Liberti Fairmount exists to live out the freedom we have in Jesus Christ and to offer that freedom to others. One of the most tangible ways we do that is through mercy ministry — meeting real needs in real lives, as an expression of the gospel we’ve received.

As Tim Keller puts it: “Mercy to the full range of human needs is such an essential mark of being a Christian that it can be used as a test of true faith. A life poured out in deeds of mercy is the inevitable sign of true faith.” — Timothy J. Keller, Ministries of Mercy: The Call of Jericho Road (P&R Publishing, 2nd ed., Phillipsburg, NJ, 1997), pp. 35–66

The gospel is the wellspring of all mercy ministry. We were ourselves spiritually bankrupt, alienated from God with no resources to help ourselves — and Christ impoverished himself so that we might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). He is the Great Deacon (Romans 15:8), who identified with the poor and vulnerable, crossed every barrier of race and class and custom, and poured himself out in costly, practical love. Mercy is not an obligation imposed on Christians from the outside — it is the natural overflow of people who have truly understood what has been done for them. We give because we have been given to. We serve because we have been served.

What We’re Pursuing: Shalom

Shalom is God’s comprehensive flourishing — peace, wholeness, and dignity extended to every dimension of human life. At Liberti Fairmount, we pursue shalom personally, locally, and regionally across ten domains of human need.

Each of these ten domains reflects an arena of human need and divine healing. They map onto the four-fold fragmentation that sin introduced in Genesis 3 — alienation from God, from self, from one another, and from creation itself. Shalom is the reversal of all four. The ten domains are the practical terrain on which that reversal happens: they form the shared structure for diaconal discernment, initiative planning, and prayer.

💧 Water

A gift of creation that sustains life and symbolizes cleansing, renewal, and the Spirit’s flow. (Water signifies both physical provision and spiritual rebirth — Genesis 2, John 4, Ezekiel 36, John 7.)

John 4:13-14; Psalm 104:10-13; Ezekiel 36:25-26; Revelation 22:1-2

Rain Check Program — stormwater tools & rebates (up to $2,500); TAP — Tiered Assistance Program — water bill assistance, (215) 685-6300; DHCD; Basic Systems Repair Program — plumbing repair, 215-448-2160

🏠 Shelter

God’s protective presence made tangible — providing safety, dignity, and belonging. (Shelter images both divine refuge and human hospitality — Psalm 91, Isaiah 58, John 14.)

Psalm 91:1-2; Isaiah 58:7; Psalm 27:5; John 14:2-3

Homeless:Office of Homeless Services; I.D. Philly — Broad Street Ministries; Help when facing homelessness; Homeless Intake Process — Renter:TURN — free counseling, (267) 443-2500; Help with paying rent; Right to Counsel; Emergency Relocation Services — Homeowner:Tangled Title Fund — grants up to $6,500; Restore, Repair, Renew — loans up to $50,000; Save Your Home Hotline — (215) 334-4663

🗑️ Waste

God’s call to steward creation, reject excess, and transform disorder into fruitfulness. (Waste encompasses physical pollution and spiritual disintegration — Genesis 2:15, Mark 7, Leviticus 19.)

Genesis 2:15; Matthew 15:37; Mark 7:15-23; Leviticus 19:9-10

Philadelphia Department of Sanitation — All Services

🏥 Health

Embodied wholeness that reflects God’s healing heart for body, mind, and soul. (Jesus’ healing ministry reveals the kingdom’s arrival — Matthew 11, James 5, Exodus 15.)

Matthew 11:4-5; Luke 10:8-9; James 5:14-15; Exodus 15:26

Philadelphia Renewal Network (PRN) — Christian counseling, (215) 222-0310, discounted rates available; Counseling — financially supplemented based on need (internal diaconate fund)

✝️ Spirit

The indwelling presence of God forming a holy people through worship, prayer, and transformation. (From temple to Church, God makes his home in us — John 4, Acts 2, Revelation 21:3.)

