How It Works
Our mission is to mobilize local churches to transform lives and communities In the Name of Christ.
More simply put—we help churches help people. Here’s how:
It Begins With A Call
When a neighbor has a need, they call Love INC. What’s the first thing they’ll hear? The voice of a caring, well equipped volunteer from one of our partner churches. A volunteer who will take the time to listen and care for the person calling with compassion and discernment; who will inquire about the presenting need, but also explore the broader context of the person’s situation.
Why? Because everything we do revolves around relationships. Love INC isn’t about transactions and checking off boxes. We want transformation for our neighbors, in our churches, and in our communities.
Then We Make Connections
In every community, neighbors with needs are surrounded by Christians with skills and resources, who are called to help. Love INC helps churches provide holistic care for their neighbors by coordinating specific, manageable opportunities that mobilize the resources, gifts, and relationships of their congregations. Providing things like furniture, food pantries, and life skills classes, Love INC helps churches work across denominational lines to meet the tangible and intangible needs of their community.
But don‘t get us wrong, this isn‘t a one-way street. It‘s a process that requires mutual participation because our goal isn‘t about meeting needs as much as it‘s about meeting a person where they‘re at and helping them achieve their God-given potential.
When We Move Beyond Simply Meeting Needs, Transformation Is Possible
Our Ministry Model:
The Love INC ministry model is relational, because we believe Christ-like relationships are transformative.
When Love INC flourishes in a community, healthy relationships grow, Christian love thrives, and struggling neighbors receive support, friendship, and the kind of practical help they need. Love In the Name of Christ’s Relational Ministry model can be expressed in four interconnected ways or “modes.” We call these modes:
The local Love INC clearinghouse or connection center is the foundation of the Love INC ministry. It is also the first opportunity we have to begin to listen to and care for people while exploring ways for churches to be helpful.
The Clearinghouse receives requests for help, screens the requests, verifies the need, and then refers the request to a local church ministry, church volunteer, or community agency. After people are helped the Clearinghouse follows up to ensure the need was met and to offer continued spiritual support.
Love INC desires to help people holistically to achieve longer-term goals. We do this through our Transformational Ministry. This involves organizing and equipping church members to offer weekly classes and mentoring. Some Transformational Ministry programs are just a couple of months long, and others extend to over a year. Our Transformational Ministry programming provides people with knowledge/skills training, goal setting, emotional support, and spiritual encouragement along with the church and community resources available through the Love INC Clearinghouse and Gap Ministries.
In Community Transformational Ministry, a local Love INC, on behalf of their partner churches, actively engages local governments and becomes an advocate for developing community-wide solutions that incorporate developmental compassion and preserve the dignity of people being served in a Christ-like and God-honoring way.
Love INC Benefits
The collective support of Love INC can transform communities and lives
Collaborating across communities
A local Love INC is a partnership of local Christian churches working in a coordinated way to address and respond to the needs of their neighbors—In the Name of Christ. This collaboration is facilitated by the local Love INC office in practical, productive, and transformative ways. Local Love INCs work in partnership with the national organization, but are governed by their own local board of directors. Christian churches across at least six denominations partner together to form a Love INC affiliate. Some Love INC locations have fewer than 20 church partners, some have more than 200. Together, the Christians in these churches model Christ’s love and answer God’s call to serve.
Together, we serve our communities In the Name of Christ
Lots of organizations give “stuff”. Very few organizations connect caring, well-trained Christians with individuals experiencing need. The role of Love INC is not to replace the Church but to help churches distribute their skills, gifts, resources, and love in a collaborative, cohesive way. Because when that happens, lives are changed and communities are transformed.
