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Creativity for a Cause is an arts and creative benefit for a young mother in our church who contracted and is suffering from the debilitating effects of Lyme disease.

All money raised will be used to cover the cost of treatment since her insurance will not cover treatment. If you cannot attend the even and would like to make a secure, tax-deductible donation please do so below.

Donate

jesus
Our beginning and focal point is Jesus Christ. The crowning achievement of God is Jesus Christ defeating sin and death through His life, death, and resurrection so as to pull heaven and earth back together under one head, initiating His reconciliation plan through humanity who has submitted to His way and His Kingdom. The celebration of the Ages looks centrally at Jesus Christ and the reestablishment of God’s rule and God’s reign throughout the entire cosmos. The towering pinnacle of the Ages is Jesus Christ breaking into the rogue kingdoms of the world and establishing a Kingdom to be the face of God’s love and righteousness in the world. It is in Jesus that the full reign and accomplishment of God centers and extends. God was pleased to have his very fullness dwell in Christ so that he might have reign and supremacy in all and through all.It is under the headship of Jesus Christ where we find the Body of Christ, the Church, the people who embody the union of heaven and earth, the people who are the first fruits of new creation, the people who are the first part of what is yet to be revealed. Christ, the Head, directs the workings of the Body. It is through Jesus Christ that the Church finds its purpose and fulfillment. It is through Jesus Christ that the Church moves in righteousness and holiness. This is the magnificent accomplishment of God- that through Jesus He would finally have a people of His name and a people of His way. It is under the Lordship of King Jesus that a Kingdom of loyal subjects has been established to extend His rule and reign throughout the world in righteousness and mercy in order to demonstrate and then to disciple others into this life of fullness and abundance. The infusion of and the connection to Jesus is the Life-giving exclamation to humanity that there is victory in the best and highest ways of God. When we join together in fellowship, Christ is the centerpiece. When we lift up our praises and exalt the victory of Jesus over Satan, the kingdoms of the world, and sin and death, Christ is the centerpiece. When we stand together and speak the Psalms in one accord as our prayers with Christ, Christ is the centerpiece. When we join around the table to commemorate the body of Christ broken and the blood of Christ spilled for the forgiveness of sins, Christ is the centerpiece. When we hear the Good News of the Kingdom of God proclaimed and preached, Christ is the centerpiece. When testimony is given, declaring that the Lord brought us out of slavery and bondage and into the freedom and riches of His glorious Kingdom, Christ is the centerpiece. It is in one accord that:We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy universal and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
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The Kingdom of God must be lived and demonstrated outside of the four walls of the church building. The Church must extend into our neighborhoods, town centers, restaurants, coffee shops, bars and pubs, hospitals, jailhouses, nursing homes, and into every place outside of our church building. The Church must extend in the midst of our friends, neighbors, co-workers, new acquaintances, and our enemies alike. This is the church we aspire to be.

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The very foundation of our faith rests in the communal, triune God breaking in to the lives of broken vessels in order to restore wholeness and unity in our relationships, first with Him and then each other. We become individuals who gravitate toward each other in community. We live life with each other daily. We share and celebrate with one another by praying and worshiping when we gather together. We encourage and build up one another in Christ every opportunity we have. We walk gracefully with one another when we are sinned against, always extending forgiveness and working toward reconciliation in our relationships with one another. This kind of community cannot be something we casually participate in when we gather together on Sundays, as if we are dipping our toe into the water to see how it feels. The very heart of the Kingdom of God is life with one another, and there is no greater privilege or opportunity on earth.

Here is what others have to say about the TLR family...

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Jesus said that unless you become like children you will never enter the Kingdom of God. We believe that there is great value in the children of our church and there is much we can learn from them. We also believe that we must do our part as a family to nurture, teach, and train up our children in the way of Jesus. It is the responsibility of the entire community... and not one person... to guide and mentor the next generation to embody Christ and be an active part in extending it in the world.

