Love Mercy, Do Justice (LMDJ), is a focused priority of Highrock. Responding to the call of Micah 6:8, the LMDJ Board has been created to advance Highrock’s commitment to uphold the cause of those whose personhood and wholeness have been devalued through systemic and personal oppression and to advise and strategize with Highrock’s leadership to continue the long-term work to identify the places Highrock has contributed to oppression, to seek repentance, and to make reparations, in hopes that our church community can one day be more inclusive and equitable as we serve in God’s Kingdom.
In order to remain faithful to prioritizing Love Mercy, Do Justice, Highrock leadership has appointed a Board of laypeople and staff who will meet regularly to discuss Highrock’s progress in the journey towards justice and prioritize initiatives to further this work. Using the The 6-Fold Test, a tool developed by our denomination, the Board will help to set and execute goals at an institutional level aimed at making Highrock more inclusive and equitable for all.
Ideally, the principles of Love Mercy, Do Justice (LMDJ) will infuse all that we do at Highrock. Faithfully and unashamedly upholding the value of those whose personhood and wholeness has been devalued through systemic and personal oppression can take many forms and be evident in big and small ways. That said, the following ministries or programs hold LMDJ principles at their core and will be led by a member(s) of the LMDJ Board. If you want to get involved in Kingdom justice work, these ministries are a great place to plug in.
In partnership with David Chao of Princeton Theological Seminary, Pastor Kat Hampson & Resident Theologian Scott Rice will be developing this year’s Theology Lab around the theme of Asian American Theology. This material will be open to participants from across the world throughout the course of the year, with particular emphasis on Highrock’s population, knowing that our church was founded by Asian Americans, and has a large Asian American population.
Taking a lead from Justified Anger’s US Black History Course, Cambridge Co-Director of Ministry Greg Hsu has developed a course on Asian American history entitled Hidden No More. The course focuses on inviting Asian American individuals to examine their own history with an eye towards liberation, and invite others to learn alongside them. The curriculum and course premiered in the winter of 2023 and will be offered periodically in the future.
Healing solutions arise once we feel secure and valued enough to contribute to healing. It is the goal of the LMDJ Board that Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) at Highrock feel that sense of safety and value. Under the pastoral care and guidance of Co-Director of Ministry LeLe Hsu, Highrock aims to create spaces of safety and restoration for BIPOC in all of our congregations over the course of the year.
The Incarceration & Injustice virtual MicroChurch (an outgrowth of the Highrock Beyond Bars ministry) meets weekly and is focused on building relationships with incarcerated and returning peoples. This year, as part of furthering LMDJ priorities at Highrock, the MicroChurch will partner with the Boston Collaborative and North Park Theological Seminary in their work locally and nationally. The Incarceration & Injustice MicroChurch invites people on a journey from learning to an active response in relationship and justice through aiding in research, administration, letter-writing, educational opportunities, and other efforts.
In partnership with the Boston Collaborative and the Boston Trauma Healing Collaborative, Highrockers will be invited to become more trauma-informed as we move towards holistic health for ourselves and the world.
The AccessAbility ministry works with children and adults experiencing disability and their families to remove barriers to participation and to facilitate inclusion in all aspects of church worship and activities. This year, the AccessAbility team will focus on offering peer and family support to members of KidsRock, partnering with Community Partners and NuPath to serve disabled adults, and exploring what an accessible digital community might look like through Highrock Online.
Strategic Partner Ministries at Highrock are chosen based on their alignment with Highrock’s Vision, Values, and Mission. While all Values are necessary to alignment, the driving value for these particular partnerships is Solidarity. Partners will be evaluated by the LMDJ Board based on their efficacy as determined by the 6-Fold Test as part of quarterly LMDJ Board meetings, and resulting budgetary recommendations will be passed on to Highrock leadership.
Although it is true that the gospel, at its heart is loving mercy and doing justice, God has brought it to the collective attention of Highrock’s leadership that, while we’ve always desired and valued LMDJ initiatives, as an institution these initiatives have not always been intentionally prioritized compared to other areas of discipleship. Creation of the LMDJ Board and a commitment to justice as a priority is a way that Highrock is (re)-committing to this gospel priority and giving it special attention in this season.
The LMDJ features two hands held in a posture that is meant to convey both humility and service. The blend of colors in the background represents the diversity and harmony of God’s radically inclusive kingdom.
The Board’s voting members are comprised of staff and trusted laypeople from across several Highrock campuses who have been proven to listen and learn from those on the margins, and who have committed to help Highrock grow in these ways. The Revelation 7 Faculty also serve as non-voting members of the Board. As this is the first iteration of the Board, the laypersons have made a one year commitment to serve on the Board; Board members who are on staff with Highrock will likely serve longer terms. To learn who is currently on the Board, please reach out to Pastor Meghan at meghand@highrock.org
The LMDJ Board will strategically deploy the Revelation 7 Faculty to provide resources and accountability partners to the staff or congregation in their areas of expertise as pertains to LMDJ initiatives.
Great! We are so excited that God might put something on your heart that we can engage in together! First, look at the Initiatives listed above to see if there is an existing community or ministry where you could plug in. If your area of interest is not represented in the list, please talk to your campus pastor to see if there are opportunities within your congregation. Your campus pastor may bring ideas to the attention of the LMDJ Board as they see fit.