The Big News
We’re moving! The new neighborhood is about 10 miles south and one mile west from where we are today in Evanston. This is a more centralized location to work with the different faith communities we’re resourcing and connecting in Chicago. The neighborhood is a west side neighborhood called West Town, a diverse district filled with businesses, mixed income households (homeless, immigrants, young professionals and established families), social centers (parks, coffee spots, food distribution plots) and loads of potential. These are our new neighbors!
There are new friends that we’ve grown to love here on the north side, and we’ll be close enough to them to continue growing in friendship, in community, and in mission here in the city. We’ll hopefully see more of our friends as we start to see groups meeting together on the larger scale. For the last year, we’d been commuting down to Hyde Park on a weekly basis (50 to 90 min!), and now we’re located in a much more central location that will reduce travel time and create more space for relationship building. We’re looking forward to new communities, new relationships, new heart connections, developed training, kingdom dreaming, and of course, coffee!
We’ve been so thankful for our little apartment here, and being right next to the train and easy access to the north side of the city has been a blessing to begin to see our mission field up close. (Katrina really enjoys the trees here!) We’ve met new people, helped form new communities of faith, come alongside other missionaries and disciples of Christ, and even helped resource and connect individuals and groups with this tool. We’re taking this to a new level, from a strategically centralized location.
We’ve been up close to Chicago and sharing the Gospel for a year, but strategically moving into the geographic middle of it changes everything…
There are two big words that has become bigger in my heart as we have considered this move: incarnational and missional. The first refers to the incarnation of Christ – his God-becoming-flesh move of entering our humanity, moving in right next door, entering our mess, and truly experiencing the life of those he wanted to proclaim God’s New Creation to. It is the going deep into the prevailing culture – like a thorn or a wedge. When we move to West Town, we will be implanting ourselves as best we can in order to model ourselves after Jesus.
The second word missional refers to the Latin root missio or “sent.” We are moving into bold new territory. We are actively entering the conversation of the city – we are involving ourselves with the big issues facing millions of others. This includes problems of crime, political corruption, violence, disintegrating public schools and spiritual darkness.
- For instance, our new apartment is located in an urban “food desert” – for more of the facinating, recent research on that click here. Less than a block away from our apartment is a food distribution point where I hope to serve the hurting and share in the pain and joy of those that come looking for hope. Maybe I’ll join the food distribution effort – or maybe I’ll be on the sidelines, ready to pray with my neighbors.
- And just two blocks down is a coffeeshop where spiritual and philisophical conversations are happening daily. I see that coffeehouse as a modern day Areopagus. Already a discussion group of various spiritual seekers has gathered and questions are being asked. We have held house church leader meetings, and hope to see more happen in that awesome space.
- Speaking of spaces, there’s an unbelievable meeting space in a civic center not far from our apartment. We pray for the day when house churches from around the city meet there for diverse, dynamic worship.
- Oh yeah, and there is an empty lot nearby where someone has already started a produce garden. I’m all over that like white on cauliflower!
As we prepare for our move – we beg your prayers. We see our work as missionaries in a city – helping to re-imagine the Body of Christ’s potential to be catalysts for change in the city, and the spark for a spontaneous expansion equal to that of the early church or the modern Chinese underground church. We believe God is moving his people strategically toward revealing himself in amazing ways.
We’re moving! The new neighborhood is about 10 miles south and one mile west from where we are today in Evanston. This is a more centralized location to work with the different faith communities we’re resourcing and connecting in Chicago. The neighborhood is a west side neighborhood called West Town, a diverse district filled with businesses, mixed income households (homeless, immigrants, young professionals and established families), social centers (parks, coffee spots, food distribution plots) and loads of potential. These are our new neighbors!
There are new friends that we’ve grown to love here on the north side, and we’ll be close enough to them to continue growing in friendship, in community, and in mission here in the city. We’ll hopefully see more of our friends as we start to see groups meeting together on the larger scale. For the last year, we’d been commuting down to Hyde Park on a weekly basis (50 to 90 min!), and now we’re located in a much more central location that will reduce travel time and create more space for relationship building. We’re looking forward to new communities, new relationships, new heart connections, developed training, kingdom dreaming, and of course, coffee!
We’ve been so thankful for our little apartment here, and being right next to the train and easy access to the north side of the city has been a blessing to begin to see our mission field up close. (Katrina really enjoys the trees here!) We’ve met new people, helped form new communities of faith, come alongside other missionaries and disciples of Christ, and even helped resource and connect individuals and groups with this tool. We’re taking this to a new level, from a strategically centralized location.
We’ve been up close to Chicago and sharing the Gospel for a year, but strategically moving into the geographic middle of it changes everything…
There are two big words that has become bigger in my heart as we have considered this move: incarnational and missional. The first refers to the incarnation of Christ – his God-becoming-flesh move of entering our humanity, moving in right next door, entering our mess, and truly experiencing the life of those he wanted to proclaim God’s New Creation to. It is the going deep into the prevailing culture – like a thorn or a wedge. When we move to West Town, we will be implanting ourselves as best we can in order to model ourselves after Jesus.
The second word missional refers to the Latin root missio or “sent.” We are moving into bold new territory. We are actively entering the conversation of the city – we are involving ourselves with the big issues facing millions of others. This includes problems of crime, political corruption, violence, disintegrating public schools and spiritual darkness.
- For instance, our new apartment is located in an urban “food desert” – for more of the facinating, recent research on that click here. Less than a block away from our apartment is a food distribution point where I hope to serve the hurting and share in the pain and joy of those that come looking for hope. Maybe I’ll join the food distribution effort – or maybe I’ll be on the sidelines, ready to pray with my neighbors.
- And just two blocks down is a coffeeshop where spiritual and philisophical conversations are happening daily. I see that coffeehouse as a modern day Areopagus. Already a discussion group of various spiritual seekers has gathered and questions are being asked. We have held house church leader meetings, and hope to see more happen in that awesome space.
- Speaking of spaces, there’s an unbelievable meeting space in a civic center not far from our apartment. We pray for the day when house churches from around the city meet there for diverse, dynamic worship.
- Oh yeah, and there is an empty lot nearby where someone has already started a produce garden. I’m all over that like white on cauliflower!
As we prepare for our move – we beg your prayers. We see our work as missionaries in a city – helping to re-imagine the Body of Christ’s potential to be catalysts for change in the city, and the spark for a spontaneous expansion equal to that of the early church or the modern Chinese underground church. We believe God is moving his people strategically toward revealing himself in amazing ways.
Jay, 
John Bailey, and 
Amber Gulilat 9:59 am on July 4, 2009 Permalink
Thank you for sharing with such depth! Eyakem and I are praying for this transition period for you and Katrina. We pray also for the community you will build in this new area. God bless your move!
Teresa Pecinovsky 12:40 pm on July 14, 2009 Permalink
You crazy hippies. How I like you.
We are at Ecclesia of Houston now and if you ever visit this swelteringly hot city, say hi. We shall do the same in Chicago (John’s childhood city).
Mark 8:15 am on July 15, 2009 Permalink
Amber – thanks for the encouragement and prayers. Wherever two or three are gathered, our Lord is with us!
Teresa – its great being hippies.
Both – come visit! We miss you!
Jay 1:53 pm on August 18, 2009 Permalink
Sounds awesome. Vayan con Dios, and be blessed, and may many of the blessings be right handed blessings.
Mark 2:04 pm on August 18, 2009 Permalink
Thanks Jay! Great to hear from you bro! I look forward to the next time we can be together and chat.