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robin webb

judy taylor

jon myers

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robin webb I had an idea of what I thought a church was to be like, because I grew up in a church.I don't want to say anything negative about that church because there was some amazing people there. It was the church's “religion” left a sour taste in my mouth. When I was old enough to make my own choices I opted for not attending church. That path lead me into a very dark place. I started to not believe in God in my mind but my heart ached for something more. I became interested in anyone who was different from the norm as a distraction. Nothing was ever fulfilling and I just became more lost. I meet my husband and learned a lot about love, which was something I was struggling with. He was an atheist and it broke my heart because I knew that one day I would turn back to God. I didn't know how or when but I knew I would. We would have arguments about God all the time. He was very worried that I wanted to be in the religion I grew up in and we would be so different from each other, fortunately that never became the case. I didn't know what other religions were like because I feared that if I wasn't a certain type of believer that I was going to go to HELL. Of course I was confused and scared. I didn't want to be in a strict church and didn't want my soul to be tortured for eternity. I had a friend who was very sad and started looking for God, she had made a visit to The Living Room and said she liked it there. I remember thinking at the time that it sounded like a weird cult group that was probably not going to be saved. That was a few years ago. I put it behind me and forgot all about TLR. I had a series of terrible events that happened in my life. My solace was listening to southern gospel music and praying. Through that I discovered and experienced an amazing peace in my life. I was curious about this God who I never really knew at all... a God who gives peace to someone in the midst of chaos and confusion. To me that was very strange. I remember my cool friend who was alternative talking about becoming a christian and I asked her about a church I could go to that would be a good fit for me. She said The Living Room, of course. I looked them up on Facebook and saw that their leader had a very strange profile photo of himself and he didn't look very serious. Where was his tie and button up shirt? I sent him an email that said I want to come to The Living Room but I am too scared. He was very welcoming to me and said he would look for me there. I didn't show up needless to say, but then he again sent me an email and told me to come. My first visit there was strange. I didn't even know that building they were meeting in was a church. Where in the world is the steeple or a cross even? Just a small sign outside of this big brown building that said the name of the church. Okay? So I open the door and there was a stair case with no windows and a door at the top which was closed. Freaky, I know. I walk inside nervously and the place was filled with different people. People I already knew too that was cool. There was art everywhere, sofas and dining room tables with chairs. Where were the pews? Why were people dressed in their jeans and tee shirts? Another thing that threw me off was that there was a coffee bar up there too. A coffee bar seriously, I was used to the water fountain in the hallway. People seemed to be real with each other. Brandon, one of the leaders of the church came over to me and he was also dressed in a gray shirt, jeans and sneakers. This place was hard to adjust to at first. I choose to sit on the sofa closest to the exit and sat there nervously. The first person that I meet was a woman who I later grow to love and adore. If you are new to the church you gotta meet Judy...she is amazing. The service was like one I had never been too. For the whole service we had to sit in silence and pray. No music no sermon of loud screaming voices, just silence. If I had ever felt awkward it was on that day. One of the regular church members came over to me and said that this was not a typical service and to come back. As soon as the service was over I darted for the door. I didn't want to come back but something inside of me was telling me to. I started going to every Sunday service which I learned are never the same. The thing that I really loved as I became more comfortable with the church was the walk upstairs which smelled of coffee and paper, getting my coffee from Jeff and chatting him up some, then finding my favorite sofa. I was still nervous about coming and I had not really befriended anyone yet. I would tell my husband to come just so I would have someone to be my comfortable blanket. He finally came to a service and realized he knew almost everyone in there from his local business in town. He also liked the message and decided to make TLR his home too. We both gave our lives to Christ on the same day, getting baptized in a river...who does that? I got to renew my wedding vows to him and we both took the dunk. I had an interesting road getting to be where I am today. With the help of some people at TLR helping me know about the love that Jesus has for us and how to have a relationship with him. I still fear him but on a different level now. I respect him and want to be a wholesome. I realize that I may never be perfect in my eyes but he will always love me. This is why I made The Living Room my home. There is no judgment, only love, which I have seen repeatedly. We are a community of people who want to show that to others. We may not be perfect but it's home to me and we continue to grow together.

robin webb

the newells We had spent the day hiking. It was the first Sunday since our previous church had split and, being unable to reconcile ourselves to either of the fractured halves, we just went for a walk. We talked about how we were going to go about finding a new church and we prayed that God would guide our search. That evening, when we got back to town, we decided to use Ben's newly purchased coupon book at a local restaurant (I have never known Ben to buy anything from a door-to-door salesman, besides this coupon book). When we walked up we realized that, although the restaurants patio was populated with people, it was closed on Sundays. A little perplexed, we walked back to Bens truck. We drove around the block talking about what we had seen: bibles, tattoos, young people & pizza. Feeling a little silly, we decided to go back and ask these people who they were. Thus, we found the the [living] room. It seemed too simple, but too perfect to be a coincidence. God delivered us right into the heart of a community of his loving believers. Since then Ben and I have married and had two kids! Over the past 5 years the tlr community has become nothing short of family. [ jess]We didnt go searching for the living room, and I certainly dont think the living room was searching for us. We just wanted to be a part of a community seeking after the love of God through His word and the people in and around it. I think God just put us in its way, and we saw community and we saw grace and we saw love, and some tattooed arms and legs (not speaking about the tattoos, but those other traits -at least the way we see them being lived out), we feel are God-given. So we found ourselves eating pizza and studying the Bible and continued to come back. Amen. [ben]

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I was searching, like anyone else on the journey, for a place. We all have our preconceived ideas of church. Then I came upon The Living Room, not only was I embraced as a brother, I was allowed to be me! For the first time in years the Kingdom of God broke through the people of this place! We met on common ground. My family and I are now able to continue our journey with more strength & love then ever before! I strongly believe if it was not for my "NEW" family here, I would not be the man I am today. Able to walk through about anything, knowing The Kingdom of God is being revealed & advanced through those I journey with.

