As a Love INC board member they assume a unique role in the ministry of Christ and His Church. Board members come from diverse backgrounds, worship in a variety of ways, and hold varied theological positions, yet are one through love. This ministry will be a witness to our community that the Body of Christ can unite and that in unity, we can truly make a difference in our community.

The board’s primary purpose is to discern God’s will for the Love INC in our community. Because individually and corporately we exist to glorify and serve God, we must take into account God’s expectations for our service together in His name. If we neglect to consider God’s will, then we cease to operate as the Body of Christ. To be the Body of Christ requires that we acknowledge our dependence on Christ’s leadership.

God’s presence of the board changes a business meeting where the primary concern is practicality, frugality, and efficiency to spiritual discernment meetings where the primary concern is good stewardship  of all God’s gifts within the Body of Christ. Efficient processes, careful financial accounting, and practical considerations remain important, but they are a means to an end and not the end themselves. Board tables ought to be holy ground~ places for sacrificial offerings and blessing. May God be glorified as we work together to discern His will for Love INC of Pierce County.

Pastor Jeff Ott  CenterPoint Christian Fellowship Board President

Mark Anderson Puyallup Nazarene Church Board Treasurer

Leslie Giba Real Life Family Center

Pastor Mike Boisture  Puyallup Nazarene Church Board Secretary

Pastor Paul Dawson  Vice President Rainer View Christian Church

Timothy Acker Attorney at Law, Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church

Karen Asbjornsen  Lighthouse Christian Center

Position Description
The church ministry coordinator in each Love INC church is indispensable, He/she is a vital link between needs referred by Love INC and the appropriate church volunteer. Church ministry coordinators do not respond to requests themselves, nor do they overload one or two willing people. Instead, they involve as many church members as possible in the Love INC ministry.

Qualifications

• Lay person or paid church staff.
• Committed to Christian ministry.
• Familiar with church membership and part of the church’s leadership.
• Available to serve for at least one year.
• Accessible during Love INC office hours (as a rule).

Responsibilities

• Help the pastor plan an outreach for the church by:
  • Planning an outreach Sunday.
  • Identifying existing outreach using Church Resource Inventory (CRI) worksheet.
  • Identifying individual resource inventories.

• Share volunteer best practices with church volunteers.
• Receive referrals from Love INC and link them with the most appropriate church resource.
• Keep the church and Love INC informed about the ministry.
• Refer needs to the Love INC Clearinghouse.
• Encourage prayer support.
• Assist with church-Love INC relationships.
• Be the Love INC presence in the church.

Training
Love INC will equip you to serve as church ministry coordinator and serve as a support to you.

Guarantees
Love INC referrals to you will be:

• Manageable
• Specific

Located in the zip code where your church is located or the area you tell us

1. We are Christian. Everything we think, say, and do is in the name of Christ.

2. Prayer is an integral part of who we are.

3. We follow Christ’s example of valuing the poor and needy.

4. We value unity of the Body of Christ.

5. We value transformation in the lives of people and communities.

6. We value churches living out the two great commandments to love God and love their neighbors.

7. We value building Christ-like relationships.

8. We value the connectedness of the Love INC movement.

9. We model excellence.

10. We value continually maturing in our capacity to meet people’s needs.

Dear Co-Workers for Christ:

As we work to share God’s love, care, grace, and mercy with those who come into our churches for assistance - whether with a spiritual need, or with needs for assistance with food, rent, or other bills - we have a great privilege that we share. According to Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, whenever we help those that society may deem to be “the least of these”, we are actually extending ourselves to Jesus.

There are times when the needs that come our way are pretty overwhelming… when we would truly like to do more, but know that we - practically speaking - can not. That is where the Body of Christ in Pierce County comes in, and that’s where Love INC gives such great help.

Love INC has been an important partner in RVCC’s benevolence ministries for the past couple of years. Love INC’s “clearinghouse” style of ministry has been a great benefit, not only to me and our congregation, but - more importantly - to those who come in or call from the community for assistance. As Love INC works with those who call them for help, they work to unite the Church - the Body of Christ - in practical, helpful, and life changing ways on behalf of “the least of these.”

