A vision for the future

 

We are a community committed to practicing the way of Jesus together for Michigan’s Lakeshore. 

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​We do this by:

 

Being with Jesus, 

Becoming like Jesus, and 

Joining Jesus’ renewal of all things.

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We gather on Sundays and scatter throughout West Michigan in large and small communities, seeking renewal in our region.

 

On the Lakeshore

One Name. One Prayer. One Awakening.

 

What if gospel saturation in Muskegon County isn’t just possible—what if it starts with you?

 

About 178,000 people call Muskegon County home.¹ Roughly 108,000 of them call themselves Christian.² But only about 43,000 actively practice their faith,³ which means more than 130,000 of our neighbors are living without a vibrant connection to Jesus.⁴

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Many are spiritually searching. Interest in Jesus is rising across America, especially among young adults.⁵ But only one in three Christians feels a strong responsibility to share their faith.³

What if that changed, starting with one simple step?

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At The Lakes, we believe Jesus is renewing all things, and we get to join Him. Here’s how:

• Pray for one friend who’s yet to trust Jesus.

• Walk with that friend toward life in Christ.

• This is discipleship!

 

If just one in four followers of Jesus in our county prayed for and walked with one friend, more than 10,000 neighbors would be known, loved and prayed for by name.⁴

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And if every follower walked with just three friends, nearly every person in Muskegon County would have someone praying for them.⁴

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Church, this is how awakening begins—

• Not with programs.

• Not with pressure.

• But with presence, prayer, and love on mission.

 

Who’s your one? - Join us in believing again for the renewal of Muskegon.

One name. One story. One transformation at a time.
 

As it is in Heaven 

 

We believe that Jesus is our standard for life practice. Therefore, in the words of the apostle Peter, we strive to make every effort to curate the culture of Heaven in our daily lives.  

 

Practicing the Way ​​​​

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Be - The first and fundamental call Jesus extends to anyone willing to follow him is to be with him. 

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Become - God’s love is lowly and longsuffering. He meets us where we are - alienated, strangers, enemies - and longsuffering, but does not leave us in our ignorance. Instead, he loves us into loving and - secure in his love - he calls us to be formed out of the pattern of the world and into the way of love, joy, and peace. 

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Join - We are committed to joining with Jesus as active participants in our region's renewal.
 

 

 

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Cultural Values

Our values are both aspirational and incarnational; that is, we live toward and from these values. 

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Culture of Honor - We aim to be and become a people who cultivate honor, releasing and resisting. Release the unique gifts and callings bound up within our community, and resist our cultural moment's eagerness to cancel perceived enemies. 

 

Kingdom Hospitality - Hospitality is more than offering refreshments (though it includes this); it means loving the stranger (xenophilia). Therefore, we desire to curate unique spaces to train our church to extend Jesus’ welcome beyond the confines of our comfort. Hospitality is where we risk relationally, try on trust, and join Jesus in renewal for his name's sake on the Lakeshore. 

 

Generosity - Through radical generosity, Jesus' followers reflect God's redemptive character into a world in need of his forgiveness and healing. Therefore, we desire to become people who give cheerfully as an act of hopeful resistance in a time of fear. 

 

Joyful Resistance - Jesus offered us his joy in full. May we become a community marked by Jesus’ joy in a culture characterized by apathy and spiritual complacency. 

 

Deep Community - We believe that God’s way of life is marked by feasting and celebration, glory and grief, all of which flow into God’s new family.  is the overflow of a life of gratitude.

 

Contending Prayer - Prayer is not peripheral but central to our discipleship to Jesus. If we are to faithfully follow our rabbi Jesus - who often withdrew to quiet places to pray - we must receive prayer as the core discipline to know his voice and respond in obedience. 

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* At The Lakes, many of our values come to life through corporate prayer and through partnership with The Lakeshore Community Hub—a vital community resource offering tangible acts of care. The Clothes Closet is open by appointment only. To schedule, visit here. 

 

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