033a blogLake Highlands United Methodist Church opened their new Spiritual Home Center today, the culmination of months of “rethinking” how church can play a more significant role in today’s  busy – and sometimes troubled – families. Church leaders hope the ministry will both serve longtime members and reach out to community residents in need of support.

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“We’ve all seen the re-greening of Lake Highlands and our neighborhoods filling up with young families,” Pastor John Thornton told me when I toured the new facility. “The Spiritual Home Center came from some of the early Rethink Church brainstorming and studies by Willow Creek Center, suggesting that spiritual teachings at church need to be reinforced at home. We build stronger families through spiritual growth.”

“We began to envision new ways to reach families and help them deal with issues in their lives, whatever they might be – divorce, aging parents, teen substance abuse, financial difficulties. The center will have resources and speakers and programs to encourage spiritual growth for all ages.”

At times the center will be staffed with volunteers ready to help, but at other times it will remain intentionally unhosted, said Trish Callis, Director of Family Ministries and Christian Education, to allow people seeking information about difficult subjects to do so anonymously.

“In my mind,” said Greg Duvall, longtime church member and president-elect of the Lake Highlands Exchange Club, “the Spiritual Home Center will help both the LHUMC congregation and the broader LH community by trying to instill confidence in how to deal with a lot of the stuff the world is throwing at us individually and within our families. The physical space intentionally resembles a residential living room which is typically where family and friends gather and share life. We want this to be a 100% relational ministry, not an academic pursuit.”

“While it likely makes me sound like a really ‘old guy’, I think it is true that kids and families today have to deal with so much more than when we were kids. This can be in the form of cultural influences seen on TV, in movies, in magazines and the internet. It is almost overwhelming. Families need help in knowing where to start. The SHC can be a place where a parent or grandparent can do some preparation so that they have confidence in how best to deal with life stages and ages. It’s sort of a place to get geared up for the road ahead. “

“The SHC is unique,” continue Duval, “in that it will guide people of all ages along their Christian walk but additionally it will give hope and grace to those who feel so very broken or hopeless at a major point in their life – perhaps an addiction, a broken marriage or grief from the unexpected loss of a family member. Of course, we assure privacy and confidentiality.”

“The center is not just for LHUMC members – it will be open to use by the entire community. For a very long time, LHUMC has been a community church where area residents, even non-members, can come and be involved. From ACT musicals to Boy Scout Troop 890 to Pine Cove’s Camp in the City to CCDC, our church has always embraced the broader community. I think this is just another way LHUMC will continue that tradition.”

Added Pastor Thornton, “This church has historically ministered well to LH families through Sunday school and youth group, but we’ve learned something from these studies: that we need to do more to encourage families outside of the walls of the church. To help families deal with real-life issues, whether it’s marriage or communication or parenting or guiding teens – we know those are, in the world we live in, real issues. They’re hitting every family, including families that are dedicated to following Jesus Christ.”

You can find out more about the Spiritual Home Center here or by stopping by the church, 9015 Plano Road, for a tour.