Abby-Jill — We Will Miss You March 14, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Leader News, Leader Spotlight, Community, Sharing Your Faith, Alumni Stories , 1 comment so farThis week, Park Community Church suffered a great loss, when one of its former staff, Abby-Jill Brauhn , lost her fight with cancer and went to be with the Lord on Tuesday morning, surrounded by her family in Wisconsin. Abby-Jill was a Godly woman who loved the Lord and loved people. She made a huge impact for the Kingdom and will be greatly missed, although I know she is feeling no pain and dancing in heaven as we speak. I will miss her greatly — I loved her passion to see people come to know Jesus in a personal relationship and I appreciated her tremendous gift of leadership on the trips I went on to the orphanage in Mexico.
Abby was a tremendous leader, and a model for all of us to follow. She displayed great vision and great clarity of purpose, yet knew that she needed to rely on God in all things. She was the epitome of a great leader, who loved her people and had great concern for their spiritual and ministry development.
Here is a summary (with some adds by me about my friend) of the obituary sent to the Tribune:
Abby-Jill Marie Brauhn
September 16, 1964 – March 11, 2008
Abby-Jill Brauhn, 43, died Tuesday, March 11, 2008, at the home of her sister, Deborah Geary. She was the daughter of Maggie French and the late Stephen Brauhn. Abby was blessed with an extraordinary life. She graduated from Buffalo General School of Nursing, where she began her career as a registered nurse. She later joined Parke Davis Pharmaceuticals as a sales representative. Abby’s ambition and initiative brought her to Chicago, where enjoyed a successful career as new-products sales rep and then regional manager.
In 1995, Abby went on a short term mission trip to the FFHM orphanage that Park supports in the Baja of Mexico, and there her life chcanged and it would never be the same. She experienced a great renewal of her faith, and when she heard a higher calling in 1998, Abby went to work for Park Community Church in Chicago as the Director of Extension Ministries. Here she founded and grew Park’s annual Park Service Day ( now called For One Chicago), which engaged more than 900
Abby lived a life that was full of joy, love, and devotion to her family, friends, and God. An avid reader and traveler, she embarked on many voyages around the world. She had a wonderful ability to touch all that she came in contact with. A diagnosis of terminal cancer brought her back to the
Abby-Jill is survived by her mother, Maggie, her sister Debbie, brother-in-law Brian Geary, brother Robert Brauhn, brother Adam Brauhn, sister-in-law Tasha, nieces Molly, Maggie, Katherine, and Grace, and nephews Christopher and Nicholas. Abby was preceded in death by her father, Stephen.
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A funeral service will be held at St. Anthony on the
“A Chicago memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 15th, at 1:00 p.m. at the GERMANIA PLACE BALLROOM (please note location has been changed)
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure, 877.465.6636, or Heartland Hospice,
Cesarz Charapata & Zinnecker is serving the family. For more information, please call the funeral home at 262.542.6609.
Leader Zone Meeting At Bldg a Huge Success February 22, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Uncategorized , add a commentMore than 130 people had registered for tonight’s LeaderZone meeting at the new ministry center. Joe Riccardi had good food delivered and everyone had a great time getting caught up with each other as we build community among the leaders in our owbn Park Cafe.
We got a chance to hear a challenging message from Jackson and then went off in groups of 15 to pray over the various rooms and ministries that will soon be operating in the building.
Governor Comes to Park
Posted by Steve in : Leader Spotlight, Community, Communication, Missional Community, Inside Park, Investing in the City , 2 commentsToday, the Governor of Illinois made a stop at Park’s new ministry center to talk about job creation and Illinois families as he pushes his budget proposal. The building team loved it because the last three days have seen the unions bend over backward to clean the place, get stuff done and make this job site one of the best, cleanest, etc in Chicago. (lots of progress this week).
Anyway, he met with pastors Jackson Crum and Steve Lavey, as well as Art Mitchell and Ken Sproul (our contractors and members of the church). We got a chance to meet with him in advance and tell him about Park’s mission and history, then it was off to the worship center for a full-on press conference where Jackson got to share with all the TV stations about Park’s mission.
