Comments for Great Lakes Church http://greatlakeschurch.com Sundays, 8:30am, 9:30am and 10:30am @ Tinseltown Movie Theatre Sun, 06 May 2012 19:21:03 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on My Story by mark http://greatlakeschurch.com/my-story/#comment-42 mark Sun, 06 May 2012 19:21:03 +0000 http://greatlakeschurch.com/cms/?page_id=37#comment-42 I grew up in a conservative church. I was bored with the restrictions and couldn't really say I was a christian. I wasn't living my life trying to walk a righteous path. I had no guardrails, and no restrictions. At one point, I found out my longtime girlfriend was 4 weeks pregnant and even though I was not living right, I was ready to take on any challenge life threw me.... til she had a abortion without telling me. After that, I resented God and started a dark path of destructive life decisions. A few years went by and I just felt empty. I met my wife, got married, had a kid, bought a house, and decided I wanted to be the best dad possible, and felt God kept pushing me to attend church again. I visited Great Lakes and loved it. I am an active member in the best community of people on earth and for the first time i feel like i am a real christian. Great Lakes changed my life. It helped me see that regardless of how far I strayed, God's grace was extended to me. I grew up in a conservative church. I was bored with the restrictions and couldn’t really say I was a christian. I wasn’t living my life trying to walk a righteous path. I had no guardrails, and no restrictions. At one point, I found out my longtime girlfriend was 4 weeks pregnant and even though I was not living right, I was ready to take on any challenge life threw me…. til she had a abortion without telling me. After that, I resented God and started a dark path of destructive life decisions. A few years went by and I just felt empty. I met my wife, got married, had a kid, bought a house, and decided I wanted to be the best dad possible, and felt God kept pushing me to attend church again. I visited Great Lakes and loved it. I am an active member in the best community of people on earth and for the first time i feel like i am a real christian. Great Lakes changed my life. It helped me see that regardless of how far I strayed, God’s grace was extended to me.

]]> Comment on My Story by Dave http://greatlakeschurch.com/my-story/#comment-40 Dave Fri, 04 May 2012 22:08:01 +0000 http://greatlakeschurch.com/cms/?page_id=37#comment-40 I was always a person who never understood what church was supposed to be. I was a "twice a year" visitor who dreaded going to church any other time. Once I started to go to GLC I began to see that there were others out there like me who could not embrace what God had to offer at another church. GLC has brought me closer to countless people, helped me embrace religion, and has shown me that I can be a part of something much bigger than myself. I was always a person who never understood what church was supposed to be. I was a “twice a year” visitor who dreaded going to church any other time. Once I started to go to GLC I began to see that there were others out there like me who could not embrace what God had to offer at another church. GLC has brought me closer to countless people, helped me embrace religion, and has shown me that I can be a part of something much bigger than myself.

]]> Comment on My Story by Hannah http://greatlakeschurch.com/my-story/#comment-38 Hannah Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:26:53 +0000 http://greatlakeschurch.com/cms/?page_id=37#comment-38 Since I was four years old, my life began to unfold. My parents were divorced, I was forced to move so many times and I had a disconnect from my family. I went to at least four different grade schools, and two middle schools. I was always picked on in elemantary. I was the fat one or the really dumb one. I had no friends and I was physically and verbally abused at home. Then I started to date in 7th grade. I had a relationship with a guy who was confused about his sexuality. That is when I started to think about suicide and I started cut myself. At the time I thought, "If I was dead, no one would have anything to worry about." This went on for about three years. Then one saturday night my mom tells me to come with to her church the next morning. I slowly transitioned my life to the church and that church was Great Lakes. I had never gone to church before and I felt comfortable there. As time went on, I became attached. I would cry every sunday as I sang for worship. I belive in God. Now, I volunteer every sunday and I feel totally relieved from my thoughts of suicide. Great Lakes helped me and now I get to be a part of the launch team for the Racine campus this upcoming fall! Since I was four years old, my life began to unfold. My parents were divorced, I was forced to move so many times and I had a disconnect from my family. I went to at least four different grade schools, and two middle schools. I was always picked on in elemantary. I was the fat one or the really dumb one. I had no friends and I was physically and verbally abused at home. Then I started to date in 7th grade. I had a relationship with a guy who was confused about his sexuality. That is when I started to think about suicide and I started cut myself. At the time I thought, “If I was dead, no one would have anything to worry about.” This went on for about three years. Then one saturday night my mom tells me to come with to her church the next morning. I slowly transitioned my life to the church and that church was Great Lakes. I had never gone to church before and I felt comfortable there. As time went on, I became attached. I would cry every sunday as I sang for worship. I belive in God. Now, I volunteer every sunday and I feel totally relieved from my thoughts of suicide. Great Lakes helped me and now I get to be a part of the launch team for the Racine campus this upcoming fall!

