Who we are
Living Hope is a diverse community committed to helping everyone become what Jesus envisions. We believe that this means living like Jesus did, as people who are passionately devoted to God, deeply committed to each other and relentlessly focused on the lost by actively engaging in three relationships:
Up
our relationship with God
In
our relationship with our church family
Out
our relationship with others
We believe that these three relationships are essential to becoming what Jesus envisions. We need the grace and truth of Jesus poured into us by God, we need to spur each other on to living like Jesus did, and we need to invite others to experience the relationship with Jesus that has radically transformed our lives. Together we strive to be Spirit-empowered, prayer focused followers of Christ that disciple each other in a community of grace and truth-filled, loving relationships. We work together to find creative and engaging ways that we can have a meaningful impact for the kingdom of God in Regina and beyond.
Our Mission
We are committed to helping everyone become what Jesus envisions, people who are passionately devoted to God, deeply committed to each other and relentlessly focused on the lost. Up – In – Out
We want to help everyone become what Jesus envisions. The question is, “What does Jesus envision?”
At Living Hope, we believe that Jesus envisions that we would become a community of people living like Jesus did, living lives that are marked by grace and truth. In John’s account of the life of Jesus, he writes,
“The Word (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14
Jesus lived a life marked by grace and truth, a life that was uncharacteristic in his day. It was so uncharacteristic that John felt compelled to write about it. As we read in the Bible about each person’s relationship with Jesus, we see a grace and truth that is uncharacteristic of the world around us, even today. This is the life that we are called to live as Jesus’ disciples. John wrote in his first epistle that those who love God should live as Jesus lived (1 John 2:6).
Still the question can be asked, “What does this look like?” This is where the last part of the statement comes in – Up, In and Out.
“Up” refers to our relationship with God where everything begins. We want to become people who are passionately devoted to God and allow him to change our lives. We need the grace and truth of Jesus Christ to be poured into us. Grace is the unmerited favour, love and power of God expressed in his forgiveness and redeeming work. Truth – the reality of who we are, our need for help, and the solution to everything. As we experience the grace and truth of Jesus Christ we discover our purpose and our identity.
“In” refers to our relationship with others who, like us, are living out grace and truth. This is our relationship with other disciples and with the church. We want to become people who are deeply committed to each other. Being in relationship with and deeply committed to other disciples gives us opportunity to pour the grace and truth we’ve experienced into the lives of others. We need to help each other live like Jesus, and help each other get better at doing so.
“Out” refers to our relationship with those who do not know Jesus. From the very beginning, Jesus invited his disciples to work alongside him, to help others experience the grace and truth of the Father. One of Jesus’ last instructions to his disciples was to go and make more disciples. Jesus modelled a relentless focus on helping the lost discover relationship with God. Like Jesus, we want to become people who are relentlessly focused on the lost. Without our “Out” Relationships we will never fully become what Jesus envisions.
For each of these relationships we have defined two core behaviours that will help us become what Jesus envisions. These six core behaviours are:
Up
spirit empowered + prayer focused
IN
discipling community + loving relationships marked with grace & truth
Out
creative engagement + meaningful impact
Vision Prayer
Father, by your Spirit:
Draw us close and create in us an unquenchable desire to sit at your feet and hear the whisper of your voice before all else. Teach us the joy of living and learning in community. Unite us as a family of disciples that makes disciples. Open doors into our community so that we may introduce Jesus and Your Kingdom to our neighbours, city, and world. In the name of Jesus, we ask these things for your glory and our joy. Amen.
