Christian Dance @ Karitos

Karitos is heaven on earth for the Christian Artists. Yours truly will be teaching once again this year. I'm a featured instructor in the Drama section. I'm teaching Introduction to Theatre, Character Development, and Stand-Up Comedy. Don't miss it. If you can't make it, be sure to pass it along. I look forward to seeing you there. God bless you and guide you.

Yours in Service,

Allen D. Edge

DANCERS HAVE A FEAST IN STORE AT KARITOS

The 13th Annual Karitos Christian Arts Conference is set for Aug. 1-4 at Living Waters Community Church in Bolingbrook, IL. While the conference covers all areas of the arts, dance continues to draw the most people. Way of Life Ministries from Miami, perhaps the most exciting performing arts ministry in the country, will be teaching and will also be the featured artists on Friday night. If you've seen Cirque du Soleil, you will have an idea of Way of Life's ministry. Trained in ballet and acrobatics, they call what they do AcroDramance, a combination of acrobatics, drama and dance. You can get a taste of their ministry by going to www.karitos.com and linking to their website.

The dance faculty also includes Dr. Pamela Hardy of Columbus, OH, Maura Hoagland of Louisville, KY, Linda Wade and Alyse Roeder of Milwaukee's Dance Eternal, Pastor Karen Williams of Chicago and Pastor Cory Ratliff of Waukegan, IL. In addition to dance, Karitos offers workshops in eight other tracks, drama, music, worship, visual arts, vocal, literary arts, film and audio/visual technology. A complete workshop schedule can be found the website and additional information can be obtained by calling 847/749-1284.

The conference kicks off on Thrusday evening with a colorful processional. A number of people arrive earlier in the day to put it together. Powerful worship and exciting performances by members of the faculty are featured on Thursday and Friday evenings. Saturday night's closing celebration which they refer to as a "Commissioning Service" begins with another exciting processional that attendees have prepared on Saturday afternoon. Dancers are encouraged to bring dance costumes although they are not required to participate in the processional. The evening features an extended time of worship (always a highlight for those who love the freedom to dance) which leads into a time of personal ministry and prayer.

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If you would like to publicize YOUR upcoming Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin sacred dance event(s) to the over 370 people on the GodDance e-mail list, please send an email (one per event and one event per month with no attachments) to
GodDance@yahoogroups.com Messages are moderated. Your email will also post on the web at:
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The GodDance egroup and web site are services of the Lakeshore Chapter of the Sacred Dance Guild:
http://www.sacreddanceguild.org We send out occasional Lakeshore Chapter newsletters through GodDance and may feature events involving Sacred Dance Guild members. The Sacred Dance Guild welcomes all persons who share a common interest in dance as a language of worship and celebration. We are international, multi-cultural and interfaith. We list all dance activities in GodDance that participants consider to be spiritual, religious, or sacred. A listing in a GodDance email is not an endorsement by the Lakeshore Chapter.

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Chicago's Salem Baptist Featureed

Feature: Salem Baptist Church: Vision 2007

Every Saturday, following services at Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, members of this 10,000 African-American congregation come out of the pews and into the streets of Roseland on the city's south side to help those in need. It’s part of an innovative service project known as "Vision 2007," inspired by Church Pastor James Meeks, that provides food, clothing, legal advice, health, mentoring and other services to thousands living in this impoverished Chicago community.

Judy Valente provides a behind-the-scenes look at how this ambitious outreach program is transforming both the lives of participating church volunteers and their Roseland neighbors. "We’re closer than we've ever been before," says congregation member Denise Rogers. “Where we might have been doing different projects before this one, now all of our focus -- everything that we do -- is on the community."

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Open Heaven Prayer School

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This school is for people looking to go deep in prayer, worship, intercession and the Word. For people who have struggled in prayer or reading the Word or feel that there still something missing and they are just in place of "frustration" spiritually. The purpose of the school is to teach how to align oneself with biblical truths in ways that are easy to understand. To use all our being to perceive God in the light He wants us to know Him, instead of our concepts and ideals, which is our wordly knowledge and wisdom. What it truly means to intercede for someone and being a spiritual warrior. To become equipped with the knowledge needed to see God's plan in our daily life and not rely on our natural emotions and resources.

We will identify and break down barriers that blind us to God and His intentions for our life. This will bring us closer to understanding God's desires and hopes for the destiny we were created for. Most importantly, developing deep intimacy with our Creator.

Enroll Now to The Open Heaven Prayer School

Are you looking for:

· An Open Heaven prayer life

· Experiential intimacy with God

· A understanding of the mechanics of the spirit realm and warfare

· Ministry training

· Prophetic intercession & prophetic evangelism

· A 1^st Century Understanding of Discipleship

Apply now and be eligible for Scholarships!

There are a limited number of partial and full scholarships available for our program that begins in September. Can't commit to a full time program, check out our night school or simply take one class at a time. The Open Heaven Prayer School is designed to foster true discipleship and intimacy with Christ. The curriculum of the school is based on a first century understanding of God, a perspective that the apostles had. If you are looking for ministry training or simply a new way to be set on fire for God this program is for you. The student will receive both intellectual and experiential training to walk in peace and stay in a constant state of prayer. Housing is available for those outside the Chicagoland area. Those who complete our program will have the opportunity to serve an internship and become certified ministers of our unique CRT (Cognitive Redemptive Therapy) counseling. For more information visit our two websites and contact me for a application or any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you!

