Currently, there are over 70 churches in the Love INC network:
Without local CHURCHES, there is no Love In the Name of Christ
Partnering with LOVE INC of Charlottesville / Albemarle
We work with large, medium, and small churches and the level of support varies with each church. Love INC offers churches the opportunity for Christian service and outreach in our community. Obviously, the more elements of support a church offers, the more of our “neighbors in need” will be reached.
Levels of support vary between churches and size is not the distinguishing factor, ONLY the desire to minister to our neighbors. The more a church is involved, the more lives can be changed for Christ. We encourage churches to move to a deeper Partnership in which each church commits to joining other churches to provide volunteer and financial support for the operation of Love INC. We ask a church to:
- Introduce Love INC to the congregation
- Refer requests for help to the Love INC Clearinghouse
- Encourage church members to participate in the ministry of Love INC
- Organize church members to serve by using their gifts and abilities
- Accept referrals for help from the Love INC Clearinghouse to existing ministries
- Participate in the financial support of Love INC
- Pray for Love INC, clients (neighbors in need), other partner churches, and for the unity in the body of Christ
- Appoint one or more Church Ministry Coordinator(s) (CMCs) to be the liaison(s) between the Clearinghouse and the congregation
The church may also want to:
- Create a church or joint ministry to fill a gap of need in the community
- Do follow-up visits to people who have received help through the Love INC Clearinghouse
How Love INC Serves Churches
Love INC Commits to:
- Verify the legitimacy of needs through the Love INC screening process,
- Discover if those receiving assistance are already receiving help from other churches or agencies,
- Lessen the burden of any one church by rotating assistance requests among partner churches,
- Help churches steward resources, and
- Coordinate volunteer efforts; thereby
- Decreasing mercy ministry administrative burdens on the Church.
- Decide how to best help a person in need by discovering issues at a root level.
- Provide long-term, self-help solutions to those with chronic need.
- Provide specific, manageable opportunities for Churches to reach out with God’s love to people in need.
- Enable Churches to assist those outside of their own congregation.
- Offer a unified witness of God’s love to the community as Christian Churches work together.
NOTE: Most ministries and agencies focus on the requested need of the individual. Love INC does not. Love INC focuses on the person!