August 2021
Chicagoland Baptists,
The fall season is fast approaching! We’re praying for wisdom for you to resurge in ministry while the virus also is resurging.
Last month we mentioned that baptisms and membership is down among our family of churches. But there is a bright spot – the total number of churches is up! Since 2010 through our North American Mission Board over 8,200 churches have been planted. This is captured in a really cool graphic here. Baptists have always been about starting new congregations. And we do that better by partnering together to share resources, coaching, strategies, and pray for each other. If you’d like help thinking through how your church could be part of starting a new church, we’d love to talk!
Here’s some people to know about – Kevin Huang and David Park. Kevin and David are church planters in Chicagoland. They came out of a church called Gracepoint that started in 1981 in California and has since launched a movement of church-planting churches with a passion and vision to start an Acts 2 church in every college town. Kevin and David have similar stories: both grew up in the church, but hadn’t received Jesus personally as their Lord and Savior until they were students at UC Berkeley as a result of Gracepoint’s ministry there. Since then they’ve been passionate about reaching the lost during one of the most tumultuous but formative seasons of people’s lives – the college years.
Kevin and his wife, Emily, and their two sons, Jacob (4yo) and Joshua (1yo), live in Evanston and minister to the Northwestern University campus. David and his wife, Catarina, and their daughter, Emma (3yo), and son, Lucas (1yo) reside in Hyde Park and minister to the University of Chicago campus. Find out more info here. Or reach out to them at kevin.huang@gpmail.org or david.park@gpmail.com.
Here are some events to know about –
The Mission Illinois week of prayer is September 12th to 19th. Check out here for more information, including specific ways to pray for our work together throughout the state.
On September 17th there’s an Equip Regional Training Event at Alpha Baptist in Bolingbrook. This is designed for leaders in Chicagoland Baptist churches to come and grow in practical tools for ministry. Go here for more info.
The Leading Major Change seminar with Jeff Iorg is on September 22nd at Crossroads Community Church in Carol Stream. Register for free here.
Ignite, the Illinois Baptist Evangelism Conference, will be held at Tabernacle Baptist in Decatur on September 26th and 27th. Fred Luter is the keynote speaker and several Chicagoland Baptist pastors will be leading breakout sessions. More info here.
Mark your calendars for the CMBA Annual Meeting on October 16th and the IBSA Annual Meeting on September 2nd and 3rd (more info here).
Here’s something else to know about – The Baptist Foundation of Illinois (BFI) has many services available to cooperating churches such as investment options, building loans, and college scholarships. Consider using this 8-part video series that they designed to empower your members to honor God with their finances.
Two key ways that your church participates in all this is by giving to the Cooperative Program and filling out your Annual Church Profile. THANK YOU!
Hopeful in Christ,
Bryan R. Price
Zone 1 Church Consultant
Leadership Development Team
Illinois Baptist State Association – Chicago
630-908-0853 (Cell)
Nathan Carter
Zone 1 Church Consultant
Leadership Development Team
Illinois Baptist State Association – Chicago
312-493-3726 (Cell)
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