The heart of our God is mercy & justice.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
- 2 Corinthians 8:9
Our heart for mercy and justice flows out of God’s heart for the poor and needy, the vulnerable and outcast. God’s concern for the least of these is a central theme throughout Scripture, spanning over 400 verses. We see in the New Testament that Jesus’s passion for the poor is a literal passion, where he suffered and gave his life, not for the strong, but for the weak. As we follow our Savior, we will follow in His mission of mercy and justice to the world
The help of our ministry is through friendship.
“So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:8
We believe that the problem of and the solution to poverty is not primarily material, but relational. In order to help eliminate poverty in our church and help alleviate poverty in our community, it will primarily take relationships, the presence of God working through the people of God. Put simply: we want to help through friendship. Our strategy is put beautifully by the London City Mission: “the same person going to the same people to become their friends for Jesus sake.”
The hope of our church is beloved community.
“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
- Jeremiah 29:7
The hope of our church is not just to help the neighborhood (as important as that is), but to belong to the neighborhood. So our prayer is not just for relief, but for relationships that lead to life together. We pray, “Your kingdom come on earth as it in heaven” while working to help “strangers become neighbors and neighbors become the family of God.”
AREAS TO SERVE
Inside the Church, Through the Church, and In the Neighborhood
When mercy and justice is talked about in Scripture, it is often accompanied by the “quartet of the vulnerable”: the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the refugee. Our mercy ministry tries to reflect those 4 areas in the ways that we serve.
If you have a special interest in one of those areas, please fill out this form and let us know your interest!
LOOKING FOR HELP?
Click here to view a list of resources available from many organizations in the community.
LOOKING TO HELP OTHERS?
Click the button below to fill out a Service Gifting Survey that will help you identify the gifts and resources you can provide to our church and community. The Deacons and Mercy Team will have access to this form and may reach out to you if there is a particular need that would fit your gifting or resources.