]]> Comment on My Story by Hannah http://greatlakeschurch.com/my-story/#comment-24 Hannah Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:43:36 +0000 http://greatlakeschurch.com/cms/?page_id=37#comment-24 I grew up attending another church. I was forced to attend the two hour Sunday services and Wednesday night youth groups. I didn't understand a lot of what went on, having to dress up, or other aspects of their beliefs. I didn't feel like I connected, so after turning 16 I rebelled and never went back. I grew apart from God and thought that I would never be able to find a church that fits my needs. Five years went by. My cousin started going to GLC and invited me to join him. I was very reluctant because of my past experiences with church. I attended GLC for a couple weeks and although I really liked it, I liked sleeping in more. A couple years had passed and I learned that GLC was starting the Love, Marriage, Baby Carriage series. After that series I knew that this church is for me. I've never felt more welcome and at home than now. I'm so excited that not every church is like the one I grew up in. I am so thankful for the people who started GLC- it saved me. I can now start moving on and forgiving the people that helped cause pain and suffering during my high school years. I grew up attending another church. I was forced to attend the two hour Sunday services and Wednesday night youth groups. I didn’t understand a lot of what went on, having to dress up, or other aspects of their beliefs. I didn’t feel like I connected, so after turning 16 I rebelled and never went back. I grew apart from God and thought that I would never be able to find a church that fits my needs. Five years went by. My cousin started going to GLC and invited me to join him. I was very reluctant because of my past experiences with church. I attended GLC for a couple weeks and although I really liked it, I liked sleeping in more. A couple years had passed and I learned that GLC was starting the Love, Marriage, Baby Carriage series. After that series I knew that this church is for me. I’ve never felt more welcome and at home than now. I’m so excited that not every church is like the one I grew up in. I am so thankful for the people who started GLC- it saved me. I can now start moving on and forgiving the people that helped cause pain and suffering during my high school years.

]]> Comment on My Story by Reta http://greatlakeschurch.com/my-story/#comment-23 Reta Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:57:45 +0000 http://greatlakeschurch.com/cms/?page_id=37#comment-23 It's hard to explain when you've been "raised" up in the church and had what you thought was a "faith or belief" how someone can just walk away from church altogether. For many reasons church was not reaching me or my husband. I needed help and healing in places church didn't seem to be reaching either. Then I came to Great Lakes. There I found pure and simple answers and discovered a whole new outlook on God, grace and the whole "church" experience. It was during the first season of Growth Groups that I had my aha moment and my relationship with God was changed forever. I realized that I had to forgive some very hurtful things I had been holding. It’s hard to explain when you’ve been “raised” up in the church and had what you thought was a “faith or belief” how someone can just walk away from church altogether. For many reasons church was not reaching me or my husband. I needed help and healing in places church didn’t seem to be reaching either. Then I came to Great Lakes. There I found pure and simple answers and discovered a whole new outlook on God, grace and the whole “church” experience. It was during the first season of Growth Groups that I had my aha moment and my relationship with God was changed forever. I realized that I had to forgive some very hurtful things I had been holding.

