Burma Disaster Relief: Park To Send a 10,000 gallon/day Water Purifier May 9, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Volunteers, Church, Urban Church, The Cultural Conversation, DifferenceMakers, Entrepreneuring, Faith at Work , add a commentAs many of you are already aware, last weekend Tropical cyclone Nargis claimed thousands of lives in Myanmar early Saturday morning 2:30am. By daylight, the full effect of the storm was obvious. Homes were destroyed, giant trees crashed through buildings, and were lying uprooted, blocking roads. Blackouts, water shortages and rapidly rising prices were reported in Rangoon, a city of 5 million people. The cost of gasoline has tripled since Saturday.
International news organizations are not allowed to report from Myanmar, but the news that is trickling out is horrifying. The death toll is estimated to be at least 100,000 and another 41,000 are missing.
Jackson and the elders would like to invite you to pray right now for the people of Myanmar, especially those who have lost husbands, wives and children - and those whose loved ones are still missing. And as you sit down for your lunches and dinners this week, continue to pray for this country which is in terrific need.
We will be taking a special offering during our services the next two weeks which will go directly to relief efforts in this devastated country. Hundreds of thousands of people in Myanmar are suffering in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. They need your help, and quickly.We will provide envelopes for you to put your donations in, so please come prepared to give.
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Here is a quick update to all our readers about where Park will be redirecting its special offerings this week for relief efforts in Myanmar. There have been many questions about how relief is going to get there with the military junta not allowing aid relief workers in and seizing aid shipments. We have been working to find a relief agency that is onsite and able to get our donations and use them in a way that will get aid to the people in Myanmar as quickly as possible.
We will be collecting donations for Water Missions International based in South Carolina. They are working with World Vision, which has had a national office in Myanmar for 40 years,and Samaritan’s Purse to provide water purification units.
Our goal is to raise $15,000 to buy a water purification unit which will provide at minimum 10,000 gallons of fresh water daily to help meet immediate needs in this devastated area. Also, this unit will be part of an ongoing community development program which will continue to help provide clean water for years to come.
Water Mission International has already deployed 12 units to Myanmar as of this morning (details here) that they knew would get through. They want to be good stewards of the donated resources and ensure that needs are being met, so units will not be sent until it is confirmed that the resources will reach the people in need. World Vision is aware of the situation and will let Water Missions know when shipments can begin.
Volunteer help will be needed upon assurance that the resources will be received, so Park will be sending a team to South Carolina to help assemble the unit we provide before it is shipped to Myanmar. Details will follow.
Continue to pray for this horrific situation, for those affected, and those working to provide aid. And please come prepared to give this weekend.
If you have additional questions about Park’s response, please email Scott Clifton.
Crosby Update and Work Days March 31, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Breaking News, Inside Park, Adaptive Reuse, Church Construction, Missional, The Cultural Conversation , add a commentFinally — after many delays, we are GOING TO PULL AUDIO-VIDEO wire this Saturday (woo Hoo!) as we gear up each weekend in April to get all of our audio/video stuf installed. It is starting to get real exciting!
Crosby Work Days
Crosby Work Days are back in full swing as we are counting down the days to opening our new ministry center at 1001 N. Crosby. Volunteers have already done a great job helping us paint the garage, and this Saturday, April 5, we need 20-25 volunteers to help with wire pulling throughout the day from 8 AM-6 PM. Come on out all you home renovators and construction-types and be part of this historic time! Please register to volunteer so we can plan accordingly.
Additional work days will be held on April 12 & 13, April 19 & 20 and April 26 & 27. Work times will be from 8 AM-6 PM on Saturdays and 1-5 PM on Sundays.
Check out the photos below:
Third Floor Worship Center Lobby With
HUGE windows looking on onto Crosby
Stage and Catwalk are coming along nicely
Can You see the boxes for the sub-woofer on the open stage area?
The Chicago brick is being put up and the greystone tile is coming next — It
is so cool to live in Chicago!
