Ministry Structure
National Headquarters
The Love INC National Headquarters, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serves as the base of operations for the president of Love INC, Robert Odom, and the National Headquarters staff. The Love INC National Headquarters is governed by a national board of directors.
Love INC's National Headquarters carries out many essential functions, the most critical of which are providing affiliates with vision, direction, and shared understanding of ministry goals.
The National Headquarters also invests in affiliates by providing-free of charge-training, assessments, technical assistance, networking opportunities and marketing materials; coordinating national conferences and retreats; facilitating the sharing of best practices across the Love INC movement; responding to requests for information about Love INC; and assisting in the development of new affiliates.
National Trainers
The National Headquarters provides a team of national trainers to help equip and build the capacity of affiliates for effective ministry to people in need. National trainers are National Headquarters staff members and affiliate executive directors who are contracted by the Love INC National Headquarters to provide training in the Love INC model and various areas of organizational development.
Affiliates
Local affiliates are the essence of Love INC. Every Love INC affiliate is individually incorporated and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with its own board of directors, executive director, staff, and volunteers.
An affiliate is a network of churches working together, across denominational lines, to serve people in need. A minimum of six churches from six different denominations is required to start a Love INC affiliate, although most affiliates grow to include anywhere from several dozen to hundreds of churches working together in its community.
Community agencies are also integral to the Love INC model. Agencies refer requests for assistance to Love INC and serve as a source of help to clients. The successful partnership of church and non-church entities fulfills Love INC's goal of creating a holistic, collaborative outreach to meeting needs.
While each Love INC affiliate is unique with its own mix of programs and services to meet the needs of its community, all affiliates possess certain fundamental characteristics. Every Love INC affiliate:
- Is a Christian ministry.
- Networks Christian churches from at least six different denominations to work together.
- Forms a nonprofit corporation governed by a local board of directors.
- Helps churches organize their volunteers to be available to serve when needed.
- Builds relationships with community agencies.
- Operates a Clearinghouse where intake staff and volunteers screen requests for help as to their nature, extent, and legitimacy.
- Connects people in need with agencies, church ministries, and church volunteers to meet those needs.
- Depends on church volunteer involvement.
- Helps increase the capacity of churches by assessing community needs and creating new ministry opportunities to meet those needs.
- Brings a clear vision of how God can use the mobilized Church to transform lives and communities In the Name of Christ.