]]> Comment on My Story by Cindee http://greatlakeschurch.com/my-story/#comment-19 Cindee Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:52:50 +0000 http://greatlakeschurch.com/cms/?page_id=37#comment-19 My husband and I have been married for 14 years. Have they all been great? No. My husband is however and always has been my rock. My husband found a new job after, about 8 years of marriage, that paid more and was an hour and a half commute one way. We decided to sell our home and move somewhere closer to his new job. To do this, we decided to split up our family temporarily and I moved our two children myself and my sister north to live with my parents while he moved himself south to live with his parents and closer to work. This was supposed to be a temporary situation and we didn’t expect the rocky road that took us on. The decision to live 3 hours apart, almost ended our marriage. We had always had a marriage that I thought was strong and could make it through anything. One day my husband called me and said that he wanted a divorce. I didn’t always treat him with the respect that I should have. I belittled him in front of others by making jokes at his expense without even realizing what I was doing. I had also brought a lot of baggage from my childhood into our marriage that he thought he could help me with. When he would talk to me, I wouldn’t really hear what he was telling me, so I never changed the way that I acted toward him. The time alone had given him a chance to reflect on the past years and he decided that there was no way he could go on like that. I don’t blame him for coming to that decision, but at the time I told him no. I begged him to try again, to go to counseling, to start over. We were still living 3 hours apart and although he agreed to give it another try, our relationship continued to deteriorate. One weekend I visited a friend in Kenosha and she told me about this church that she had just started going to and how when you go, you don’t feel like you are in church. I went with her and cried through the entire service; I felt that Dave was speaking right to me and somehow knew the problems that we were going through. After a year and a half of living apart, my husband lost his job and even though our relationship wasn’t doing well, we decided to move back into the house that we still had not sold to try to make it work. I never had a personal relationship with the Lord and that affected my marriage. My husband used to tell me that I needed to give my worries to the Lord, but I never understood what that meant until I started to attend GLC. Since we started attending GLC in 2009, I have found the love that the Lord can provide and through that love my husband and I have worked through some of our problems. He tells me that I am a different person since I have found this peace; stronger and more at peace. There are few Sundays that I miss going to church and when I do miss my week doesn’t feel complete. My husband and I have been married for 14 years. Have they all been great? No. My husband is however and always has been my rock. My husband found a new job after, about 8 years of marriage, that paid more and was an hour and a half commute one way. We decided to sell our home and move somewhere closer to his new job. To do this, we decided to split up our family temporarily and I moved our two children myself and my sister north to live with my parents while he moved himself south to live with his parents and closer to work. This was supposed to be a temporary situation and we didn’t expect the rocky road that took us on. The decision to live 3 hours apart, almost ended our marriage. We had always had a marriage that I thought was strong and could make it through anything. One day my husband called me and said that he wanted a divorce. I didn’t always treat him with the respect that I should have. I belittled him in front of others by making jokes at his expense without even realizing what I was doing. I had also brought a lot of baggage from my childhood into our marriage that he thought he could help me with. When he would talk to me, I wouldn’t really hear what he was telling me, so I never changed the way that I acted toward him. The time alone had given him a chance to reflect on the past years and he decided that there was no way he could go on like that. I don’t blame him for coming to that decision, but at the time I told him no. I begged him to try again, to go to counseling, to start over. We were still living 3 hours apart and although he agreed to give it another try, our relationship continued to deteriorate. One weekend I visited a friend in Kenosha and she told me about this church that she had just started going to and how when you go, you don’t feel like you are in church. I went with her and cried through the entire service; I felt that Dave was speaking right to me and somehow knew the problems that we were going through. After a year and a half of living apart, my husband lost his job and even though our relationship wasn’t doing well, we decided to move back into the house that we still had not sold to try to make it work. I never had a personal relationship with the Lord and that affected my marriage. My husband used to tell me that I needed to give my worries to the Lord, but I never understood what that meant until I started to attend GLC. Since we started attending GLC in 2009, I have found the love that the Lord can provide and through that love my husband and I have worked through some of our problems. He tells me that I am a different person since I have found this peace; stronger and more at peace. There are few Sundays that I miss going to church and when I do miss my week doesn’t feel complete.

