Cities are a critical element in God’s redemptive plan, because they are places of size and population density, centers of influence and commerce, and the gateway for those who are broken, in transition or in need. Given its preeminence as a global business and transportation hub, we believe that Chicago is one of the most exciting and strategic places to minister.
From a Biblical View
Cities are central to Jesus' mission. Moreover, the apostle Paul's
missionary work was almost completely city-focused. He went to
the large cities and almost exclusively devoted his time and
energy there. The early church did the same. Why was there such
a focus on urban centers? There are at least three reasons:
| 1. Cities
are “cultural
centers.” Cities naturally attract people from all
walks of life. People migrate to big cities for jobs, for
relationships, for opportunity. Many come who are in need
of the social services support structure that a big city
offers. As we come in contact with this great diversity of
people, it challenges our perspectives, reveals our prejudices,
and causes us to grow. The urban environment also challenges
the people of the city to reach more of their God-given potential.
As a result, not only do cities need Christians but Christians
need cities. We will encourage Christians to learn from the
city how to celebrate diversity, accept and love all people,
and strive for excellence in all we do. |
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2. Cities are “population centers.” Cities
are becoming more filled with people. In 1950, 30% of the
world’s population lived in urban areas. According
to the UN Population Division, more than one-half of the
world's population will live in cities by 2007, and more
than 60% by 2030, with more than 90% of the world’s
population growth during that time occurring in urban areas.
In Chicago, the areas where we minister have more than 25,000
people per square mile, the second most dense population
area behind Manhattan. All of these cities are filled with
people made in God's image whom Christ loves and calls his
church to love. At Park, we encourage Christians to invest
their lives in the city and to love, respect and serve the
people of the city. |
| 3. Cities are “places of shelter and refuge.” Cities
have always been places of refuge. Many come in need of the
social services provided by large urban cities. By their
nature, cities are places where immigrants, minorities and
refugees can cluster for support and protection in a new
land and where the homeless and poor can find shelter and
provision. Present–day cities are filled and becoming
more filled with great needs. Park is an active partner with
others in the city who are seeking to serve the physical
as well as the spiritual needs of the city. |
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In Jeremiah 29, God’s people were and are encouraged to
build homes, to plant gardens, to establish families, to settle
down
and stay in the city and as well to seek and pray for the peace
and prosperity of the city. Park is committed to encouraging
and enabling people stay in the city, to establishing and redeeming
Christian marriages and families within the city, being role models
to our neighbors, and passing on the Gospel to future generations
---thus impacting the city of Chicago: one life, one family, one
block and one neighborhood at a time.
As we are individually transformed, our new lives in
Christ will touch and reach our communities: family, friends,
neighbors,
coworkers
and others within our spheres of influence. “When
the righteous prosper, the city rejoices…Through the blessing
of the upright a city is exalted” (Proverbs 11:10-11).
 At Park, we want to be the kind of church that causes the City
of Chicago to rejoice. So we will use our time, gifts and resources
to meet the needs of others in our community and will also partner
with ministries that are making an impact in the city.
We also believe that the Gospel has a deep, vital, and healthy
impact on the arts and culture, business, media, education
and government of any city. Therefore we are highly committed
to
support Christians’ engagement with culture, helping
them work with excellence, distinctiveness, and accountability
in
their professions.
Why should we view Chicago as a place to invest our lives to
coming alongside what God is doing at Park and his redeeming
work here?
Chicago has always been in the center of things--at the crossroads
of the United States – the largest economy on earth. Chicago
is a place with has capitalized on its centrality of its location — first
through the railroads, then the communications wires, then the
freeways and the airplanes. And through it all, the City has
drawn people from around the country and the world to take advantage
of enormous opportunities to make money, to build a quality life,
to raise a family, and to live and work together. Two local University
researchers, Michael Maly and Michael Leachman sum up Chicago
best:
“
The city of Chicago stands tall among urban areas in the United
States. It features a bustling central business district that
serves as a financial anchor for the Midwest, a government with
significant regional and national influence, a vibrant cultural
life, a multiethnic population, a patchwork of distinct neighborhoods
that are home to nearly 3 million people, one of the world’s
busiest airports, and the world’s tallest building (at
least for the time being). With its towering skyscrapers, lush
and expansive park system, lavish North Michigan Avenue, and
historic landmarks, Chicago opens an impressive front door to
all who visit. Figure in the economic and demographic development
of north and western Cook, Lake, and DuPage counties (the fastest
growing areas in the region), and it would be difficult to argue
that the Chicago metropolitan area is on the decline. Together
with its suburban partners, the city of Chicago is ever expanding
its economic, political, and cultural reach, emerging as one
of the Nation’s global cities”
Size
Chicago has a population of 2.9 million people and
a regional (nine county) population of 8.3 million, making
it the third largest U.S. city behind New York and Los
Angeles. It is the
key global city in the Midwest with its central location
for transportation, including air flights and railroads..
