“Driving the long commute to and from my former church, I felt a nudge that it was time to take a break from church,” Alan shared. “During this same time, I was involved with the Sheriff’s Auxiliary in Green Valley and the Kiwanis Club, where I met some wonderful individuals. Soon, I discovered that several of them were members of Desert Hills. These members showed such a positive attitude about Desert Hills, but I was not ready to jump back into church life at that point.”
As time passed, Alan started to believe he might never return to church, but he relates, “The Spirit was leading me. I began to feel something was missing. I started feeling a persistent tug directing me to research local churches and their theologies, and I began to ‘audition’ a few of them. After several ‘auditions,’ I still had not found what I was looking for. Thinking back to the new friends I had met, I decided to try Desert Hills, and I am glad I did.”
“On my first visit to Desert Hills, I was greeted by kind people and uplifting music. My intuition told me this was the place for me – it felt right, and that kept me coming back. As I immersed myself more in the groups and activities at Desert Hills, I realized the people there were becoming family to me.” Alan continued, “Purposefully making Desert Hills a large part of my life has changed my life. We have an optimistic church, and I am an optimistic person. Not all churches share that optimism and the mindset of generosity, grace, and the practice of ‘all are welcome,’ the way we do.”
Alan devotes considerable time to Teen Court, a diversionary program for teens with the mission of helping them move beyond delinquency and guiding them toward success. His time at Desert Hills has helped him grow in his faith and put it into action, intertwining life’s facets to make a difference through grace, as “everyone is welcome at the Lord’s table.”
Desert Hills Lutheran Church invites you to join Alan and others in our church community as we gather around the Lord’s table and celebrate Him at all five of our worship services each weekend.