Is any one near Wilkes-Barre is seeking a Church home (Honesdale: high school, college)

[sheena12]

It's ironic, but only 6 short months ago, I posted asking if any one knew of a good church in the Wilkes-Barre area, and now here I am suggesting one!

We have been faithfully attending Good Shepherd Lutheran church, and two Sundays ago, we officially became members.
As we enter the season of Lent, I thought that there might be some people who might be unaffiliated with a church and might be seeking a church home.

If you are happy where you attend or do not attend, this message is not meant for you. I am not proselytizing. If you enjoy your church, temple, mosque, synagogue, or sleeping in and reading the papers or going for a jog - be my this is not for you!

This is for those of you who are feeling a spiritual tug to go to church but do not know where to begin. Or people who or for what ever reason, feel estranged from their former church.
Or perhaps you only attend church on Christmas and Easter, as many folks do.

I have never in my life attended a warmer, more friendly, spiritual yet down to earth church in my life! The pastors are outstanding and they really go out of their way to integrate new members into the fabric of church life. They are also a husband and wife team!

Good Shepherd offers a wide variety of activities for people of all life stages. Each year we host Vacation Bible school, which is open to all members of the community. In addition to Sunday School and Confirmation classes, There are two youth groups that meet for fun and fellowship. The younger group recently ran a food and supply drive to support the Luzerne County Animal Shelter. My kids are members of Rebelations youth group for high school Students. They just held a food drive and supper to aid the hungry of Luzerne County.

We just celebrated Fassnacht, a holiday that was new to us, We held a "talent no talent" show that was really a blast. And those fassnachts are out of this world!
There are many activities that the whole family can participate in together.
Something that I do not see much of these days
This church is open and accepting and welcomes people from all backgrounds, races, and sexual orientations. And I do not mean that they tolerate them - they celebrate diversity!

The Church building is the oldest Church in Wilkes Barre that is still being used as a church. Bit of history for you,

Before attending GSLC, I have to admit that I cringed a bit whenever anyone used the term "Church Family" because none that I had ever attended felt like a family to me. They just felt like "Church." However this one walks the walk.

[Lehigh Valley Native]

Thanks for the offer and although we are not happy in our current church, the Lutheran church is a tad too conservative for us. It is after all, Roman Catholic light, or is it lite?
We are members of the United Church of Christ, unfortunately, they don't have a large presence in these parts.

Also, sincerely, congratulations finding a comfortable church family. When you feel at home in a church and part of that community, it makes life a bit more enjoyable, in good times and bad. Plus, it's good for the kids.

[frank754]

I was baptized a Lutheran, as we are originally a German family, and had our roots in Queens. My wife is from the south, so she was from a southern baptist family, but she has long since given up on that and doesn't have much faith at all, unfortunately. My dad, too, although a Lutheran, became an engineer and man of science (he was a WW II vet and passed away in 1988), and became a non-believer. While my mom, on the other hand (also German but raised Catholic), still has a good amount of faith and is now 84. I can't get my wife to go to a church, the only time I got her in one was when we were married, in 2002, and that was a "Unity" church, which is very open-minded and though they do "act" Christian-ish, they accept Buddhism and other things as well. As for myself, I've been mostly Buddhist and Zen-oriented since I was 18. So my question is, are there any New Age-type churches around here at all in NEPA or spiritual groups that go beyond dogma? Not cultish groups, but people who actually can have philosophical discussions, perhaps meditate and are open to various ideas (like for example things the Dalai Lama may have said, things about what may happen in December 2012, etc). I haven't really had any contact with like-minded people in years. I was a member of the San Francisco Zen center, and later the Zen Center in Riverdale, Bronx (early 80's), and I know a lot of college towns have groups like that, but not really catering to an older crowd. I guess the Honesdale (Himalayan) Center is defunct, but that to me seemed more of a retreat place than a community-type gathering.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though I'm spiritual and wouldn't mind connecting to something again one day, it wouldn't be some "patriarchal"-type group like a church, where they go by the book, but rather a "lively discussion" setting, where everyone chimes in, shares their experience and creates something more new and eclectic, drawing (as well) from all the past cultures too (shamanism, Mayan, Zen, Celtic, etc.).
I wonder if there is anything like this around here?

[sheena12]

Frank there is the Unity Church in Wilkes-Barre that might suit your needs.
There is also The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Wyoming Valley.
In the course of my life I have attended both Unitarian Universalist Congregations and Unity Churches with no pressure to leave my "home church" at all.
DH and I visit Unity, Wilkes Barre and have several friends who go there.

[sheena12]

Lehigh Valley Native the term "Catholic Lite" usually pertains to Episcopalian Churches, not Lutheran.
:-)
For the record, in the North Eastern part of the country, there are two separate Lutheran bodies, The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod or LCMS which is very conservative and does not permit women to be Pastors; and my denomination The Evangelical Church in America or ELCA.
Woman serve as ministers in ELCA churches, and one of our two ministers is a woman.

We are the "Liberal" Lutheran church in terms of doctrine, and social issues.
It is further made confusing to non Lutherans because of the word "Evangelical" which many people associate with "fundamentalism." "Evangelical" derives from the the Greek word "Evangel", meaning "good news."

The media frequently uses the terms "fundamentalist" and "Evangelical" interchangeably, which they are not. A Fundamentalist Church may also be Evangelical in that it wants to spread the Good News of the Gospel.
But an Evangelical Church is NOT necessarily a Fundamentalist church. Fundamentalism was a movement in the latter part of the 19th C. and through the 1930s. They believe in the complete inerrancy of the Bible. The term was made popular in a book written in 1910 (or around then) written by The Lyman Brothers. .