Alyssa Dourte

Look around you.  What do you see?  Does everyone in your life look the same?  Same color?  Same political views?  Same socioeconomic level?  Same world view?  Same faith?  Think for a minute.  Think about whether you’re looking in the mirror at every turn. 
While I grew up in a beautiful town, most people looked just like me.  There was [...]

Can’t you just hear that song ring in your head? “When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel, so bad.” If only it was as easy as Julie Andrews makes it seem in The Sound of Music.
I now know there’s a reason [...]

Well, almost an all-nighter.  The conversation reluctantly faded and we crashed at 5am. We just can’t keep up with our college days! Yes, at 34 years old, I’m still having “nearly all-nighters ” with my amazing college roommates. We’ve been friends for 15+ years. It’s kind of remarkable when you think about it. All 5 of us, so different [...]

This past weekend is exactly why I’m passionate about small groups!  My personal experience with small groups started about 8 years ago.  My husband Ben and I took a huge leap of faith and decided to check out a small group at our previous church, just hoping to meet a couple people our age, since we were [...]