Ed. note – The Independent News welcomes reflections and essays on spiritual matters from readers of all faiths.
BY WILL BERRY
PUNGO — The Carpenter’s House is a little ways down West Neck Road, past the marina, over the bridge and around a few curves, on a curve of its own. Some of us know this church as the unfortunate building cars seem to be magnetized to when they take the curb too fast. What some may not know are the great acts of good happening inside.
A typical Sunday worship starts with fellowship and some Dunkin’ Donuts and freshly brewed coffee or, as I like to call it, “Holy Coffee.”
A little after 10 a.m., worship starts in the sanctuary, and it is kicked off with some seriously lively tunes. I feel this is as much reassurance that everyone is awake as it is true happiness in celebrating the glory of Christ. The tunes are then finished when the Rev. Vinny Losciale, our pastor, tells you: “Get out of your pews and say hello to someone.” It is from this practice that this story came to light.
One of the first people there I met was Char Miller, a member of the church with a radiant smile and one of the softest voices you will probably ever hear. She told me about a place she is working on to help young girls who were victims of human trafficking. It’s called the Butterfly House.
The purpose of the Butterfly House is to offer shelter to young girls between the ages of 11 and 17 who are victims of human trafficking, while giving them help to overcome their ordeals. Miller said she was inspired to do this when she witnessed a couple of older men attempting to abduct a young teenager at the Oceanfront.
She also said she wants to start a second house for boys who have been subjected to human trafficking. Clearly, she is a person of action and has no intentions of slowing down anytime soon.
In the media, you hear negative things about Christians – they’re judgmental, stuck-up, hate this person and that person. The list can go on for days.
If you have found yourself questioning Christianity, doubting it or just turning away because of what you’ve heard, you’re not alone. I’m someone who was in that same position. In some ways, I still am.
While it may apply to some, it definitely doesn’t apply to all. The Carpenter’s House is chock-full of Christians who focus more on what the Bible says we should do and less on what it says we shouldn’t do.
They take the negative Christian stereotype and snap it in half like a Kit-Kat because they care about worship, not judgment. There are people there who, like Char Miller, are trying to help others.
For more information about the Butterfly House, reach Miller at (757) 752-2297 or visit www.thebutterfly.house.