If you want to experience the freedom love offers—YOU can join. If you want to learn how to recognize fear in your thoughts, conversations, habits, and maybe as your motive in relationships—YOU can join. If you want to learn what love looks like and sounds like—practically speaking, in everyday life—YOU can join. If you want to help us change the world with the power of love—YOU can join. HERE’S A WARNING—AND A PROMISE: We’ve learned this from experience. Once you’ve experienced the freedom love offers, you’ll know that real freedom is possible—and you won’t be satisfied as a slave to fear any longer. Once you know freedom is possible, you’ll fight for freedom—for yourself and for others.

You can join the LOVE IS FEARLESS movement if you declare yourself to be a Christian—or not. LOVE IS FEARLESS is not a theological movement. Right theology won’t change the world—love will. Our mission is to help people experience a life of love instead of a life of fear—so together, we can build a world without fear. Some people ask: Are Janet and Doug Christians? Yes. We trust the finished work of Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and we trust that we’ve been given a new identity in Christ because of His resurrection. We are completely dependent on God’s love in our own lives—as a source of truth, strength, wisdom, and revelation. Christ is our life. We are completely dependent on the gift of the new heart Jesus died to give us as the source of the love we share.

Joining the cause is FREE. The only thing it costs you is your email address—so you can receive the primary resource every week in your inbox. When you join the cause, you will receive one email every Sunday evening. The weekly email will provide you with: One inspiring and useful idea about choosing love, instead of fear. These ideas are organized around the LOVE IS FEARLESS alphabet—which is simply a way to help you remember the key ideas. The alphabet of key ideas is included inside the Love is Fearless Facebook Group. A weekly “Keep Choosing LOVE Challenge” to help you practically try out the new idea at home, at school, at work, at church—and in your community. Every week you’ll be invited to repurpose your culture—one conversation, one challenge, and one decision at a time. A language trade suggestion. Every week, you’ll learn how to speak a phrase or question in the language of love, instead of fear. A few quotes from and a link to the weekly LOVE IS FEARLESS podcast that shares more inspiration and practical tips. A link to the LOVE IS FEARLESS Facebook group—so, if you choose, you can connect with the others who have joined the LOVE IS FEARLESS cause. The Facebook group is an option—not a requirement. It’s created to be a place for the LOVE IS FEARLESS community from around the world to gather, learn together, share questions, and share encouragement about how love is changing the world—one story at a time.

Fear or love? One or the other will guide every conversation, every challenge, and every decision we make. Most people don't realize it's possible to live a life without fear, a life where love removes anxiety and anger and shame. We’ve built more than a few habits living in fear. Like the air we breathe, we can’t literally see or hear the love—or the fear, until someone speaks, responds, or makes a decision to act one way or the other. If the culture we live in speaks the language of fear, responds to challenges in fear, and makes choices to act out of fear, we will rebuild that culture in our own lives. If we choose fear, our culture will be characterized by the things that thrive in fear: manipulation, immaturity, walking on eggshells, control, pretending, bullying, addiction, abuse, enabling, dis-ease, suicide, terrorism, apathy, rebellion or compliance to government or cultural standards, and a loss of freedom. But, if the culture we live in speaks love, responds in love, and makes decisions in love—we can change the world. Trust gets built. Love gets in. And, love changes everything. If we choose love, our culture will be characterized by the things that thrive in love: trust, humility, creativity, maturity, dreams, integrity, courage, physical and mental health, hope, safety, heartfelt obedience to truth, heroic sacrifice, peace, and freedom.

These four ideas characterize a “love one another” culture: We’re inspired to live every day to the fullest, because We find meaning and significance in doing work that is bigger than ourselves—for a greater good. We feel connected in safe relationships. We feel fulfilled and want others to experience life this way as well.

WE BELIEVE we don’t need to be perfect, but we need to be trustworthy. Mistakes happen. And we accept them. Without fear, we get to own our mistakes and the ways our choices impact and influence the people we care about—because our goal is to build relationships of trust so others can experience our love. WE BELIEVE struggle is not a reason to be afraid. Struggle is a gift, because it allows us to connect with someone we trust to help us love, learn, and be cared for. WE BELIEVE love will change us. We will be transformed. Our habits of relating in fear will be replaced by ways of relating in love. Instead of trying to control, manipulate, or hide—we get to learn, contribute, encourage, inspire, and help. WE BELIEVE life should be lived based on convictions, not emotions. We invite people we trust to critique our ideas. We give them permission to ask us questions about our reasoning and our reactions. We want our ideas, habits, and relationships to line up with our values and priorities. WE BELIEVE love speaks a different language than fear. We learn the new language of love the same way we learned the language of fear—in community. WE BELIEVE love changes relationships. My relationship with you is now about your good, not my gain. Love fights for you—and for your freedom. Love fights for me—and for my freedom, too.

This is a trick question. And it's a big deal. Because our culture is obsessed with performance (standards, goals, achievements), we like to measure things and compare what’s good, better, and best. We like to reward ourselves when we do good. But, here’s a key truth about love: LOVE CAN'T BE MEASURED. Love is always good. Love is always better than fear. And, a life of love is the best life. If we teach love like a behavior modification system and turn the mission into a checklist—it won’t be love. Loving one another offers its own rewards that aren't standards or measurements. In living a life of love, we find significance. Impact and influence. The gift of trust in a relationship. Awe and wonder. Mystery. Miracles. This is true, too: Love celebrates! A celebration of love is a great reward. Here’s the bottom line: Love is messy—and unpredictable. As soon as we start keeping score, it’s not love. As soon as we think we deserve it, it’s not love. As soon as we require someone else to earn it, it’s not love. Love is something we can receive, but we can’t earn. Love is something we can share, but we can’t sell. Love is the only weapon against fear, and when we trust love—we experience freedom. Together, there is great hope. Love can change the world.