Check out our First YouTube Video: Baptism 2007 July 26, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Sunday Services, Church, Inside Park, Missional, DifferenceMakers , add a commentPark is now officially a YouTube broadcaster! Check out the musical slideshow of the awesome baptisms of 71 people on the beaches of Lake Michigan in the shadow the the awesome Chicago skyline from Sunday, July 22nd.
World Class Barbecue July 23, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentJoe Riccardi, Emily Luikart, Megan Kosar, Alisha Rylander, Laura Shunta, and their team organized a world-class barbecue that would make all of Texas proud! For our annual Baptism celebration, we had beef barbecue and pulled pork from the hottest new barbecue joint in the city, Smoque, located at 3800 N Pulaski in the great city of Chicago.
There were probably 700 people at the barbecue, enjoying good friends, good community and good food, and sharing in the joy of the 71 folks who were baptized earlier in the day. Here are some more photos:
Baptism Sunday — What a Day! July 22, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Inside Park, Missional , add a commentEach year, on the third Sunday in July, we gather at 7 am at North Avenue beach in Chicago to hold our annual baptism service. This year, there were 71 people who were baptized in Lake Michigan in front of their friends, family and the Park Community Church family.
It is so cool to have our baptism service in the shadow of the skyline of this world-class, global city. What a great day to hear the stories of people’s live who have been transformed by Jesus Christ working in their lives! … To hear how their lives were before Christ and the impact that Christ has had on their lives…..and to remind myself of how much Christ has transformed my life in the 23 years since I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. This day rocks!
Here is the setup in Solheim Center, the site of our Baptism celebration service for about 1,000 people
Exponential Conference: Park Inspiring Others April 26, 2007
Posted by Steve in : The City, Church, Urban Church, Methods & Strategies , add a commentJust got back from Orlando (a full day saga to get back to O-Hare– uugh!) where I attended the Exponential Conference — AKA The 2007 National New Church Conference. While there, I had heard many great speakers (I’ll blog later) but I got a chance to check in with Mark Batterson, Lead Pastor at National Community Church in Washington DC. who told me that our church, Park Community Church has played a part in their baptisms. Apparently, a number of years ago, Mark saw a video of our baptism service in Lake Michigan with the Chicago skyline in the background and was inspired to do a lake baptism in the same style. Park ’s national influence continues…this time to Washington DC! Yea GOD!
Check out video of our Lake Michigan baptisms here.