All the platforms are almost done for the permanent 517 seats on the tiers.
Park Community Church on Comcast March 4, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Breaking News, Inside Park, The Cultural Conversation, The Arts in the City, Culture and Faith , add a commentCheck out FAITH TODAY’s preview of a 10 minutes piece on Park Community Church its growing impact on the city that is playing on Comcast On Demand.
Great Reminder on Stewardship as a Leader February 27, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Family, Church, Urban Church, Methods & Strategies, The Cultural Conversation, Culture and Faith , add a commentTim Stevens, the Executive Pastor at Granger Community Church is a person I respect greatly, and he has another great nugget of wisdom for leaders of all types concerning how to get a strong financial framework in your life. As I move out of the church business and into my sports-oriented social networking start-up, FanFuego.com, these lessons hit home for me…here are some of my favorite nuggets on maintaining a good financial situation…read the whole article here.
If this is an area of concern for you, you should know that at Park, we have one of the leading stewardship experts in the land named Matt Bell. Check out his website at www.financially-speaking.com and you can subscribe to his excellent Biblical newletters on good financial management practices here.
- Don’t use a credit card for anything you can’t pay off right away. Use a credit card for convenience, but don’t ever pay interest. If you can’t control yourself, get rid of the cards.
- Tithe–I really believe that God blesses those who tithe. I think he keeps the car running longer, the roof from leaking as soon as it would have, and He loves to sprinkle you with raises and added cash you didn’t expect.
- Give generously. The tithe is the minimum. We began our first year of marriage giving 10% of our income and then increased it every year until we got to 20%. The first 10% goes to the general fund at our church. The other 10% we use to support missionaries, give to new building projects at our church, and bless people who come into our lives.
- If you are married, don’t ever make a big purchase without talking to each other. Really, trust me on this. [AMEN BROTHER - I LEARNED THE HARD WAY )
- Teach your kids to handle their money. They aren’t going to learn financial management at school. No one else is going to teach them to be generous. By the time they’ve been out of your house a week, they will have already received 14 credit card invitations. Teach them early.
- Set aside money for fun. Fun with your spouse. Fun with your kids. Fun for yourself (for me, that means buying a geeky gadget on occasion).
- Don’t wait until you have more money to put wise financial management into practice in your life.
Reminder: We are in the Hope Business February 25, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Volunteers, Church, Urban Church, Methods & Strategies, The Cultural Conversation, Culture and Faith , add a commentAs we see more and more people step over the line of faith each week at Park Community Church, I was reminded this week in an article by John Ortberg, Senior Pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church that as Christians, we are in the hope business. And as a leader, the one task a leader can never delegate, especially in the church, is hope.
As leaders, we need to be hope leaders, not forgetting our sins and failures but coming to the cross, confessing, learning from it and continually reminding ourselves that we live with hope, under grace. As a leader, we need to surround ourselves in ministry with those who can breathe hope and energy into our lives so we can do the same with those we lead. This may be outsiders or may be your ministry team.
When people see a leader with this kind of vital optimism, who radiates a sense that together we can do what needs to be done, then people tend to decide not to waste their energy wondering about “if” but focus their energy going after “how.”
Check out the article.
Convictions About Worship - What are Yours? February 18, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Sunday Services, Methods & Strategies, The Arts in the City, Music That Moves , add a commentI recently came across this list of Saddleback Church’s 12 Convictions about Worship and have been thinking a lot about worship in the Park Community Church context as we get ready to move into a new building and begin to explore potential how multi-site locations might further the work that God is doing in our midst.
Here is what Rick Warren says about their worship convictions:
Jesus’ ministry attracted enormous crowds. The Bible tells us that crowds followed him wherever he went. I believe that a Christ-like ministry still attracts crowds today. You don’t need gimmicks. You don’t need to compromise your convictions. You don’t need to water down your message. If you minister to people the way Jesus did, they’ll want to be around your ministry like they did his.
