Case Study: Reba Place Church of Rogers Park - Chicago, Illinois
(renamed Living Water Community Church 6/11/00)

II. Some historical background (our inheritance)

A. Deliberate choice of context and mission: RPF was initially planted in a changing urban neighborhood of Evanston, IL, in 1957 to address the idols of Mars, Mammon and Me—adding the idol of Racism in the 90's.

B. Deliberate choice of ecclesiology: RPC grew out of RPF to be a high commitment church, featuring intentionality of proximity, accountable and intimate relationships, simplicity, and consensus decision-making.

C. Worship style: high participation and creativity, with cultivation of the Holy Spirit's presence and gifts.

D. Demographics: has drawn highly idealistic and visionary people, and also people with deep healing needs.

E. Focus: pendulum has swung over the years between emphasis on internal life of the church and its members and outer needs/ministry to the surrounding context.

F. Recent emphases on racial reconciliation and neighborhood outreach impelled Chicago commuter members to focus more on their own Rogers Park context, calling together their own multicultural leadership team, and planning how to make a church service accessible to their neighbors.

III. Ingredients of the Rogers Park church plant

A. A mature, well-established nearby mother church base with rich history, experiences and resources to draw from and a reputation we carried with us.

B. Leadership with vision to gather a core to "swarm" elsewhere and start a new church; support and supervision from the mother church to do this.

C. Available, motivated core group:

	Growing edge of the Evanston church was people from Chicago.
	Those gathered were young, idealistic, flexible, willing to relocate if necessary.
	Mix of old-timers and newcomers.
	Good mix of gifts and interests, with increasing cultural and educational variety as the core group grew.
	Cambodian group attached to the Evanston church (but living in Chicago) became part of the church plant.

D. Long incubation period (1985-1995)

	Opportunity to put out vision, have vision worked with and owned by group.
	Group chose a multicultural, mixed income, not overly churched neighborhood: relocated there within 8-block radius, settled (with members gradually buying property), and began forming neighborly relations.
	Multiplied from one small group to three small groups to a geographic "cluster."
	Emerging leaders gained experience preaching, leading worship and music group, leading small groups, teaching Sunday School (especially when Evanston went to two services) and doing church administration.

E. Evolving leadership and decision-making process

	Began as a peer group working towards trust, unity and consensus about "the sign on the bus."
	Gradually began to recognize the value and role of leadership and to delegate authority to leaders.
	One leader joined the church staff, pursued licensing and ordination while still part of RPC Evanston.
	Chose to call an African-American outsider to be part of the pastoral leadership team.
	Pastors represented balance of female and male, single and married; old-timer and newcomer; white and black.

F. Economics

	Staff worked for and were supported by both Evanston and Rogers Park groups in incubation period, with salaries based on need.
	Applied to Mustard Seed Foundation and received a $15,000 grant over a 2-year period.
	After church planted, received declining subsidy from RPC Evanston the first 3 years.
	RPF purchased an apartment building in Rogers Park, which provided gathering/ministry space and office space for the growing group, as well as housing for some newcomers.
	A local Methodist church offered low-cost rental space for beginning a Sunday morning service in their 3rd floor social hall (accessible by stairs and elevator.)

G. Networking

	Pastors intentionally networked with other pastors, churches, social service agencies in area.
	Pastors' longstanding relationships in city opened door for receiving grant, interns, visiting work crews.

IV. Outreach since beginning a separate worship service

A. Visible sign and audible, lively worship: while renting space in existing neighborhood church, Reba's name and history drew lapsed or relocating Christians to our nontraditional, lively worship service.

B. Children: began a Christian school (which only lasted our first year), now retracted into an after-school program, neighborhood children's club at one church home, and yearly VBS to mostly unchurched kids.

C. Motivated mothers began outreach to neighborhood peers through Moms' Group, now augmented by a separate weekly women's Bible study group and a separate mothers' prayer group.

D. Outreach to men done through prayer-walking, cook-outs, surveys, 1:1's, TrueMen Bible study, and biweekly Saturday morning breakfast.

E. Prayer-walking in neighborhood: for safety on school grounds, problem buildings, people contacts.

F. Friendship/work/family relationships: "friendship evangelism" has drawn several to our church.

G. Open Bible Study (weekly) as intake group, or other small group options, provided weekly setting for intimate sharing, support, accountability, discipleship.

H. Prayer ministry is offered each week after service and now on Friday nights.

I. Opportunities to build community happen through monthly potlucks (first year we had weekly sandwich lunch after service), summer picnics, pig roasts, work days.

J. Social service provided through moves, emergency food, childcare, deacons' support, housing, employment leads.

K. Clear, up-front teaching on moral issues: sexual purity, homosexuality, abortion, money, conflict.

V. A few case studies of people reached by our church:

	2nd generation Rebites.
	Relocating Mennonites.
	Idealistic young Christians.
	Wandering, unchurched believers.
	Unbelievers.
	Neighbors.

VI. Evolving patterns and issues

A. Clarifying lines of authority between pastor and associate pastor.

B. Vision: pastors and elders taking initiative to lead out with vision.

C. Sharpening focus: moving from being a decision-making church to a disciple-making church.

D. Means of discipleship: changing from small groups to cell groups on yearly cycle.

E. Equipping the saints: pastor's role shifting to calling out and equipping leaders.

F. Leadership development: identifying gifts, roles to fill, apprentices for leadership roles.

G. Communication: working with varied educational and learning styles (increasing oral and decreasing written communication to congregation, simplifying vocabulary).

H. Youth: developing the gifts and faith of youth-youth Sunday, youth group, youth cell group, Children's Choir.

I. Developing internal and external church structures: separate conference membership; legal incorporation; committees as needed.

J. Space: current worship space unattractive, limiting of growth—now we're looking for a building and finances to acquire it.

K. Worship: seeking how worship and music can better reflect the cultures which make up our church.

L. Local context: discerning our bridge-building role in a gentrifying neighborhood with big gaps between rich and poor, and racial, ethnic and religious groups.

M. Marriage and families: nurturing healthy families in a high distraction, busy, time-demanding culture (discerning amount of time available to serve the church vs. protecting time with family).