Chicago
God is always moving and shaping us through his Word, his Spirit, circumstances, and other people. For the last few years God has been moving us toward city ministry and church planting. The short story is that we are moving forward to plant a church in Chicago. We’re excited and eager to see how God will work everything out, but after praying, fasting, and counsel, there is no doubt that this is what God wants us to do. Below you will see our strategy, what the church will do, some key values, a proposed timeline, three ways to help us, and a contact form.
Strategy
- I will be mentored by a Chicagoan church planter through the entire process.
- We will spend at least the next 18 months forming a team and shaping a clear vision.
- We will take 10-12 families with us. These families will help shape the vision and mission. We are looking for life-long commitments.
- We will be bi-vocational in the beginning. A dozen families that are all working and supporting the church will greatly reduce the financial need. In the beginning, no one will take a salary.
- We will partner with local churches and a church planting network. Ministering in an urban setting involves using many resources with few resources coming in. The home churches of the Chicago team will be key in helping offset ministry costs.
The church will:
- Meet together once each week to worship God and learn from his Word.
- Commit to meet in small groups each week.
- Serve the people of the community and the world.
Key values (this is not extensive):
- Christ-centered biblical preaching
- Contemporary, God-honoring worship
- Community
- Service
- Discipleship
- Diversity
- Informal reverence
Propose Timeline:
Any of this may and probably will change. But it’s good to have a starting point.
January 2011 – May 2012: Form team, shape vision, attend conferences, read, gather funding, mentoring, etc.
Summer 2012: Move to Chicago
Summer 2012 – December 2012: Soak ourselves in the community and culture; build relationships at work and play; expand team.
January 2013 – May 2013: House meetings, community volunteering, preview services
Fall 2013: Launch
We need three things (honestly):
- A chance to tell people about our vision. If you would like us to come share more at your church, please use the contact information at the bottom of the form. The more people who know about our vision for Chicago, the more support we will have. Certainly that includes finances, but right now we want partners that are willing to support us emotionally and spiritually through prayer, wisdom, and kindness.
- Families that will go with us. There are several positions that need to be filled, but we would prefer to meet with anyone that is interested to discover your hearts, talk about the vision for the church, and find the best role for you. In the beginning, all positions in the church will be non-paid (this includes the Lead Pastor). Again, this is a life-long commitment, but we believe this is going to be an amazing time of God changing lives of Chicagoans.
- Financial support. Straight up, we will need money to minister in an urban culture. There will be tons of resources going out and not much coming in. We would like for the home churches of the Chicago Team to support each family, and each family will be expected to give tithes and offerings to the church. There will still be, however, large start-up funds to raise. At some point in the next few months, we will know exactly where you can send money if you’re interested in partnering with us in that way.
Contact us:
To keep up with what we’re doing, check back to this website often. We are also on Facebook.
If you would like to schedule us for a service or are interested in joining the team, please fill out this contact form. Your information will be sent to me and not published as a comment.