John 4:23-24; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Acts 2:1-4; Revelation 21:3

Liberti Church; Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs — City of Philadelphia — (215) 686-2191, FaithPHL@phila.gov; Mayor’s Interfaith Roundtable

🤝 Community

The body of Christ formed by love, joined in mutual care, and reconciled across difference. (Acts 2 and 1 Cor. 12 portray Spirit-shaped togetherness rooted in the Trinity.)

Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:15-16

AlphaCare Philadelphia — pregnancy support, 3807 Lancaster Ave, (215) 545-4673 — Education(building community through learning):Preschool Cooperative; City School Philadelphia — K–8, Middle, High; Bache-Martin School — neighborhood K–8; Robert Morris School — neighborhood K–8

⚖️ Justice

God’s justice sets all things right — through judgment, restoration, and equity — flowing from His righteousness into covenantal relationships and public structures. (Retributive: Romans 13:4, Deut. 32:35 / Restorative: Isaiah 58, Luke 4:18-19 / Distributive: Leviticus 25, Acts 2:44-45 / God’s Character: Psalm 89:14)

Micah 6:8; Amos 5:24; Isaiah 1:17; Psalm 85:10-11

Safety and Justice Challenge — Philadelphia

💼 Livelihood

Work as worship — sharing in God’s creative activity through meaningful, dignified labor. (From Eden to Thessalonica, Scripture affirms good work as vocation — Genesis 2, Colossians 3, 2 Thessalonians 3.)

Genesis 2:15; Colossians 3:23-24; Proverbs 31:13-31; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

Philadelphia Skills Initiative; OIC of America — Philadelphia; Philadelphia Career Pathways; Free Library — Career Training

🍞 Food

A means of nourishment, joy, and hospitality — reminding us of God’s abundance and shared table. (Feeding the hungry is both literal mercy and a sign of the kingdom — John 6, Isaiah 55, Matthew 25.)

Matthew 25:35; John 6:35; Isaiah 55:1-2; Acts 2:46-47

Free Food & Meal Finder; Philabundance; Broad Street Ministries; Small Things Philly; Small Things Market — Volunteer; BenePhilly; SNAP; PA COMPASS — apply for Medicaid, SNAP & more

⚡ Energy

God’s empowering presence made visible through creation, mission, and wise stewardship. (Energy represents power for light, labor, and life — from oil lamps to resurrection life — Matthew 25, Acts 1:8, Isaiah 40.)

Matthew 25:1-13; Luke 8:46; Acts 1:8; Isaiah 40:29-31

Help Paying Utility Bills; LIHEAP; BenePhilly; PECO Low Income / LIHEAP; PGW LIHEAP / Crisis & Hardship Grants; Cooling Sites; Warming Sites / Code Blue; Basic Systems Repair Program — electrical, plumbing, heating

Philadelphia already has remarkable resources in every one of these domains. The work of a deacon is largely to know what exists, know who needs it, and connect the two — with warmth, without bureaucracy.

What Deacons Actually Do

Deacons serve in three directions at once:

• Inward — Practical and responsive care for our own church family: noticing needs, organizing help, making sure no one falls through the cracks

• Outward — Mercy ministry to neighbors and the poor beyond our walls, extending Christ’s love to those who don’t yet know him

• Upward — Cultivating personal communion with God in it all — because the only lasting motivation for mercy is an experience of the grace we’ve received

The Good Samaritan is our model: costly personal involvement, practical deeds, and both immediate relief and long-term care.

Where We Are

We are in the season of reassembling the diaconate — it is our top near-term priority as a congregation right now. We have the theological foundation, and identified the resource network, and some potential partnerships. What we need are people with the time, the wisdom, and the heart to help organize what already exists and begin caring for people with it.

Opportunity To Lay The Groundwork:

We’re seeking those who would be willing to help us lay the groundwork — learning the resources, building the intake process, and beginning to serve as a point of contact for neighbors and members in need.

It will take maturity, availability, life experience, and a heart for people.  The freedom we have in Christ is meant to be given away. This is one of the most beautiful ways to do that.

“The one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” — Romans 12:8

Listen to a sermon on what is most important now here.

Serving neighbors in need

City School Garden - Pastor Scott (w/City School Staff)

AlphaCare - Diana and Ben

Small Things - Diana and Ben