Habitat is a church of families and individuals redefining life by putting Jesus as center. This means we live our lives fully committed to Him. Cubicles and commutes, bars and backyard B-B-Q’s as well as around dinner tables, block parties, classrooms and grocery stores are places where we invite Jesus to exist in us and through us. As we live Christ-centered lives, our priorities shift. We’re no longer consumed by the need to have the latest and greatest, instead our concern is that we see life the way God intended...in true community, in worship, and in generosity.
We don't desire to be a church with a million different things going on every minute of the day, rather we dream of being a place that does a few things exceptionally well. We call this our vision, its how we corporately fulfill our mission: helping people live a Christ-centered life. Below are are three parts of our vision that we accomplish together.
Church Multiplication
As you read in the book of Acts and discover the birth and DNA of the Church, you start to realize the Church is not meant to be static or stationary. It should not stay in one place or ignore the needs of others. The Church should be an organism more than an organization and have a relationship with culture more than just be relevant to it. Habitat desires to be a church that multiplies, spreading the work of God and blessing other churches. It is our dream to train leaders, gather resources, and send people to start new churches throughout Chicagoland, from coast to coast of our nation as well as around the world. We're not looking to just stockpile more people and more money. Rather, we believe that the Christ-centered life leads to giving away, and one way we want to do this is by making it a priority to start and support new churches. The question bears asking though, why are we doing this? Very simply, we love God and care about people. We know that God has entrusted His people with the ministry of reconciling others to Himself, this is part of what we call the Gospel. We want to see Jesus become central in the lives of those who may be presently living far from Him, and one great way to do this is with new churches. We also do this because we love God and want to see Him receive the honor He deserves, this happens as people respond to Jesus and begin centering their lives on Him. To be sure this is not an easy or convenient task, but it is vitally important to Habitat because we believe that it is important to God.
Family Ministry
Habitat believes in families. We want to be a church that comes along and supports the family on its journey to a Christ-centered life. The family structure was designed by God as the primary way we develop and learn who we are and how we should live, and it is for this reason we want to equip and empower individuals to live the Christ-centered life with those they call Dad, Sister, Son and Grandma. Habitat Weekends are designed in order to help facilitate this priority. We intentionally coordinate what is taught in the large group as well as the children's setting so families learn together. Children receive handouts so parents not only can see what they learned, but also interact with their children throughout the week with the conversation starters that support each week's topic. Habitat gives opportunities for families to have fun and we desire to help parents take the initiative to lead their families in a way that each member grows to love God and place Him first. In short, we want to see Moms and Dads be heroes to their kids because of the King they serve. Family Ministry isn't just for a married couple with two kids. Whether we like it or not, we are all part of a family. We have parents, cousins, aunts, grandparents, and siblings that we need to come alongside of and assist in life. Not to mention the fact that we're always influencing those around us, especially those younger than us. Whether you are a twenty year old college student or a Grandma, Family Ministry is for you.
Social Justice/Local Involvement
It doesn't take much effort to look around and see that we live in a broken world. The effects of sin have marred every part of humanity. When we read the Bible we see God's heart for the oppressed and hear Him call to His people to care for those in need. It is our responsibility to not turn away. Habitat seeks to be a church that is involved in the local community in such a way that we bless others. It happens through both simple and grandiose ways. Whether it be volunteering among the underprivileged or collecting diapers for parents in need there are plenty of opportunities to serve. We realize that the world is much bigger than the suburbs of Chicago, which is why we will be involved with organizations nationally as well as globally that are doing God's work among those in need. This isn't done to give ourselves a pat on the back or alleviate guilt, this is done in obedience to God's call to restore wholeness in both body and soul. As we serve, give, and come alongside of people we want to demonstrate the love of Christ and restore wholeness.
We invite you and your family to stop in any Sunday morning at 10 AM. Grab some coffee, meet some great people and experience God in an authentic way that puts Jesus at the center of life.
For more on who we are and what we plan to do, take a look at our DNA, check out the people who lead this whole thing, or simply find out how to connect.