Values
We believe that God loves our city and the people in it (Jonah 4:10-11). It is not beyond hope or beyond God’s redemptive love, but rather it needs to be liberated from the powers of darkness through the blood of Christ. As God’s church, commissioned to be His apostolic witness in the Lakewood/Long Beach area, we believe that it is our subsequent responsibility and God-given calling to love our city and fight for its liberation from sin and oppression. This means that we will stand firm in the face of every opposition to God’s Kingdom purposes while proclaiming His undying love for a broken world (Eph 6:10-20).
We believe in a holistic approach to ministry in the city. Because of this we will strive to promote a balance between proclamation and justice ministries that focus on the needs of the whole person. We believe that this approach models Jesus’ ministry (Lk 4:18-19), and that Jesus’ ministry should be our guide in carrying out His ministry in our community.
We believe that social change occurs best through the conversion of individuals, families, and groups. However, ministries promoting community development and social justice are just as vital in carrying out God’s redemptive purposes in the city, as they attack the structures that promote sin, oppression, and marginalization. Because the majority of evangelical churches in America have neglected this God-ordained role in society (Micah 6:8), we will place a special emphasis on justice-focused ministries that attack these structures. Consequently, while we will strive to promote balance between evangelism and justice in our ministry approach at Lakewood, this will not necessarily translate into equal amounts of time or money being spent on both types of outreach.
We believe that empowerment and justice should take precedence over charity. We believe that simply giving charity to someone in need without changing their situation and teaching them how to remain out of that situation only promotes a vicious cycle of poverty and oppression. True freedom comes when by the power of Christ people are set free from the bondage of oppression and taught how to live in that freedom on a daily basis.
We believe that effective ministry is relational and incarnational. Just as Jesus left His heavenly dwelling to live among fallen humanity (John 1:14), so are Christians called to live among fallen humanity as well. You can’t love those whom you don’t know, and consequently we value ministries that place us among the people we are trying to reach.
Closely related to this, we believe that God’s mission for Lakewood starts with the people we know. Because God works best through loving relationships, as Christians we need to be influencing the people that God has brought into our daily lives. Only then can we make a difference in the world at large.
Because of our love for people, we will always value people over programs. Programs should never dictate how we love and reach people- instead, our love for people should dictate the kind of programs we provide to demonstrate God’s love for them.
True service and commitment to carrying out God’s mission in the city involves a commitment on behalf of God’s people to be more than armchair ministers. We firmly believe that as God’s people, we need to be tithing our time and our talents, as well as our treasures. Simply giving our money and letting someone else carry out the ministry is not enough. God desires us to be involved both financially and physically in His mission in the city.
We believe that we are just a small part of what God is already doing in our city. Therefore we highly value other ministries in the area and will seek to partner with and promote their ministries to the best of our abilities.
We believe in a holistic approach to ministry in the city. Because of this we will strive to promote a balance between proclamation and justice ministries that focus on the needs of the whole person. We believe that this approach models Jesus’ ministry (Lk 4:18-19), and that Jesus’ ministry should be our guide in carrying out His ministry in our community.
We believe that social change occurs best through the conversion of individuals, families, and groups. However, ministries promoting community development and social justice are just as vital in carrying out God’s redemptive purposes in the city, as they attack the structures that promote sin, oppression, and marginalization. Because the majority of evangelical churches in America have neglected this God-ordained role in society (Micah 6:8), we will place a special emphasis on justice-focused ministries that attack these structures. Consequently, while we will strive to promote balance between evangelism and justice in our ministry approach at Lakewood, this will not necessarily translate into equal amounts of time or money being spent on both types of outreach.
We believe that empowerment and justice should take precedence over charity. We believe that simply giving charity to someone in need without changing their situation and teaching them how to remain out of that situation only promotes a vicious cycle of poverty and oppression. True freedom comes when by the power of Christ people are set free from the bondage of oppression and taught how to live in that freedom on a daily basis.
We believe that effective ministry is relational and incarnational. Just as Jesus left His heavenly dwelling to live among fallen humanity (John 1:14), so are Christians called to live among fallen humanity as well. You can’t love those whom you don’t know, and consequently we value ministries that place us among the people we are trying to reach.
Closely related to this, we believe that God’s mission for Lakewood starts with the people we know. Because God works best through loving relationships, as Christians we need to be influencing the people that God has brought into our daily lives. Only then can we make a difference in the world at large.
Because of our love for people, we will always value people over programs. Programs should never dictate how we love and reach people- instead, our love for people should dictate the kind of programs we provide to demonstrate God’s love for them.
True service and commitment to carrying out God’s mission in the city involves a commitment on behalf of God’s people to be more than armchair ministers. We firmly believe that as God’s people, we need to be tithing our time and our talents, as well as our treasures. Simply giving our money and letting someone else carry out the ministry is not enough. God desires us to be involved both financially and physically in His mission in the city.
We believe that we are just a small part of what God is already doing in our city. Therefore we highly value other ministries in the area and will seek to partner with and promote their ministries to the best of our abilities.
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