But how do you develop a worship service that’ll minister to those crowds each weekend? It’s important that you figure out why you do what you do before you figure out what your worship service will include. At Saddleback, 12 convictions determine how we minister to the crowds on the weekends. Here’s why we do what we do in our worship services.
1. Only believers can truly worship God.
2. You don’t need a building to worship God.
3. There is no correct style of worship.
4. While unbelievers can’t worship, they can watch believers worship.
5. Worship is a powerful witness to unbelievers if God’s presence is felt and the message is understandable.
6. God expects us to be sensitive to the fears, hang-ups, and the needs of unbelievers when they are present in our worship services.
7. Worship services do not have to be shallow to be evangelistic, and the message does not have to be compromised. It just has to be understandable.
8. The needs of believers and unbelievers often overlap.
9. It’s best to specialize your services according to purpose.
10. A service geared toward non-believers is meant to supplement personal evangelism, not replace it.
11. There is no standard way to design an evangelistic worship service.
12. It takes unselfish mature believers to offer an evangelistic worship service. This is the most important of all.
Here are the original posts with supporting thoughts by Rick Warren at pastors.com here and here. He goes more in-depth into each of his points in the articles, which are well worth reading. What do you think? What are your convictions about worship as we seek to introduce the God of the universe to all people in Chicago?
Chicago Leads Nation: 25-34 Year Olds January 12, 2008
Posted by Steve in : The City, Chicago, Urban Church, Chicago Fact, The Cultural Conversation, The Arts in the City , add a commentAs we have always said at Park Community Church, Chicago is a magnet for bright talented college graduates to come to a global city and begin their careers. This was affirmed this week in an article by Crains Chicago Business who reported that Chicago leads the nation in the concentration of 25-34 year olds within three miles of the city center.
Crains reports:
Human capital — a buzzword among economists — simply means people. Think of it as raw material made up of bankers, traders, consultants, advertisers, engineers, artists and others who, through brainpower and creativity, turn ideas into money. “The comparative advantage of cities is determined by how smart, how trained, how innovative, how entrepreneurial the people are in that city,” says Edward Glaeser, a Harvard urban economist who advised the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ study group.
Chicago’s human capital is strong. Among U.S. cities, Chicago ranks first in the concentration of young people (ages 25 to 34) living within three miles of downtown. It’s second only to New York in the number of those with college degrees. Its universities are world class. The University of Chicago has been home to 20 Nobel Prize laureates, while both the U of C’s Graduate School of Business and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management rank among the world’s best business schools. Chicago also has the quality of life that keeps people here — vibrant art and music scenes, restaurants, museums, parks and recreational facilities.
Read the whole article here.
Park Alumni: Veggietales Creators January 10, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentThis weekend, the Veggietales “Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” opens nationwide. The creators of Veggie Tales, Phil Vischer, Kurt Heinecke and Mike Nawrocki attended Park in the early 1990’s and many of the early character voices are played by Park people, including Kristin Blegen, Dan Anderson, Mike Sage, and Jim Poole, who is a co-founder of Steep Theater in Chicago. Park has had a long history of excellence in the arts and we are glad to see our alumni creating such excellent work! Get out there and check this movie out this weekend.
Besides its spiritual content, Nawrocki believes the Pirates film has a great deal to offer audiences. It’s based on some of the most popular VeggieTales characters — three wannabe pirates who are finally forced to become heroes. He described the film as part Pirates of the Caribbean, part Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and part Three Amigos.
Unlike many VeggieTales stories, the Pirates film isn’t based on a Bible story, Nawrocki said. There’s not an altar call at the end, and little mention of God. Instead, there is an Aslan-like king, who helps the pirates along their way.
The film is more of a parable. And while viewers will get a lesson about what it means to be a hero, Nawrocki says they’ll also have a good time along the way.”I love this story,” he said. “It’s well paced, and it’s a really funny piece of entertainment.”
