@font-face { font-family: “Cambria”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } "In the midst of a world of light and love, of song and feast and dance, [Lucifer] could find nothing to think of more interesting than his own prestige."     CS Lewis    A Preface to Paradise Lost    freefoto.com     Pain. That is what surprised me. So many people have experienced unrelenting pain that began at the hands of callous pastors and Christian leaders. Naively, many of those hurt had once thought that the church would be a loving family that would love and support each other in the pursuit of the faith. And many churches encouraged this sort of thought process. “ Come to church, find Jesus, and find a family.” Some groups even refer to themselves as a “family.”     However, because sin is always present, both in the members AND the leaders/pastors, this ideal has been shattered for many. For some, church becomes the first place in which new Christians experience heartache. Years ago, I had no idea that churches could cause such pain. But, experience and personal reports have convinced Continue reading →

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