share about his ministry and see if anyone else who lives in the area would like to join in, so I thought I’d mention it here. :slight_smile:

So, Melchizedek, DaveF, or anyone else here who lives nearby, if you’re interested, you’d be more than welcome to come and join in. :slight_smile:

They meet at 4 pm (which is great for me, since I’m not much of a morning person :wink:) every Sunday afternoon at the St John Episcopal Church in downtown Milwaukie on Jefferson St… you can look on their website for directions if you’d like to come. :slight_smile: And if you’re interested, let me know. :slight_smile:

Anyways, just thought I’d let you know. :slight_smile:

Blessings to you :slight_smile:

Matt

#2

Greetings !

  I am keenly and intensely interested !!!   However,   :cry:  :cry:  :cry: 
    it would be exceptionally expensive for me to visit this group .. even though I used to live 
  in that neck of the woods    :smiley:  :smiley:  :smiley: 

     Hoping all of you who do join it will receive many fruitful blessings !

 p.s. then again .. some of you can always venture upon a journey to visit me over here

    <img src="/uploads/default/original/1X/15680453330e74f929b585a237613f0bdf61e069.gif" width="15" height="17" alt=":mrgreen:" title="Mr. Green"/>  <img src="/uploads/default/original/1X/15680453330e74f929b585a237613f0bdf61e069.gif" width="15" height="17" alt=":mrgreen:" title="Mr. Green"/> 

all the best!
#3

Wow, Matt! I am SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!! :smiley: :laughing: :smiley:

You not only found a UR church, you even found an organic UR church. Seriously, Bro, you hit the jackpot. Treasure it, nurture it, because that is one of those pearls of great price of which you may have heard. :wink:

Good for you!

#4

That sounds wonderful, Matt! I’d come if I lived closer! :sunglasses:

Sonia

#5

Jim: It’s okay, bro :slight_smile: Who knows, maybe some day you’ll get a chance to visit your old stomping grounds :wink:

Cindy: Thanks, sis :slight_smile: Yeah, other than the fact that they happen to meet in a church building, I guess you could say it is kind of organic :smiley: Steve said they used to meet in their home, that is Steve and Marilyn’s place, but they moved it to the church building… he actually has a small janitorial company, and the Episcopalian church building is one of his few contracts, and he’s been working for them for about 12 years, and has a good relationship with them, thus their being allowed to use the building for the group. :slight_smile: Funny how it turns out that he’s a janitor, like myself :laughing:

Also, Steve mentioned that there is a ‘Feed The Hungry’ program in the church, where there is an opportunity to serve meals to and connect with people who are in need, and I think it takes place at the church building a couple hours before the group meets, and he said I could get involved with that too, if I’d like. :slight_smile:
If so, that would be an answer to prayer as well, because I’ve had a desire to get out there and make myself useful in a more tangible sort of way as far serving others goes. :slight_smile: So, it could be two answers to prayer in one :laughing: :slight_smile:

And who knows, perhaps I have hit the jackpot , have to wait and see :wink: Thanks for your encouragement and your shared excitement, sister :slight_smile:

Sonia: Thanks for switching it to a better topic, Sonia, and yeah, I wish you could come to too :slight_smile:

Blessings to you, and thank you all for your comments :slight_smile:

Matt

PS Melchizedek, DaveF, either of you guys see this? :slight_smile:

#6

Matt,

The books I told you about are:

Toxic Charity: How churches and charities hurt those they help (and how to reverse it) by Robert D. Lupton
(that’s the one I’m reading now)

When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett

and
Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities by Ruby K. Payne, Philip E. DeVol and Terie Dreussi Smith

Nice talking with you, Bro – thanks for calling. :smiley:

#7

Thanks Cindy :slight_smile:

Can’t promise I’ll get around to reading those, since I’ve got countless other books to read, but if Papa (maybe I’ll start calling God ‘Papa’ more, I like that :wink:) wants me to take a look at them, then I’ll get around to them eventually I guess :laughing:

And it was good talking with you too, Sis, and you’re welcome. :smiley:

#8

This is so encouraging. Sounds like a very nice group! I’d come too, if I were closer.

