A Note from the Pastor

                                                                            WELCOME & MERRY CHRISTMAS!

                        Haven't been to church in awhile? Are you looking for a church to sneak into to catch a little Christmas spirit and the real reason for the season? Let me invite you to Silver Creek United Methodist Church on the corner of Middle Crossing & Garret Rd. in Dowagiac, MI. We are an average size United Methodist Church in the farm country of Dowagiac. We are surrounded by six lakes and not far from St. Joseph beach. This is God's best kept secret.
We don't do any of that embarassing stuff that some churches do with new guests. We won't make you stand, clap and tell you how happy we are your are with us. We'll notice you are a guest in our midst. We will shake your hand and say hello and probablly invite you to eat or grab a cup of coffee with us, if you so desire. This would be done on a intimate one-on-one basis. Worship starts at 9 a.m.
                       Once stepping through the door, you will stand in awe of this charming country church decorated for Christmas. It's a long the lines of a Norman Rockwell painting. Once inside, the christmas lights and candles will be the visuals that light and lift your spirit. The message and music will be the audio components that lift your spirit. The opportunity to give and receive a hand shake will be the touch piece to let you know the peace of Christ with you where ever you are, go or have been. The peace of the risen Christ is always with you, sometimes it just escapes our conscious awareness and sometimes it can be down right hard to know it. That's where the community (the church) the body of Christ in the world comes in, so when you can't see it, feel it or know it, our church can help you to grasp it in real and tangible ways. We can be vehicles of grace holding you in heart and prayer until a time when you can once again know and feel the peace of Christ surrounding you.
                    Upon leaving Silver Creek, you will feel your spirit lifted. You might even be filled with some warm coffee and treats because you stayed for coffee fellowship. You might have met a new face that just blessed you with words of encouragement. You'll leave having been touched in a myraid of ways all so you might know the peace of Christ always with you. Worship is our divine act of love for our creator God each and every Sunday. We come as happy people. We come as broken people. We come as poor people. We come as children. We come as adults. We come broken and beautiful each and every Sunday pouring out our love and hope to God. We come so that we might be reminded each and every Sunday, that Christ first came to us. Christ came so that we might know the manna and mercy of God's love poured out for all creation. No excpetions or exclusions...Christ came to us so we might know the Manna and Mercy of God poured out for everyone!
                    So, what are you waiting for? It isn't always easy, but take the first step and you'll be glad you did. Just come. See you on Sunday! May God bless you and keep you wherever you are, and may God's love shine upon you...always!

    Peace & Grace,

    Pastor Heather

PASTOR PICKS BOTH TRADITIONAL & CONTEMPORARY

TRADTIONAL FAVORITE HYMNS...
"Here I Am" (UMH 593), "Amazing Grace", "How Firm A Foundation" (UMH 529),
"O'For A Thousand Tongues to Sing", "How Great Thou Art", "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee", "God of the Sparrow", "You Are Mine" (FWS), "Gather Us In" (FWS), "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love", "I Love to Tell The Story", "Lord of the Dance", "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling", "Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore".

                                                                               CONTEMPORARY FAVORITES...
                                                                                  http://youtu.be/pm3aCyRD3Vg
                                                                                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-yValw_UbE
                                                                                 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky0qN5o2M6Q
                                                                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spr9aCNdRbU

Dialog and blog with me, by clicking the blog tab!! More contemporary music I love, "Tunnel" by Third Day, "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns, "Praise You In This Storm" by Casting Crowns, "How You Live" Point of Grace, "I Am Free" by Newsboys. I actually confess to loving and listening to lots of songs by these artists. Michael W. Smith is the artist who has grown up in faith with me since my youth! How could or why we would we ever stop from singing both the beautiful traditional hymns and the contemporarty ones??