ABOUT US
Living Shalom
God has put on our hearts a vision of His shalom being present in our neighborhoods. “Shalom” is the Bible’s word for wholeness and flourishing and being as God intended. “Shalom” is what happens when God is present.
Under the leadership of Jesus, we strive to be loving, welcoming, and accountable to one another. We love our neighbors – from all over Boston – and long to see everyone experience the love of Christ.
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Isaiah 58: 11 – 12
And you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water whose waters never fail.
Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.
Our Mission & Vision
Our Mission: We are disciples of Jesus, becoming his beloved community, embodying shalom, and inviting our neighbors to experience God’s overflowing love and justice.
Our Vision: That God’s Shalom will reign in our community! The definition of shalom is: embodied hope, wholeness, right relationships, justice, salvation, and righteousness. We stand in the prophetic tradition of the Black Church in the U.S. calling for healing and righteousness in individuals, churches, and society. Our local church will be flourishing and multiplying; working with the greater body of Christ to demonstrate the tangible love and message of Jesus.
Our Beliefs & Values
Our values are undergirded by these guiding principles: (1) we rely completely on God as our source and strength; (2) we collaborate with others when possible for the Kingdom of God, and (3) we encourage people to creatively live out these values.
Relationship with God
We live Jesus-centered lives by cultivating our relationship with God through study, prayer, and worship, experiencing God’s power and healing in our mind, body, and spirit and celebrating and worshiping God as an outward expression of what we believe internally.
Relationship with Body
We are committed to growing strong, healthy, caring relationships by sharing life together in practical ways (friendship, meals, helping hand), submitting to one another in accountable relationships, leading by serving others as Jesus did and being generous towards those in the body of Christ and our neighbors.
Relationship with Neighborhood
We love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves by practicing hospitality with our neighbors, pursuing justice for those who are marginalized and oppressed and participating in local community development and ministry initiatives.
Statement of Faith
- There is one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- God the Father made all things through the Son, sent the Son for our salvation, and gives us the Holy Spirit.
- The Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, was born of the virgin Mary, fully God and fully human, and is the perfect revelation of the Father and the perfect representative of humanity. He suffered and died on the cross for all human sin, was raised bodily on the third day, and ascended to heaven. Standing in for all humanity before the Father, Jesus Christ provides the perfect human response to God. Since he died for all, all died in him, and all will be made alive in him.
- The Holy Spirit brings sinners to repentance and faith, assures believers of their forgiveness and acceptance as God’s dearly loved children, and works in them to conform them to the image of Jesus Christ.
- The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God that testifies to Jesus Christ. The Bible is fully authoritative for all matters of faith and salvation.
- Salvation comes only by God’s grace and not by works, and it is experienced through faith in Jesus Christ. Christians respond to the joy of salvation when they gather in regular fellowship and live godly lives in Jesus Christ.
- We look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come.
Our Leadership Team
Our church is led by Pastor Valerie Copeland and a team of Elders made up of godly women and men from the church who are invested in the unique way God is using Neighborhood Church in Dorchester. Under the leadership of Jesus, this team guides the church in her mission and vision and serves as the primary teaching team, develops leaders, and provides pastoral care.
Valerie Copeland
Pastor
Valerie Kim Copeland serves as Pastor of Neighborhood Church. Val is passionate about helping people know, love, and follow Jesus. She loves Scripture and Jesus’ call to manifest God’s shalom and justice in tangible ways. Prior to becoming our Pastor, Valerie worked for MassHealth and served as president of her local SEIU union chapter. Val is married to Al Copeland, and together they have lived in, and served, Boston in many capacities. Val enjoys Southern cuisine.
Paul Malkemes
Elder
Paul Malkemes serves as an Elder. Paul has a big heart for shalom in neighborhoods. He loves to see youth and families develop into leaders in the community. He also loves gardening. He is the Executive Director and co-founder (with his wife Glenna) of The Boston Project Ministries. Together with their four daughters they have served the Talbot-Norfolk Triangle Neighborhood for over 25 years.
Mako Nagasawa
Elder
Mako Nagasawa serves as an Elder. Mako is excited to share about Jesus and explain how Jesus is behind every good story, and relevant to every issue. He loves to teach, write, develop people, and help them grow in their gifts. He and his wife Ming have lived in Dorchester since 2000, and have done community gardening and neighborhood organizing. He founded The Anástasis Center for Christian Education and Ministry to develop restorative justice and healing atonement materials.
Hours
Sunday
10:30 am
Address
Boys and Girls Club
15 Talbot Avenue
Dorchester, MA 02124
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