OUR SHALOMS

The Children’s Ministry began in December 2012. During the first year of Shalom’s existence as a worshiping community, church members interacted with people in the community and identified the need for a safe place for children to play on the weekends.  In response to this need, Shalombegan its Children’s Ministry. Every 1^stand 3^rdSaturday,Shalom offers a fun and safe place for children to play, to interact with friends, and to hear the Word of God. We also provide the children with a substantive meal and take-home snack bags. The ministry began with 11 children and 5 volunteers. Over the next year, the number of children in attendance on a weekly basis increased to over 40 (at times as high as 60).  This ministry (welcoming, feeding, teaching, and providing healing for the neighborhood’s children) has given us a deeper sense of what being a disciple of Jesus Christ means as we cross cultural barriers and minister to children from around the world.

* 1^stand 3^rdSaturdays: 12:00 p.m – 4:30 p.m

The youth ministry began in 2013. During the first half of that year, Shalomleaders observed an increase in attendance by youth at the Sunday worship service.  Although these youth wanted to be more involved with the church, the congregation did not have any additional activities or programs for them.  After a time of prayer, discernment, and conversation with the church’s youth, Shalomstarted a weekly youth group meeting on Friday nights.  Shalom’s youth ministry provides immigrant and refugee youth a space where they can develop cross-cultural friendships, build confidence and gain skills, and grow in their Christian faith. This work is part of our congregation’s broader mission to seek wholeness and well-being for our community. . Currently, an average of 15-20 young adults attend the weekly gathering.

Seeing the spiritual and personal growth in our youth as a result of the youth group has encouraged us to think about how we might provide similar opportunities for the adults of the congregation. Conversations with other church planters inspired Rev. Mpoyo to think about how discipleship and fellowship might happen outside of the Sunday service, and he began to speak with the seminary interns and other church leaders about what might work in the Clarkston context. Since transportation is an ongoing issue, and since many of the adults find it difficult to make time to come to the church because of demanding work schedules and family responsibilities, the leaders of Shalom decided that going to the apartment complexes themselves was the best option.

By returning to apartment complexes with small groups, we hope to generate some of the intimacy and closeness of relationship that was lost when the congregation moved to a more formal meeting space and leadership structure. These groups are a way to increase the amount of Christian education and discipleship that is happening through the church. These groups are also a site for leadership development and could provide an entry point for other members of the community (friends and neighbors in the apartment complexes) to know Shalom.

The Music ministry is at the center of worship at Shalom International Ministry. We sing in a mixture of styles and multiple languages. We strive to find innovative ways to incorporate both African and Western style of music that reflect the cross-cultural setting in which the congregation resides. Praise and worship songs come from diverse places — from countries throughout Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Togo, Angola, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Nigeria, Soudan…), from the U.S. (usually given an African beat), and from other faith communities such as Taize in France. The Praise and worship group meet Every Fridays at 6:00 pm to rehearse for Sunday Service

Inspire: A Shalom Afterschool Initiative, is a direct response to the needs of refugee and immigrant youth in the Clarkston community where Shalom International Ministry is located. Many refugee and immigrant youth in Clarkston have experienced little or interrupted formal education.