Critical Targets of the
Northern Illinois District

Critical Target
Partnerships

Goal: Partnership: that congregations foster partnerships at all levels (local, circuit, district and national Synod) in order to expand the work of their congregation and the church-at-large.

ETHNIC MINISTRIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NID ON THE LOCAL OR CIRCUIT LEVEL  (also see Critical Target #1  - Congregational Ministries)

African Immigrant Ministries: For information on any of the following ministries contact: Rev. Donald Gourlay, 708/386-2219 or view the website.

• Ethnic Immigrant French ministry worships at St. John Lutheran church,               4939 W. Montrose, Chicago. Prof. Paul Kreis leads Bible study and worship two Sundays a month. A new service in French is being offered also at Zion Lutheran Church, 99th and Winston, on Chicago's south side. They meet the fourth Sunday of each month. Rev. Stephane' Kalonji, pastor of Zion, conducts the service and Bible class.
• Haitian: Each Sunday worship and Bible study is offered at Bethesda Lutheran Church, 6803 North Campbell, Chicago. Worship is in English with hymns in English, French, and Swahili. This congregation is very active in helping immigrants and refugees on the north side of Chicago. Jean Bingue is the lay leader. 
• African Immigrant Ministry in the West Suburbs (AIM-west) is a new ministry working in partnership with congregations in the western suburbs of Chicago to provide a cross-cultural Gospel outreach to African Immigrants and refugees         AIM-west is led by lay-evangelist Moses Gbor.  Its purpose is to work with pastors and congregations to non-Christian immigrants and refugees and Christians without a church into fellowship with a congregation. For more information, contact  Moses Gbor, 630/279-4010 or by email.
• African Immigrant services are also offered at St. Paul, Dorchester, in English        and at Christ the King, Chicago, in the Ewe language.
• A new Haitian ministry is being planned for the south side of Chicago.
• A ministry to Ethiopian immigrants is being planned in partnership with St. Peter, Schaumburg to serve the many Lutheran immigrants that have settled in that area from Ethiopia. Tedasa Kasa, a Lutheran pastor and former Seminary Professor in Ethiopia is gathering together a number of Lutherans from Ethiopia. They worship in Amhara, the principle language of Ethiopia.

Center for Asian Missions and Evangelism (C.A.M.E.): CAME helps districts and congregations establish Asian ministries. Contact Trinity at 630/964-1272 or visit the CAME website.

Chicagoland International Student Ministry: This is a ministry to students from other lands, especially those where we have no missionaries, such as China. The students return and bring their faith to their homeland. The NID has outreach ministries at the University of Illinois, Chicago, Northwestern, Evanston, and Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. Natalie Bishop is the coordinator of the program in Chicago. The students meet at the Friendship House, adjacent to First Immanuel Lutheran Church at Ashland and Roosevelt. Contact her by email or call 312/432-9134 for more information. Rev. Walter Schoenfuhs is Chair of Board of Directors, CISM. Visit their national website for more information.

People of the Book for Lutheran Outreach (P.O.B.L.O.).  POBLO is an international ministry reaching out to those of the Muslim faith, with headquarters in Detroit, MI.       For more information about this ministry please visit their website or call Trinity Lutheran Church, Roselle, at 630/894-3263.

• Hicham Chehab has been sent to us from POBLO to serve in our district. He grew up in Lebanon, is a convert from the Muslim faith and has an exciting story to share. He is willing to speak to groups in churches about his experiences and his mission work. He may also be reached by email.

Hispanic Ministry in NID

Missionaries at Large called by NID to establish ministries to Hispanic communities:

• Hector Canjura, is currently working at Trinity Lutheran Church, Wrightwood and Meade, Chicago. Trinity is located in a Hispanic community on the northwest side of Chicago. Services are held each Sunday at 11:00am. Bible classes and ESL classes are also offered. For information, call Pastor Canjura at 773/237-5045.
• Rev. Carlos Catalan is currently working in partnership with St. John, Elgin to develop the Hispanic outreach of St. John to the Elgin community.
• Redeemer Lutheran Church, Rockford, continues to offer Hispanic ministry which was started by Pastor Catalan. For more information, call their office, 847/397-2227.

