Phone: 716-983-6521

 

E-mail: danstinson@roadrunner.com

John 10:10  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 

Psalm 126:2  Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."

 

John 13:34-35   A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

 

Mission Statement: Serving the entire person through a comfortable, warm, spiritual gathering place where church and community do life together

 

Vision:

To operate an every day spiritual gathering place that serves as an inviting and non-judgmental entry point for community members who would not as a rule enter a traditional church.  This “Third Place” coffee shop will provide a comfortable and wholesome setting where people of all ages have an opportunity to connect with other persons and with God.

 

To be a church that is genuinely Christian, one that follows God’s word and is reflective of our current culture. It would combine timeless church standards with the contemporary thought of a newer generation, blending the dynamic of a personal Gospel with the compassion of social concern.

 

To emphasize:

· The Discipleship Process - loving God, loving others, serving the world

· Biblically based and up to date.

· Celebration of worship and of meeting social concerns

· Bridging the church – community gap

 

Service Objectives:

We seek to provide the following spiritually-led services:

· Welcoming café-like venue that allows an entry point for the church and community to come together in a natural way

· A place to feel like a “regular” and meet up with friends and future friends. 

· Church office space

· Consultative/counseling services

· Free internet service

· Cozy living room space for community group meetings (Church as well as Non-church groups such as Rotary, Town Board, Community Enrichment Council, etc.)

· A venue for and or offering of small group meetings, Bible studies, mini-weekday messages/testimonies and traditional Sunday worship services.

· Opportunities for church staff and volunteers to build relationships with non-Christians

· Youth outreach events and ongoing guidance for them and the adults in their lives

· Give back to the community and world missions through fund raising events.

 

 

Questions and Answers:

 

Who are we? ~ A spiritual gathering place with the Apostolic mission to know God and to love and serve our neighbors- His creation.

 

Who do we serve? ~ Residents of Grand Island and surrounding areas and our local church body.

 

What needs are we meeting?  ~ Providing a peaceful and accepting space for socialization, relaxation, and conversation; building relationships through commonality and spirituality utilizing God’s principles for love and guidance; providing counseling for our church body and community members.

 

How are we meeting those needs? ~ By creating an open and inviting environment including, but not limited to, a place to hang out and feel comfortable, which allows people to feel welcome at all times. We have select qualified Christian leaders and volunteers who recognize the spiritual void in our current culture and who can share their genuine faith in Christ. “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples” -John 13:34-35

 

Why are we meeting those needs? ~ Because through building relationships, healthy Christians can positively influence non-Christians’ and hurting Christians’ lives and ultimately be used in helping them find their way back to God; quality coffee and food products are essential because people will not become regulars without them, thus our vision for a café “third place” is imminent.  “But the Pharisees and teachers of the law muttered, This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” -Luke 15:2

 

 

The Third Place - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Third Place" is a term used in the concept of community building to refer to social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home and the workplace. In his influential book The Great, Good Place, Ray Oldenburg argues that third places are important for civil society, democracy, civic engagement, and establishing feelings of a sense of place. Michael Krassa argues along similar lines, looking at neighborhood design, social network formation, and civic involvement.

The Third Place between Home and "Church" - The "third place" phrase is also increasingly being adopted by churches and ministries. As the emerging church movement, house church movement and other segments of the Christian church seek to be more missional and less sanctuary-centered, they are finding the third place (between home and church) a particularly helpful model. Steve Collins suggests [2] that the concept has "always been implicit" in the emerging church, and when followed, "No longer is (church) a private, "sacred" space used only for services but is itself offered as a service to the city. When church is a third place the services take place in a public environment among the sofas and tables." Pernell Goodyear [3], Alan Hirsh [4], Len Hjalmarson [5], Brother Maynard [6], Jamie Arpin-Ricci[7], Ron Robinson [8] and Dave Wainscott [9] are some of the many bloggers, pastors, and leaders stirring interest in this area.

 

 

Our Current Focus

 

January 2009 marked the completion of one full year for Live Laugh Love Ministries and what a great year it has been. Our Saturday night youth gatherings have been a huge success filled with great music, message and fun. One of the biggest highlights were the numerous special events starting with Joshua Revolution at year end 2007 followed by skating at ‘Rink in the Square’, Valentines ‘Meaning of Love’ event, Easter’s ‘Modern Day Crucifixion’ Relationship Role Playing and lots of great summer fun including a trip to Florida for Nights of Joy at summers end.

 

In May and June we did a series for adults at the High School on the topic of Coping. The series was very helpful in teaching people how to cope with themselves, others, feelings and with losses of different kinds.

 

There was a lot of involvement with the high school and middle school students this year with two youth mentoring training events, the ever popular Fall Fest at the middle school and of course the book drive for Roswell Park Cancer Institute in honor of Rosanna Russell (see right). All together, over 100 students were involved.

 

Last but not least is our Sunday morning gatherings. We continue to meet every second week with many great topic series such as the ‘Relationship’ Series, the ‘How To’ Series and the ‘Bee’ Series which included, “Be Still, Be Obedient, Be Courageous and Be Satisfied”. Our end of the year message on “Christmas Through the Eyes of Mary and Joseph” was also a big hit and received strong positive feedback, not only the live version but also the written version that can be found on the Articles Page, (Check out this page to read a written form of any of our messages). 

 

With one year down and eternity ahead we look forward with great anticipation to what God is going to do next. Our greatest goal is to continue to develop our relationships in the community and not just build a spiritual gathering place, but infuse Christ into all we do and make Church an integral part of our community and world with the goal of bringing the relational Christ to others who may have only know the religious Christ.

 

Come pay us a visit one Sunday, (click the calendar on the home page). May God bless you and be with you throughout this next year as you grow more in your walk with Him.  

 

Pastor Dan

  

285 North Lane

Grand Island, NY 14072

Pastor Dan Stinson