The Work of Christ is a Christian community, not a church. Our members belong to various Christian traditions and remain active in their local parish or congregation. We’re a group that lives a shared lifestyle that is complementary to and supportive of church membership.

The word “ecumenical” is a Greek word meaning the whole of creation or the whole family. It is a word that implies all of the Christian people, regardless of the church communion to which they belong. We believe the Lord has called the Work of Christ to be a special witness to ecumenical cooperation. Division and bad relating among Christians has been common for much of Christian histroy. The issues that divide us are important, but so is the fact that we are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Members of the Work of Christ work to give witness to the unity that we already share in Jesus Christ. We actively follow the guidelines given by our respective churches for how we can and should cooperate as brothers and sisters in Christ—while we wait and pray for greater Christian unity. We seek to live our Christian life in a way that will further the unity of God’s people, seeking to find a convergent way of expressing our Christian life in harmony with our church identity. It is encouraging that many leaders of our respective churches have been involved in an ongoing ecumenical dialogue and have made progress towards greater unity and understanding.

The New Testament describes Christian life in ways that are corporate and communal—describing believers as “brothers and sisters,” “members of one body,” and part of “God’s household.” So, in one sense, all Christians are indeed called to live in community. Not everyone is called to join a group like ours, but we see our life together as one way to live out this New Testament vision. Through our existence, we aim to reflect the communal nature of faith—a dimension often underdeveloped in many believers’ lives—and encourage others to explore this New Testament vision and take practical steps toward it.

The Work of Christ community exists to foster and promote new life in the Holy Spirit, to build stable, lifelong covenant relationships of support between Christian brothers and sisters, and to to witness to Christian unity. Our community is a response to a profound experience of the Holy Spirit, which we seek to share and promote. The Christian life is communal by nature, and by living in response to the biblical injunction to ‘love one another,’ we hope our life together helps address the erosion of human community in the 21st century and demonstrates to our churches the importance of the communal dimension of Christianity. We also believe we have a special call to be an ecumenical witness in the greater Lansing area, building deep, meaningful relationships with Christians from other churches.

We are not a church but a community united around a common life and mission. In that vein, we stand in a rich Christian tradition of followers of Jesus Christ forming organizations and fellowships within the church, both as a response to spiritual renewal and as a means to pursue mission or champion a cause. It is our hope that our community complements church life by helping members be faitful to and even become more active in their own congregations, while at the same time advancing the work we feel the Lord has given us. Our members cherish their own congregations and seek to serve them while embracing the opportunity to engage in mission through the Work of Christ community.

“Lay” refers to Christians who aren’t ordained clergy—like priests, pastors, or monastics. As a lay community, the Work of Christ focuses on ordinary believers living out their faith in daily life. While some clergy participate in our life, our emphasis is on a practical, Christ-centered way of living that supports everyone—married or single, lay or ordained.

While some Christian communities choose to share living spaces, we’ve chosen a different path. What is essential for Christian community is a family-like bond of love in Christ and a common way of life that expresses our love for God and for our brothers and sisters in Christ. That said, living near one another does strengthen our community, so many members choose to settle in neighborhood clusters. Some even form residential households—groups of single men or women living together, or families opening their homes to singles to share daily life. We also have a household of celibate men, part of the Servants of the Word, an international, ecumenical brotherhood. These brothers have freely chosen to live single for the Lord and share a more communal life than do most members.

Membership in the Work of Christ is open to all people who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ, have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, are serious about living the Gospel way of life, and want to do that with others in the context of the Work of Christ Community. 

People curious about our community are welcome to attend our events, join in our worship, and witness our life in action. We invite everyone to discover new or deeper life in Jesus Christ, be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and begin or grow in their walk as disciples. Those ready to take the next formal step with our community start with an 'affiliate commitment,' followed by an 'underway commitment.' These stages, spanning several years, provide time for personal growth in the Christian life, engaging with the community’s teachings, participating in a small group, experiencing community life firsthand, and discerning a call to this particular community. After this period of learning, experience, and discernment, individuals are invited to make a full 'public commitment' as covenanted members of the Work of Christ. This commitment is open-ended, with members agreeing to remain unless clearly led elsewhere by the Lord. Those who prefer not to make a public commitment can become 'associate members,' maintaining a friendly but less committed connection to the community.

Yes! There are thousands of Christian communities in the U.S. and around the world. Some are very similar to the Work of Christ and some are very different. The Work of Christ belongs to a “community of communities” known as the Sword of the Spirit.

The Sword of the Spirit is a network of communities like the Work of Christ. Each one governs itself but shares certain practices and collaborates on joint efforts. Committing to a local community also means joining this broader fellowship. The Sword of the Spirit is an international community with zones in North America, Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific.

The Work of Christ is supported by the generous contributions of its members and friends. Most members work outside the community in regular jobs. They provide for themselves and their families with their income. In addition, they commit to financially supporting their church, the community, and the special needs of their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The amount each member contributes to the community is a personal decision.

Because the Work of Christ consists of people from different Christian traditions, we do not have a single, comprehensive statement of faith. Members of the Work of Christ uphold the core Christian beliefs that have been embraced by mainstream Christianity throughout the centuries. Members accept the truths stated in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds and are encouraged to turn to their church in matters of doctrine. Teachings within the Work of Christ focus on commonly held Christian truths, practical Christian living, and living out the commitments we have made.