Our mantra is our mission:
love where you are

A group of people gathered outdoors into a wooded area for a concert or event, with some standing and others sitting on folding chairs, and a person playing guitar at the front near a small wooden stage.

Not only is this mantra an invitation to see the holy in the ordinary and to notice the sacred in the everyday, but it is also an imperative. It's a call to action to embody love in the places you find yourself each day in ways that make a tangible and lasting difference in your community and in the lives of those around you. It’s who we are because it’s who Jesus is.

What Sets Us Apart

  • Indoor event in a warehouse-style venue with a stage, musical instruments, rainbow decorations, and an audience seated and standing, watching a performance.

    Affirming

    You are more than welcome; you belong. When we say, “everyone belongs,” we really mean everyone. No bait and switch. No asterisks. Just full affirmation and celebration of who God has created you to be. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey — or no journey at all — you have a place at The Local Church.

  • A man in a black shirt with a red and yellow sash touches the head of a young girl with curly blonde hair, standing at a table with two other young girls and a woman. The scene appears to be taking place indoors with other people and a musician in the background.

    Anchoring

    When the world leaves you feeling heavy or anxious, exhausted or hopeless, we share in good news each week that anchors you and is relevant to your life. It gives you solid footing, reminds you you’re not alone, and helps you stay connected to what really matters.

  • A group of seven people, including children and adults, pose on a wooden porch in front of a house during daytime. They are smiling and appear to have built or styled a deck area. The background includes a mountainous landscape with trees and cloudy sky.

    Empowering

    The church is not a place; it’s a movement. So as a faith community, by God’s grace, the good news we share also empowers us to action. We put our hands and feet where our heart is, working for justice, equity, belonging, and love — wherever we are. That’s what it means to be local.

When we say, “love where you are,” this love is not a sentimental, superficial love. It's not a cheap love. This is the love of God that has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Our core values and core practices define the nature of this love and how we live it out. Here's what we mean.

Our Core Values

  • Jesus is at the center of all that we are and all that we do, and we seek to boldly carry his good news into the world.

    In his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus passionately welcomed the stranger, shared meals with the reviled, stood in solidarity with the oppressed, spoke out against injustice, disrupted the status quo, and challenged the powerful. Through these acts of holy boldness, Jesus brought peace in the midst of turmoil, light to places of darkness, and communion to places of isolation and division. We seek to boldly do the same with our hands, feet, hearts, and voices. This boldness requires us to walk humbly, acknowledging the ways in which some of us hold power and privilege that upholds an unjust status quo that Jesus sought to disrupt. Living boldly thus asks us to humbly listen to the voices of our neighbors and to share and relinquish that power and privilege. Through bold action with humble hearts, we seek to ensure the thriving of each person and the mending of all creation, creating a diverse and beloved community, one in Christ.

    (See Amos 5:24, Micah 6:8, Matthew 25:31-40, Luke 4:16-30, John 1:1-5.)

  • God’s love is for everyone, and we seek to be a community of belonging where all are welcome and all can participate — no matter what.

    Each and every person is made in the image of God, and every story matters. Jesus is in the business of tearing down walls — in the world and in our hearts, and we seek to live and love just as Jesus lived, died, and lives again: with open arms. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey (or on no journey at all!) and no matter your race, gender, ethnicity, creed, or sexual orientation, you belong here. There is space for you, and we're changed because of you. The Local Church is an open and affirming faith community.

    (See Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 24:1-2, Luke 15:11-32, Acts 10:9-34, 1 Corinthians 12:4-26, Galatians 3:26-28.)

  • As followers of Jesus — God with us — we are called to lean into relationship, and to be with one another, our community, and the world. In short, we believe we are better together.

    In Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — we encounter a God who is relational and whose very nature and being is community. God is constantly calling us into that communion — that holy friendship — with Godself. As we draw closer to God, we find ourselves drawn by the Spirit closer to one another and discover along the way that we are seen, known, and loved fully. We may not all think alike, but we can all love alike. We are committed to keeping unity in community and defaulting to relationship even when it’s hard.

    (See Exodus 3:1-12, Luke 10:25-37, Acts 2:42-47, Romans 12:9-21, Ephesians 4:1-6.)

  • God is for you and me and all of us. In response, we seek to give of ourselves to the mission of God in and for the world.

    In offering himself for the sake of the world, Jesus showed that the way of love is costly. In his work at the table of belonging, Jesus demonstrated that the way of love is generous and selfless. And in his kneeling down to wash the feet of his closest friends, he showed that the way of love is vulnerable. God has a dream that all of creation would be mended, and God invites us to help make that dream a reality. To this end and with sacrifice, selflessness, and vulnerability, we live generous lives just as God does — for one another, for our community, and for the world.

    (See Matthew 28:16-20, Romans 8:38-39, James 1:27, Revelation 21:1-6.)

Our Core Practices

  • At The Local Church, we create space for connection — with God, with ourselves, and with one another. We are called to live lives of generous hospitality, making space for God to move into our hearts and lives to bring healing, restoration, and wholeness. This may look like simply showing up on a regular basis. It can look like opening your home to others or taking a risk to try something new. It could also be listening to someone’s story or leaning into a new perspective or idea. When we open ourselves in this way, we discover that we are more whole together, that our lives are changed by one another's presence, and that we are not alone.

  • There's no "I" in church. All that we do at The Local Church prioritizes authentic relationship. In a world fraught with division, isolation, and polarization, we believe that the simple act of gathering to listen, learn, love, and serve can save our lives and change the world. This gathering has a purpose. Whether through Local Tables or The Local Book Club or Sunday Liturgy, our gatherings invite a sharing of ourselves with one another in community to learn more about who God is, who we are, and who God is calling us to be. Along the way, we find our people, learn more about ourselves and about God, and find the purpose and meaning for which our souls have been longing.

  • Dr. Cornel West said, "Justice is what love looks like in public." Our mission and service efforts are rooted in solidarity. This means that as we serve in our communities and in the world, working to love where we are with boldness and inclusivity, we prioritize relationship and empowerment. It's more than offering relief and then leaving, swooping in to help and then moving on. Solidarity means leaning into real lives, real stories, real struggles, and real injustices and staying with it for the long haul. Together, we seek holistic solutions that bring mending, mutuality, and the reality of God's dream.

Meet the Team