DISCOVER US
LIFE CHURCH EXISTS TO POINT PEOPLE TO JESUS.
“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Jesus Christ.” - Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1
We call ourselves “Jesus People” to remind us to act, respond, talk and think as Jesus would. Like the 1990’s bracelets: W.W.J.D.
4 essential core beliefs
Q: What does it mean to be “saved?”
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Self-centered considering my own interests above all.
Jesus doesn’t have the ruling position in my heart.
What I want directs my decisions and actions often resulting in anxiety, frustration, confusion, & discord.
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My life is intentionally submitted to Jesus and His will.
Decisions and actions are guided by the Holy Spirit.
I pray to God, read and follow His Bible as THE Truth.
I trust and obey God even when unpopular to the culture.
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The Fruits of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
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You can watch 4 messages called the: “The Holy Spirit” on Life Church Northwest’s YouTube.
Q: What is Baptism & Baby Dedication?
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Jesus was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
- Romans 6:4
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Water Baptism is your public profession to share your recent inward change. It symbolizes the newness of life believers experienced when they prayed the prayer of salvation. When we are baptized we go “all in” publicly and it’s stating we aren't going back to our old life.
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Baby Dedication at Life Church is a short ceremony where Christian parents show they plan to raise their child in a Godly way until the child can choose to follow Jesus. This includes teaching God's Word and demonstrating in the home how Jesus asks us to live.
PASTOR SHAWN HENNESSY:
“WE’RE NOT HERE TO BUILD A CHURCH.
WE’RE HERE TO BUILD THE KINGDOM.”
LIFE CHURCH EXISTS TO DO 2 THINGS:
evangelize & disciple
And then He (Jesus) told them, “You are to GO into all the world and preach the GOOD NEWS to everyone, everywhere. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved.” - Mark 15:15-16
EVANGELISM: THE GREAT COMMISSION
HOW WE EACH REACH A PERSON WITH THE GIFT OF JESUS:
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We all have people in our lives who don’t know Jesus…yet.
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Listen to their story first.
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Share the part of your story that relates to them.
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Example: to pray, to a group or event, to church, to accept Jesus.
We consider reaching people with the message of Jesus our greatest responsibility.
Weekly services are for inviting people, because the church isn’t just for those already involved, it’s a place for the lost to find Jesus.
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Jesus is life-giving, not boring or dull, so either are our services!
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We pray people will encounter God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
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We bring you sermons to prepare you with the wisdom you need for your faith to grow and for you to feel confident to talk about it.
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“Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But who can ask them to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells him?” - Romans 10:13-14 (LB)
HOW WE REACH PEOPLE AS A CHURCH
we go beyond.
In 2020, Pastors Shawn and Sonny felt led by God to establish Life Churches in Seattle, Portland, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Vancouver, B.C., over the next decade, focusing on building the Kingdom of Heaven, not just a church.
culture of expansion.
Our culture is rooted in the character of Jesus and his mission to connect with those outside the church. We entered the marketplace with The Exchange Brand, which includes a Coffee House and Eatery, a trendy salon, and the renovations of a large 20-acre retreat property operated by The Exchange Collaborative (our not-for-profit organization), coupled with Journey to Wholeness, which offers spiritual and mental health services.
DISCIPLESHIP: HELPING PEOPLE GROW.
MINISTRIES & GROUPS
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We believe that as our church grows, it's essential for individuals to still experience a sense of belonging within smaller communities. Connecting with a smaller group allows you to find like-minded individuals who share a love for Jesus and can support each other on your spiritual journeys.
You're not meant to navigate your spiritual journey alone. We believe it's vital to be part of a church that fosters growth, accountability, and spiritual connection.
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We offer various ministries designed to provide these more intimate settings, including groups for kids, students (Catalyst), young adults, marriages, men, and women, all distinct and in addition to our larger Sunday morning gatherings.
Additionally, being part of a Life Church Team offers another opportunity for personal growth and shared spiritual development within a smaller group.
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Each quarter, we will offer various groups for women, men, couples, young adults. Our small groups do several things, including discipleship, growing, prayer and connection.
JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS
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We call ourselves a Journey to Wholeness church because all of our pastoral staff and leaders have gone through this short and life-changing program at least once. Looking at our past, even if we came from a good background, has helped thousands of people find healthier patterns as adults. Journey to Wholeness combines best practices of trauma-informed care from a neuroscience perspective and bridges them with Scripture. J2W is a 12-week small group format with a trained facilitator.
RESOURCES
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For over a decade, our Pastors have provided books on topics that help you grow spiritually. Hundreds of sermons are free and online to learn and grow in your Biblical knowledge. WE post all of our sermon notes on the YouVersion Bible app each week. We also have hundreds of episodes of helpful podcasts on all platforms. Visit our website to find links to all of these resources.