Open Heaven Prayer School

Michael Ericksen

3541 N. Elston Ave.

Chicago , IL 60618

Web: http://www.sewministries.com/open_heaven_prayer_school.html

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/openheavenprayerschool

Email: ohps@sewministries.com

Phone: (773) 243-5511

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Fox Valley ~ United Prayer for City Transformation

Please join us for the

Fox Valley Annual Prayer Mini-Summit

Tuesday, July 10th, 9:00 am - noon, with optional BBQ lunch to follow for a $5 donation

Facilitated by; Tony Danhelka - Riverwoods Christian Center, St. Charles; Bob Whitt - Family Life Church, Elgin; Randy Schoof - Warehouse Church, Aurora

Location: River Valley Community Church, 1655 Bowman Drive, Aurora

Who Should Attend: Pastors and other church leaders, business - marketplace believers, intercessors, anyone interested in community transformation

Purpose: To come in unity to ask God's blessing and direction on the work He is doing through the church in the cities of the Fox Valley

Vision: To see the kingdom of God revealed - as God's people pray for, care for, and share Jesus with those who live in our cities

What We'll Do: The three hours will go quickly, as we begin with introductions, then as a whole group we'll pray for God's work in the cities of the Fox Valley. There may be smaller break-out prayer groups, covering the cities of the Valley.

Desired Outcome: Prayer for the cities of the Fox Valley, and the establishing and deepening of relationships among those who serve Jesus together in the Fox Valley

For More Info: Contact Randy Schoof randyschoof@warehousechurch.org, (630) 859-0600

Please forward this along to colleagues, friends, and partners in ministry and invite them to join us!

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Fox Valley Congergations Caring in Collaboration

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Hundreds of volunteers expected for dozens of projects over weekend

June 15, 2007

Hundreds of volunteers will be lending a hand Saturday in a Fox Valley-wide service effort.

Involved in the project will be an estimated 400 volunteers from Family & Faith Christian Church in Aurora, 1,400 from Christ Community Church in St. Charles, and hundreds more through Ginger Creek Community Church, the Fox Valley United Way and the Center for Community Empowerment.

They will join together to perform dozens of separate projects in the Fox Valley, including efforts in Aurora, St. Charles and Elgin.

Long time volunteer Melanie Tulley of Christ Community Church said that the day is a productive one.

"We bring a lot of people together during one day; we get a lot of energy and enthusiasm," Tulley said. "It has a high impact, which is why I like it.

"We have had people from different organizations express their gratitude for what we have done. For the church, it is really about showing our love to the community, to show a helping hand and really show God's love in the community."

The Aurora projects will include spreading mulch at the Marie Wilkinson Child Development Center, fixing potholes in the Salvation Army parking lot, and painting classrooms and halls at the Aurora YWCA.

Volunteers participating in the effort will also fix up more than 75 homes in an Aurora housing complex, in addition to making repairs at dozens of non-profit organizations.

Larry Stratton, director of community impact at Christ Community Church, said the church's Day of Serving offers people an opportunity to serve not just for one day, but all year long.

"Sometimes the church can be isolated, but we don't think that should be the case," he said. "It is hard to care for the community if you don't know the community. It exposes our congregation to needs and helps them kind of have that servant heart."

Brian Basilico of the Fox Valley United Way said volunteers are welcome to join in the day's activities.

"We can always use more volunteers," he said. "If you can hammer a nail or paint a wall, you can get involved in your community.

"There's no shortage of work to be done."

For information, contact Basilico at (630) 692-1431, or visit the United Way Web site at www.uwfoxvalley.org.

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Christian Arts Conference in Chicagoland

Advanced Registration Deadline Nears for Karitos 2007

Advanced registration for Karitos 2007 ends June 4. Karitos, one of America’s most unique Christian arts conferences, will be held August 2-4 at Living Waters Community Church in Bolingbrook, IL. The conference offers over 100 work-shops covering all areas of the arts. General sessions and exciting evening celebrations that feature extravagant worship highlighting the different art forms as well as exciting performances by guest faculty members are also planned.

Karitos was begun in 1995 for the purpose of encouraging and equipping Christians in the arts. “For too long, large segments of the church ignored the arts,” says Rev. Bob Hay, Karitos Director. “That is changing. There is a growing acceptance of the arts as well as an awareness of their importance in today’s visual age. Pastors are turning to conferences such as Karitos as they seek to equip the artists in their congregations and to integrate the arts into the ministry of the church,” says Hay.

An outstanding faculty will lead workshops in music, visual arts, theatre, literary arts, dance, worship, audio/visual
technology and film. New faces on this year’s faculty include Vivien Hibbert, considered one of the finest teachers on the theology of worship, plus visual artists Dan Addington and J. Michael Spooner. Spooner has served as an Art Director and consultant for Disney Animation, Dreamworks, Warner Brothers and Big Idea Productions. Also novelist Patricia Hickman, Betsey Newenhuyse, Acquisitions Editor for Moody Press, and Blake Engel, a church sound and acoustics consultant.

Returning faculty include visual artist Richard Hight, dancer Pamela Rutherford Hardy, actress and film producer DianeWigstone, Christian music veteran Glenn Kaiser, and worship leader Cory Ratliff. One of the highlights of this year’s conference will be a special performance by the AcroDramance Theater Company. AcroDramance blends acrobatics, drama and dance in an amazing display of beauty, strength and agility..

