The Sanctuary Downtown

This is an amazing community with one of the most insightful, spirit-​led, no-​nonsense preachers I have ever heard. He is a riot to listen to, but at the same time his messages are brilliant!

It’s been a long time since I found a preacher who got excited about the Word. Years ago, while living in Michigan, I stumbled across an old baptist preacher that set up camp in what used to be a tiny Jewish synagogue; and, every Sunday, he animated himself behind his pulpit. He jumped up and down. He yelled. He cried. He quoted string after string of scripture and wove it into a heartfelt and meaningful message that awoke the souls of anyone who listened.
When I moved away, I thought I’d never find anyone like him again.
Then, my friend Christian, who speaks there on occasion, invited me to hear what Peter «Mr Indoor Voice» Hiett had to say.
Ten minutes into his sermon, I was convinced this guy was insane. He switched from almost a whisper to shouting at the top of his lungs over and over again, within mere moments and without warning. Any temptation to dose off during a Sunday morning sermon was literally shouted away.
I had my doubts about this guy’s theology, hearing rumors that he’d been kicked out of his prior church and deemed a heretic. I began to nit-​pick his sermons, finding tiny things here and there to disagree with him over.
Then, he invited me over for a dinner party. It was there that I drilled him. I asked him every difficult question I could think of, and, against what I expected, he was not afraid to give me his answers. During the conversation, he told me, with a grin slapped clear across his face, about The Vineyard. It was a sermon he gave at his old church and it effectively ended his ministry there. He posted a video recording of it shortly after our discussion on his website. I suggest to anyone interested in visiting the Sanctuary to give it a look:
After watching this video, my heart sunk deep into my chest. I realized how blind I’ve been before with Peter.
Here’s another man who gets so excited about the Word of God that he jumps up and down, breaks down and cries, and even, more often than not, forgets to use his indoor voice while delivering a sermon: p
This was the preacher I was looking for, but I was too proud to see it until I watched that video. His words in this video really did change my heart.
After that I began to connect even more with the people there. I had my regular group of friends, but eventually more people approached me and we began to get to know one-​another. Once you get past all the small talk, you’ll discover that there are some very amazing people in those pews.
If you’re looking for a place to cry, and people to cry with, go here. If you’re looking for a place to jump up and down and shout and use your outside voice indoors, go here. It’s a passionate, meaningful, and sincere place.
It truly is a Sanctuary.

Cool, intelligent community with the wisest pastor. Plus, they’re dedicated to maintaining this gorgeous old building in a great hood. Awesome.

Best new church!