What is Kinetic?

Kinetic is an urban missional community. Being “missional” means we engage the world the same way Jesus did—by going out rather than just reaching out. The American church has historically sent missionaries abroad. Kinetic’s mission field is New York City. As urban missionaries, we go out into the city to meet needs, add value, love well, and develop a variety of spaces and activities such as arts performances, seminars, justice initiatives, social events, and community service projects as methods for displaying God’s love, fostering human flourishing and changing the world.

Why was Kinetic started?

The world has radically changed. As a result of the impact of secular humanism, religious pluralism, systemic racism, hyper-individualism, global capitalism, and the pandemic, every sector of our society is faced with the challenge of rethinking the way it operates. Kinetic was started out of a desire to wrestle with what it means to be a faith-based community serving New York City in this context.

What informs your work at Kinetic?

In Jesus’ teachings, we find the basis for a theology of human flourishing. In the Gospel of John chapter 10, verse 10, Jesus states, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The word “abundantly” means that which goes beyond necessity. Jesus points to a practical holistic spirituality that enables people to live life to the fullest. The promise of life abundant does not refer to material riches or a life free from problems. It is abundant in the sense that it is a life rich with meaning, purpose and the resources to effectively navigate life.

Research conducted on human flourishing at Harvard University and elsewhere supports Kinetic's focus on spirituality, the creative arts, community, wellness, and justice. Data from the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard indicates that religious community, spiritual well-being, exposure to the arts, having a sense of meaning and purpose, communal well-being, and relational and mental health are key indicators and fundamental to human flourishing.

Our work is also informed by a vision for the “Beloved Community” popularized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This vision is grounded in the belief that God calls us to remake our hostility-filled world into communities where love and justice truly reign. Inspired by the love of God operating in the human heart, the human community meets the basic needs of every person. Racism, bigotry, hunger, poverty and prejudices will end because God’s standards for human decency will not allow them to exist in the beloved community.

What are your core beliefs?

While we respect the beliefs of every person, Kinetic is a faith-based organization guided by a worldview informed by the teachings and practices of Jesus. Click HERE to see our core beliefs.