Other highlights of this year’s conference include Hip Hop Hope, a five-hour Saturday afternoon youth event featuring Christian hip hop, rap and spoken word artists, a dance/mime/drama/music showcase, and a juried art exhibition. Also critique sessions for songwriters, visual artists, and script-writers plus a newly added vocal track and an expanded audio/visual track designed to train both beginning and experienced church technical people in sound, multi-media, power point and video.

Registration information along with a schedule of the workshops is posted on the Karitos website, www.karitos.com. Information is also available by calling 847/749-1284.

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Lake County Congregations Collaborating

Dear Catalyst Family, The fire of spiritual revolution has been ignited across Lake County, and now it's time to fan the flame into a roaring fire! We are privileged to have as our keynote speaker this year, Dr. Kenneth C. Ulmer, who pastors Faithful Central Bible Church, located in Inglewood, CA. Faithful Central is the church that bought the old "Forum", where the L.A. Lakers used to play, and Dr. Ulmer has been used by God to change his community one neighborhood at a time! Since his arrival more than twenty-five years ago, the congregation has grown from 350 to more than 13,000 worshippers. They are an influence and change agent throughout South Los Angeles. In addition to Dr. Ulmer, we will be hosting over a dozen specialized breakout workshops aimed at helping the churches and leaders in Lake County to grow in the areas God has placed on their hearts. Together, we are building the Body of Christ in our county - and we know that spiritual revolution leads to wholistic community transformation! Mark your calendar now for Friday, November 16, 2007 and plan on bringing your entire staff and key church and community leaders. Many of Lake County's leading officials will be present to see how the Church works together to make a difference. Don't miss this significant event! Fanning the Flame, Jim Tomberlin

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Pacific Garden Mission Still On the Move for Christ

America's Largest Continuously Operating Rescue Mission Prepares for Move to New State-of-The-Art-Facility
Will Move to a 150,000 Square Foot Environmentally Friendly Structure

By Tony Rufo Special to ASSIST News Service

New building digital rendering

CHICAGO, IL (ANS) -- After being located at 646 South State Street since 1923, Chicago's Pacific Garden Mission (PGM) is a few short months away from moving into a new 150,000 state-of-the-art rescue mission. In addition to the benefit of bringing all its ministry services under one roof, the functional, three-story facility has been planned with Green environmentally friendly design principles and renewable energy technologies in mind.

D.L. Moody

PGM's doors first opened on September 15, 1877 and have been open every day since, 24 hours per day, for over 47,250 consecutive days - more than half the time the United States has existed as a nation, and spanning the terms of 25 US presidents. It is the largest continuously operating rescue mission in America and currently operates from two Chicago locations: 646 S. State Street [where it has operated since 1923, serving men]; and at 955 W. Grand Avenue [which opened in 1941 and became part of PGM in 1982, serving women, and women with children]. The Mission now employs 95 full time staff, plus scores of volunteers. Due to action taken by the City of Chicago under the law of eminent domain, PGM begun construction last year on a new building which they will occupy by October 2007.

From its start with Colonel George Clarke and his wife, Sarah, Pacific Garden Mission has grown in nearly 130 years. It started with "a little room with a seating capacity of about 40, a few wooden benches, a wheezy organ" at 318 S. Clark Street, to what is now 67 East Van Buren Street in 1880, and then to the 600 block on South State Street in 1923, where the main ministry has been located ever since. Dwight L. Moody once proclaimed the mission as "the greatest on earth" and, in 1880, gave it its name after it relocated to the former Pacific Beer Garden. Mr. Moody suggested dropping the word "beer" and adding the word "mission."

D.L. Moody and Pacific Garden Mission played prominent roles in a chain of conversions that include Billy Sunday, Mel Trotter, and Mordecai Ham, whose preaching led to the conversion of Billy Graham. In the 1920s, when the Mission was led by Walter and Ethelwyn Parker, affectionately known as Ma and Pa Parker, Ma Parker was so impressed by the testimony of Charles E. Crawford that she wrote the beloved hymn, "Calvary Covers it All."

Sign on State Street

Thousands profess Christ each year through the outreach of the Mission. Free services include overnight shelter; three nutritious daily meals prepared by licensed food handlers; clothing, and medical and dental care. Last year, PGM served 767,668 meals [average 2103 daily; 701 per meal] and provided 217,540 shelter days [596 daily average]. The Mission distributes over a million items of clothing annually, and provides free medical and dental care to approximately over 6000 people annually, an average of 500 people each month. Operating at or near capacity, PGM cared for a number of Hurricane Katrina evacuees in recent months.

PGM also provides: Bread of Life outreach to nearby housing projects, including Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey baskets; outreach to the Polish speaking community using English as Second Language; Jail Ministry; PGM Men's Choir; and the Unshackled! weekly radio dramatic series. PGM provides rehabilitation programs, one-on-one counseling, and educational program options that include Career Development, Life Skills Training and Bible courses. These are comprised of computer skills, accredited GED and other educational instruction, money management, goal setting and other life management skills. Assistance in career development, resume creation, and job placement is also available.

A 2006 survey by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless shows that 21,078 people are homeless in Chicago on a typical night; there were 73,656 homeless adults and children in the fiscal year ended 6/30/06. The year-long study showed 26,413 children [36%], 12,007 adults in families [16%] and 32,105 single adults [43%].

