Jasmine has been involved in her neighborhood Church for 35 years. The congregation is now comprised of +seventy year old folks but they dream of serving their neighborhood in effective ways! They’re desire is to be effective not to just do service. Let me explain, when our acts of service are a onetime action we run the risk of rewarding helplessness. By “rewarding helplessness,” what I mean is we accidentally reinforce the need that we’re trying to serve because the only connection between us and folks in need occurs at the point of service! In other words, folks experiencing need are resistant to solving their need because they then risk losing the connection with us.

Effective Service to the community is Relationship Based! There are plenty of resources to help fill needs but there are very few Mentors, Friends” or Navigators who meet with and encourage folks receiving service in an ongoing and warm manner. Relationship Based Service builds connections between people in need and supporters that remain over months and years. Relation based service is the key to a transformed life!

Solution: Jasmine and Barbara wanted their church to be effective but they didn’t know where to start. That’s what Lakewood Connects does, we have a broad base of relationship with 100’s of organizations that serve need. We help a church find a right fit between what they care about and partner groups who excel in serving that need. Then the church can stay focused on building relationships with those receiving service! This is how we change lives!

Example: In our community a large nonprofit is redeveloping a closed elementary school into a service hub where 7 other nonprofits will join them to address several different kinds of community needs at one stop!

Gap: The gap in this upcoming community service hub will be volunteers who can help those in need arriving at the facility to find their way to the right service partner, then support them through the ongoing support pathway. This is how local faith community really shines! When we build relationships we help neighbors move from struggling to thriving and flourishing!

Lakewood Connects is proud to support Churches and Faith partners who are ready to come alongside neighbors in need and guide, support and celebrate their transformed life! The compelling witness of faith is a transformed life and the compelling value of faith to our community is its proactive relationship with our neighbors! Thanks for helping us make a difference and model a new way faith can partner with other organizations to decrease suffering in our world!

10 years ago in January 2016, Amy and Reg started the 501c3 nonprofit, Lakewood Connects. They were compelled to begin this work by the connections, partnerships and progress they had experienced in Lakewood, Colorado between Church, Education, Government and Business during Reg’s 15 years as Senior Pastor at Lakewood Church of Christ and knew that there were more and bigger opportunities for advancing the greater good in the city!

Reg’s job is called; “City Connector,” a title coined by Dave Runyon who also connects churches to churches and church to city in Arvada through his organization, City Unite. 

Transitioning from church pastor to community organizer is a big leap with a steep learning curve! But in both roles Reg and Amy responded to a clear sense of a Godly call! They feel their gifts are being used now in this city connection work in an important way that glorifies God!   

On the initial board in 2015 were church friends Paul and Audrey Crabtree, Jason and Courtney Drysdale, Gary and Patti Southern and Chris and Lisa Welsh along with Green Mountain neighborhood leader Diane Rhodus and longtime civic leader Don Scanga. These friends supported the work and offered wisdom, key planning and fundraising guidance. There is no way we would have made it without their encouragement, advice, direction and prayer!

What has been accomplished? During these 10 years Lakewood Connects (LWC) has led, partnered or supported key advances in these top categories:

1. Education/LWC’s influence is focused in 3 areas: 1) Faith Based Tutoring Programs supporting +5,000 students and +1500 community member tutors. 2) Reg served on School District Advisory Boards for health, academics and strategic planning. 3) Reg assisted; Jeffco Schools Foundation, Family and Community Partnerships and Social and Emotional Learning developing strategic initiatives. Value Add: Beginning in 2012 with “Foothills Field of Dreams” (community + faith funds to redevelop a derelict school grounds) LWC has built/supported groundbreaking partnerships between Education, Faith, Neighborhoods, Business, Nonprofits and Government to support kids, families and educators. These partnerships have led to ongoing community support for underserved schools in the city.

• Church: Starting in 2005 churches from several Christian faith heritages met monthly for prayer. By 2010 that group raised $900,000 to refurbish 3 outdoor spaces at schools. In partnership with the Lakewood Mayor a service partnerships formed so today +30 churches are partners in community service alongside Government, Education and Business. Value Add: A philosophy/theology of “Community Connection” characterizes the Lakewood faith culture. One church established a popular community coffee shop and teen center in their building where 100’s of students gather daily. “Church” in Lakewood is different!

• Government: Faith and Government partnership have been core to LWC. Reg has served on City planning groups that linked them to church volunteers, promoted civic activities and supported Lakewood’s All American City achievements! For the County Reg has served on several planning teams. The spirit of support, collaboration and friendship has led to innumerable service initiatives and Pastors have met for prayer with elected leaders in both City and County Government buildings. Value Add: For 20 years Reg has served on the, The Power of Partnership, (PoP) team that connects churches with Human Services to increase compassion success. Through PoP foster care and adoption has dramatically improved, benefit applications have been expedited, a network of food and crisis care facilities has been established and a continuum of care has been launched for the homeless.

• Business: The missing link in faith + nonprofit + government service partnerships is a robust relationship with the local business community. Lakewood Connects is a long time member of the Chamber of Commerce where we helped create the nonprofit roundtable to support the 2200 nonprofits in our County. Value Add: For 10 years LWC has championed a vision of church property transitioning from a sanctuary to a community hub. In a hub faith meets to worship and at the same time provides space for community service and affordable housing. Recently two metro area faith based development companies have led efforts at a local church aimed at affordable housing on church property. Significant progress has been made in fundraising, design and city zoning approval. Look for updates on this soon!

• Quick Hits:
• New Church plants: LWC has supported 5 successful plants in Lakewood. In a city with small churches one recent plant meets at a local High School and enjoys +300 members!
• Citywide Service: In partnership with the Mayor’s office and leaders Jane Barnes and Steve Otto, Reg formed Serve Spot (now; Love Lakewood Team.) Yearly Love Lakewood organizes a citywide serve day with 38 service sites using 900 volunteers. The weekend culminates with a unified worship where +6 churches meet for Love Lakewood Sunday!
• School Community Resource Centers: For 15 years LWC has supported establishing food pantries at underserved schools. Jeffco Public Schools initiated a program; School Connect to equip educators to build relationships with community partners in order to meet school needs. LWC is a strategic partner in this connection of community to school.
• Educator Prayer: For the past 5 years Reg has met with public school leaders (principals and district department directors) for weekly prayer. Reg has looped in area pastors who have then become vital service partners supporting these schools.
• Civic Engagement: Under the lead of a Local Works Reg is co-teaching Civic Spark, a 7 week class equipping community members to understand how civic government works and how to become an involved community member!