Congregations offering Hispanic ministry with partnership support from NID and other sources:

• Faith Lutheran Church, 3601 S. 61^st Ave., Cicero: Rev. Guillermo Jerez is pastor, offering worship services in both English and Spanish each Sunday. They offer several home Bible study groups and groups that meet at the church. They will soon be able to offer the community a day care center, much needed in that area. Circuit #11 has supported this mission for several years. For information, contact Pastor Jerez at 708/652-6414.
• La Santisima Trinidad Lutheran Church meets at Grace Lutheran Church, 28^th and Karlov, Chicago. Alfredo Tenario is their lay leader and also a student at the Hispanic Institute, working toward ordination.
• St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 2108 W 21^st St., Chicago: Rev. Julio Loza serves both the Anglo and Hispanic congregations. The church offers a soup kitchen       and a food pantry for the community. For information about the church and how you might help the soup kitchen and/or food pantry, contact Pastor Loza at 773/847-6458 or visit their website.

Congregations offering African American ministry with partnership support from NID and other sources

• Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1252 S Harding, Chicago, serves the Lawndale community and is located in the area of the Ezra Housing project to make            available affordable housing. They offer a well baby clinic for the community         in linkage with St. Andrew’s. Park Ridge. Rev. Rich Gizynski is pastor.                   Call 773/762-0500 for information.

The Urban School Ministry:

Six congregational schools in Chicago are receiving support from our district’s Urban School Ministry fund. To qualify for funding, the school must be located in a community that has an average per capita income that is 79% or less of the national average.  Grants are given on the basis of enrollment. An additional grant is given for the children of members. This is a form of tuition support for school that cannot charge the tuition    to the families in their communities that schools in more wealthy areas can. For more information, contact Rev. Donald Gourlay, Congregational Services Executive at 708/386-2219. Contributions for this fund may be made to the Northern Illinois District and designated for the Urban School Ministry Fund. The schools receiving the grants      and the ethnicity of the majority of student body is listed below:

• Bethlehem, 3715 E. 103^rd, Chicago.  Pauline Gehrs, principal. (Hispanic)
• Christ the King, 3701 S Lake Park, Chicago. Geraldine Brazeal, principal.               (African American)
• Grace, 4106 W, 28^th St. Chicago. Carlo Giannotta, principal. (Hispanic)
• Jehovah/El Buen Pastor, 3740 W Belden, Chicago. JoEllen Hoffmann, principal. (Hispanic)
• Resurrection, 9349 S Wentworth, Chicago. Shirley Johnson, principal.                 (African American)
• St. Paul, 7621 S. Dorchester, Chicago. Jeffrey Howell, principal.                         (African American)

The Ezra Housing Program:

The NID, in partnership with several other church bodies in the Chicago metropolitan area, and in conjunction with United Power for Action and Justice, was involved with  the Ezra Housing Project. Approximately 95 homes were built in the Lawndale area. Through financial arrangements and government programs, the monthly payments for first time home owners are no more than the families are currently spending on rent. It gives opportunity to those who might not otherwise be able to buy their own homes. When people are home owners, the community tends to improve.         

Special ministries in partnership with local congregations and agencies:

Voice of Care

• This mission society is building support ministries for families and persons  with developmental disabilities under the leadership of Rev. Donald Kretzschmar. Please e-mail or visit the Website.

Voice of Hope

• This mission society is building support ministries for persons who are incarcerated and their families under the leadership of Deaconess Lori Wilbert. If you would like to support this ministry click here. If you have a question about this ministry or to schedule her to speak for your group please email Lori Wilbert or visit the website.

Northern Illinois University Student Ministry Refuge

• Refuge is the ministry of Immanuel Lutheran Church, De Kalb, Illinois, for the students of nearby Northern Illinois University. Visit their website for more information.