Loving “The Other”
Date/Time
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
9:00am - 11:00am
Location
Saint Trinity Lutheran Church
Description:
Peter shares, “We’re learning the difference between being a church for the poor and a church of the poor. It can be fragile and fleeting, but by practicing belonging and genuine fellowship, we have moments together when another world seems not just possible but present. After years of working to address homelessness and poverty in Alton, I’m convinced that the dilemma we face is social and spiritual: People can’t heal if they don’t belong, but our communities resist offering a place to belong for people who still need healing. But when the poor help us relearn how to be the church, we all become participants in God’s healing.”
Join us on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 to hear Peter’s story of what it looks like to love “the other” and reflect on what this means for you and your ministry context. Learn how we can love “the other” while holding space for diverse groups and pursuing an approach that honors the image of God in all.
Training Focus:
Featured Speaker:
PETER HOUGH: Peter Hough is the lead pastor of the Alton Mission, a church of the poor made up predominantly of people experiencing poverty and homelessness. He helped launch and grow the Overnight Warming Locations (OWLs) into a regional initiative. Currently he serves as President of the Greater Alton Community Development Corporation, facilitates the Alton Housing Coalition, and adjuncts at Greenville University and Blackburn College. He and his family have been proud to call Alton home since 2010.