]]> Comment on My Story by Emily http://greatlakeschurch.com/my-story/#comment-17 Emily Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:37:05 +0000 http://greatlakeschurch.com/cms/?page_id=37#comment-17 The first time I went to GLC, I had just gotten pregnant with my daughter. I was eighteen and totally lost. What a coincidence that I came for the sex series! I squirmed in my seat for that entire month, but God spoke to me so much through that series. Those messages gave me peace and security in God and assured me over and over again that God would always want me back - no matter what stupid things I have done or will continue to do! What an amazing feeling! The volunteers at GLC were amazingly accepting of us. My boyfriend and I both started attending GLC in 2009 and God has brought us through some rocky times. We just got married this summer and we tell each other all the time that if God hadn't reached out to us through GLC we would never be where we are today. We are both volunteers now in the Kid's Ministries. Our daughter just turned two and one of her favorite things is going to church. My husband and I look forward to the community and the chance to worship in a setting where we are accepted for who we are - children of God!! The first time I went to GLC, I had just gotten pregnant with my daughter. I was eighteen and totally lost. What a coincidence that I came for the sex series! I squirmed in my seat for that entire month, but God spoke to me so much through that series. Those messages gave me peace and security in God and assured me over and over again that God would always want me back – no matter what stupid things I have done or will continue to do! What an amazing feeling! The volunteers at GLC were amazingly accepting of us. My boyfriend and I both started attending GLC in 2009 and God has brought us through some rocky times. We just got married this summer and we tell each other all the time that if God hadn’t reached out to us through GLC we would never be where we are today. We are both volunteers now in the Kid’s Ministries. Our daughter just turned two and one of her favorite things is going to church. My husband and I look forward to the community and the chance to worship in a setting where we are accepted for who we are – children of God!!

]]> Comment on My Story by Jason & Becky http://greatlakeschurch.com/my-story/#comment-16 Jason & Becky Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:12:28 +0000 http://greatlakeschurch.com/cms/?page_id=37#comment-16 I (Becky) saw GLC advertised on Facebook and thought it was a joke. Who advertises Church on Facebook?? After seeing the advertisement several times I was intrigued and clicked on the link. I watched the "Pastor's Welcome" and I was interested in checking out GLC. We were not looking for a Church to attend and didn't belong to one either. I had Jason check out the site and he said it looked like a cult and he wouldn't go with me and also said I couldn't take the kids. I went the following Sunday (January 2009) and loved it. Jason only agreed to check it out the next week because I kept bothering him about it. He said he would go one time and I couldn't bring it up again. We both ended up loving it and have been going ever since. We also volunteer with the 3rd-5th graders. Our kids love going and we can't imagine not being there. We both know more about the love of Jesus in the 3 years of being at GLC than we ever knew growing up in "traditional" Church. We don't have to pretend we are someone that we are not and we can even wear jeans :) I (Becky) saw GLC advertised on Facebook and thought it was a joke. Who advertises Church on Facebook?? After seeing the advertisement several times I was intrigued and clicked on the link. I watched the “Pastor’s Welcome” and I was interested in checking out GLC. We were not looking for a Church to attend and didn’t belong to one either. I had Jason check out the site and he said it looked like a cult and he wouldn’t go with me and also said I couldn’t take the kids. I went the following Sunday (January 2009) and loved it. Jason only agreed to check it out the next week because I kept bothering him about it. He said he would go one time and I couldn’t bring it up again. We both ended up loving it and have been going ever since. We also volunteer with the 3rd-5th graders. Our kids love going and we can’t imagine not being there. We both know more about the love of Jesus in the 3 years of being at GLC than we ever knew growing up in “traditional” Church. We don’t have to pretend we are someone that we are not and we can even wear jeans :)

