A Fragrance to the City

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved
and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death;
to the other, the fragrance of life.  (2 Cor. 2:15-16)

According to legend and some historians, the name "Chicago" is derived from the Indian name for a particular smelly onion found all over the nearby prairie. And some have suggested that Chicago has been called “The Windy City” for its hot-winded politics. Recent events suggest that there are some grounds for this moniker. In any event, Chicago needs a fresh aroma.

The Chicago Ministry Center, consisting of roughly 360 members, is very distinct in its makeup from the suburban ministries. We have a city-wide campus ministry of about 40 college students, which usually meets on the UIC campus on Friday evenings for devotionals and on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon during the week for small-group Bible studies. On Tuesday evenings, our North Sector of about 140 members meets in Lincoln Park for midweek services, while our South Sector of about 180 members meets at IIT on Wednesday night. It is our hope that together we can help to spread Christ's aroma to one of the most important cities in the world.

We have a simple approach to ministry. Our focus is on collective worship each Sunday, the day in which our Lord rose from the dead. We utilize middle of the week meetings for teaching, training and fellowship. Our house churches, with sizes ranging from 10-20 people, provide neighborhood outreach, hospitality and opportunities for deeper relationship development. There are other small focus groups in our fellowship which meet various needs as well.

One of the ways we hope to model a “greater way” for Chicago is to ensure visitors to our events that our own unity is bigger and deeper than politics, race or class. We welcome our friends to observe the relationships and attitudes of the Christians who comprise our combined Sunday worship—worship which includes teenagers, college students, singles, married couples, the elderly and north and south side residents. Truly, Christ is our great bond. There is no agenda, ideal or person who compares to the greatest figure who has ever lived—Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

We welcome any challenges about inconsistencies to our witness for Christ. Flawed though we are, we strive toward his likeness, for that is our collective goal. If you are interested in joining us in this journey, we will gladly have one of our capable members walk you through our instruction series called The Journey. It is a seven-lesson series covering vital information from Genesis to Revelation, giving you a simple yet inspiring overview of the Bible.