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Click here to see the variety of podcasts we offer!
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Click here to listen or watch past sermon series from our pastors.
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP AT LIFE CHURCH.
The difference between “attendees” and “members” can be summed up in one word:
Commitment
Our church consists of those who have decided in their heart to go ‘all in’ with Jesus and move from attendees to members. An attendee can just be a consumer. But a member is a contributor.
AT LIFE CHURCH, WE RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR COMMITTED MEMBERS.
WE ASK YOU TO BE A PART OF OUR CHURCH AND VISION FOR 4 REASONS:
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Jesus is committed to the church. Jesus tasked his disciples with building the church and promised to return for all its members. He views the church as His bride, and Himself as the bridegroom returning for her.
“...Christ loved the church, and He gave His life for it.” - Ephesians 5:25
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It is an antidote to our society. The local church is the hope of the world, and committing to it is not only valuable for your hope but for those who are lost and looking for answers.
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It defines who can be counted on. When we are reaching our neighborhoods and our whole city with the message of Jesus, we know who can be counted on to help invite people, pray for people and volunteer to make a difference.
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It produces spiritual growth. The New Testament places a major emphasis on the need for Jesus' people to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth. You cannot be accountable when you’re not committed to any specific church. Our church family expects to see us at church and miss us when we are gone.
Ready to get connected? Click the “Get Involved” button to explore our serving opportunities!
LIFE CHURCH STRUCTURE
Jesus people who invest their hearts, time, families & finances into the building of our church deserve to have confidence in church leadership.
LIFE CHURCH IS A 501c3 NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION:
1. Guided by PASTORS which are the ELDERS.
The Pastoral team is led by the Lead Pastors. This Pastoral team oversees the day-to-day ministry and operations of the church. These pastors serve the congregation and are responsible for the development of the spiritual life of the church. Pastors (or elders) are responsible to model a Jesus-like lifestyle, provide prayer for the members, define & protect the integrity & culture of the church, pray for the sick, counsel, & represent the church to the community.
Life Church’s legal voting board is composed of seasoned and respected representatives who have been following Jesus and doing ministry themselves for years. They serve as advisors to the Pastors. The Boards provide financial and ethical accountability and legal support to our Pastors.
2. Strengthened by a LEGAL BOARD.
church finances
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
-Malachi 3:10 ESV
At Life Church, we follow the Biblical principle of tithing by giving 10% of our income to support the local church and the work God has called us to do.
We recognize that giving 10% of our income is the Biblical standard of giving.
We as a staff each personally follow this and ask that God’s people bring their tithe to the “storehouse” for the work of the Lord. (The church is the storehouse, where you are spiritually fed. Giving to a non-profit or a charity is not a tithe.) No outside aid or government funding keeps the doors of the church open.
As a church, the first 10% of everything given on Sunday is set aside and given to support Missions. This is the first check we write each week.
The giving of tithes and offerings is worship to Jesus & is an expression of the relationship between the individual giver and God. Funds are worship and must not be considered a business transaction, but as an expression of gratitude and obedience toward God.
Watch Pastor Shawn’s message, “Why isn’t God Blessing Me?”
MORE ABOUT TITHING
…for when you are asked questions.
SCRIPTURES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT & NEW TESTAMENT
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“Tithe” means “a tenth part.”
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A “tithe” is giving the first tenth of my income. An “offering” is anything I give above and beyond my tithe (Kingdom Builders).
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Because God commands it. “A tenth of all you produce is the Lord’s.” - Leviticus 27:30
AND because Jesus commended it. “Yes, you should tithe, and you shouldn’t leave the more important things undone either.” - Matthew 23:23
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The first part of what I earn.
“Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income.” -Proverbs 3:9-10
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Where I worship.
“Bring your whole tithe to My Storehouse (Temple).” - Malachi 3:10
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Weekly.
“On the first day of every week, set aside some of what you have earned and give it as an offering. The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn.” - 1 Corinthians 16:2 LB
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“The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God in first place in your life.” - Deuteronomy 14:23 LB
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“Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” - Deuteronomy 8:18
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“Each of you should bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.” - Deuteronomy 16:17
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“God says ‘Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me!’ But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ God says ‘In tithes & offerings. Bring your whole tithe to My house.’” - Malachi 3:8-10
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“Bring your whole tithe to My storehouse. Test me in this” says the Lord, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you won’t have room enough for it!” - Malachi 3:10
join us in person.
Discover Us takes place every Sunday after service! In this one-time class, we share our church's vision and goals and get to know you. Throughout the 45-minute session, you'll learn how to get involved, join a group, or be part of a team if you're interested.
Join us any Sunday at 10:30 am and stay after service to attend Discover Us in person!
