When I was 11, my family began attending a new church: “The Vineyard,” which I later learned was also the name of the denomination. The people there got really into the worship service — clapping, sweating, dancing in the aisles, and the music was deafening. At the Presbyterian church we used to frequent, the adults…
Editor’s Note: This Story was orginally published on Lilyeve’s Substack on Apr 17, 2025 For Shakira Thomas, it all started with a knock at her door on a hot summer day at her home in the United Kingdom when she was only 14. Young and curious, she was intrigued by promises of salvation and knowing the meaning…
As a child, every Sunday I sat in a pew with my family, singing hymns and listening to sermons that instilled in me deep fear and skepticism about the outside world. I was taught that non-believers were going to hell and that the only way to avoid eternal damnation was to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.