Introducing our church plant…
This is the first of our updates to let you know the work of church planting is well underway. Sunday, August 2nd we hosted an in person and online gathering to share some exciting updates.
First - We have a name!
Names can do lots of things. They can bring a sense of stability and identity. They become a way to share a sense of what you might expect, or who you might find. They can be playful, they can be serious, they can be intriguing. And a name can summon a hope of where you’re going, even if you haven’t gotten there yet.
“To the saints, in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1)
This is good news. If you are in Jesus, you already are a saint. The hard work has been accomplished. Grace has won. Now, the work of the church is to step into the identity that is already true of us.
That is where we’re going, and we’ll have much more to share on our vision, values, and distinctives. But for now, our second update is equally exciting:
Second, we have a place to gather!
We want to leave space in August for rest, but for those interested in gathering over the next three weeks, each Sunday at 10a a group of us will be getting together to hold a simple prayer, teaching, and sharing time (kind of like a small group). If you’re interested in joining us, you can reach out to sherikwak@gmail.com
This is the first of our updates to let you know the work of church planting is well underway. Sunday, August 2nd we hosted an in person and online gathering to share some exciting updates.
First - We have a name!
Names can do lots of things. They can bring a sense of stability and identity. They become a way to share a sense of what you might expect, or who you might find. They can be playful, they can be serious, they can be intriguing. And a name can summon a hope of where you’re going, even if you haven’t gotten there yet.
We landed on Saint Church because we want to exist to form saints that love the city.
That’s the heartbeat of where we hope to go and who we hope to become.
Not just individuals, consumers, or followers. We want to become a company of saints who are learning to play their part in God’s redemption of all things.
We know this is a little bit weighty, and could cause some concern. To become a saint feels quite lofty, maybe even egoistical, like you’re trying to play a part. That’s why we’ve kept insisting as we share the vision, that the good news of Jesus is that all of us who place our faith in Jesus already are saints. It is the identity, the holiness, that God extends to us through His Son. This is why Paul starts all his letters,
We landed on Saint Church because we want to exist to form saints that love the city.
That’s the heartbeat of where we hope to go and who we hope to become.
Not just individuals, consumers, or followers. We want to become a company of saints who are learning to play their part in God’s redemption of all things.
We know this is a little bit weighty, and could cause some concern. To become a saint feels quite lofty, maybe even egoistical, like you’re trying to play a part. That’s why we’ve kept insisting as we share the vision, that the good news of Jesus is that all of us who place our faith in Jesus already are saints. It is the identity, the holiness, that God extends to us through His Son. This is why Paul starts all his letters,
“To the saints, in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1)
This is good news. If you are in Jesus, you already are a saint. The hard work has been accomplished. Grace has won. Now, the work of the church is to step into the identity that is already true of us.
That is where we’re going, and we’ll have much more to share on our vision, values, and distinctives. But for now, our second update is equally exciting:
Second, we have a place to gather!
We want to leave space in August for rest, but for those interested in gathering over the next three weeks, each Sunday at 10a a group of us will be getting together to hold a simple prayer, teaching, and sharing time (kind of like a small group). If you’re interested in joining us, you can reach out to sherikwak@gmail.com
The real anticipation for our church plant however is our first worship gathering on Sunday evening, August 30th at 4p over at Missio Dei Wrigley (1242 W Addison St, Chicago, IL 60613)
Our friends there have graciously invited us to gather in their church home for worship, teaching, and a chance to deepen our community life together.
Our intention is to begin gathering on Sunday evenings at 4p at Missio Dei Wrigley starting in September.
If you would like to join us, we’d love to share more information, including a video about our vision, plans, and funding needs. Anyone in Chicago interested in joining our launch team can contact johnperrine@saintchurch.com. Or, if you’d like more information, or be willing to join us by giving to fund this exciting new plant, you can find more information over at our fledgling website in development: www.saintchurch.com
We are joyfully looking forward to the work ahead, and are so grateful you’re on the journey with us.
Grace and peace,
John