#9

Thats great Matt. They’re out there folks. I searched “universal reconciliation detroit” in google and found a guy who had a little thing like that, he owns the building that a couple other churches meet at, and he invited some friends over the night I came to meet him. Those friends had just met a couple others who had just started doing the home church thing, but had been doing it on and off for years.

The guy who I found online originally happens to have edited Stephen Jones’ books. And come to find out there is a long tradition of universalists in the detroit area, starting from the Latter Rain movement back in the 40’s, and I would suspect earlier with the universalist revivals in the 1800’s.

My point of all this is for those reading this. Search. Do a few google searches. Pray for God to lead you to the person who will lead you to the next. The guy who I met originally, I’ve only talked with once since. The couple I met through him have introduced me to my church family. The people you originally meet may not even be who you are supposed to meet, it may be 2 or 3 down the line. They need you, and you need them. Dig a little. Be open to people you meet who seem out there. The more I open up to people about my radical viewpoints (well I hold back the really contraversial stuff, but throw some introductory stuff out there, in due time) the more I find they are moving down the same path. Long time, good evangelicals are fed up, or more precisely starving and ravenous for the truth. You see a sparkle when that kernel of truth they can handle is enlivened in them.

Its like this. My wife became pregnant 5 months after we were married. She miscarried at 10 weeks. She was devastated, I had no clue what I lost, the baby was still an abstract thought for me. I was devastated for her. Anyway. We thought we were the only ones in the world that this happened to. Then we began to tell people what happened because they would ask naturally how she was doing being pregnant and all. It was really awkward to tell people at first, but then about every 3rd person we’d talk to would say, “oh I’ve had 3 miscarriages” or something to that effect. We have more in common with many than we realize, its just breaking that barrier of silence. The problem is if that other person hasn’t experienced being pregnant yet, when they ask how you’re doing with the pregnancy and you have to tell them what happened, then both sides come away separated more. But that is the nature of the beast. And eventually those that you spoke that truth to and couldn’t hear it, it may have needed to be watered by someone else, and that seed sprouts.

People need you. Go out there. Share your bread with those who are hungry.

#10

Thank you for your comment, Jeremy :slight_smile:

Yeah, I think it’s possible for all of us to find more like-minded people in our area if we just look hard enough. :wink:

And our connecting with others in such a way to be both a blessing to ourselves and to them. :slight_smile:

And I’m sorry to hear about the miscarriage that your wife suffered, and you as well for her sake. :neutral_face:

But you’re right bro, it is good to find others who have gone through things that we ourselves have gone through, because it helps us to feel less alone… and there are few things that can bond people together more than shared suffering.

And yes, we can make a difference in the lives of others, probably more than we may realize. :slight_smile:

Also, before I go, I just wanted to add that I went to the group again tonight. :slight_smile:
This time it was only myself and Steve and his wife Marilyn… it was great though :slight_smile:
We chatted for like two to three hours, about everything… then shared a meal and sang a few songs :slight_smile:
Pretty cool :slight_smile: Hopefully the group will grow and more will join in, but I think I’ll keep going, and make myself a regular. :slight_smile:

Blessings to you bro, and thanks again for sharing :slight_smile:

Matt

#11

Thanks Matt,

I hope you realize I wasn’t trying to derail the thread with our past loss. I was just using an example of having something in common, that we don’t know about until its spoken. Sorry if I Debbie Downer’d the thread. Wah wah wah

I am super excited for you though man. What a huge blessing it is to have people that you can converse with face to face or even on the phone.

#12

You’re welcome, bro :slight_smile:

And no worries, it’s a good thing to be able to share with others what we’ve suffered, so we are reminded (as we always need to be reminded, because it’s so easy to forget) we’re not the only ones who have suffered… we’re all this together, after all :slight_smile:

And yeah man, being able to connect with other like-minded people outside of this virtual world of the internet is most certainly a blessing :smiley: But then again, so is connecting with others, like yourself, here in the virtual world :wink:

Blessings to you :slight_smile:

#13

How interesting! My wife and I live in Milwaukie. Could almost walk to St. John’s Episcopal. Only hitch is we are not universalists. But the Spirit I discern on this website appeals to me greatly. Maybe we can visit. :smiley: