July to October 2016 -Activities report

Here’s a more detailed report of updates, activities and growth in La

1. Lakewood Connects Board: Lakewood Connects board; Paul and Audrey Crabtree, Chris and Lisa Welsh, Gary and Patti Southern, Diane Rhodus, Don Scanga, Amy and Reg Cox.

2. 501c3 Non-profit status: We started the Lakewood Connects non-profit certification process and registered the name; “Lakewood Connects” with the state.

3. Lakewood Connects mission: “Building collaborative service initiatives by merging leaders in churches, schools, businesses, nonprofits and neighborhoods for the greater good of the community.” This mission will begin appearing on Lakewood Connects information.

4. Title 1 elementary schools: In August Reg/Lakewood Faith Coalition met with leaders from churches, school district and the city to launch a new initiative linking faith communities to Title 1 elementary schools. Each school will have a Support Team for dialogue and improvement plans.

5. Whiz Kids: The afterschool tutoring program; Whiz Kids, has started up for its 5th school year in Lakewood helping connect kids and families to support, encouragement and the love of Christ. The Lakewood Church Network supports 9 sites in the city reaching over 150 kids.

6. Fall Festival: Reg organized a festival for 200+ folks in the Green Mountain neighborhood 9/25 which linked the local neighborhood association, apartments, school PTA and Lakewood church of Christ together for an afternoon of kid and family friendly activities.

7. Homeless families: Reg worked with County Human Services and a local non-profit to organize a fundraiser for the Family Severe Weather Shelter. The shelter operates out of a local church during winter months to house homeless families. Funds raised will further this good work.

8. Jeffco Human Services: Supporting Human Services director Lynn Johnson as she and her team establishes; “Thrives”, an organization linking all non-profit, church and government “service” entities in into a collaborative partnership. Reg’s role is to link faith communities to this effort.

9. Pastoring Pastors: Developing/growing relationships with dozens of pastors to support and nurture their personal and professional life through one-on-one discussions.

10. Speaking Engagement: Presented at Abilene Christian University’s “Cross Training” camp in Sipapu, New Mexico in July.

11. Speaking Engagement: Presented at the Colorado Christian University’s “Religious Freedom” Symposium 8/25

12. Speaking Engagement: Presented at a family camp in Felton, California Labor Day weekend

13. Jeffco Prays: Reg is co-chair of an organization that holds a yearly breakfast (March 2017) designed to nurture, support and expand prayer in Jefferson, County.

14. Upcoming – Lakewood Connects Information and Fundraising breakfast: 11/17 Lakewood Connects will host a breakfast to seek new financial partners from the business and city leadership. Reg is asking several local leaders to be “Event Hosts” to invite potential partners who would be excited about the mission and activities of Lakewood Connects.

15. Upcoming – Lakewood Church Information and Partnership lunch: In early December Reg and Amy will host a partnership lunch at Lakewood church of Christ designed to thank our supporters from 2016, share some success stories from the year and ask for financial help in 2017.

kewood Connects:

 

 

Partnership in Action!

July 2016 Pastor Pat Barns from Faith Mountain church let me know he had several thousand top quality volleyball sets to give away and wanted to know how to make that happen! Partnership is a mechanism for linking people, resources and together and that’s what Lakewood Connects is all about!

Pat has a members, Ron & Denise Padilla who own Park & Sun Sports. They had the champion sets available to donate. What a gift…now how do we set up giving the gift?
Reg contacted Jeffco superintendent Dan McMinnmee who connected him with the director of P.E. David Yonkee. David was fired up to get the volleyball sets. At an orientation meeting in August Pat and Reg were able to present every school in Jeffco with 4 new volleyball sets!

That’s what partnership is all about!

Reg Cox – City Connector: Background

 

Background: January 2016 Reg transitioned from Senior Pastor to Lakewood’s City Connector. A City Connector builds relational bridges among vital community leaders in a defined geographic area in order to develop, support or sustain breakthrough projects. Reg’s non-profit is called; “Lakewood Connects.”

Reg leads the Lakewood Church Network (12 years) and the Lakewood Faith Coalition (3 years). These networks partner with school, business, government, non-profit and neighborhood leaders to develop breakthrough projects that change lives! In 2016 these projects have focused on under-served elementary schools and their adjoining neighborhoods. By building partnerships and collaborative service initiatives we are witnessing grass-root sustainable changes in Lakewood.