On Pentecost Sunday, nearly 50 churches throughout Dickinson County and outlying areas have been invited to distribute 5,000 “Holy Spirit, You are welcome here” magnets to their parishioners.

The request that went out to all priests and pastors was simple: “Include the ‘Holy Spirit, You are welcome here’ message in your Pentecost Sunday sermon and distribute the magnets after church services that day.”

In Dickinson County, as well as around the world, we experience the same challenges as other communities. There are devastating issues pulling families apart: abortion, drugs and all types of abuse, divorce, business, financial pressures, negative influences and materialism, to name a few. That is why it is so necessary for us to welcome positive influences such as this effort into our homes and throughout our communities.

With Pentecost Sunday approaching, we reflect on the mystical gifts we receive through the Holy Spirit. This is an amazing opportunity to come together as a community and as residents of the Upper Peninsula to display this message wherever we spend most of our time. The words can serve as a visual reminder to us that the Holy Spirit is always with us. It is also an invitation to the Holy Spirit to enter all areas of our lives and deepen our faith.

Imagine a magnet bearing the words, “Holy Spirit, You are welcome here” being distributed to more than 5,000 people in Dickinson County alone. This simple visual act will have a positive rippling effect.

People have suggested putting these visual reminders in places where they spend most of their time: computer screens, phone and tablet screens, inside school and gym lockers, offices, work stations, places of work, cars, campers, cottages, hunting camps, boats, etc.

As only 5,000 of these magnets were available, some churches will be crafting and designing their own “Holy Spirit, You are welcome here” visual reminders to give to members of their churches.

If you would like to join the thousands of Dickinson County residents and surrounding areas in this opportunity, you are welcome and encouraged to do the same.