The Gathering Dayton - Where Grace and People Meet

Join us September 7th for special guests, Larry and Lorrie Russell

Two hearts with a one-flesh marriage, Pastor Larry and Lorrie Russell married in 1982 in Colorado. Destiny took them into the pastorate where they have served for the past eleven years on the staff of a large, multi-cultural church in Denver, Colorado. Both Larry and Lorrie have a Master’s Degree in counseling from the University of Colorado.

In 1998, God birthed the idea of Shepherd’s Heart Ministry in their hearts. Out of that passion, He called both of them to join Him in assisting His hurting Shepherds. Along with many of their closest colleagues, friends and accountability partners, they launched the ministry.

This ministry is dedicated to reaching out to pastors and ministry leaders who are hurting; whose marriages are in turmoil; whose families are falling apart; who are being tempted with moral failure at many levels; whose lack of boundaries and surreal expectations from their congregations have taken them to burnout. It’s about learning to be a private success as well as a public success, instead of a public success and a private failure. It’s about walking out the Word of God on a daily basis. That’s what Shepherd’s Heart Ministry is all about. Check out their website: http://www.shepherdsheartministry.com

CONNECTION

First we want to help people to Connect with God on an authentic basis. This is not about religious conformity or plastic clichés. No, we want people…people far from God, and people who have known Him for decades to move in close for a real, personal, and intimate relationship with Him.

COMMUNITY

Next, we want to encourage and equip people to move into a Community with Others. We need each other. Yet, for past hurts, broken trust, or personal issues, we tend to keep others at a distance. Real community, though, is the place that God has created for us to experience the journey of life. It is here that we share each other’s burdens, victories, and love.

COMPASSION

The third leg of our mission is to share Compassion with our Community. We cannot be obedient to our calling to follow Jesus Christ until we have engaged in genuine action and compassion for the least, the last, and the lost. So, we will seek to be the hands, feet, mouth, ears, and heart of Jesus to a hurting world around us. We must show them that there is a loving Savior who loves them and cares deeply for them.