Our Mission…
To mobilize local churches to transform lives of those in our community.
|
Our Mission…To mobilize local churches to transform lives of those in our community. |
|
|
Suggested Sermon Material for Love INC Sunday Pastor of a Possible Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 10:1, 8; Matthew 25:31-46; John 20:21; 1 John 3:18; Ephesians 4:7-16; Micah 6:8 Possible Song Selections: “I am Thine, O Lord”, “Jesus Calls Us”, “Here I Am, Lord”, “I have Decided to Follow Jesus”, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord”, “Where He Leads Me”, “I Would be True”, “Make Me a Servant”, “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love”, “Spirit of the Living God”, “Who is on the Lord’s Side”, and the song by Casting Crowns, “We Are the Body”. Introduction: To be a Christian is more than receiving the blessings of God through Jesus Christ. To be a Christian involves being – acting compassionately and generously towards others. It is not enough to believe the gospel or even to preach it. God wants us to live it (1 John When Jesus called his first disciples together, He commissioned them to go out and minister to the needs of people – cast out unclean sprits, heal all manner of sickness and disease (Matthew 10: 1, 8). Among His last words to His disciples was to “go to all nations” fulfilling their calling, to continue what He had started [as the Father sent me, so I send you] (Matthew 28: 19-20; John Paul reminds the Christians at Ephesus that God has gifted all members of His body for the work of ministry and that when the parts of the body are fitly joined together, each part working as it is gifted, the whole body is built up (Ephesians 4: 7-16). We are called to minister individually, but also as the body of Christ. We have a tremendously large commission. Alone we can only minister to a small segment of a world in need, even a community in need. What about the needs of our own communities? We have amazing gifts to share. When lives are filled with struggles, uncertainties, and even despair, the Church has resources to make a difference by offering help and hope in the name of Christ. That’s where Love INC comes into the picture. Love In the Name of Christ (love INC) is a strategy to help churches help their neighbors in need. Love INC is a network of churches in an area that links volunteers to people in need. It is a cooperative effort between churches and service agencies to provide effective help for the disadvantaged. Love INC is a vehicle that helps churches, collectively and individually, fulfill their biblical mandate to reach out to the poor and needy. Why do communities like ours need Love INC? First, existing resources of social service agencies are not adequate to meet growing levels of need. Second, churches [our church and others in the community], have resources that are seldom utilized to maximum potential in meeting needs of the community. Thirdly, often one church alone cannot deal with all the complex issues of poverty. It takes churches working together, across denominational lines, to meet these multifaceted needs. How does Love INC work? Love INC’s mission is to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ. First, it acts as a clearing house. Love INC receives requests for help, screens the request for extent of need and legitimacy, refers the request to a local church or to a community agency, and follows up to ensure that the need was met and to offer spiritual support. Secondly, Love INC offers training to church members and links them with families in need to provide mentoring, goal setting, and spiritual and emotional support. Why does Love INC work? Love INC works because there are unlimited resources in the body of Christ that Love INC mobilizes on behalf of those in need. It also gives Christians a specific, manageable opportunity to put their faith and love to work in service to people in need. And it works because scripture teaches us that love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Why is our church needed? If you remove the church from Love INC, it would cease to exist. It does not exist within itself. It is not an agency. It provides no direct services. Its sole purpose is to unify the body of Christ by mobilizing local units (local churches) of the body of Christ to fulfill together the tremendous commission that has been placed upon us by the Lord Himself. Our congregation is vital to the success of this home mission opportunity. Love INC enables Christians who are called to service to use their time and talents to make a difference in people’s lives. It allows church members to be the hands and feet of Jesus and the bearer of God’s love in situations where the need for that love is great. Where do we fit in all this? One church may have a furniture ministry, another a budget counseling ministry, another an after-school tutoring program, another a clothing ministry, another a thrift store, another an automotive repair ministry, another may offer temporary shelter, another a food pantry, and another transportation. Other churches may not have an organized ministry as such, but have individuals with many of these skills and gifts that could be offered on a limited basis to those in need. Beyond matching needs and resources, more and more Love INC partner churches are taking their ministries to the next level – relational ministry – bringing partner church families into direct relationships with individuals and families in need. Working together, families engaged in relational ministry partnerships are able to break the poverty cycle and see Christ transform lives. What can I as an individual member do to help? The most important position that needs to be filled is the Love INC volunteer. This Christian will volunteer their abilities to the Love INC organization. A questionnaire will be passed out outlining volunteer opportunities within our community. These areas within the Greater Hancock Community must be filled. You will only be contacted by our Church Ministry Coordinator, _______________, when a need has been identified and verified that you have the skills and ability to fill. This need will be specific and outlined for you. Other ways you can help is to donate needed items to a particular ministry within our community or make a one-time or monthly financial contribution * to the Love INC of Greater Hancock County through our church. Simply mark your contribution for Love INC, and we will combine it with the contributions of others and forward it to the Love INC office. You can volunteer to work in the Love INC office. For more than 25 years, Love INC has been mobilizing churches like ours to work together to transform lives and communities in the Name of Christ. There are currently over 120 affiliates (like our Love INC of Greater Hancock County), representing over 7,000 churches in nearly 30 states and Puerto Rico, serving more than 500,000 people in need each year. You can be a part of this important home missions opportunity. Will you pray about what God would have you do as a Love INC partner in our county? Complete the survey form enclosed in your bulletin and ____what to do with the survey_______ at the end of the service.
If you would like more information, talk to the Church Ministry Coordinator after the service, or contact the church office. Note to Pastor: A good rule of thumb might be $1 per member, if the entire church will be participating in the offering. No amount is suggested if individuals choose to contribute. We strongly suggest you make an appeal for volunteers, even if your church chooses not to become a partner church. However, it is believed that your church would benefit greatly by joining as a partner church. For More Information: Brenda Rodgers Executive Director Love INC of Greater
brenda@loveinc-ghc.org |