Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. - Mark 12:30-31
The DCIC was created to meet serious needs in our community. The staff, directors and volunteers of DCIC believe that when we work together to meet the real, tangible needs of people we are are obeying Christ's command to love God and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). Local churches, non-profit organizations, businesses and foundations create the network that DCIC works in and through. The DCIC connects people to people, people to churches, people to resources and people to Christ.
Our current program focus is The Hearten House Gospel Rescue Mission in DeKalb County. In April 2018 the DCIC opened Hearten House, a women’s shelter. The shelter provides a safe Christ-filled environment where lives can be renewed, restored and re-established. Women will transition out of Hearten House with new life-skills and optimism for the future.
The DeKalb Community Impact Corporation was birthed by the Auburn Church of the Nazarene, whose community minded programs introduced many issues which faced the community. Beginning with the very popular Upward Basketball, which introduced hundreds of families to the love of Christ, the outreach ministries continued to grow. In 2005, the church decided that an independent, non-profit would be better equipped to partner with many churches and organizations to meet real needs throughout DeKalb County. A board composed of Christian business and community leaders was formed, a strategic plan developed, and an Executive Director hired.
Over the years, DCIC programs have positively impacted children and adults throughout DeKalb County, by working in partnership with churches, community based organizations and caring volunteers. As an organization, we continually examine whether our programming is meeting real needs in DeKalb County. If others in the community are equipped to provide solutions, we joyfully support them in their efforts. If DCIC can address an unmet need, we prayerfully consider adding programing to do so.
Our current program focus is The Hearten House Gospel Rescue Mission in DeKalb County. In April 2018 the DCIC opened Hearten House, a women’s shelter. The shelter provides a safe Christ-filled environment where lives can be renewed, restored and re-established. Women will transition out of Hearten House with new life-skills and optimism for the future.
The DeKalb Community Impact Corporation was birthed by the Auburn Church of the Nazarene, whose community minded programs introduced many issues which faced the community. Beginning with the very popular Upward Basketball, which introduced hundreds of families to the love of Christ, the outreach ministries continued to grow. In 2005, the church decided that an independent, non-profit would be better equipped to partner with many churches and organizations to meet real needs throughout DeKalb County. A board composed of Christian business and community leaders was formed, a strategic plan developed, and an Executive Director hired.
Over the years, DCIC programs have positively impacted children and adults throughout DeKalb County, by working in partnership with churches, community based organizations and caring volunteers. As an organization, we continually examine whether our programming is meeting real needs in DeKalb County. If others in the community are equipped to provide solutions, we joyfully support them in their efforts. If DCIC can address an unmet need, we prayerfully consider adding programing to do so.
Our Faith FoundationOur faith in Jesus Christ informs all we do. We choose to love others because Christ first loved us. We believe that when we serve a meal, provide a bed, or pray with a neighbor, we are loving Christ, and loving others the way He taught us to (Matthew 25:35-40).
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We Believe...
- The Lordship of Jesus. There is one Lord, who is God’s Son Jesus Christ. Christ is the church’s ultimate authority on all matters (Acts 2:36).
- Salvation makes us members of God’s church. We believe that the church is composed of every person who has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. We enter into the life of the church, not by joining a denomination or a human organization, but by committing our lives to Christ (John 3:1–7).
- Christians are called to be one. We believe that God calls all followers of Christ to live in unity and peace, regardless of who they are or the church they attend (Gal 3:28). While we may not agree on everything, we can rally around our subject, Jesus.
- We must be holy. We believe that followers of Christ have been called to live a life of love, purity, and godliness. We are called to live like Christ, taking on a new nature (2 Cor 5:17).
- Making Disciples. Each of us is called to fulfill Matthew 28:18–20, making fully devoted followers of Christ—disciples—who will then teach others to follow Christ.
- Loving God and neighbor. We are called to fulfill Matthew 22:37–39, not only loving God with our entire being, but also loving all that he loves.
- The Work of the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit equips believers with unique gifts that enable us to carry out the mission of Christ in the world. At the same time, the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in every believer (Galatians 5:22–23), which demonstrate the Spirit’s presence within us.
- The Bible. We believe that God inspired the Bible and has given it to us as the uniquely authoritative, written guide for Christian living and thinking. As illumined by the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures are true and reliable. They point us to God, guide our lives, and nurture us toward spiritual maturity. (Hebrews 4:12)
- Sanctity of Human Life. We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7; 9:5-6; Ps. 139: 13-18, Jer. 1:5)
- Marriage, Gender and Sexuality. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.( Gen. 1:26-27) We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one natural born man and one natural born woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage as defined above. (Lev. 18:22, Rom. 1:26-32, 1 Tim. 1:8-11)
- Grace. We also believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We further believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture. (John 1:17, Acts 2:38, 2 Cor 2:5-11)
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