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Many of you know that VeggieTales has had a roller-coaster history, one full of ups and downs and enveloped in God’s grace as the company had a big movie, yet succumbed to bankruptcy after selling more than 40 million kid’s videos. Vischer told that Big Idea’s past struggles were a lesson in faith. He, Heineke and Nawrocki made the first VeggieTales episode, Where is God When I Am S-Scared?, for about $60,000, working out of an unheated storefront in Chicago in the early 1990s. By 2003, Big Idea had sold more than 25 million videos and had more than 200 employees. The company had experienced one miracle after another, Vischer said.
Then everything crashed.
Sales flattened out, causing the company to struggle to make payroll. Instead of cutting staff, Vischer held out hope that God would save the company. If the Jonah film, released in 2002, had been a blockbuster success, all the company’s worries would have been over. While Jonah did well, grossing more than $26 million despite being made on a shoestring budget for a computer-generated imagery film, it didn’t save Big Idea. The company eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and was bought by Classic Media LLC.
Vischer, who had been Big Idea’s sole owner, lost everything in the company’s struggles. Yet he seems remarkably content. He told a writer “Back then, my whole identity was wrapped up in 80 minutes of celluloid,” he said. “You don’t want to be in a place where a single project can destroy your identity.” If the Pirates film is a success, Vischer said, he’ll be glad for it. If not, “then I’ll move on to what God has in store next.”
Join us for TRANSFORMED January 10, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Sunday Services, Church, Inside Park, Urban Church , add a commentThis weekend we kick off a new series at Park called TRANSFORMED, that explores one of the most important books of the Bible for believers, the book of Romans. Through our study of the book of Romans, we’ll be answering some difficult questions and dealing with issues that are important to our Christian faith.
Romans 12:1 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Through this series, we hope to see our hearts transformed as we grow in our knowledge of Christ! Come ready to be challenged and inspired.
PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO THIS LIFE-CHANGING SERIES and join us at 10 am or 5:30 pm each Sunday at Torry-Gray Auditorium at Moody Bible Insititute (840 N LaSalle) or at 11 am at Francis Parker School (2233 N Clark St)
SEC Who?: Michigan thumps Florida 41-35 January 2, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentDebunking the myth that the SEC is the premier conference, Chad Henne threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, Mike Hart ran for 129 yards and two scores and the Michigan Wolverines upset last year’s national champions and No. 9-rated Florida 41-35 Tuesday in the Capital One Bowl to win their first bowl game since 2003.
Henne, Adrian Arrington and Mario Manningham torched Florida’s secondary all game, as Arrington caught nine passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and Manningham added five catches for 78 yards and a score. The Gators (9-4) kept it close thanks to four turnovers and plenty of big plays by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and speedster Percy Harvin.
This is such a sweet victory because one of our Pastors, Joe Riccardi, is an avid Gator fan and a big trash talker, and is convinced at the superiority of Florida and the SEC. For him, I present this mocked up a post-game photo of he and Lloyd with the following caption:
After the game, Joe Riccardi went down on the field and wished Lloyd Carr the best and then Lloyd put his arms around Joe and with a big smile said ” The SEC is okay Joe but the Big Ten dominates!”
A Reminder: New Year, Same King December 31, 2007
Posted by Steve in : The City, Sunday Services, Church, Inside Park, Urban Church, Missional, DifferenceMakers , add a commentThis Sunday, Park Community Church was honored to have Victor Rodriguez,
Senior Pastor of La Villita Community Church here in Chicago give the last message of the year. Victor is a differencemaker in Chicago and leads a congregation in the “Little Village ” area of Chicago located around 26th street and Kedzie.
Little Village is the retail, residential and cultural capital of the Mexican community in the Midwest—a neighborhood alive with Mexican arts and culture, and a great place to live for both longtime residents and new immigrants. Over the past 30 years, Little Village has become a major port of entry for Mexican immigrants, and more than half of its residents are under the age of 25.
