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:

 

 

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!

 

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.

 

In late June I was a member of a presentation team that made the bid for the city of Lakewood at the National Civic League’s All American City Award conference. The National Civic League http://www.nationalcivicleague.org/, has been inspiring excellence in cities nationally since 1893.

From the National Civic League’s website: Since 1949, the National Civic League has recognized and celebrated the best in American civic innovation with the prestigious All-America City Award. The Award, bestowed yearly on 10 communities (more than 500 in all), shines a spotlight on trail-blazing efforts to bring all aspects of the community together to tackle the most pressing local issues. Teams of residents; nonprofit, business, and government leaders; and young people from communities across the country come together for 3 days. At AAC these teams connect and share insights with peers, learn from national thought-leaders, and present the story of their work to a jury of nationally recognized civic leaders.  It is a transformational experience – one that equips, inspires and supports leaders and communities to achieve more than they ever believed possible.

Lakewood’s All American City presentation story featured three neighborhoods that were transformed as schools, churches, non-profits, city government, local businesses and neighborhood association leaders worked together to serve children. In Lakewood’s presentation at the conference we describe how a bridge was built to make a way for the “have not’s” to cross over and enjoy the benefits of the “have’s” in our community. It is a big deal when everyone comes together to make something like this happen!

The award inspires civic pride, makes business moves attractive, inspires collaboration and partnership across organizational boundaries and links together the most important cultural transformation forces known in America today.

To watch the Lakewood 10 minute presentation: http://www.lakewood.org/AAC/

An article about the meaning of the award is also available on the city newsletter: http://www.lakewood.org/uploadedFiles/Departments/City_Managers_Office/Communications/Looking_at_Lakewood/Issues/2016/Documents/LAL2016-07.pdf

 

Monday morning January 11, the Denver Post had a front page article about Federal Government plans to develop a temporary housing facility at the Lakewood Federal Center for 1000 children emigrating to the U.S. from non-contiguous South American countries. The center is scheduled to open April 1.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29328215/up-1-000-immigrant-children-be-temporarily-housed-lakewood-colorado

The children, aged 14-17, would be cared for in Lakewood for somewhere around 30 days. All their care would be provided in the compound there and 90% of them will be making connections to family in the U.S.

There will be some push back and drama connected to this plan and how should the church respond? The church should respond with prayer, compassion and love.

When the church prays for the kingdom of God to move in ways we cannot understand or even explain to care for and protect children the church functions exactly as God has intended it to. I’m encouraging all churches in Lakewood to publically pray for the children that will be housed temporarily in Lakewood.

The church should offer compassion to any and all immigrants. The bible calls on the people of God to offer the displaced of every age the love of God. Believers are the very touch of God’s mercy. These children have suffered unimaginable things and there is nothing they need more than compassion.

The church should love the immigrant. Not just tolerate, or serve but love immigrants. Throughout scripture believers are called “aliens and strangers.” The posture of passing through is the very heart of what faith is about in a temporary life lived in a temporary place. When we love immigrants we offer them the hope that we are called to know and trust our lives to.

I’m praying for these children and I’m praying for God’s church. Let the world rage on in the handwringing spirit of doomsday paranoia. But my prayer is that the church takes up the cause and call of compassion so the distinctive character of faith can be clearly displayed for all to see!

A City Connector links people together in a city. These relational link ups are usually aimed at developing service projects where many different groups work together on causes that would be impossible for any one group to accomplish on their own.

A City Connector transforms the way people see their city. By making positive connections we can switch the collective focus in a city from problems and barriers to developing a vision for solutions and partnerships.

A City Connector develops a bunch of relationships in a city.  These relationship links help people who care find ways to share and serve in effective ways with others who have the same passions and goals.

A City Connector tells compelling stories.  A positive narrative inspires hope, goodwill and a desire to join with others to serve a city.

A City Connector is a facilitator of positive faith action. At the core of faith is the belief in the good of humanity, a DNA of service and a desire to bring dignity to everyone in our city.

Everything I have experienced and learned in my professional life has prepared me for the leadership, relationship and community involvement components of being a City Connector. I love the rational aspect of focusing on things that matter and leading others towards these rational and practical goals. I love the relational aspect of meeting people who serve in meaningful ways and work with them to find ways to support their vision or share mine with them. I love the religious aspect of activating faith through transforming mere belief into a collaborative force for good that engages the civic, education, business, neighborhood and non-profit service energy in a city.

The work of City Connecting is the capstone of my career. I’m blessed, excited and completely freaked out to move into this role. I hope you will support me with your ideas, prayer, advice and financial help.

In the upcoming blogs I will endeavor to do several things:

1. Action: Update on projects Reg Cox City Connector has been involved with
2. Strategy: Share philosophy and methodology for the projects or partnerships I am involved with
3. Support: Explain opportunities for readers to support these projects or the City Connecting work

FYI: I plan to send those on my email contact list a link and a brief “teaser” description of the blog for that week/month. If you ARE NOT receiving this email and want it…please let me know. If you ARE receiving this and prefer not to, please let me know.

Thanks – Reg Cox City Connector – regcc@gmail.com