Hanging Out In Chicago
Chicago is a very cool city – it's not Buffalo but still pretty cool. We (a team from Elmwood and Crosspoint) are here along with other pastors from around the country who are a part of a grass roots movement called Infinity Alliance www.theinfinityalliance.com This Alliance of pastors and congregations are here to help further strategize and think through how we can reach over 302,000,000 Americans with repeated opportunities to hear and see the life changing message of Jesus Christ so that each person has a chance to either receive or reject the gift of GRACE in our CIRCLE of influence and accountability.
Of course Elmwood you know that we believe that the mission that God is on for humanity is just that – every man, woman and child being reconciled back to Him and so we established that God's Mission is our Mission.
We are being hosted by Pastor Angel at CityWide Community Church http://www.eccministry.com Pastor Angel shared their story to all of us last night and I was blown away by this man's faith-courage-obedience. He also is trying to plant and partner with other churches to take ownership for the lostness of 2.8 million people in the city of Chicago – they moved from a nice established residential facility into one of the most dangerous communities in Chicago 3 years ago into an abandoned broken down church building that gangs were using as target practice. Get this – there are 28 identifiable gangs within what they call the "grid" about an eight sq block area that is made up mostly of Mexicans.
I can't tell you how humbled I am to think that we (Elmwood) is a part of a mission that is the heartbeat of God and that there are other like-minded, like-hearted community of faith's also on this journey with us! What God is going to do and wants to do in His people - He is going to do it through out all of His people not just a few superstars but in and through all of us – we ALL count in God's economy!
I got to eat some good deep dish Chicago pizza – wow really good