In fact, you could fit all of
the people in the cities of Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee
and Indianapolis in Chicago and still have room left over. |
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Growth
Chicago is a constantly growing city. In 2001, Chicago received
more than 640 new residents per day, (or 233,000 new residents, second
only to LA in the top 150 metro areas) as more people continued to
arrive to seek their place in the city. In 2004, U-Haul announced
that Chicago was the number one destination for people moving, In
addition, a Brookings Institution report projected that 90,000 people
will move into the central business district in the next 10 years. |
Density
While many of the Sunbelt cities that have experienced strong
growth in recent years (Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and San Diego) have
about 3,000-5,000 residents per square mile, the three lakefront community
areas (from the Chicago River to Irving Park), contain more than 231,000
people with a density of more than 25,000 per square mile. In just
those areas, there are more than 144,000 people are between the ages
of 20-44. Additionally, the downtown expands daily as more than 668,000
people make their way into the Loop for work. The primary area where
Park ministers is the second most densely populated place in America
behind New York City. |
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Influence
Large cities tend to have more
influence on Chicago is a global center of influence, from the Arts,
theater and music, to architecture, to commerce, to the financial
markets. People from all over the world come here – last year
Chicago had more than 32 million visitors. Norman Mailer put it well….“New
York is one of the capitals of the world and Los Angeles is a constellation
of plastic....But Chicago is a great American city. Perhaps it is
the last of the great American cities.” |
Influence: Economics
From an economic perspective, if Chicago were a country, its $349
billion economy would be the 20th largest, bigger than Switzerland, Russia,
and Taiwan. Chicago is at the center of one of the largest trading areas
in the world -- the east-west nexus joining the markets of Europe and Asia...and
the north-south nexus of NAFTA.
Very few cosmopolitan centers have the workforce, the infrastructure,
the distribution channels, and the speed and connectivity to
compete. But none can match Chicago's economic diversification. It's all
here,
the whole rich story of the global melting pot. A workforce more
than 4 million strong--an extraordinary mix of humanity driving one of
the
world's most diversified economies at the speed of business.
Chicago's 'niche' is no niche: we do a great many different things very
well indeed:
- #1 in high--technology employment (347,100 workers) -- $35
billion regional high-tech output
- #1 city for air travel -- 43 international non-stop destinations
and 139 domestic destinations
- #1 distribution center
-- #1 truck, #1 intermodal, #1 rail, #1 air
- #1 in business
services professionals -- 82% growth in employment from 1990
to 2000
- #1 in manufacturing - $59 billion regional manufacturing
output
- #1 data transmission by volume -- 10 terabytes/day
- #1 urban medical district”
Influence: Arts and Culture
In the Arts, Chicago’s influence is felt throughout the world.
It is the birthplace of the blues, and is viewed by many
as the home of sketch
comedy (Second City). It boasts many of the leading
orchestras, theater companies and museums. A sample of Chicago’s
arts:
- The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of the world's
premier orchestras
- Chicago supports 33 other orchestras,
the most in the nation
- The Chicago Lyric Opera is one
of the top three opera companies in the nation
- Chicago
is the only U.S. city to boast three Tony awarding-winning
theaters
- An average week brings over 160 productions
to the stage in Chicago. If one were to see
a play a day, it would take more than
20 weeks
to see them all. There are Over 200 theaters
large and small
- Chicago has many world-class museums, including
the Art Institute, the Field Museum of Natural
History, the Adler Planetarium,
the John G. Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium
- The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
is one of the best fine arts schools in the
nation
- Numerous art openings year round in galleries
big and small makes for vibrant art scene
- Chicago has 68 museums to choose from
- Chicago is home to the world’s largest museum
of modern art.
- The Field Museum is the new home of Sue, the
world's most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton
- The Adler Planetarium has the largest collection
of astronomy artifacts in the Western Hemisphere
- The Shedd Aquarium is the largest indoor
aquarium in the world
Influence: Education
Chicago is a major center of education
both domestically and internationally. In the city limits of Chicago,
there are more
than 295,000 students. In the greater Chicago land
area, there are more than 530,000 students in total with estimates
of 5-20% of colleges
and universities being foreign students. Imagine the
impact we could have around the world just by reaching college students
with the message
of the Gospel.. |
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Influence: Architecture
In architecture, visitors from around the world come to Chicago,
the birthplace of the modern building, to admire its architectural marvels.
From historic landmark buildings to contemporary technological masterpieces,
Chicago is built of the unique and innovative designs that have shaped
American architecture. The city is a living museum of architecture thanks
to the work of such greats as Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd
Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn and hundreds of others.
From an international perspective, Chicago has always
been a melting pot of cultures. These cultures impact those
outside of Chicago and around the world.
- Chicago's workforce is a reflection of the world's
diversity and carries with it the resources, talent and
intellect
required for a global business to succeed
- No one race makes up over half the population
- There are 31 different ethnic groups have populations
with at least 25,000 members
- Over 100 languages spoken
- Over 130 foreign-language media outlets
- 46 Consulates-General and 24 Consulates recognize
Chicago as a place they need to be, for their citizens
and their
businesses
Spiritual Need
However, Chicago is important to God’s redemptive
plan because there are so many people who have not heard
of the life-changing message of the gospel. Major cities
tend to be some of the least evangelized places. Redeemer
Presbyterian Church reported in NYC that less than 20%
identified themselves as Protestants and fewer than 8%
went to church with any regularity. According to the Glenmary
Research Center that looks at religious affiliation after
each 10-year census, the number of Protestants in the nine
county metro area as a percent of population would be around
15%. And while 9/11 has had a dramatic impact on people’s
spiritual lives, according to Tom Smith, director of the
general social survey at the University of Chicago's National
Opinion Research Center, this decade has seen a decline
in religious activity. "In the 1990s, the proportionate
number of adults with no religious affiliation has gone
up while the frequency of church attendance has gone down," he
said. "There is also ample evidence that there has
been a loss of formal religious activity."
National survey figures show that, in 1990, 30 percent
of Americans reported attending religious services at least
once a week; today, that response is down to 27 percent,
Smith said. The national trend, he added, also indicates
a greater lack of identification with a particular religious
sect. "In 1972, five percent of adults reportedly
had no religion. Today, that figure is at fourteen percent,
and most of that occurred in the 1990s," Smith noted. "Between
1990 and 2000, the figure jumped from eight percent to
fourteen percent." Meanwhile, the number of people
who never attend religious services has risen from 13 percent
in 1990 to 19 percent today. Examining other established
religious groups in America reveals similar trends
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