Shift UCC
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My name is Pastor Lawrence T. Richardson. I am the founding pastor of Shift UCC. Shift UCC is an alternative faith community with the mission to BE the light in the world around us. We are a community of seekers made up of people from all levels of being and expression. Since our first worship service in November 2012, my ministry team and I have built an online network of more than 20,000 people--with nearly 300 of them being local Minnesota residents. Our goal is to NOT become your traditional local church. Our hope is that we literally become the Gospel in motion...the hands and feet of Christ 24-hours a day.
Shift UCC: A New Way of Doing Church by Being Church
The purposes for our physical gatherings is to BE the ministry for our online community. We are in essence, content developers. We are the iCarly church. While we are living in community with one another, serving one another, learning from and with one another, and grappling with larger questions pertaining to faith and God, our online community is walking alongside us, watching us, being inspired by us, and seeking God with us. We live in the margins and we are coming up together. Thank you for being in covenant with us as we live out our testimony of faith to Seek God, Serve God and one another, be Shifted by the Spirit of God through discipleship, and be examples of lives Shaped by God's Holy and Divine Spirit.
Mission: To BE the light in the world around us
Vision: Shifting Spirit Seekers into Spirit Shapers through Service
Ministry Summary
Shift UCC operates as an online-based, ministry connection working through small-group ministry gatherings. We engage non-traditional, transient, and marginalized groups by building an online cloud (network) community that serves as "the church" and reinforces community through pastoral one one ones, worship events, social media and community fellowship gatherings. Church is community and community -just like the internet- should be all around you and always accessible. Having constant connection to "the church" is the future of the church because it provides a constant source of hope for the oppressed and marginalized person. This digital age we are in makes it possible for communities to gather online. The concept of church as a community is necessary in order to reinforce Christian values. So there needs to be a presence online that reinforces these values to people through lenses informed by an understanding of a still-speaking God. In order to do this, I (Lawrence) need a team of people to work with to train as leaders who walk with me in spiritual community so that we can produce content to engage a physical community that is trained to inspire our online community. The physical community I am training/leading is for preparation to serve our larger online community (21st century discipleship). It is church in the "cloud".
We, the people, are the church; and through this ministry we hope to develop leaders who are commissioned to take our good news into our communities and networks around the world.
The people we reach are the people who live on the margins...outside of the box and outside of the confines of the traditional church structure and routine. People who identify as spiritual and not religious but desire a covenantal framework for exploring a deeper, more meaningful relationship with a still-speaking God.
If you want to find out more about Shift, visit our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ShiftUCCMN or our website: www.ShiftTheChurch.org
If you want to find out more about me, Pastor Lawrence, visit: www.LTRichardson.com
Shift United Church of Christ is a 501c3 non-profit organization under the Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ. Your donation is tax deductib
Shift UCC: A New Way of Doing Church by Being Church
The purposes for our physical gatherings is to BE the ministry for our online community. We are in essence, content developers. We are the iCarly church. While we are living in community with one another, serving one another, learning from and with one another, and grappling with larger questions pertaining to faith and God, our online community is walking alongside us, watching us, being inspired by us, and seeking God with us. We live in the margins and we are coming up together. Thank you for being in covenant with us as we live out our testimony of faith to Seek God, Serve God and one another, be Shifted by the Spirit of God through discipleship, and be examples of lives Shaped by God's Holy and Divine Spirit.
Mission: To BE the light in the world around us
Vision: Shifting Spirit Seekers into Spirit Shapers through Service
Ministry Summary
Shift UCC operates as an online-based, ministry connection working through small-group ministry gatherings. We engage non-traditional, transient, and marginalized groups by building an online cloud (network) community that serves as "the church" and reinforces community through pastoral one one ones, worship events, social media and community fellowship gatherings. Church is community and community -just like the internet- should be all around you and always accessible. Having constant connection to "the church" is the future of the church because it provides a constant source of hope for the oppressed and marginalized person. This digital age we are in makes it possible for communities to gather online. The concept of church as a community is necessary in order to reinforce Christian values. So there needs to be a presence online that reinforces these values to people through lenses informed by an understanding of a still-speaking God. In order to do this, I (Lawrence) need a team of people to work with to train as leaders who walk with me in spiritual community so that we can produce content to engage a physical community that is trained to inspire our online community. The physical community I am training/leading is for preparation to serve our larger online community (21st century discipleship). It is church in the "cloud".
We, the people, are the church; and through this ministry we hope to develop leaders who are commissioned to take our good news into our communities and networks around the world.
The people we reach are the people who live on the margins...outside of the box and outside of the confines of the traditional church structure and routine. People who identify as spiritual and not religious but desire a covenantal framework for exploring a deeper, more meaningful relationship with a still-speaking God.
If you want to find out more about Shift, visit our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ShiftUCCMN or our website: www.ShiftTheChurch.org
If you want to find out more about me, Pastor Lawrence, visit: www.LTRichardson.com
Shift United Church of Christ is a 501c3 non-profit organization under the Minnesota Conference United Church of Christ. Your donation is tax deductib
Organizer
Lawrence Tanner Richardson
Organizer
Lakeville, MN