Our Story

Lighthouses often stand in lonely locations and sometimes local congregations and charitable organizations can feel just as isolated.

Shoreline Ministries

Having been in ministry for over 30 years, Craig Harris (founder of Shoreline Ministries) knows what it is like to be working as hard as you can and still be painfully aware that things are not getting done in the way that you feel they need to be. In today’s world, smaller churches...and even mid-size churches can have great vision, but lack the resources to address some needs. Other organizations are just located in areas that don’t get a lot of attention (not necessarily bad in itself), but they also have a more difficult time drawing strong professional assistance to their location. Shoreline Ministries combines Craig’s 30 years of ministry, friendships and business contacts into a ministerial clearinghouse, matching congregations up with people and materials to meet the needs of their community.

From his earliest years in ministry, Craig Harris has had a heart for those who didn’t have the resources to meet the obvious needs around them. Sometimes he would find himself “overstating “ a need, just to be able to see something move ahead instead of flounder around in a state of ineffectiveness. Whether it was work as a Pastor in a local congregation, or as a staff member of a community organization, Craig always has looked around for the needs that are not getting met and then trying to find a way to meet them.

While Shoreline Ministries has been in existence for 15 years, Craig’s duties as a Pastor, Teacher and Administrator have always held the organization as a secondary pursuit. This kept the ministry from developing into the entity that his vision foresaw. Finally, in 2010 after a great deal of prayer, deliberation and hard work, Craig left his position at a local corporation in Medford, OR (a job he had taken as a bi-vocational Pastor of a small congregation) and launched into Shoreline Ministries as a full time calling. As a part of the larger Sirrah Group of companies, Craig has begun to develop Shoreline as a viable organization that identifies needs in the community and then works to help the groups that are currently addressing those same needs by enhancing their efforts with practical works. He has served as Pulpit Fill for Pastors on vacation, directed local programs for youth where there was no Youth Pastor, and assisted with bolstering programs in congregations where staffing was unavailable to address the needs that were present.

The summer of 2012 saw the launch of a new concert ministry, through his musical group Refiner’s Fire. Each concert now acts as a fundraiser for local ministry in the community where the concert is being held. In turn, this also helps to spread the word about Shoreline and the other services that are available through the organization.

The name “Shoreline” is derived from the scripture John 21:4 “But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus” Shoreline Ministries is working to represent Jesus, standing on the shore, offering encouragement, and practical support, to those who are giving their dedication to see the needs of people around them being met, in the very pattern of service that Jesus Himself, gave us as an example. He did not offer to go out and fish for the disciples, but instead offered insight, and then had a meal already prepared for them as they came to the shore where He was.

At Shoreline, we know that you are working hard and we want to help. Is there anything that we can do for you today?