Compassionate Ministries: Partnering to Be More Effective

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Compassionate Ministries Partnering toBe More
Effective
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Our Reality

• Resources are declining,
• budgets are shrinking
• Opportunities are exploding to meet human needs
  in
• Jesus name

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The key word is ...

• PARTNERSHIPS
• Who ... is already ministering?
• What ... are they doing?
• Where ... could we share?
• How ... can we come together?

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Chicago First Church of the Nazarene

• 1904 Founded by Phineas F. Bresee on
• south side of Chicago
• Served in city for 70 years in several locations

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Chicago First Church of the Nazarene

• 1974 Sold our building to an African-American
  Baptist Church and relocated to new campus in
  southwest Cook County suburb of Lemont

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Confession We ignored the city of Chicago for
nearly 30 years!

• I came as Senior Pastor January 2000
• God said Go back to the city!
• Our church said Sounds great!
• Then we learned how impossible that was ... and
  put it on the back burner

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A NEW OPPORTUNITY

• District Superintendent Brian Wilson contacted us
  to say
• WE HAVE A BUILDING ... If you dont do something
  with it well sell it or give it away...

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WellWe had a pitiful shell of what USED to be a
church!

• ...BUT GOD SAID THIS IS IT!

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The Realities of this New Work

• Were nearly 100 white suburban church.
• The building is in nearly 100 African-American
  neighborhood.
• Located in a community known for crime, drugs,
  gangs and ex-cons.
• About 45 minutes apart might as well have been
  on two continents!

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The Realities of this New Work

• We had no recognition in city of Chicago
• We had no pastor
• We had no people
• We had no money

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What to do?

• PRAY!

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How Did God Provide?

• Partnership with Chicago Central District
• 50 rebate on District Budget
• Mission Contractor from Moody Church
• Existing city congregation to use building
• Existing youth ministry to share building

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How First Church helpedsponsor this new work

• Voted 96 yes to take loans out in our name and
  do 500,000 renovation
• Trusted their Pastor, Board and District
  Superintendent!

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Some Other Key Partnerships

• General Church Loan Fund low interest loan
• By The Hand Club For Kids www.bythehand.org
• Trinity International University
• New Life Celebration Church of God-Dr. Michael
  Reynolds

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And some new partnerships

• Leads to Pastor Ron Allen
• Began holding Services January, 2008
• Began with Pastor and family 5 people!
• Today Averaging more than 60 in Worship!
• ONE CHURCH TWO LOCATIONS!

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And even more partnerships

• Leads to Pastor Michael Neal
• Dying Nazarene church in Aurora (Western suburb)
• Existing church Word and Worship Community
• Today it is the Word and Worship Christian
  Community Church of the Nazarene!

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Then Even More Partners!

• Relationship with Moody Church
• Worked with Chicago Alderman
• Blessed by Mayor Daley, Cook County President
  Stroger, Secretary of State Jesse White
• Possible Urban Ministry Training Center?

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• WHEN WE ARE WILLING to unselfishly open ourselves
  to Gods Kingdom and partner with various
  entities, there is no limit to what God can do
  through us!

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Our challenge

• To get out of our independent spirit as local
  churches and ministries and join hands with
  District and Nazarene entities
• To get beyond our Nazarene box and partner with
  other Kingdom-advancers with whom we can partner
  without compromising what we believe!

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Other Resources

• www.ChicagoFirstNaz.org
• www.ByTheHand.org
• Call us at 708-349-0454 (Lemont Campus)
• Rev. Kevin M. Ulmet ext. 23
• kulmet_at_chicagofirstnaz.org