Chicago Friday Fun Fact: Chicago Public Schools February 15, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Investing in the City, Chicago Fun Fact , add a commentPark Community Church is committed to encouraging and enabling people stay in the city, to establishing and nurturing 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. Join us each Friday as we hope to give you an education on some of the key aspects of Chicago through our Chicago Friday Fun Fact. We like to celebrate all things Chicago — this week, with our schools’ spring break approaching, we look at some statistics on the Chicago Public Schools.
The Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians, is a school district that controls over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago Public Schools is currently the third largest school district in the United States, with more than 400,000 students enrolled in the school district. It is led by CEO Arne Duncan. The position of CEO of the CPS was created by Mayor Richard Daley after he successfully convinced the Illinois State Legislature to place CPS under the mayor’s control. Here are some key statistics:
Elementary Schools (483)
- 407 traditional elementary schools
- 41 magnet schools
- 18 middle schools
- 8 gifted centers
- 9 special schools
High Schools (116)
- 38 general/technical
- 10 vocational/career schools
- 13 magnet schools
- 8 math & science academy
- 5 military academy
- 21 small schools
- 8 achievement academy
- 5 alternative school
- 8 special ed schools
Charter Schools (56) includes all campuses
- 35 Elementary campuses
- 21 High School campuses
Student Enrollment (408,601 in F2007-8)
- 21,388 Pre-School
- 27,901 kindergarten
- 246,771 elementary (1-8)
- 112,541 secondary
Student Racial Breakdown (FY2007-08)
- 46.5% African-American
- 39.1% Latino
- 8.0% White
- 3.3% Asian/Pacific Islander
- 2.9% Multi-Racial
- 0.2% Native American
Additional Student Information (FY2006-07)
- 84.9% of students from low-income families
- 18.8% of Illinois public school students attend CPS
- 14.4% are limited-English-proficient
- 94.0% attendance rate for elementary schools
- 84.3% attendance rate for high schools
- 91.3% citywide attendance rate
Pupil/Teacher Information
- 21.1 pupils per teacher in elementary schools
- 19.6 pupils per teacher in high school
- $66,178 average teacher salary
- $117,364 average administrator salary
Employees - 44,417 (FY2006-07)
Operating Budget - $4.648 billion (FY2007-08)
Morgan: Top 10 Leadership Mistakes February 14, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Leadership Lessons , add a commentHere is a good reminder of key issues we face as leaders (some issues, like hiring, may not be in our wheelhouse but are good things to ponder). Tony Morgan recently shared this talk about leadership issues at the Church Solutions Conference in AZ. Here’s the recap thanks to the illustrious Tim Stevens:
- Hiring Too Fast. Firing Too Slow. Every minute I delay in firing, I take away opportunity for God to work in that person’s life.
- Putting Projects before the People. Embrace the tension and find the balance between leadership and shepherding.
- Trying to Fix the Problem Rather than the Process. Ninety percent of the time it isn’t a people-problem. It is a process-problem.
- Delegating Tasks Instead of Responsibility. It is hard to delegate, because many times I (wrongly) think I’m the only one who can do it right.
- Assuming it is Always Black and White. Following rules is a lot easier than trying to deal with relationships.
- Not Following my Gut. When we stop listening to God, he stops talking to us (consider the 13-year gap when God stopped talking to Abraham).
- Dwelling on the Worst-Case Scenario. Worry might not be your issue, but everyone has an issue that can derail them.
- Waiting Until There’s a Problem to Provide Feedback. I have to discipline myself to encourage my team.
- Staying Busy. It is a lie, but I tend to think if I’m staying busy, I’m adding value to my organization.
- Spending Too Much Time on the Details Rather than on the Dreams.
Go here to read the rest of the post from Tim.
Join Us Feb 21 at the New Ministry Center!
Posted by Steve in : Uncategorized , add a commentIf it’s February, it is time to get all of our leaders together so join us next week for another great Leader Zone meeting to be held in the new ministry center:
When: Thursday, Feb 21 from 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Where: In the Park Café space at the new ministry center
Dinner will be provided by Park so register right
We will get a chance to enjoy some fellowship over a meal with one another, then listen to a short challenge from , pray through the building, and then end on the roof to pray for the city.
