Rather than placing priority on a lot of internal programs and activities, members of the Shiloh Neighborhood Church share a mission that involves reaching out to volunteer and serve those in the community in keeping with the greatest Bible commandment found in Mark 12:30-31 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Located on Old Redwood Highway one block south of Shiloh Road, this church traces its roots back 60 years to the Christian Missionary Alliance Church near Highway 12 and Fulton Road. The group that later formed Shiloh moved to the Mark West area and later to 5901 Old Redwood Highway in 1983.
Under the leadership of Josh Ratiani, who became the senior pastor in 2016, this community of faith with 60 members welcomes Millennials and people of all ages and backgrounds, especially neighbors from the Mark West, Windsor and surrounding areas, to become part of an organization fixing its attention—both inward and outward—to support those in need and by volunteering with nonprofits and charitable groups.
The pastor says those who attend here represent every continent on Earth, and include seniors, families with young children, youth and young adults, along with those with physical challenges.
“I once thought that having a big church family was the objective, but the larger a group becomes, the more difficult it can be to connect with everyone and address personal needs,” he said. “The Bible model in the Book of Acts shows that small groups of believers were an ideal size where people can relate on a personal level, get to know each other and become part of an effective and cohesive team.”
The leadership of Shiloh is a family tradition. Ratiani’s father, Nick, was senior pastor from 1994 to 2016. Two other former pastors were related to Ratiani’s wife’s side of the family.
“For us, it’s all about involvement. Those who come here develop deep friendships, family-like connections in a congregation that truly cares. Our message of life is centered on loving those around us, while also being committed to Bible truth, people and engaging in scriptural guidance to see what it says about offering peace as Jesus did to those who are suffering and going through difficult times and need support,” Ratiani said. “The Bible’s definition of Shiloh includes references to Jesus as Messiah, the bringer of peace. That’s what we strive to do in a troubled world.”
He said we have all endured a year of crises and hardships. During the wildfires, 80 percent of Shiloh’s members were evacuated. For some, this led to a crisis of faith. “Our goal is to be a church that walks with its people through the good times as well as when facing the various trials of life to provide hope, assurance and comfort,” he said.
Ratiani has been conducting a series of studies based on the Beatitudes (or blessings) listed in Matthew chapter 5. They outline the standard of God’s calling, by seeing others as God sees them, people made in His image longing for a better life. He says these verses contain the test of whether we love God. The new life offered by Jesus is about how we can learn to positively relate and connect with those in our community.
“For many, the quest in life is for power and influence, God is in control and ultimately takes care of things. Our task is to take care of each other by modeling the character of Jesus, who by His nature and character is the definition of love,” Ratiani said. “I believe we should do this while proclaiming the truth about who God is as our example by putting others first and even loving our enemies.”
A weekly worship celebration is held on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m., with dynamic modern Christian music interspersed with moments of meditation on God’s word, followed by a Bible-based sermon. There is a nursery for kids up to preschool ages, and a Children’s Ministry for kids in elementary school during the worship celebration. Prayer gatherings are held on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. There are also small group meetings for men and women. Click on the calendar at the Shiloh church website http://www.shilohnc.org or call 707-838-9136 for more information.
Member involvement also means participating in the Nomadic Shelter program of the Redwood Gospel Mission by providing a warm place to stay overnight and hot meals for a number of homeless individuals at the church during cold and rainy winter months.
Shiloh is also active with the Royal Family Kids Camp (RFK), enabling 80 children of abuse, trauma or domestic violence ages 6-12 in foster care have opportunities to change their lives and build a better future through positive moments at camps and in mentoring clubs. Several of Shiloh’s volunteer directors are also RFK camp leaders. In addition, the church works with Sonoma County’s foster care and social worker program to aid young people who come from difficult places.
“Organized religion hasn’t always been defined according to the Bible,” Ratiani said. “We believe what is says in the Book of James 1:27, ‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: To look after orphans and widows in distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.’ As a pastor, I get to help people understand the love of God the Father, to walk in the way of Jesus, and to experience the presence of God’s spirit by serving together in the church and the local community.”
Gary Quackenbush is a Windsor resident and writer with his own public relations consultancy. He is the founder of the Windsor Care Network and a former CEO of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at ga**************@gm***.com.