As we begin to think about our new year’s resolutions, Victor implored us to get to know the King better in his message. His message was a strong reminder of the King we serve and this video he played is a great reminder of all that Jesus is, qwhat he does and what He will always be:
Chicago at Christmas: Looking for Something to Do? December 24, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentSunday, December 23rd
It’s a Wonderful White Christmas
It’s time to warm up those vocal cords and make sure your peepers are top of the line because it’s Chicago’s 24th Annual Christmas Sing-A-Long and Double Feature. White Christmas and It’s A Wonderful Life are the perfect Christmas-time movies to get in the mood for the season. Plus, it’s the perfect haunt after an early evening of ice skating at one of the many rinks in Chicago that are open between November 24th and February 28th.
Monday, December 24th — Christmas Eve
The Four Seasons Is Nuts
While you may or may not be able to afford to sleep over at the Four Seasons, everyone can afford their complimentary roasted chestnuts served between 5pm & 7pm in the Seasons Lounge. Also feel free to wash down those holiday treats with the Four Season’s Kahlua-inspired Ebenezer’s Eggnog ($13). So go on! Dress up with a little holiday flair and enjoy the finer things in life, well at least until December 25th.
Christmas Eve Church Service – 5 pm.
Join the many young people and young at heart for a wonderful Christmas Eve service from Park Community Church. The Christmas Eve service will take place at Brixen Ivy Community Center at 1242 W. Addison St. Check out more information at Park’s website.
Wednesday, December 25th – Christmas Day
Light Up A Life
If you can tear your family away from their new toys long enough to take a leisurely winter drive, you’ll get the chance to head on over to the Arlington Racetrack and enjoy the Winterland of Lights a 1.6 mile course featuring millions of lights with holiday themes. Your admission fee goes directly to Clearbrook, a non-profit Illinois human service agency whose goal is to illuminate the lives of adults and children affected by mental disabilities. The best part is that you can give back to the Illinois community 9 pm daily (10 pm on Fridays) until January 1, 2007. Admission is $10 a car.
Thursday December 26
Winter Wonderful
After the chaos of gift-giving has subsided make your way over to Navy Pier for Winter Wonderfest, where you can ice skate and enjoy inflatable games. If you have little ones, they’ll enjoy the Carousel Rides while you wander past the hundreds of decorated trees with your family and friends. Admission starts at $15. Open 10 am - 8 pm until January 6, 2008.
Friday, December 27th, 2007
Warm Up In The Jungle
If you’ve never seen Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, now is the time to gaze upon high-flying aerialists, contortionists, and acrobats who leap out of what could be a Tarzan dream. Fly with them through this enchanted world of vines and strongmen at the Chicago Theater at 7:30 pm.
Provision Theater: CS Lewis on Stage
If you haven’t seen it, come for the first time, or even the second or third, to enjoy an intimate, hilarious, and engaging journey with the writer we’ve all read, but know almost nothing about. Provision Theater is proud to present the Jeff-recommended Chicago premiere of “CS Lewis On Stage” starring Bradley Armacost at the Royal George Theater (1641 N. Halsted). This one-man show capturing the personality and writing of the author of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and SCREWTAPE LETTERS, “CS Lewis On Stage” is an intimate look at the Oxford man who could make his audience think as deeply as he made them laugh. Order your holiday week or January tickets by calling 312.988.9000.
Lions and Tigers and Lights, Oh My!
It may be a jungle out there but at the Lincoln Park Zoo it’s a jungle, savannah, ocean, and forest. At Zoolights, spot your favorite zoo animals in this stunning visual display which will have you wild with excitement. This incredible visual menagerie can be seen from 5 pm-9 pm, Friday & Saturday until January 9, 2007.
Want to see some real animals? Roar with laughter at The Playground Theater when the sketch comedy group Koko turns us all into laughing hyenas. Show starts at 8 pm!
Sunday, December 29th, 2007
Jam Out With Andy
You never know who will stop in for a quick jam session at Andy’s Jazz Club. Jam sessions are a well-known tradition in Jazz music used to search for artistic expression in a casual, energetic environment. Andy’s Jazz session is a favorite hangout of professionals as well as newbies looking to break into the scene through this loose and exciting form of expression. For $5, you can kick back on a leisurely Sunday, enjoy Andy’s comfort-food packed menu and listen to this improvisational adventure in sound. Starts at 7:30 pm every Sunday night.