Approximately 95% of the new space, or 145,551, will be devoted to residential space and services, including dormitories, clinic, dining area, auditorium, bathrooms, showers, and classrooms. Approximately 7,716 square feet, or 5% of the space will be devoted to staff offices, security, Unshackled! radio production and counseling staffs. It will include:

• 600 person dining area
• 600 seat auditorium
• 4800 sq. ft. clinic
• 4800 sq. ft. program men's class space
• 2300 sq. ft. women's clothing sorting/distribution
• 2950 sq. ft. men's clothing sorting/distribution
• 8000 sq ft. transit men's daytime class/activity space with computer lab
• 2400 sq. ft. transit women's daytime space
• 2000 sq. ft. women's gym
• 2580 sq. ft. men's gym
• 2400 sq. ft. men's linen and laundry space
• 1800 sq. ft. women's linen and laundry space
• 2 libraries - one for men and one for women residents
• Outdoor recreation space for men and women

A highly identifiable component of the current building will also be making the move. A visible witness to the city [to say nothing of its landmark standing], the venerable "Jesus Saves - Christ Died for Our Sins" will be part of the new Mission.

The larger building will allow PGM to expand its outreach services. Lower food costs will result from the produce grown in greenhouses on the new site. These structures will also be used as training grounds for men and women to learn horticultural skills. PGM also facilitates training in culinary and cooking skills, barbering, nursing, and other trades. The new building will be able to accommodate approximately 200 women and children, and able to sleep over 950 people per night, up from the current 600 plus. The larger quarters will also allow the simultaneous feeding of over 600 people [a 400% increase from the current 150] and the seating of 600 in the auditorium [up 240% from the current 250].

At the building's 2005 groundbreaking ceremony, PGM President David McCarrell traced the history and longevity of the mission. He stated, "For 128 years, Pacific Garden Mission has served the spiritual and social needs of the less fortunate citizens of Chicago. This new state-of-the-art facility will enable us to address the spiritual and physical needs more effectively in a building that is LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certified and environmentally friendly."

Further attesting to God's faithfulness, Mr. McCarrell presented a challenge, "Do you want to be blessed of God*" Then citing the words of King David in Psalms 41, he told the group, "Blessed is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble."

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Tony Rufo, is a communications/ministry executive, marketing consultant, writer, and broadcaster who has over 20 years of experience working in the Christian and general markets. Tyndale House has just released his newest book, The Complete Book of Pop Music Wit & Wisdom. His other published works include media and music articles, book reviews, radio and television commercials and scripts, and evangelistic essays. True Tunes News featured his article, "The Gospel According to John, Paul, George, and Ringo--Good Time Rock 'n Roll or Religion for the Undiscerning?" In addition, he is developing radio, TV and film projects designed for evangelism and pre-evangelism in the general and Christian marketplaces. Several of these involve applications to bring new revenue streams to ministries. He has spoken in churches, schools and business meetings, and groups. He can be reached at tcrufo@sbcglobal.net.

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** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

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ASSIST News Service is brought to you in part by Gospel for Asia. GFA's Bridge of Hope program is designed to rescue thousands of children in Asia from a life of poverty and hopelessness by giving them an education and introducing them to the love of Christ. For only $28 a month, you can cover the cost of one child's tuition, books, uniforms, one or two meals a day and a yearly medical checkup-and your child, his family and community will hear the Gospel as a result. To learn more about Gospel for Asia's Bridge of Hope program, visit our website at www.gfa.org/child or call 1-800-WIN-ASIA (United States) or 1-888-WIN-ASIA (Canada).

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Collaboration in Lake County

Allow me to take a moment to reflect on the last few weeks and what God has done through His Church (One Church, Many Congregations) in Lake County:

38 Alpha Churches! Over 200 of us came together at our last Catalyst Quarterly Gathering on April 13^th at Immanuel Church in Gurnee. Pastor Joe Boerman and his team served us well as we gathered to mobilize the church of Lake County! Alpha USA’s president, Todd Hunter, talked to us about “Evangelism and the Future of the Church” – it was challenging, informative, and motivating! That morning over 16 new churches signed up to be an “Alpha Church” this fall for the Lake County Alpha blitz! Praise God! If you are still interested in learning more about Alpha and the blitz, go to www.AlphaUSA.org or email Rebecca at rebeccalong@AlphaUSA.org

Prepping the Parks. The churches in the Central Lakes District got together and asked their community how they could help! Guess what? The community answered! As a result, over 100 servants of Jesus Christ stormed the neighborhood parks in Round Lake on April 28^th and made them clean and ready for spring use! They filled almost 300 bags of trash; initially the Round Lakes Parks Director was hoping to have volunteers collect about 40 bags. The Church of Lake County (us!) did what the Parks & Recreation officials did not have the resources to do… we were glad to serve them with the love of Christ! Thank you God! Find out when your district is meeting next à May Catalyst District Gatherings

Christmas In April! Over 140 volunteers in the Northeast District (Zion, Winthrop Harbor, Beach Park) converged on April 28^th to make an eXtreme difference on 7 houses badly in need of repair! The churches, under the coordination of Rebuilders Ministry, worked on new floors, new paint, new electrical wiring… you name it. “This Old House” has nothin’ on the body of Christ in “This New Wineskin”!!! Thanks for allowing us to remember the elderly, Lord! Find out when your district is meeting next à May Catalyst District Gatherings

