THIS IS DIANE'S AND JESUS' VISION FOR A CHURCH -- LUTHERAN CHURCH OF GRACE (www.lutheranchurchofgrace.org) -- THAT RESPECTS, HONORS AND VALUES STRONG WOMEN OF FAITH IN THE WEST DES MOINES COMMUNITY. JESUS HAS GIVEN ME THIS VISION FOR A CHURCH BECAUSE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF HOPE DOES NOT HONOR STRONG WOMEN OF FAITH AND DOES NOT UPHOLD THEM IN THE CHURCH -- THIS HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE TIME AND TIME AGAIN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS AND IF YOU READ PASTOR MIKE'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, YOU WILL SEE THAT HE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY TALKS ABOUT THE CHURCH AS BEING FOUNDED BY MEN AND FOR MEN -- THIS IS TRUE OF HIS MOST RECENT NEWSLETTER (OCTOBER 20, 2017), AS WELL, WHERE ALL HE DOES IS TALK ABOUT THE CHURCH AS BEING CREATED FOR CHRISTIAN MEN, NOT WOMEN. IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT LUTHERAN CHURCH OF HOPE TRIES TO SILENCE AND SHUT DOWN AND ENTIRELY IGNORES LUTHERAN WOMEN OF FAITH SUCH AS MYSELF, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY BRING MINISTRY VISIONS (www.amazinggraceministries.org and www.jesushearts.org and www.compassionfortheafflicted.com ) TO THE CHURCH FOR SUPPORT, LIKE THEY HAVE INDIFFERENTLY IGNORED THESE GREATLY NEEDED MINISTRIES IN THE WEST DES MOINES AND DES MOINES COMMUNITIES EACH TIME I HAVE APPROACHED THEM WITH THE MINISTRIES. LUTHERAN CHURCH OF HOPE WILL ONLY SUPPORT MINISTRIES CREATED BY MEN AND THAT IS SEXIST AND THAT IS WRONG AND THAT NEEDS TO STOP AND SUPPORT NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED TO THE MINISTRIES THAT ARE ENVISIONED AND CREATED BY LUTHERAN WOMEN OF FAITH IN THE COMMUNITY. THE SEXISM EVINCED BY LUTHERAN CHURCH HOPE GOES AGAINST THE ELCA'S -- THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AMERICA -- TASK FORCE ON WOMEN, FAITH, SEXISM AND JUSTICE, AS I HAVE PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN ABOUT ON THIS BLOG. ALSO, WE NEED A LUTHERAN CHURCH IN THE WEST DES MOINES COMMUNITY THAT FOCUSES UPON BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, NOT JUST ON PROMOTING THE CHURCH ITSELF ABOVE AND BEYOND A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. PASTOR MIKE IS SO BUSY CELEBRATING AND PROMOTING HIS CHURCH THAT HE NEGLECTS TEACHING ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP AND HAVE FAITH IN LORD JESUS, AS OUR COMPASSIONATE, LOVING AND GRACIOUS LORD AND SAVIOR. THIS IS WHY I AM CREATING A NEW CHURCH IN THE WEST DES MOINES COMMUNITY -- LUTHERAN CHURCH OF GRACE -- www.lutheranchurchofgrace.org -- THAT UPHOLD STRONG WOMEN OF FAITH IN LORD JESUS SUCH AS MYSELF AND OTHER WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTS WOMEN'S MINISTRIES. LUTHERAN CHURCH OF HOPE HAS NOT BEEN DOING THAT IN MY CASE AND THE COMMUNITY IS A LOT POORER BECAUSE OF THIS INDIFFERENCE AND SEXISM BECAUSE THESE ARE WONDERFUL MINISTRIES THAT ARE GREATLY NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITY. SINCERELY AND IN CHRIST'S LOVE AND LORD JESUS' HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS AND COMPASSIONATE NAME, DIANE K. OLSON
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