There have been many times when we as a congregation could not possibly help a person with all of their need. But, through the work of Love INC, we were able to join with other Churches (and even secular agencies) in Pierce County to meet the person’s need. What a wonderfully practical and tangible demonstration of God’s deep love and care to those who come to us for help.

Another practical help that Love INC provides is their research into the needs that people ask help for. There have always been those who would seek to take advantage of the Church’s compassion with false, or at least exaggerated, stories of need. Love INC’s volunteers follow up on all the requests that come their way to make sure that the needs truly exist. They also ask the “tough questions” about why this need has come about, how often it comes about and what can be done to turn things around. It’s a practical living out of the “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day - Teach him to fish, and he eats for a lifetime” philosophy.

I can’t recommend the ministry of Love INC more highly. I encourage you to consider partnering with Love INC and joining in this movement of God in Pierce County.

Because of Jesus,

Paul

Paul C. Dawson
Pastor of Member Care & Counseling
Rainier View Christian Church

Church partnerships are essential to Love INC.  Without church partners, there is no Love INC.  Each Love INC partner church commits to joining with other churches to provide volunteer and financial support for the operation of Love INC.  Most often, in a comprehensive partnership, a church will demonstrate their commitment by: 

1. Introducing Love INC to the congregation.

2. Referring requests for help to the Love INC Clearinghouse.

3. Encouraging church members to participate in the ministry of Love INC.

4. Appointing one or more Church Ministry Coordinator(s) (CMC) to be the liaison(s) between the Clearinghouse and the congregation.

5. Organizing church members to serve by using their gifts and abilities.

6. Providing Clearinghouse volunteers from their church each year.

7. Participating in the financial support of Love INC.

8. Praying for Love INC, clients, other partner churches, and for unity in the Body of Christ.

In addition, a church may also:

· Create a church or joint church ministry to fill a gap in community services.

· Follow-up with a visit to people who have received help through the Love INC Clearinghouse.

 Ø  We have written policies in place to address client emergency assistance and financial assistance situations.

 Ø An intake is conducted and requests are reviewed as to their nature, extend, and legitimacy.

Ø All client interactions are conducted with respect to the inherent dignity and worth of every person.

Ø Clients receive a timely determination as to the type of referral and resources they will receive.

Ø Clients are connected to agencies, church ministries, and or church volunteers to help meet their needs.

 Ø Clearinghouse services and church resources are available to all peop0le, without discrimination.

 Ø Client matters are not shared or discussed with those who are not involved in the helping process.

 Ø Clearinghouse volunteers receive an orientation to Love INC, appropriate training for their position and are placed in appropriate positions.

 Ø Clearinghouse volunteers are recognized for their service.

 Ø The board, staff and volunteers are committed to the continuous improvement of Clearinghouse operations.

 Ø We will recruit partner churches from a broad spectrum of Christian church denominations.

 Ø That we will ask churches to participate with resource inventories so that information is compiled and used in the Clearinghouse.

 Ø We will ask that partner churches hold an annual Love INC day with a talent tithe, individual volunteers to sign up using their gifts and talents to help both inside and outside the church body.

 Ø We will expect there to be a point person or Love INC ministry coordinator in the church who will be the liaison between the members of the church and Love INC.

Our online database has a new link to access it. The link is www.loveinactionpc.org For those Churches that support the network financially you may automatically have access.

For those who don’t regularly support our operational expenses there is a fee of $99 per year for access. For more information call our office at      253-531-2365 .

We offer 15 week workshops to either train trainers or to use as a step by step, life planning workbook for people in poverty that brings together three primary influences:

• Dr. Ruby K. Payne’s work on the hidden rules of class.
• Research on knowledge transfer
• The knowledge of participants living in poverty.

The goal of Getting Ahead is to help you create your own path for making a stable secure life for you and your family. In going through the workbook, you aren’t going  to be handed a plan and told to follow certain steps. We know that all people  have  their own story and everyone is different. For that reason, it’s important that  each person create his/her own plan. We’re all living out the stories of our lives. Part of that story comes from our past, from where and how we live, from the people in our lives, from history and from world and national events. Who we are today was decided by what we did yesterday; who we’ll be tomorrow is decided by what we do today. Whether we know it or not, we’re all creating our future stories right now.  You can use Getting Ahead to help create your future story.

For information about our class contact Sherry at 253-468-6236