County Covered by Prayer. More than 200 prayer warriors turned out to pray for Lake County on April 21^st at our quarterly When We Pray. Our youth led the entire second half in an energetic display of our dependence on God through prayer. Mark your calendars for the summertime WWP and make it a part of your personal and church corporate prayer strategy! When We Pray - July 28

Marriage Mentors Building Strength Into Lake County Marriages! Over 50 couples have signed up all ready to participate in a landmark “Webinar” (free internet conference) with relationship expert Dr. Les Parrott. Dr. Parrott and the Christian run eHarmony Marriage team are very interested in what is happening in the Churches of Lake County, and are going to help us mobilize to make a difference inside and outside the walls of the church. If you have not done so already, join us Wednesday, May 16^th at 1:30pm for this internet conference (phone option available too). Let’s change Lake County one family at a time!!! Thank you Lord for waking the sleeping giant in your church! Register à> https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/391194363

These are just a sample of the things God has done in our midst the last few weeks! What a God we serve! Join us in the revolution!!!

Bill Yaccino

Executive Director, Catalyst Lake County

(847) 281-3370

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Aurora: Motorcycle Sunday + Prayer Walk & Prayer Tents

hey everybody,

What an awesome day Motorcycle Sunday was! Thanks for being a part of it. Huge turnout. God's love was definitely shown to people who like motorcycles. People got prayed for. New friendships were begun, and others were deepened. It was great!

I want you to know about some things happening on Thursday, which is the National Day of Prayer. Believers in Jesus all over the USA will be praying for God's kingdom to come in the cities where we live. I've been working with other Aurora pastors and other church leaders to plan a few different opportunities for people to be involved. Each one of us should be actively praying for those around us.

There is a prayer walk planned that will go from the far west side of Aurora, all the way to Aurora's east boundary at Rt. 59. I did the whole walk last year - was I ever worn out! But it was good to pray at spiritually significant places along the way. Below I've included a list of the stops, and when we'll be there. If at all possible, stop by one of the locations to pray with us and other from the body of Christ in Aurora. Maybe you can be at prayer time in downtown Aurora, on the Water St. mall, just outside of city hall at 12:10pm. The mayor and his staff will be joing us to seek God for the city. At 1:30pm we'll be at Lincoln & Galena (right outside of our building) praying for the homeless, poverty issues, etc.

There will be prayer tents set up from 10am-6pm, one on the west side of town, at Galena & Edgelawn at Westminster Pres church. The other prayer tent will be on the near east side, at Galena & Fourth St at Serenity Park (the small park just south of McCarty Park) It you can help staff a prayer tent for an hour or more, please call the church office at 630-859-0600 or reply to this email. It's going to be cool to see who God draws in to be prayed for! We want God's love to be shown & known to everyone, especially those who aren't yet connected to a local church.

Here one that ALL of us can - and should - do. We're encouraging individuals and families to prayer walk around the block where you live - at either 7am, noon, or 7pm on Thursday. Keep your eyes open, walk around, and pray for your neighbors as the Holy Spirit leads. Ask for God's blessing on everyone who lives in each home, and ask God to help you care about them more. Pray for their health, for their employment, for their relatonships. Most of all, pray for them to come to know Jesus' love and forgiveness - and pray that if it's His will, that God will use you to help make it happen.

All good stuff. We want to live in a prayed-for city!

all for Jesus and those He loves,

Randy

ps - here's an article that was in yesterday's Aurora Beacon News, it's got the other stops listed for the prayer walk through town

National Day of Prayer events planned

April 30, 2007

Beacon News Staff

Aurora area residents are invited to participate in various prayer efforts in observation of the National Day of Prayer on Thursday.

There will be a 10-mile prayer walk from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting at the southwest corner of Orchard Road and Galena Boulevard. Along the route, participants will pray for a variety of people and issues:

• 10:10 a.m., Countryside Nursing Home, 2330 W. Galena Blvd.; pray for seniors, elderly, infirm and health care
• 10:45 a.m., West Aurora High School, 1201 W. New York St.; pray for high school students
• 11:30 a.m., 205 N. Lake St., Pregnancy Information Center; pray for the sanctity of life
• 12:10 p.m., Water Street Mall; pray for the mayor; aldermen; city, township, county and state employees; the president and Congress
• 1:30 p.m., northeast corner Lincoln Avenue and Galena Boulevard; pray for the homeless, poverty, repentance and blessing
• 2 p.m., northeast corner of Root Street and Galena Boulevard; pray for unity among local churches
• 2:45 p.m., Quad County Urban League office, 808 E. Galena Boulevard; pray for racial reconciliation, neighborhood development
• 3:10 p.m., Beaupre Elementary, 954 E. Benton St.; pray for grade school students
• 4:15 p.m., Steck Elementary, 460 Inverness Drive; pray for middle school students
• 5:15 p.m., fire station, Gregory Street and McCoy Drive; pray for the safety of police and firefighters
• 6 p.m., McCoy Drive and Route 59; pray for business, jobs and economic development

There also will be prayer tents from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at two locations -- Serenity Park at Galena Boulevard and Fourth Street; and at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 10 N. Edgelawn Drive.

The third event is a neighborhood walk at 7 a.m. or 7 p.m. Individuals are encouraged to walk around their own block, praying for their neighbors.

Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through the country's history, including President Lincoln's proclamation of a day of "humiliation, fasting and prayer" in 1863.

