“The church in the New Testament was a new community. The members of this new community transcended all earthly barriers-- language, culture, socioeconomic status, nationality, vocation, and occupation…This biblical image of the church should translate into our modern society nicely. That translation…will certainly require a church that is incarnational in its lifestyle….It is probably multiethnic and multi-socioeconomic and may be multilingual. It takes on issues of injustice-- such as racism, sexism, and oppression- as part of its core values. The new community model is prophetic in that it speaks against evil and social injustice.”
--Manuel Ortiz, co-author of “Urban Ministry”
Over the course of the past several months, our church has been seeking God together regarding how we can partner with Him in his redemptive activities in our community and world. As we have sought him together, He has revealed what we believe to be an unfolding picture of where He is taking us. The following statement communicates where we feel God is leading us as we move forward into a new season of ministry.
Our Collective Dream Statement:
Living Hope is a multicultural, multigenerational, mission-shaped faith community that loves God fervently, one another intimately, and our neighbors—near and far—compassionately. We provide a welcoming, safe environment where people from the varied cultures, races, generations, and economic backgrounds in our community and beyond worship and experience God together. Our intercultural and intergenerational friendships and mentoring relationships transcend the racial, class, and generational barriers that normally divide people. In fact, those who have spent any time with us rave about the uncommon intimacy, trust, and acceptance they have seen see displayed among our diverse members, and that has been extended toward them as well. In fact, it is this intimate way of relating to one another, our passionate way of relating to God through culturally relevant, participatory, and technologically driven worship, and our focus on empowering people to live out their God-shaped destinies that keeps members and guests coming back for more on a regular basis.
As we have continued to grow closer to God and one another, we have also grown closer to our neighbors—especially the youth. As our own spiritually revitalized youth and key youth leaders reach them on their campuses and draw them into our fully equipped and well-maintained facility, we provide them with the peer relationships, committed mentors, and culturally relevant programs that they are craving. As they are spiritually, emotionally, and socially transformed in these relationships, their parents are drawn into meaningful relationships with us as well. Through these relationships, and through our ministry to parents, entire families are transformed.
Our influence does not stop with families, however. We are especially excited about the creative partnerships we have formed with local community groups and businesses, churches and ministries, and non-profits and individuals. As we have worked with our partners over the past few years we have seen significant spiritual transformation, racial healing, and economic justice begin to occur in our community and in other distant places in the world where we have a presence. Our commitment to social action and advocacy in the name of Christ has resulted in new opportunities for quality education, jobs, and critical services like affordable childcare, healthcare, and mental health services for the poor and underserved in our community. The result has been a significant change in the way our community views us, and because of this dozens of people have experienced God’s transforming grace and joined our vibrant and growing faith community. Because of these efforts, we have become known inside and outside of our denomination as an innovative missional church that others seek to emulate and learn from.
We attribute our missional influence and impact to several factors. The first is our commitment to prayer. As people meet in homes throughout the week and flood our altar during weekend worship services to seek God individually and corporately through prayer, we have grown increasingly dependent upon God’s Spirit who informs all of our strategic ministry decisions. Second, our comprehensive, relationally based discipleship process continues to help us reach our God-given potential as we teach one another how to connect intimately with Jesus, live free from addictions and other forms of emotional bondage, and love others—both inside and outside of the church—with compassion across generational and cultural boundaries. Third, our urban leadership training center continues to help our members, as well as dozens of emerging leaders from throughout our city annually, make a significant difference in the five boroughs and beyond as they discover and live out their missional calling. Those who have participated in our training program have planted new churches, started new ministries, begun to serve in key roles in churches, non-profits, and mission minded businesses, and have learned how to become people of Kingdom influence in their workplaces and social networks.