Missions and Mercy
God’s ultimate mission is to redeem and renew his creation through his son Jesus Christ, all to the glory of God. The mission of the church is not to build a kingdom from the ground up, but to witness to a better kingdom that has come down through Jesus, whose life, death, and resurrection form the centerpiece of God’s mission. Jesus calls us not only to himself but to that mission as well. As followers of Christ, God’s mission of reconciliation, redemption, and restoration becomes our mission of gospel proclamation and demonstration.
God’s people go forth empowered by the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Christ and his kingdom, seeking the shalom (holistic thriving) of creation and the glory of God. We do this corporately, regionally, communally, and individually. We’re able to unify around discipleship and be equipped for mission together—and we’re able to identify specific idols, needs, and opportunities in our regions and individual relationships, that we may engage and serve vastly diverse and spread out city (and world!) in unique ways.
Serve LA
Serve LA is a faith-based non-profit started by Reality LA to steward several thriving ministries we were gifted and to help fulfill our vision for seeking the renewal of Los Angeles through meals, showers, and other services. Reality LA and Serve LA have an ongoing partnership rooted in shared history and mutual relationship as we serve our city together.
Local Mission
We love Los Angeles! Not a cheap, transactional love, but one rooted in seeking the welfare of the city God in which has planted us and in truly desiring God’s presence here. We recognize both LA’s beauty and its brokenness—take a look around and you’ll clearly see a beautiful community that needs both individual and systemic renewal on many fronts. So we pursue the spiritual, relational, and cultural renewal of Los Angeles by asking God to stir our hearts with compassion for our city and by being equipped as disciples on mission to witness to Christ, pursue justice, and integrate our faith and work.
Witness to Christ
Being witnesses of Jesus means pointing people to him by sharing experiences, testimonies, truths, and ultimately good news of the gospel. We have a better story to tell than anyone else in the world. It’s time for Jesus’ church—and our church specifically—to reclaim the call to boldly and joyfully witness to Christ in word, which is why we focus on equipping our church for evangelism.
How We Witness to Christ
Do Justice
The good news that we’re justified by God’s grace becomes our motivation for seeking justice for the oppressed. Seeking justice doesn’t replace the gospel, but flows from a heart transformed by the gospel. We desire to be more focused as a church in pursuit of God’s justice for the sake of tangible gospel impact in the lives of real people in our city. We have prayerfully focused on two primary avenues of seeking justice and mercy in our city: 1) to serve and restore the poor and marginalized and 2) to intercede and care for literal or situational orphans.
How We Seek Justice
Faith and Work
While calling involves much more than our jobs, for most of us work (paid or unpaid) is our single biggest time commitment every week, meaning it will be one of—if not the—primary contexts in which we follow Jesus, love others, and serve Los Angeles. Through theological training, same-field discipleship, and further resources, we seek to equip our church to better integrate their faith and their work.
How We Integrate Faith and Work
Benevolence
As a church, we set aside a portion of our financial resources to help individuals with practical and urgent needs through community generosity. Our hope is that helping people this way stirs up thanksgiving, encourages greater generosity within our church, and serves as a powerful witness to our city about the good news!
Global Mission
Scripture calls us to obey Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations by participating, as part of the global church, in sharing the good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth with every tribe, tongue, and nation.
We walk with individuals and organizations across the globe who are seeking renewal in their unique cultural contexts. You can learn more about them below.
We are also in the process of growing our global mission strategy; if you have experience or passion in this area we’d love for you to help us! Reach out to us at missions@realityla.com.
Who We Partner With
We prayerfully engage in specific and strategic mutual partnerships that are not simply transactional or solely about financial support. We strive to care for and invest in multiple ways (time, money, volunteers, discipleship) and allow these partnerships to form us as a church in how we experience Jesus and go forth on mission as the body of Christ.
Local Mission Partners
We partner with individuals and organizations across the city, walking hand-in-hand to seek renewal by serving Los Angeles together
After Hours Ministry
Central LA
Do Justice
Arts & Entertainment Ministries
All Regions
Make Culture & Work with God
Careportal
All Regions
Do Justice
Center for Faith + Work LA
All Regions
Work with God
Claris Health
South County and Westside
Do Justice
Covenant House California
Central LA
Do Justice
Cru
Westside
Witness to Christ
For the Children
All Regions
Do Justice
Hollywood Prayer Network
All Regions
Work with God
Kaimore
Northeast LA
Do Justice
Navigators
All Regions
Witness to Christ & Work with God
Olive Crest
All Regions
Do Justice
We Foster LA
Valley
Do Justice
Young Life Hollywood
Central LA
Witness to Christ
Zoe International
Valley
Do Justice
Global Mission Partners
We partner with individuals and organizations across the globe, seeking to witness to Christ in a variety of cultural contexts.
