My new church in Chicagoland!

A couple of weekends ago I attended a conference for urban ministry leaders called RELOAD. It was nice to be with people who love what I love - and to attend sessions specifically geared toward what I am doing and want to do. The conference also highlighted the violence in Chicago. Last school year, 26 Chicago Public School students died violently. A slide show commemorating the now 32 Chicago Public School students who have been killed this school year - with 3 months to go until summer break - was shown at the conference. This video cuts out part way through, but you can read the article as well. More than 500 students have been shot in the last 18 months, and this number does not include teens who have dropped out from school. This article is about a month old, but definitely makes you stop and think. It is jarring to see how extreme the violence in this city is. Please pray for the families, neighborhoods, and schools affected by violence.

This is my shirt from the conference. I love it! And I wore it to my new church home in Chicagoland! (Sidenote: Chicago and it's suburbs is referred to as 'Chicagoland'. Someone told me this is because people who live actually in the city scoff at people who live in the suburbs but try to say they are from Chicago. Funny to me, since there is no Boiseland. Or Rupertland.)

I have been praying, really even before I moved, that God would lead me to a church in Chicago. I've never really had the experience of looking for a church before. I grew up at Paul Baptist, and I think St. Paul Baptist was the second church I visited in Boise. So the past 7 months have been, well - long. I am both excited and overwhelmed to begin to develop relationships within my new church home.

I've been praying that God would make it clear where I am supposed to fellowship. Specifically, that I would walk in and feel like it was my church, like this was where I was supposed to be. On Sunday I went to Christian Life Center in Tinley Park, Illinois (this is a suburb of Chicago - hence my new church is in 'Chicagoland'). I've been there before and I have visited about 4 times.... because I like it! But it is 34 miles from my house! 34 miles in Chicago ain't no punk - especially in traffic. I can make it there in 45 minutes on a Sunday and in about 2 hours on a weekday evening. The distance had been my big concern - but last Sunday God was like "Really, you don't think you can drive to hear the Word? Really?" My preacher in Michigan taught me that when God talks to you like that He's not really looking for a reply. The good news: once I move in the fall I will be potentially 18 miles closer to church!

The moment that really confirmed it for me this past Sunday was the baptism service. The preacher preached on water baptism and then said (this is a definite paraphrase) 'If you heard the Word today and want to walk in obedience in response to God - then you can be baptized today! Some of you are thinking that you didn't come prepared. But we are prepared for you. We have dark colored shirts and dark colored shorts and flip flops and private changing rooms and make up remover and make up and blow driers and curling irons and boxers for the men and underwear and sports bras for the women and the children's ministry will keep your child after service. Maybe you are thinking that you want your family to see you be baptized. We are going to take a picture of everyone who is baptized today and next week we will give it to you and you can give it to your family. So, you could be baptized today!"

About 12 people left to be baptized. Now, presumably some of those were already planning to be baptized this Sunday. But as the baptism service continued more people decided to be baptized. One man didn't even change clothes - just got in the baptismal with his church clothes on. It was a beautiful half hour of praise and worship as people were baptized. Now, not everyone's hair gets wet easily. And to see people abandon appearance in favor of obedience made me want to be home at this church. I love that they thought ahead to create an atmosphere of instant response!

So, when YOU come to visit me in Chicago ...... you can come to my church!