Executive Summary

Lift is a community of friends encouraging and equipping one another to advance the message and mission of Jesus through His Church. Jesus lifted up a weary world, inviting everyone everywhere to come to Him for rest, for grace, for relationship with the Father, for forgiveness, for acceptance, for new and eternal life, and a compelling life mission to love one another as a community of friends on mission together.

Lift Network Responsibility
to Members

1) Personal and professional care

Every gathering will create time and environments for interpersonal connection and authentic friendship.
The network culture will be one of mutual trust, a light and refreshing feel, and a lot of fun together.
Relationships between gatherings will be encouraged and fostered.
In time of need, significant personal and professional care will be offered to members and member churches.

2) Equipping for our mission together

There will be 3 gatherings a year including an annual conference and (2) half-day gatherings.
Every gathering will include relationship-driven equipping huddles:
a. Lead Pastor huddle.
b. Associate Pastor huddle.
c. Elder/Board huddle.
d. Volunteer huddle.

3) Coaching and help in time of need

Coaching in church health markers
a. Transformative biblical preaching and teaching
b. Dynamic worship
c. Engaging Christian community
d. Journey toward Christlike living
e. Community engagement and outreach
f. Global and cross cultural engagement and outreach
g. Multiplication of leaders and churches
h. Generous living and giving
i. Healthy organizational structure and culture
Early intervention support for ministers and churches experiencing difficulties including leader health, church health, Elder/Governing/board health, business health, leadership transition, and conflict resolution. Formal and informal coaching in pastoral health and care will be available.

Lift Network Member Responsibility

Each member church and leader will be expected to:

Attend the annual conference and invite all leaders and volunteers in the church to attend
Attend the biannual half-day gatherings and invite all those who lead and serve the church to attend (staff, elders, deacons, key lay leaders)
Consider a voluntary financial contribution up to 1% of the general church offering budget to support the ongoing mission of the Lift Church Network. If a member church cannot afford this, another option would be to support Lift as a mission agency with a monthly gift.

Lift Network Ordination and Doctrine

In keeping with a network paradigm, ordination will be held in the local church, or if a member church is in a denomination, ordination will be held in accordance with that denomination.

Similarly, in keeping with the network paradigm, doctrine will be held in the local church. However, as a network centered on the core message and mission of Jesus, it is expected that members will adhere to the core foundation of historic Christianity as expressed in the Apostle’s Creed and the later Nicene Creed.

Lift Structure

Lift will be organized as:
501(c)3 with church status or DBA of an organized church
Team of Lead Pastors accountable to one another and serving as the board responsible for voting on leadership, approving the budget (if applicable), and receiving reports
Network Leader and Clerk/Treasurer accountable to the team of Lead Pastors.

Lift Leadership

Lift Network Board (or Advisory Board if DBA) consisting of the Lead Pastors of the Network.

Protect the mission
Supervise the Network Leader
Ensure sustainability of leadership and resourcing
Approve and track the budget

Lift Network Leader (volunteer or small stipend)

Ensure mission is accomplished
Organize annual conference and gatherings
Ensure healthy operations
Ensure proper care, equipping, and support of member churches

Lift Network Treasurer (volunteer or small stipend if also bookkeeper)

Oversee sound financial operations
Recommend financial policies and procedures

The annual rhythm of Lift will include:

Early Spring Conference

A celebratory, fun, and meaningful annual conference where every member would attend, inviting their church board, key leaders, and volunteers.

Late Spring Gathering

A local gathering of members continuing the conversations started at the conference.

Fall Gathering

A local gathering of members
focused on deepening relationships
and collaboration around our mission
together.

The team of ministers would be available to consult, counsel, and help any member throughout the year with anything small or large,
minor or urgent, personally and professionally.
Lift would have partners expert in their area of missional focus available to help members and churches as needed.
The Lift structure could include a Network Leader and a Clerk/Treasurer. The network of ministers would receive reports at every gathering.