C.S. Lewis Extended into January! December 19, 2007
Posted by Steve in : The City, The Cultural Conversation, The Arts in the City, Provision Theater , add a commentDue to unprecedented demand, Provision Theater, headed up by Tim Gregory of Park, is extending performances of CS LEWIS ON STAGE into the new year. Bradley Armacost portrays legendary writer C.S. Lewis to critical and audience acclaim in the Royal George Theater Gallery Space (1641 N. Halsted) - now in an Open-Ended Run!
If you haven’t seen it, come for the first time, or even the second or third, to enjoy an intimate, hilarious, and engaging journey with the writer we’ve all read, but know almost nothing about. Provision Theater is proud to present the Chicago premiere of “CS Lewis On Stage” starring Bradley Armacost. This one-man show capturing the personality and writing of the author of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and SCREWTAPE LETTERS, “CS Lewis On Stage” is an intimate look at the Oxford man who could make his audience think as deeply as he made them laugh. Directed by Tim Gregory. Read the Chicago Critic review here. Order your holiday week or January tickets by calling 312.988.9000 or click here for tickets.
Special HOLIDAY WEEK Performance Schedule:
Wednesday, December 26 - 8 pm
Thursday, December 27 - 8 pm
Friday, December 28 - 8 pm
Saturday, December 29 - 5 pm and 8 pm
After you slow down and celebrate Christmas and the holidays with friends and family, gather your loved ones and spend a cozy evening enjoying the show the Chicago Sun-Times calls “the thinking person’s holiday show.”
Chicago Sun-Times:
“…performed with wit and fervency by Bradley Armacost…”
“…follows through on Provision’s mission to stage “works of hope, reconciliation and redemption.”
- Hedy Weiss
Chicago Tribune:
“…a piece directed with integrity by Provision artistic director Tim Gregory and performed with the expected charm and smarts by Armacost.”
“Armacost is one of the most genial, warm and generous of Chicago actors.”
- Chris Jones
Children’s Christmas Play December 6, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentAll the kids from are hard at work on their Christmas play and today they spent the day building the manger in Al and Deanna Wilson’s garage. Look at these proud future construction managers! (Click on photo for bigger version).
Mat Barber Kennedy: A Gift to Park December 4, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Weblog , add a commentFor the last few years, I have had the privilege of hanging out and getting to know Mat Barber Kennedy, a gifted artist in the Park body, who has made a living as a watercolorist both in the US and across the pond in England. Mat is an accomplished painter, a professor of arts, a excellent guitarist, a loving husband to Sherry and a cool dad.
As we have completed the PREPARING FOR MORE seaason, Mat has graciously painted a watercolor of the new building and its strategic position in the shadow of the skyline and has donated it to the church so that they could make it available to the body and generate funds for the new ministry center.
If you are interested in getting a copy, either in a signed limited edition print or a poster, please contact Tim Schraeder at tschraeder@parkcommunitychurch.org or 312.361.0519. If you would like to check out his other excellent work, please go to his website at matbarberkennedy.com
Christmas at Park! November 30, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Inside Park, Missional , add a commentWow — can you believe its Christmas time and 2007 is drawing to a close? Seems like just yesterday we were going to the Old Town Art Fair……. It has been quite a year around here with so many folks coming stepping across the line of faith and more than 1,000 people now in small groups!
Well with the season comes LOTS of things to do around Park, so I suggest you check out the Christmas Page on our website and get yourself involved in some of these excellent Christmas activities.
I would especially invite your to bring your friends, co-workers, and neighbors to the annual Park Christmas Carols for some great singing and words of encouragement in this special season. This will happen on Sunday night, December 16, 2007 at the auditorium at Moody Bible Institute (840 N LaSalle).
The place holds 1,700 people so let’s each grab 5 friends and rock it out!