Saturday 26 July 2008

Mike Macintosh gives his testimony



This was my pastor in San Diego, Mike MacIntosh, of Horizon Christain Fellowship, which is an offshoot of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa. While there are Calvary Chapel churches all over the country, and I think outside the states as well, this was the place of my first non Catholic experience with Jesus Christ.

1The church is non denominational/inter-denominational/ regular old 'come as you are' establishment. You won't see any statues or stain glass or anything you might associate with church, not that those things in themselves are bad. I think they first actually started meeting at someone's house in San Diego. Then it grew too large and they got permission to meet at a theater on El Cahon Blvd. They outgrew that and rented a school. While every church has a statement of faith and attracts people who may associate themselves with that particular faith, this church is not about membership. You can't join this church and they don't pass out envelopes or ask for money, not that that's a bad thing either. People who attend regularly support the church but they don't ever pressure people to give. It's not about money.
Anyway, I was so into going to this church. Everyone was young, well, not everyone, but it was PERFECT. My sister Laura was living in Coronado Island at the time ( which is why I moved out there), and then, my other sister's husband was stationed there for a year, so we all wound up in that church. It was amazing. Pastor Mike founded 1800 HIT HOME which is a phone number for runaways. He's also started up all kinds of other churches and outreaches in other countries. It's just so incredible and refreshing and real. I got baptized in the mission bay with about a thousand other people and my future ex, whatever, forget that part. I should have just stayed friends with him too. Anyway... I have not seen Pastor Mike since 1990. I used to work on an open heart unit in LaJolla and remember feeling privileged to be assigned to care for his mother who was about 80 something, undergoing open heart surgery. I'm rambling here. So enjoy.

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