Chicago | In July, IBSA and Judson University held the third-annual ChicaGO Week, a mission experience for students that partners them with leaders planting new churches in the city and its suburbs.
“Church planter’s hearts, [they’re] just a little bit different than a lot of people’s [in ministry],” said student pastor Danny Walls, who took 34 students from First Baptist Church in O’Fallon to their first ChicaGO Week this summer.
Being a pastor of a yet-to-be established or newly-established church is a different beast, said Walls, “and it’s a cool thing to get to hang out and hear their heart and their vision and see what God’s doing through them. It’s pretty awesome.”
The group kicked off their week by partnering with Dave Andreson, pastor of Resurrection City Church in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood. They helped clean up the middle school where the church has met, and held a carwash to raise money so that lead in the building’s water pipes could be treated. A Mercedes dealership even brought by some cars to be spruced up.
Volunteer Kaitlyn Walker said the carwash gave the group opportunities to start conversations with people and let them know why they were in Chicago that week. “There was this one lady, when I was drying off her car, who was just telling me about her life,” Walker said. “Starting a conversation and meeting someone new like that was really cool.”
Elizabeth McNicol said her favorite part of GO Week so far had been helping people in need. The carwash allowed them to raise money for a good cause, she said, and “it was a fun time to get to know each other more, while still praising God and experiencing the joy that comes from that.”
Opening doors
The O’Fallon students also worked in South Chicago Heights, where Transformation Church is working to reach their neighbors, which include many young families.
The demographic breakdown in the community is about 38% white and then a pretty even split between African-American and Hispanic residents, said Transformation Pastor Alex Bell. And 79% of the population is under the age of 50.
“Within a mile of the church there are about 10,000 people alone,” said Bell. So although it’s not in the heart of the city, the suburban community is very dense with many in need of the gospel, he explained.
Transformation Church has about 60 members and held weekly sports camps this summer. Averaging around 40 kids, these weeks served as an opportunity to get to know the surrounding community and share the love of Christ with the youth that attended.
During ChicaGO Week, the students from FBC O’Fallon got the chance to kick soccer balls, shoot hoops, and get to know the kids in South Chicago Heights. Many also took some time to prayer walk and pick up trash in the neighborhoods surrounding the church.
Referencing the prayer prompts they were given, Elizabeth McNicol said, “I prayed a lot for the police department, that they [would stay] safe.” The main thing she prayed over places she passed, though, was that those inside would come to know Jesus.