In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May.

Visit www.acmn.org or call (630) 859-8010. The Aurora Christian Ministry Network and Aurora area churches are sponsoring this community appeal for prayer.

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New Urban Blog Network

Rudy Carrasco

"Very soon this Urban Onramps blog will exist within a blog network, Urban Ministry Blogs, that is hosted by TechMission. I’m on the board of directors of TechMission, and we are always exploring ways to use the web in ways that bless urban ministries. It’s kind of like when Hugh Hewitt took his standalone, hughhewitt.com blog and parked it within TownHall.com. We are going to explore the benefits of being part of a blog network..."

[continued at Urban Onramps]

[Visit UrbanMinistry.org]

[Various Christian wikis useful to cityreaching]

more behind-the-scenes]
Posted by Joe Walsh of CCNews Portal

National Day of Prayer - Unite in Prayer

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National Day of Prayer Observances

Sunday, April 29, 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Elgin’s House of Prayer

270 E. Chicago Street, Conference Center

Thursday, May 3, 12:00 Noon

The Centre of Elgin

100 Symphony Way, Heritage Ballroom

Facilitated by the Elgin Evangelical Pastors Association

Elgin’s House of Prayer, the NDP Task Force

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WVON-AM Talk Show Host on CNN

Commentary: What Would Jesus Really Do?


By Roland Martin CNN Contributor

Editor's note: Roland Martin is a CNN contributor and talk-show host on WVON-AM in Chicago, Illinois. He is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith."

NEW YORK (CNN) -- When did it come to the point that being a Christian meant caring about only two issues,­ abortion and homosexuality?

Ask the nonreligious what being a Christian today means, and based on what we see and read, it's a good bet they will say that followers of Jesus Christ are preoccupied with those two points.

Poverty? Whatever. Homelessness? An afterthought. A widening gap between the have and have-nots? Immaterial. Divorce? The divorce rate of Christians mirrors the national average, so that's no big deal.

The point is that being a Christian should be about more than abortion and homosexuality, and it's high time that those not considered a part of the religious right expose the hypocrisy of our brothers and sisters in Christianity and take back the faith. And those on the left who believe they have a "get out of sin free" card must not be allowed to justify their actions.

Many people believe we are engaged in a holy war. And we are. But it's not with Muslims. The real war -- ­ the silent war ­-- is being engaged among Christians, and that's what we must set our sights on===>Click headline for the complete article . . .Click here for a review of his interviews with T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren, Jerry Falwell . . .

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Bless Your Block ~ The Power of Kindness

Small Things Done with Great Love Will Change the World
By Janie Sjogren

Perhaps our motto should read, "Small Things Done with Great Love Are Changing the World" because that's what's happening.

We get reports from pastors, lay leaders and ordinary Christ-follower / believer all over the world who have discovered the power and impact of "showing God's love in practical ways."

To get a complete understanding of Servant Evangelism, you should order and read Conspiracy of Kindness by Steve Sjogren, founding pastor of the church that grew from a handful to an average attendance of 7,500 in just 15 years. Such things happen now and then around the country as one reads contemporary American Church history. What makes this story unusual is that this happened in Cincinnati, Ohio, a city that has long been known for its in-your-face unfriendliness! Mark Twain spent a good deal of time in this city on the Ohio River and often commented even back at the turn of the century about how rude people were. When this church was launched Cincinnati was ranked as the 3rd most unfriendly city in America. After serving about 12 million people in those 15 years the tone of the city literally changed. That change had made a permanent impact on the city in innumerable ways.



Servant Evangelism connects people to people in a natural, easy, low-risk, high grace way.Who doesn't like to be given a cold Coke on a hot day? Especially by someone who is smiling, happy and having fun.SE wins the heart before it confronts the mind. A small act of kindness nudges a person closer to God - often in a profound way as it bypasses ones mental defenses. The average Christ-follower / believer is willing to hand a stranger a can of cold Coke on a hot day (low risk). The high grace is seen in the typical reaction. "Oh, thank you!" "This is so nice!" "I can't believe this is for free!" And, "Why are you doing this?"Kindness builds the bridge for the person to receive a touch of love from God.It's simple, practical, effective, inexpensive and fun!

Janie Sjogren is the "better half" of Steve Sjogren. Together with Steve, she has been bringing the dimension of outward-focused living to the church-at-large.



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Bless Your Block ~ Outrageous Outreach

Hog Heaven: Our Biker Sunday
by Clark Cothern

Our church meets in a rented high school cafetorium, averaging 120 in worship each week.

During each of our two "seeker seasons" in spring and fall, we pour lots of energy into one major "outrageous outreach"–something unusual, fun, and aimed at reaching a subcommunity within our community.

This year we upped the octane level and cranked up our first ever Biker Sunday. We realized that most of us know someone or live near someone who rides a motorcycle, and several of us actually ride a bike either for pleasure or to save money on gas.

As opposed to a black tie and tails evening, this was a black leather and doo-rag afternoon. We got ready to rumble, and our people got really revved up for reaching those not yet convinced about the lordship of Jesus Christ.

After months of prayer and preparation===>Click headline to access complete article . . .

