Adrianna Marino and her two sons, Zander and Valin, are some of the many new faces that have made Royal Oak First their home this past year.
“My boys go to Royal Oak Middle School. There were two pretty public incidents of racial intimidation in their school this year. I was really worried. I wanted to make sure I was raising my children in a community where everybody was welcome. I just couldn’t sit by and not do anything!”
Adrianna set out to organize an event that would bring our community together. She started to gather people of different races, religions, and backgrounds. People really looking for a chance to come together. They just needed a place to old their event.
“I called around to local churches but nobody was interested. Someone told me to check with Royal Oak First. I called and was blown away by your excitement about hosting the event.” Adrianna helped host a community Peace Forum where hundreds of people gathered to sing, pray, and speak about the kind of community they wanted in Royal Oak. It was a powerful night.
“Your pastors and staff were so warm and welcoming. The members I met the day made me want to come back and visit.
“I started coming to worship shortly after. I was hooked. For the first two or three months I cried through almost every service. The music an message were almost moving but it was the friendliness of the people that rally made me want to be part of this place. I really experienced the love of god in this place. So, for the first time in my adult life, I joined a church!”
Now is the Time !