“God calls us to seek the shalom of the city… to pray to the Lord on its behalf… to engage its needs.”
– Dr. John Fuder
ON OUR KNEES
We want to see the body of Christ in Chicago continuing to praying together, getting ‘on our knees’ and seeking God’s heart for our city and its people. We have done several city-wide prayer gatherings each year, and we seen much momentum by God’s Spirit of unity and partnership. We will continue to ‘rally’ the Church in Chicago to pray, believing that our city will see the truth of Jesus when they see His people as one (John 17).
“Take the Challenge”:
- Pray daily for city transformation
- Pray regularly with others in your community
Our next city-wide prayer gathering:
- Sep 7th at Moody Church
ON OUR FEET
We want to see the body of Christ working together, getting “on our feet” and seeking God’s shalom for our city and its people. Many who have been praying with us at Pray Chicago gatherings have remarked, “This is wonderful, but what’s next?”. We love this question, and are praying and dreaming about the many ways it could be answered. There is likely no singular answer, but perhaps it is a spirit of partnership (and celebration of it) that goes beyond our own churches, neighborhoods, denominations, and ‘tribes’ — celebrating what God is doing through His people around Chicago.
So, in that heart, we are posting united prayer gatherings and “out of our seats” demonstrating-the-love-of-Jesus initiatives and ‘peacemaking’ actions on our ‘Prayer & Presence’ map & calendar. We would love for you to contribute to this and submit your groups and initiatives. Take a glance at some of the ways people are working for the peace and wellbeing of Chicago, and ask yourself, “How can I pray with others in my community, and, how can we ‘wear our prayers’ outside the walls of our church, on our streets?”
Here are some ways that people IN CHICAGO are ‘wearing their prayers’ this summer:
- Prayer Corners / Shalom in the Streets (Jun 18)
- Pray Chicago Youth Edition (Jun 18)
- Chicago Peace Campaign, ‘Making Peace Happen’ (ongoing)
- 100 Blocks, 100 Churches (ongoing)
- Parents for Peace and Justice (ongoing)
- Legacy Fest (Jul 23, East Garfield Park)
- Convoy of Hope (Aug 20, Marquette Park)
Here are some ideas for how you can practice PRAYER & presence in your neighborhood:
- Plan a prayer walk / prayer corner (Prayer points)
- Organize a block club (Block Party Kit)
- ‘Make Peace Happen’ by partnering with your local police district to provide ‘positive loitering’ and prayer in a neighborhood crime hotspot (Contact us for help connecting with your local district leaders)
- Invite other churches in your region to collaborate on these or other local initiatives
Do these things seem overwhelming to do alone? They can. So, let’s do them together! Use our map to connect with people in your region, or contact us so that we can connect you with people in your part of town.
Are there great things happening in your part of town that you want the broader Church to know about? Let us know.
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