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Prayer Rally @ Daley Plaza

Opportunities on the National Day of Prayer
“America United in Prayer”
Thursday, May 3rd
Day of Praise and Prayer in Daley Plaza

“Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” I Corinthians 12:20 & 27

Our goal for the day is to glorify Christ by seeking Him in prayer on behalf of our city, state and national leaders, and the concerns of the church and our communities. Our nation and the state of Illinois have declared this a day that people should gather for prayer and therefore we are seeking to call the church to join together in prayer in a public venue in order to show His power and love to our city.

The following is what we envision happening on that day but we are also open to assisting the churches that would like to participate to contribute in their own particular ways. That may be in having a gathering place for your church or organization to meet to pray, prayer walking around certain areas of the loop, or other ways that would lend to an atmosphere of prayer and worship.

We see groups of Christians gathering for prayer in small groups around the plaza from about 1 pm until 3:00 pm. This could be interspersed with worship songs led by groups from various churches at different times. We may also enlist leaders to lead in prayer from the stage at certain times during the day as well. We want the city to see the unity of believers as we gather in prayer – and thus to be amazed at God’s love and power.

We will have signs to call people to pray and materials that will have lists of officials for whom to pray. We will also have materials to aid us in explaining to those that would ask for prayer, how to have a personal relationship with Christ.

Marj Mokry, National Day of Prayer Committee
847-496-7327

• P.S.
  The National Day of Prayer Breakfast is Thursday, May 3, 2007 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.. We have changed our venue for the breakfast, It will be held at the Union League Club at 65 W. Jackson Blvd. The good news is that the price has remained the same from the day we began the breakfast some17 years ago. The tickets will $25 each or a table of 10 for $250.
  
  We are excited to announce that our speaker will be Dale Vermillion. Dale is the President and CEO of Vermillion Consulting, Inc., a sales, leadership, and life management consulting firm whose primary focus is the mortgage industry.
  
  He is an author and one of the top-rated speakers on the popular Close More University circuit during 2003 and 2004. He was also a featured speaker for the Break Through Mortgage Academy in Canada. Dale will share his personal journey of faith and how prayer has played a role in it.
  
  Faith Wilson will also be our guest soloist.
  
  We hope you will plan to attend the Breakfast this year and tell your colleagues and friends about this wonderful opportunity to come together and pray for our nation’s leaders.

Please use the following form to order your tickets.

Name _______________________________________________

Address______________________________________________

City______________________State_________ Zip___________

Daytime Phone________________________________________

Email Address_________________________________________

I would like to buy______________ticket(s) at $25 each

I would like to host __________table(s) at $250 each

I would like my table cards to read___________________________

I would like invitations to send to my guests, please send _______ with my tickets.

Make all checks payable to the National Day of Prayer Breakfast and mail with this form to : Claudia Dunne, 201 E. Chestnut street, #20C, Chicago, IL 60611

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Evangelism & the Future of the Church

Our greatest opportunity to invite people to be reconciled to God and follow the resurrected Jesus is coming this Easter weekend. I’m praying that there will be a great spiritual harvest all across Lake County!

Next week, we have an opportunity to hear from one of the countries leading voices on what “Evangelism & The Future of the Church” looks like. I hope you know already that Todd Hunter, CEO of Alpha USA, will be our guest speaker at the next Catalyst Quarterly Gathering on Friday, April 13. Todd speaks at conferences all around the world on evangelism, specifically with an eye on our current culture. Todd is a seasoned church planter, pastor, evangelist, and movement leader. You don’t want to miss hearing from this individual who has such a unique pulse on God’s redemptive work across our nation!

One more note, this is a terrific team-building opportunity to bring your entire staff and key leaders. We have designed special optional lunches following the Gathering to help our peer-to-peer relationships between church leaders of specific ministries. We have Breakout Lunches for: Senior Pastors, Prayer Intercessors, Worship Leaders, Children’s Ministry Leaders, Youth & Young Adult Leaders, Single Adult Leaders, Men’s and Women’s Ministry Leaders. We will also have a special Breakout Lunch for leaders interested in starting Alpha at your church. Please RSVP by Friday, April 6th to us at info@catalystweb.org indicating which Breakout Lunch you will attend and also how many will be with you. Those you invite will benefit from this great day of unity!

See you next Friday…
Jim Tomberlin, Senior Director

Many Congregations. One Church www.catalystweb.org


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God Bless You, Chicago!

I am encouraged!

Last week I had a 90 minute conference call with CAPS Director Vance Henry and his team - They are strongly behind our Bless Your Block initiative and will be at our meeting on March 21st to connect us to a variety of resources. CAPS District Organizers and city service contacts will provide unprecedented assistance, especially in the "Care" area: acts of kindness / service projects / community development. The potential of what we can do better together than on our own is truly great.

Two requests:

1. Pray that many of us will gather in Christ's name on the 21st (info below) and discern how to proceed into a collaboration we have yet to see among the Church throughout Chicago.
2. Would you forward this Emessage to someone (or two) or make an personal invitation to a colleague? A pastor, someone who can mobilize a network of congregational or organizational leaders, or a denominational representative ... I am hoping and praying for representation that reflects our geographical, generational and ethnic diversity - You can help make that happen!

Eager to see and hear what the Lord has in mind,

Phil Miglioratti

One Great City ~ CH!CAGO

Bless Your Block
Churches Serving Their Communities

Hosted by Dr. Erwin Lutzer, Pastor of The Moody Church
Facilitated by Phil Miglioratti, One Great City: Ch!cago

Special Guests: Vance Henry, Director of CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategies) along with CAPS District Organizers and Departmental Representatives of City Services

The Question: Would the focused prayers and acts of service by scores of Chicago's Christian congregations have enough impact to transform the lives of neighbors and neighborhoods?