jon myers “ "You must be doing something right to have him all worked up like that,"” Brandon said laughing, referring to an article in the local newspaper in which my point of view was pitted against the point of view of a local church pastor. I have to admit, I was surprised to hear him say that. He came back again,“ "Jesus shook up the entire system.”" I was completely caught off guard. I had never thought of Jesus as an antagonist.This was my first grand step in realizing human nature as opposed to God’s will. That we have this way of thinking about the “world” or the “universe” in categories with human eyes, many times with blinders or sunglasses at midnight. We get so caught up in our laws and categories, and even worse our opinions, that we miss what God really wants for us. The truth is that what God wants for us is so much better and enjoyable than anything we can imagine or build for ourselves. I grew up in a traditional church full of opinions and rules. As I got older I left that church because I saw hypocrites who were more focused on appearance and social status than the glory of God and the well-being of our fellow human beings. Unfortunately this sent me looking for God in other places. I was left wondering if God was there at all. Without anywhere else to turn I put all of my faith and energy into the explanations of man, science, probability, and calculated and controlled explanations.My heart and mind were convinced that only man can figure out what is going on in the universe. I was left vulnerable and eventually the weight of this world and the ways of man crushed down on me until even more weight- the weight of nature, death, sickness, suffering- all weighed me down. This crushing place is lonely and empty. Like one song says, “laugh and the world laughs with you, but no one knows you when you’re down.” It is in that place I cried out to God…and he heard me. I had the faith of a mustard seed, which is very small. You could almost say I had virtually no faith at all. But Jesus said, “If you have the faith of a mustard seed you can move mountains.” You don’t need much. Even that small seed can grow when it is nurtured. It was this point when I decided to nurture the little bit of faith I had buried very deep inside me. That was when I found The Living Room (tlr). I began to realize it wasn’t about my church or the people I left so long ago. I too had been as hypocritical as anyone else there. I realized it wasn’t about what we can and can’t do, should or shouldn’t do on Sunday when we meet together. It was about me and my relationship with God, who never gave up on me, even when I gave up on him.

jon myers

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My husband Adam and I had been looking for a church for quite some time. I wasn’t raised in a church, but I knew I wanted to raise my family in a church. Although, I was hesitant about joining the many we visited because I didn’t feel that we were a good “fit” (for a lack of better words). Some friends of ours had been going to The Living Room and whenever we would see them, they would mention some amazing things that this church has been doing for the community. We decided this sounded like something we wanted to be a part of and despite my anxieties about going to check it out, we did… and thank God we did!

We were immediately welcomed by this group of people who were strangely normal or un-normal, like us! We felt right at home. I had no idea what following Jesus meant, but my pre-conceived notions of who Christians were, was completely wrong. The loving, genuine group of people gathered at The Living Room made us and our son very comfortable with a cup of coffee, a couch, and a smile. Now thanks to the Living Room and the people who are a part of the church, I know who Jesus is and look forward to hearing the message every week.

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judy taylor

I was first introduced to The Living Room (TLR) by friends who had been attending. I had been attending several different churches trying to find my place in the Christian community. I had accepted Christ into my life and been baptized both by water and in the spirit. I continued to feel something was missing and was struggling with the focus being on ritualism and appearance in the community. At TLR I found a group of people who were also searching for what Christ wanted from his followers. The TLR community is very relaxed and we are taught from the Bible rather than being preached to. We are encouraged to comment and ask questions during the service. We try to apply the biblical lessons to our present surroundings by using our resources and gifts to help those in need. We are not focused on building a fancy church but are attempting to build our church on a spiritual foundation that reaches out to our community in service and love to those in need.

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shelly brosemer

Twenty-eight years of religious and spiritual frustration had culminated into a boiling point, where I cringed at anything related to Christianity. Little did I know that this is exactly where Jesus wanted to meet me. I was invited to The Living Room, on a Saturday night, for an event called ArtNite. I wanted to support a friend. So very begrudgingly, I went. I watched as people played music, painted, and chattered. I was introduced to many people, most of whom were warm, and wore genuine smiles. I waited for someone to sit down next to me and try to convert me. It never happened. I visited TLR regularly for awhile, as an observer, with no one asking me to make any declarations. My decision to learn about Jesus was my curiosity about how these people, who I identified with in so many ways, were living out their Christian beliefs. It wasn’t like anything I had seen before. The more I observed, and participated, and learned…the more I fell in love with Jesus. Miracles were happening – in me and around me - and I could see them all. My thirst grew and grew. All of the unarticulated dreams I had for myself and for the world, that had me searching for answers and promises, are exactly what I find in Jesus. Unconditional love. Forgiveness. Community. Giving. Restoration. Authenticity. Two years after that ArtNite, I was baptized, surrounded by my TLR family. It’s like a beautiful poem that only God could pen.

shelly brosemer

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elders at tlr

To our visitors...

Thanks for taking the time to visit our website. We hope that this website represents who we are trying to be as a church. We are not trying to put on a show each Sunday or trying to impress anyone...and we certainly are not perfect. We simply believe that the way of Jesus is the best and highest way possible to live this life...and it is the very best when done in community with others. That is what we aspire to and what we invite you into. No matter who you are, what you have done, what you have been through, or what you are currently going through... we welcome you with open arms.

kwin abram

doug adams

To follow news and events at tlr via email, text, or MMS please send us an email and we will add you to the list.

brandon andress

1412 sycamore street. columbus. indiana. Adults and children meet each Sunday at 11:00am