]]> Comment on My Story by Joey http://greatlakeschurch.com/my-story/#comment-15 Joey Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:34:53 +0000 http://greatlakeschurch.com/cms/?page_id=37#comment-15 The earlier stages of my life were trying times. Dealing with watching my mother be abused everyday and my sister being raped by my mom's abuser. These times were very trying and more or less started off my life denying there was a God. My thought was, "how could he let this happen if he was real?" I started to seem to be finding my faith when I went into the military, but was soon challenged once again. I had unexpected circumstances that cause me to be medically discharged due to supposed asthma. The military was a true desire of mine and to once again be denied of what I wanted and felt I needed was another set back and red flag on religion for me. When I got back to my civilian life I started a vicious cycle of alcohol and drug abuse. Church was DEFINITELY NOT on my mind nor did I believe in anything they stood for. I finally settled down when I met my soul mate and soon after we were married. She was always asking me and begging me to go to church and as expected I denied her. We ended up moving up here from FL and had a REALLY rough start up here. Our close friends invited us to GLC in which I declined, but my wife accepted the invitation. When Sunday came around my wife told me she was leaving for church and I asked her to hold on so I could come with her. I wanted to go to make her happy since I knew she wanted me to go. This was during the "Sex Talk". We pulled up to Tinseltown and I remember thinking how crazy it was going to a movie theater for church! Then when I found out what the talk was about and listening to Dave talk on the same level as everyone else just made me want to come back. I am now coming up on my 2 year anniversary of my baptism in March and couldn't imagine my life without GLC and God being a part of it! I now am one of the leaders of the Usher Team and love serving God and our amazing church! Thank you GLC and the people who made the ultimate sacrifice to risk it all by coming to Kenosha, WI to bring us all a place of worship! The earlier stages of my life were trying times. Dealing with watching my mother be abused everyday and my sister being raped by my mom’s abuser. These times were very trying and more or less started off my life denying there was a God. My thought was, “how could he let this happen if he was real?” I started to seem to be finding my faith when I went into the military, but was soon challenged once again. I had unexpected circumstances that cause me to be medically discharged due to supposed asthma. The military was a true desire of mine and to once again be denied of what I wanted and felt I needed was another set back and red flag on religion for me. When I got back to my civilian life I started a vicious cycle of alcohol and drug abuse. Church was DEFINITELY NOT on my mind nor did I believe in anything they stood for. I finally settled down when I met my soul mate and soon after we were married. She was always asking me and begging me to go to church and as expected I denied her. We ended up moving up here from FL and had a REALLY rough start up here. Our close friends invited us to GLC in which I declined, but my wife accepted the invitation. When Sunday came around my wife told me she was leaving for church and I asked her to hold on so I could come with her. I wanted to go to make her happy since I knew she wanted me to go. This was during the “Sex Talk”. We pulled up to Tinseltown and I remember thinking how crazy it was going to a movie theater for church! Then when I found out what the talk was about and listening to Dave talk on the same level as everyone else just made me want to come back. I am now coming up on my 2 year anniversary of my baptism in March and couldn’t imagine my life without GLC and God being a part of it! I now am one of the leaders of the Usher Team and love serving God and our amazing church! Thank you GLC and the people who made the ultimate sacrifice to risk it all by coming to Kenosha, WI to bring us all a place of worship!

]]> Comment on My Story by Anthony http://greatlakeschurch.com/my-story/#comment-14 Anthony Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:24:55 +0000 http://greatlakeschurch.com/cms/?page_id=37#comment-14 Never Was a Christian. Thought God Was a Joke. Wanted to be a gangster and live a life of money, power, and drugs. Outa no where God comes into my life. LITERALLY I had an almost outa this world experience that words can not explain(NO IM NOT CRAZY). I gave up my old life picked up a bible and began my journey. Months into my journey I decided to look for a church with my fiance. A customer of my business hands another customer a Great Lakes Business Card. The kid throws it away. For some reason I kept it. Checked out the church, fell in love with the church, and have been on one AMAZING journey ever since. Within 2 months of attending Great Lakes I finally honored God and married my wife. Immediately we got plugged into growth groups where I met the most amazing people, some of which are now my best friends. I also jumped into serving with kids which has changed my life entirely. I now lead the high school growth group and have found my gift from God. Never have I felt more in the right place than right now! EVERYDAY I GROW AND IT'S AMAZING TO HAVE A COMMUNITY AND CHURCH FAMILY THERE FOR SUPPORT! Never Was a Christian. Thought God Was a Joke. Wanted to be a gangster and live a life of money, power, and drugs. Outa no where God comes into my life. LITERALLY I had an almost outa this world experience that words can not explain(NO IM NOT CRAZY). I gave up my old life picked up a bible and began my journey.

Months into my journey I decided to look for a church with my fiance. A customer of my business hands another customer a Great Lakes Business Card. The kid throws it away. For some reason I kept it. Checked out the church, fell in love with the church, and have been on one AMAZING journey ever since.

Within 2 months of attending Great Lakes I finally honored God and married my wife. Immediately we got plugged into growth groups where I met the most amazing people, some of which are now my best friends.

I also jumped into serving with kids which has changed my life entirely. I now lead the high school growth group and have found my gift from God. Never have I felt more in the right place than right now!

EVERYDAY I GROW AND IT’S AMAZING TO HAVE A COMMUNITY AND CHURCH FAMILY THERE FOR SUPPORT!

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