The Answer: Christian leaders are meeting to become the "Yes!" to that question.

*WHO - Pastors, Ministry Leaders, Organizational Directors, Denominational Servants … Persons of influence within and across the Body of Christ … Who have a Kingdom-sized vision.

*WHAT - A vision-casting gathering to set Bless Your Block in motion.

*WHERE - The Moody Church (parking @ NW corner of LaSalle & North)

*WHEN - Wednesday, March 21, 2007 from 10am to Noon

*WHY - Our Lord & Leader has called us to "get out of our seats and into the streets" so that we bring His light and love to people in darkness and without hope.

*HOW - Bless Your Block is a simple strategy intended to mobilize a congregation into self-discerned acts of kindness or service projects ... Churches small or large ... By asking God what breaks His heart on the block your church facility occupies.

FAQ's:

Who is in charge of this?
Bless Your Block is an initiative of congregations and ministries who serve Jesus Christ as Lord. One Great City and CAPS serve as only catalysts. Churches (or other religious organizations) do not need permission from CAPS or One Great City to show kindness to people in their neighborhoods.

What is the strategy?
Bless Your Block calls churches to:
* Pray for their neighbors by name - A relational component
* Care for their neighborhood by need = A practical component
* Share their faith-hope-love in Christ as opportunities arise - A spiritual component

Why is CAPS involved?
CAPS has a commitment to improve Chicago's neighborhoods by any means possible which has led them to partner with faith communities. CAPS does not control the service projects nor limit the conversation of persons providing service. Obviously, messengers of faith and hope will be expected to demonstrate love in the process of serving or sharing.

Does a congregation involved with Bless Your Block automatically endorse CAPS, OGC, or other participating congregations?
No. Participation does not reflect any political or theological agreement among registered organizations. Our common cause is serving communities in the name of Christ.

What does it cost to participate?
Nothing. Everything.
Nothing - There is no registration cost. Participation is completely voluntary.
Everything - Any congregation or organization seeking to bless their neighbors must sacrifice time in praying, caring and sharing. Service project costs are the responsibility of each participating group.

What is required of a participating ministry/
Each Bless Your Block group agrees to:
1. Prayer - We will pray for direction in how to best serve our neighborhood and will mobilize our entire constituency to pray for our neighbors
2. Care - We will perform at least one service project during the summer of 2007.
3. Share - We will be prepared to explain the hope within us as opportunities arise.

What is our goal?
Four participating congregations and/or ministries in each of the 25 CAPS Districts would result in 100 acts of kindness impacting citizens, their communities and our city.

The strategy is simple but how do we get help or training or resources?
OGC & CAPS will work together to provide training during the spring as a prelude to a summer of serving and caring.

How do we register?
One Great City will keep a list of participating congregations.

OK, one more time . . .
What? ... "Bless-Your-Block"

An opportunity for congregations and ministries to show & tell the love & mercy of Christ

When? ... Summer '07 (each congregation & ministry determine their own "what & when" acts of service)
Where? ... We hope to cover Chicago, block-by-block; wherever you live or worship or work or play
Why? ... Neighbors and neighborhoods are stronger and safer when blessed with good works and good words
How? ... Churches and organizations will deploy teams to clean, paint, fix, mow, rake, help - Anything that makes living on that block better

Who? ... To register as a Bless-Your-Block participant contact Phil Miglioratti * phil@nppn.org * 847-344-7837

Join us for an informational meeting: March 21st, 10am to Noon at The Moody Church (1609 N. LaSalle)

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Light & Life MInistries: Jewish / Muslim Studies

"Jewish Studies Spring Feasts"

March 15 thru April 12

4 Thursday evenings from 7 PM - 9 PM

Valerie Smith will lead these studies from a Messianic Jewish perspective.

She will give a overview of the Jewish Feasts of Passover, First Fruits,

Unleavened Bread and Pentecost.

There will be a Passover Seder meal on April 5th

Cost: $20.00 Registration at the door

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Tuesday, march 20^th 7:30 – 9:00 pm

"Entering the Muslim world"

Mark Engle from South Asia Friendship Center, Devon Ave. Chicago & International Teams, will share on God’s heart for Muslims from the local, Chicago and international perspective. (Free will offering)

Light & Life Ministries

Compass Regional Training Center

270 e. Chicago st.

ELGIN, IL 60120

Please Use East Entrance, Meeting On Third Floor

Questions? info@light-life-ministries.org

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FCA Wild Life

Calling All Hunters!

FCA is going outdoors this March. March 9th at the prestigous Max McGraw's Wildlife Foundation, the FCA Regional Board will be hosting the first annual FCA Hunt for Hope. This will be a pheasant hunt and sporting clay shooting venue. Joel Howells, President of FCA at Northwestern will be the featured speaker at dinner that night. Here is the schedule of events:

11:30am Registration and Lunch
12:30am Hunt Instructions
1-4:30pm Pheasant Hunt
2-5:00pm Sporting Clays
5:00pm Dinner and Program (Silent Auction)
6:30pm Depart

COST: $500 per hunter-$100 per non-shooting guest

For more information and registration details, please contact Phil Battin at 847-912-3706 or
phil.battin@gcgfinancial.com

All proceeds will go directly to the area FCA.

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