There will be no childcare provided, but we will reimburse childcare costs up to $30 (please email Emily Luikart at eluikart@parkcommunitychurch.org to let her know you need reimbursement).
Parking is available in the parking lot adjacent to the building and in the building garage.
The Roof, The Roof January 2, 2008
Posted by Steve in : Uncategorized , add a commentWe are seeing great construction progress through the holiday period and the roof is coming along nicely! We are slated to have the staff move into the building in early February so hold tight and keep praying for good weather for the outside construction. Here is the latest photo taken this morning.
Provision Theater: Extended Open Run of C.S. Lewis! December 19, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Uncategorized , add a commentDue to unprecedented demand, Provision Theater, headed up by Tim Gregory of Park, is extending performances of CS LEWIS ON STAGE into the new year. Bradley Armacost portrays legendary writer C.S. Lewis to critical and audience acclaim in the Royal George Theater Gallery Space (1641 N. Halsted) - now in an Open-Ended Run!
If you haven’t seen it, come for the first time, or even the second or third, to enjoy an intimate, hilarious, and engaging journey with the writer we’ve all read, but know almost nothing about. Provision Theater is proud to present the Chicago premiere of “CS Lewis On Stage” starring Bradley Armacost. This one-man show capturing the personality and writing of the author of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and SCREWTAPE LETTERS, “CS Lewis On Stage” is an intimate look at the Oxford man who could make his audience think as deeply as he made them laugh. Directed by Tim Gregory. Read the Chicago Critic review here. Order your holiday week or January tickets by calling 312.988.9000 or click here for tickets.
Special HOLIDAY WEEK Performance Schedule:
Wednesday, December 26 - 8 pm
Thursday, December 27 - 8 pm
Friday, December 28 - 8 pm
Saturday, December 29 - 5 pm and 8 pm
After you slow down and celebrate Christmas and the holidays with friends and family, gather your loved ones and spend a cozy evening enjoying the show the Chicago Sun-Times calls “the thinking person’s holiday show.”
Chicago Sun-Times:
“…performed with wit and fervency by Bradley Armacost…”
“…follows through on Provision’s mission to stage “works of hope, reconciliation and redemption.”
- Hedy Weiss
Chicago Tribune:
“…a piece directed with integrity by Provision artistic director Tim Gregory and performed with the expected charm and smarts by Armacost.”
“Armacost is one of the most genial, warm and generous of Chicago actors.”
- Chris Jones
Christmas in Chicago
Posted by Steve in : Uncategorized , add a commentYou know what? We live in a vibrant, energizing, happening city and we want to share with you some of the best Christmas images that we have found that capture the excellence that is Chicago. Steve McCoy is the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Woodstock, IL since April 2004 and an excellent photographer who loves to shoot Chicago scenes– he captured this photo of the Daley Plaza tree after a night out watching Christmas Carol at a local theater.
Check out all of Steve’s excellent photography here
A Gift to Park: Mat Barber Kennedy December 18, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Uncategorized , add a commentFor the last few years, I have had the privilege of hanging out and getting to know Mat Barber Kennedy, a gifted artist in the Park body, who has made a living as a watercolorist both in the US and across the pond in England. Mat is an accomplished painter (having been inducted into the prestigious Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours in London) , a professor of arts, a excellent guitarist, a loving husband to Sherry and a cool dad.
As we have completed the PREPARING FOR MORE season, Mat has graciously painted a watercolor of the new building and its strategic position in the shadow of the skyline and has donated it to the church so that they could make it available to the body and generate funds for the new ministry center.
If you are interested in getting a copy, either in a signed limited edition print or a poster, please click here to go to painting page or contact Tim Schraeder at tschraeder@parkcommunitychurch.org or 312.361.0519. If you would like to check out his other excellent work, please go to his website at www.matbarberkennedy.com
Christmas in the City a Big Success!
Posted by Steve in : Missional Community, Transformed LIves, Sharing Your Faith, Investing in the City , add a commentA big thank you to all the leaders and folks who brought friends, co-workers and neighbors to our “Christmas in the City” outreach event on Sunday night at Torrey-Grey auditorium. We had almost 800 in attendance on a cold December night, and Joseph Tenney and his worship arts team, along with Laura Donnelly and the drama team did a great job of communicating the Gospel story. It was great to just sing all the old carols during the Christmas season.
