By John Fulton
Lakeland Reformed Church is sponsoring a new outreach ministry called Lifetree Café. This is one hour of stories and conversation to feed your soul where you will find inspiration, encouragement and new friends, according to the Lifetree Café website, LifetreeCafe.com.
Nick Lam, one of the organizers said, “The goal of Lifetree Café is to converse about everyday topics and bring a spiritual dimension to the topics.” The group meets from 7 to 8 p.m. Mondays at The Balcony at D&W Grocery on Romence Road.
The conversation is hosted by six different people from Lakeland Reformed Church on an alternating basis. Tim Rigterink was the opening night host. “Lifetree Café seeks to connect with God in fresh ways. Come as you are,” he said. The meetings are open to the public and everyone is invited. No prior registration is needed.
The Lifetree Café hour includes real-life stories on video, interesting and relevant information, conversation with others, and tips to take home. Sixteen people attended the first evening of Lakeland’s Lifetree Café hour. Regardless of beliefs, Lakeland and Lifetree welcomes everyone – individuals, couples, singles, students and families.
Lifetree Café presents topics about the big (and little) stuff that shapes our lives. Family. Friends. Fears. Busyness. Balance. Money. Materialism. Health. Heaven. Peace. Purpose. Lakeland invites you to come and be part of the community conversation.
Many churches are doing things hoping to reach people who are not in church and trying to find a “non-church” place for people to be comfortable as an entry point to connect to God such as Lakeland has begun here. Leaders at Grace Community Church and Vicksburg United Methodist Church have invited people to meet at non-church settings. Fulton Community church’s celebration hoped to draw outsiders in for the music and then to church. In a world where people are perishing for eternity for the lack of knowledge about Christ and what it means to be a follower, getting “outsiders” in is imperative. It is a commandment. “Go into all the world and make disciples”.
Lifetree Café’s website states, “Lifetree Café’s mission is simple: to help people grow in relationship with Jesus. We do this by fostering a community where everyone is welcome to come together and experience firsthand the unconditional love, grace, and acceptance that God has to offer. Lifetree Café provides a place where people are free from judgment and where they can share their thoughts and their doubts.”