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Our Culture

We are people who work to be transparent about who we are. We believe the Bible is the ultimate truth and try to genuinely apply it to our lives to experience the best God has for us. We are united as a family, we live in honest community and we all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

Our History

Living Word Community originally was an outgrowth of the Welsh Revival of 1904. It also has roots in the 1906 Azuza Street “Outpouring of the Holy Spirit” in Los Angeles, California. At the time of great revival in the country of Wales, UK, two women in Pennsylvania, one black and one white, were praying together for a similar “spiritual awakening.” They were meeting with a group of Christians in a house in East Lansdowne, a suburb in Delaware County, PA. They also had a heart for the city, and were holding street meetings together on North Broad Street in Philadelphia.

In the early 1920’s, these two prayer partners traveled across the Atlantic to investigate the revival in Wales. As a result of their visit, a team of four pastors and prophets came to Philadelphia to report on the move of the Holy Spirit in Wales. In 1927, an Apostolic Church congregation was organized in East Lansdowne. In 1955, the church relocated to Center City Philadelphia, and was known as Philadelphia Gospel Temple. The congregation officially changed its name to The Living Word Community in 1977.

Today we remain a multicultural fellowship, founded on the Living Word. We seek to see the Holy Spirit continue to open hearts to salvation through Jesus Christ and to change lives in our community, our city, and across the globe.

Documentary - November 19, 2023

History of The Living Word Community

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Elders/Pastors

Dave & Seema Freer

Lead Elder/Pastor

Ted & Karen Lewis

Elder

Karl & Maria Dreher

Elder/Worship Leader

Dan & Donna Moser

Elder/Homeless Ministry

Efrain & Eva Posada

Elder

Deacons/Ministry Leaders

Elizabeth Centurion-Patel

Deacon

Seema Freer

Women’s Ministry

Ted & Patty Hewson

Homeless Ministry

Alex & Deborah Molloy

Deacons/Young Adult Ministry

Aaron Ruiz

Deacon/Worship Leader

Scott & Gretchen Schwartzman

Men’s Ministry/Dance Ministry

Beth Seguinot

Deacon/Sunday School Director

Our Beliefs

It is not ok just to say you believe something just because you inherited it. There is no doubt everyone holds a worldview and everybody believes in something. We believe the Bible comprises the truth about God, our relationship with Him and His purposes in the world. The present cultural currents mean that every individual today is confronted with a staggering number of ideologies, lifestyles and faith options, all competing for their attention. At Living Word, we want the name of Jesus Christ to be known.

Together, we want this be a welcoming, loving, supportive community; one of grace and generosity but clear in what we believe and where we stand. This is our foundation in the context we find ourselves in, where people can get to know who we are alongside what we believe!

GOD
WE BELIEVE there is one God who is the creator and the ruler of the universe (Gen. 1:1). He eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19)
JESUS CHRIST
WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, in his virgin birth (Matt. 1:23), his sinless life (Heb. 4:15; 7:26), his atoning death on the cross (1 Cor. 15:3), his resurrection on the third day (John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:4), and that He will return to reign as Lord of lords (Acts 1:11; 1 Tim. 6:13-16).
HOLY SPIRIT
WE BELIEVE in the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that empowers each Christian to live a godly life (Rom. 8:11). The body of each believer is a “temple” in which the Holy Spirit is present (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Therefore, every believer must foster a life filled with the Spirit, which is both an initial and ongoing experience for Christians (Ephesians 5:18). The Holy Spirit provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, guidance in doing what is right, and spiritual gifts to edify the church.
THE BIBLE
WE BELIEVE that the entire Bible is the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God and that men were moved by the Spirit to write the books of Scripture (2 Pet 1:20-21). The words of the Bible are the primary source for teaching and equipping Christians for a life of righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
PEOPLE
WE BELIEVE that human beings were created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him (Gen. 1:26), but became alienated from that relationship through sinful disobedience (Gen. 3). As a result, humanity is totally incapable of coming back into a right relationship with God by our own effort.
SALVATION
WE BELIEVE that only the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross provides for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 10:45). Therefore, salvation is received only when a person places his faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as the sufficient payment for one’s acknowledged sin (Acts 2:38). This salvation is not earned but is a gift available by the grace of God alone (Eph. 2:8-9).
BAPTISM
WE BELIEVE that Baptism is an outward display of an inward commitment. At LWC, baptism is a public service where we immerse people into water to metaphorically display the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is a personal declaration, “I choose to follow Christ in the way He loved God and served people.” It’s also an expression of hope, “My old ways are gone! I live a new life because of what Christ has done for me!” It is a joyous time where people answer affirmatively to Jesus as Lord & Savior of their life and express belief in his resurrection. At Living Word Community we encourage every person who is a believer to be baptized. It’s an incredible celebration of hope.
PRAYER
WE BELIEVE in the power of prayer, both individually and corporately, as an expression of faith in God’s work in our lives. Prayer is an essential part of a Christian life and is used to talk to God and to communicate with Him. We pray for guidance, strength, healing, protection, and for our families, friends, and community. Through prayer, we seek to deepen our understanding of God’s will and His plans for our lives. Praying helps us grow closer to God and to gain a better understanding of His will and how we can best serve Him. When we pray, we open ourselves up to God and He will answer us in His own way and in His own time. Prayer is a beautiful and powerful way to communicate with our Heavenly Father and to seek His love and guidance.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
WE BELIEVE that for every Christian the old way of living for oneself is in the past and that the present and the future are filled with a new way of living for Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). By obedience to the Scriptures and daily yielding to the Spirit, we will mature and become conformed to the image of Christ, which should be exhibited by love for God and one’s neighbor (Matt. 22:37-39).
THE CHURCH
WE BELIEVE that the church is the body of Christ, of which Jesus is the head (Col. 1:18). The purpose of the church is to gather believers to glorify God by being a powerful witness for Jesus Christ in a lost world (Matt. 28:18-20). God wants to edify and build up His church; this is why the Holy Spirit gives a variety of spiritual gifts to believers, such as encouragement, serving, teaching, healing, prophecy, etc. (Romans 12, 1 Cor. 12,) We practice two ordinances in the church, which were instituted by Christ Himself: water baptism (Luke 3:21-22) and holy communion (Luke 22:14-20).
HEAVEN
WE BELIEVE that when we die, we are united with Christ and will live forever.