Coming just on the heels of our Preparing for More commitments to brings friends to Park events, this was a perfect setting to share our spiritual lives with others. Folks, we are proud of you as we begin to move with intentionality to share our lives and our faith with those around us. Thank you for your commitment to do life with those in your home, work and family life. We will continue to put on events like this to allow you to introduce your friends to Park and the Gospel. Please send any comments or suggestions on this event or ideas for future events to Steve Lavey at slavey_AT_parkcommunitychurch _DOT_org
How to Spot Good Leaders December 13, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Leadership Lessons , add a commentJust read a great summary of a book in Fast Company that talks about what are the key qualities of good leaders, including having good people acumen. In his book he says “Leadership is predicated on the ability to mobilize others to accomplish a vision, a goal, or a task. Leaders can’t do everything; they get other people to do things through managing. They increase their capacity — the ability to get more done — through delegation combined with a methodology for ensuring follow-through. They set expectations, get the best people to do what needs to be done, and oversee the relationships among them to ensure that destructive or self-interested behaviors don’t subvert the group’s common purpose.
You know you’ve discovered a leader with people acumen when you see evidence that the person selects the right people and motivates them, gets them working well as a team, and is able to diagnose and fix problems in coordination and social relationships among groups of people.
Read the article here. See the book at Amazon here.
Christmas at Park! November 30, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Uncategorized , add a commentWow — can you believe its Christmas time and 2007 is drawing to a close? Seems like just yesterday we were going to the Old Town Art Fair……. It has been quite a year around here with so many folks coming stepping across the line of faith and more than 1,000 people now in small groups!
Well with the season comes LOTS of things to do around Park, so I suggest you check out the Christmas Page on our website and get yourself involved in some of these excellent Christmas activities.
I would especially invite your to bring your friends, co-workers, and neighbors to the annual Park Christmas Carols for some great singing and words of encouragement in this special season. This will happen on Sunday night, December 16, 2007 at the auditorium at Moody Bible Institute (840 N LaSalle).
The place holds 1,700 people so let’s each grab 5 friends and rock it out!
The Trusses are Here November 28, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Uncategorized , add a commentFinally, Some Good News about the Trusses!
After months of waiting, wrangling, and negotiating with our structural engineer, the trusses have arrived and are now installed! Praise God for this development and we are excited about getting the roof on.
We are almost finished with the drywall on the third floor offices and all of the windows are in. Onward we go toward a March 2008 opening. Any questions, please email Steve Lavey at slavey@parkcommunitychurch.org
14 Red Candles! October 30, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Community, Missional Community, Transformed LIves, Inside Park, Sharing Your Faith, Investing in the City , add a commentLeaders –
What a time to be in Chicago and to be a part of God’s work here in the city — God is beginning to move in a big way in and through our body. This last Sunday, we had the privilege to celebrate 14 people who came to faith in Jesus Christ in recent weeks by lighting 14 candles next to the big candle representing Christ.
Take a look at the photo below….doesn’t that get you charged up?
As we are obedient and come alongside the work that God is doing here in the city, we as a church have played a role as God has worked in the hearts of 14 people crossing the line of faith and will spend eternity with Jesus! This is why we are here…to provide environments and encouragement to our friends, co-workers, neighbors and families to hear and respond to the Gospel.
The Preparing for More campaign that we are in right now is so much more than just a campaign. It is about being obedient, getting our hearts ready to receive fruits from God and to be in a spiritual position to care for the hundreds who will come to this church as we get into our larger space. Remember that our consultant told us it is likely that we will grow 38% in our first 12-18 months in our new building. When that happens, that will translate into more than 500 new people that need to be welcomed, need to be in a small group, need to be encouraged to serve the city, etc.
This last Sunday, we give God the praise that 1,328 people came to our Sunday services with another 125 or so in the Journeyland Children’s ministry. These are exciting days for Park and all of us on staff and the Elders are glad to be in this together with you leaders.