Open Door UMC Open to All
(Amanda Leeser) - With Open Door UMC’s success in reaching out to the community, this church plant is living up to its name as being a place where everyone is welcome. Pastor Mark Lilly remarks, “It has been exciting and intimidating at times launching a new faith community in an area where there are many churches that have recently been launched. We believe that we have a great message of inclusion for all. We believe it is a message that unfortunately isn’t heard enough in our community. We want all to know they are truly loved by Christ and by us. We seek to live into the message of “Radical grace and hospitality.”’
Open Door UMC held its first service on December 3rd, 2022. They worship on Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m. and have met in various places around the Pace & Milton, Florida area. “We are currently a 'Church on the Move.' We haven’t secured a permanent location. We believe God is using this delay to help us discern where God wants us to be and where the people God desires to reach,” Pastor Mark Lilly explains.
By being on the move, Open Door UMC has been able to reach people in the community when they have their worship services in the parks around Pace. Their outdoor Easter Service at Benny Russell Park was a hit! They also held a Family Fun/Vacation Bible School Day at Floridatown Park. As a church focused on missions, they have several volunteers who have helped restripe a local elementary school’s parking lot, provided backpacks and school supplies to students, and fed the homeless. Their mission work extends beyond the Pace area, too. They have sent teams to help with hurricane recovery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and to help with construction in Ecuador.
In the fall, Open Door UMC plans to start small groups, including ministries for children and youth, and will hold another family fun event at Floridatown Park. For Christmas Eve, they plan to have their service in the park, too. They are also looking into starting a dinner church model of worship soon. Considering all they have accomplished and all they have planned, they are building a new, active community of faith that is open to everyone. As Pastor Lilly describes it, “Open Door UMC has become a voice of healing and hope in our community. After recognizing the hurt many in the church experienced, we have desired to take what we experienced and allow God to use it to help those who have been hurt by the church and Christians. We have become a safe-space of inclusion for all.”
