We are getting ready to celebrate our one year anniversary for Chicago Hope Church. A lot has happened in the past year we want to share with you. We praise God that we are able to be a significant part of this school and community. We have been hard at work building relationships with the 250+ high school students and their families, the staff and administration, getting to know the city and assessing how we can best minister to this community at large.
We covet your prayers and support as a few weeks ago, the Chicago Tribune came out with a piece about our neighborhood being the worst in the city. We have personally seen drug deals, hear gun shots regularly, and see the poverty all around us. And we only live on the outskirts of the neighborhood. Some of our Hope students are completely embedded in the violence and have no way out, save for the Chicago Hope community.
You may have heard by now that Chicago had a brutal weekend of violence. 74 people shot and 12 dead as of right now. The youngest was 11 years old. You can click on the picture for a link to the article. Hope’s head football coach put out a group text asking if everyone was OK and to encourage them all to stay safe. One of our players responded that his neighborhood was completely shot up.
SUMMER MINISTRY OUTREACH
This summer, we partnered with UKANDU and FCA to reach out this summer to the kids at the Chicago Park District and Chicago Hope Community. We offered vacation Bible school and sports camps to the kids in the community. Another team walked the neighborhood, speaking and praying with people, cleaning up the neighborhood by collecting trash, and feeding the homeless. God
was on the move. We continue to pour into our leadership team at the church. We are all excited about getting to help God in what He’s doing here in our community.
PANKAU FAMILY SUMMER UPDATE
Jarod just completed six weeks of basic training which started on a lone flight to Colorado Springs on June 28 and culminated in him getting his shoulder board and taking the oath as an official airman of the United States Air Force Academy on August 7.
Jaden enjoyed a lazy summer of baseball. He really working with the kids during the outreach week and has felt a sense of annointing or calling on his life in this regard. As a 16 year old, he got his license, and within 2 months, his first speeding ticket! He is looking forward to not being a freshman this year.
Julia enjoyed going to N.C. on a mission trip, in addition to dancing this summer through all of her growing pains. She will be starting high school this year at Chicago Hope. Good thing she has a big brother to protect her. Oh, and her father who is the chaplain of the school and defensive coordinator for the football team.
We almost lost Josie to England this summer when she went with her grandmother for their 12 year old rite of passage. So glad she came home so she could compete in the State swim competition where she ranked 26th in her individual events (100 and 200 free) and 21st in 50 free. She was also part of a 400 free relay that got 2nd in State! In the fall, she’ll head to Whitney Young Magnet School for 7th grade.
Did you know Chicago Hope Church is now on Facebook?