Things to Know (November)
Recap of Annual Meeting, looking ahead, and two amazing ministries your church should consider utilizing to reach your neighborhood...
We had a wonderful week last week as the IBSA Annual Meeting came to Chicagoland. We also had a great turn out and time of fellowship for the Chicagoland Baptists Annual Meeting on Tuesday night. You can read the minutes here. Here are some of the highlights:
We approved the sale of The Rockwell to NAMB/Send Relief. It will still remain our associational office and a kingdom asset for our churches, but this move puts us in a better financial position to focus on our mission of facilitating relationships.
2023 was about facilitating relationships among pastors; 2024 added women; in 2025 we will facilitate deeper relationships among whole churches.
We removed several non-relating churches from our association. We now have a list of 109 churches who are genuinely part of us. If you want to see them all plotted on a map, look here.
Here is someone to know about – Samuel Copeland
Samuel is married to Emily, and together they have three daughters: Ella (4), Eva (2), and Emilia (1). Samuel began his career in nonprofit and development work in Cape Town, South Africa, utilizing his undergrad in Business Administration. After sensing a call to pastoral ministry, he earned an MDiv from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has a passion for helping others deepen their affections for Jesus, grow in Christ, and worship God in all of life. In Summer 2023, the Copelands began a process of considering moving their family from Virginia to Chicago in response to God’s call. They moved to Chicago in Summer 2024 to begin the process of planting a new Christ-centered, disciple-making, multiethnic church in partnership with Chicago West Bible Church. Chicago, like many places, needs more followers of Jesus who love God and love people for the good of the city. They are currently building up a team of godly, qualified men and women who will be sent out from Chicago West in 2025 as Garden City Church. Their team is currently engaging the Bronzeville and Hyde Park neighborhoods by loving and serving, proclaiming the gospel, and making disciples of Jesus. Chicago West and Garden City were 2 of 5 churches that officially joined Chicagoland Baptists at our Annual Meeting last Tuesday night. You can connect with Samuel at samuelclaycopeland@gmail.com.
You can see all past ‘Someones to Know’ here.
Here are some more events to know about –
Weekly Prayer Calls every Wednesday from 9:00 to 9:30 AM. Just click here to join anytime.
Monthly Discussions on the first Wednesday of the month from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.
On 12/4 our topic will be “Changing Patterns of Giving in Churches” with R.A. Atanus.
Upcoming Pastors’ Lunches for fellowship:
Send Network together with Kainos is hosting a conference on Planting Multi-Ethnic Churches at Chicago West Bible Church 12/2-3. More information and registration can be found here.
The Illinois Leadership Summit is in Springfield 1/21-22. Go here to get more details.
Brainard Avenue is hosting a Pure in Heart Conference w/ Garrett Kell on 2/7-8.
Save the Date for the annual Prayer Bus Tour – 2/22.
Save the Date for the 14th annual Chicagoland Baptists Women’s Conference at Love Fellowship – 3/1.
Here is something else to know about –
The snow kept several people from our Pastors’ Lunch this week where we had representatives from Care Portal and Safe Families there to share about how these organizations can help your church connect with your neighbors in need.
Care Portal – They have developed an amazing technology that allows schools and agencies to alert churches of tangible needs among at-risk kids and families in their neighborhood. The church then can then meet the immediate need, share the gospel, and invite them further into the church community. What an easy way to get connected with families who live right by your church!
Safe Families – Sometimes the need is for a kid to have a short-term place to stay. This ministry connects Christian homes that have an extra bed to families in crisis. It allows the parent to get help and keeps the kids out of the foster-care system. Read more about it here. What an amazing way for the church to practice hospitality and make a gospel impact on kids and parents at moments of desperation!
Care Portal and Safe Families are recommended partners of Send Relief. If you have further questions about how your church could work with them, contact Tyrell Shoemaker at Tyrell.shoemaker@careportal.org or Jill Shannon at jshannon@safefamilies.net.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Nathan Carter
Chicagoland Baptists
Executive Director/AMS
1356 N. Rockwell Street, Chicago, IL 60622
nathancarter@chicagolandbaptists.org
312.493.3726
You can apply to officially affiliate with Chicagoland Baptists here.
You can donate to Chicagoland Baptists here.
You can see past editions of ‘Things to Know’ here.
You can sign up for our weekly ‘A Quick Word’ here.
The mission of Chicagoland Baptists is to facilitate relationships among the Baptist churches of this Great City so that they can more effectively fulfill the Great Commission.
Here are our state and national partners for resourcing the church and reaching the lost:
Dr. Bryan R. Price
Illinois Baptist State Association
Zone 1 Church Consultant
bryanprice@ibsa.org
630.908.0853
Jorge Melendez
Illinois Baptist State Association
Hispanic Church Consultant
jmelendez14@comcast.net
630.710.3106
Dr. Scott Nichols
North American Mission Board – Send City Missionary
snichols@namb.net
630.668.5900
Jorge Rodríguez
North American Mission Board – Send Español
Midwest Champion
jrodriguez@namb.net
312.934.4040
Qusai Mahmud
North American Mission Board – Send Relief
Chicago Ministry Center Director
qmahmud@sendrelief.org
312.296.4615
