Hope House

We are located one block from the second largest homeless shelter in the city. Most of the residents of this neighborhood live in poverty. Most of the students that we serve come from extremely poor, one-parent households. We have been serving students from this area since 2017. In this time, we have engaged in many different activities to help students, their families, and the surrounding neighborhoods come alive as disciples of Jesus.

Along the way, we have identified a very strategic need in this community for Christian mentoring and parenting. Seventy percent of the households in our neighborhood are led by single mothers who are poor, under-educated and in need of discipleship training themselves. In order to raise up a new generation of young, educated, Spirit-led men and women with Godly character, we need to minister to the whole family unit. In order for the students to realize their potential, we provide housing and a new disciple-making environment overseen by house parents and other maturing Christian adults. We have initiated an internship program for people called to urban ministry who also nurture those who participate in our disciple-making community. In addition to training the students, we use the Hope House to train parents and others.

Since 2017, we have invited high-school students and others from the community to live with us in our home and receive the safe, loving and Holy Spirit-empowered love that we have been giving to our own children for over 20 years. My wife Jen, who is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), and I ran foster homes before we had children. We are familiar with the challenges that young people, who have suffered neglect and abuse, go through and the kind of community and environment that helps them to heal and mature into all that God has called them to be. God has uniquely called and qualified us to house, parent, develop a student’s potential and train as high-level student athletes and artists through Christian discipleship. Jason and Jen have been training athletes at all levels for over 30 years. We have seen how the extra focus, love, nurture, discipline, structure and the power of the Holy Spirit greatly increases their development and opportunities into adulthood. God has broken the hearts of our staff to help under-resourced people transform into maturing disciples of Christ.

For years now, we have seen that people cannot sustain the training that they receive at a Christian school or church when they go home and have no structure that reinforces their life in Christ. The Hope House provides the N.U.R.T.U.R.E. they need to help them realize their God-given potential.

The N.U.R.T.U.R.E. Process and the 7 Values of Abundant Living (7G’s)

Nurturing and caring for God’s creation as life stewards. Good Stewardship is the reasonable and loving response to our gracious God.

Unconditional love received and given through God’s Grace. Grace is God’s bridge to us and our bridge to other.

Rules to guide our lives toward God’s will. Guidance is necessary in order to carry out God’s will.

Training in righteousness to develop Godly desires, feelings, thoughts and actions. Growth is a process toward full maturity in Christ.

Unity with other brothers and sisters in Christ in Christian community. Groups of Biblically functioning community provide the optimal environment for life change.

Resurrection power enabling our obedience and service in His Kingdom. Gifts of divine empowerment are given to all believers to grow God’s church.

Exalting God and pointing others to Him. Glorification of God is the goal of our lives and the church.

I have had several visions from God encouraging us to build a new facility for this purpose in the neighborhood. Until we can raise the funds to build this larger facility, God has given us a 4 bedroom, 3 ½ bath house where our ministry has operated from since June, 2017.

The Hope House for Christian N.U.R.T.U.R.E. is open and available for ministry. Our garage is filled weekly with resources to give out to our community, and we have set up the church office in the basement office space. Thank you for your prayers and support! Our community is grateful!

1. Some of our students like to go home on weekends. For this to happen, students need to have completed all their homework, cleaned up their living space, completed their chores, laundered their sheets, gotten approval from the house parents and have an agreed-upon return plan.
2. No drugs, smoking or alcoholic consumption will be tolerated. If violated, it is automatic grounds for removal. We are trying to create an optimal environment for growth and transformation, and drugs are no way to reach that goal.
3. Inappropriate sexual behaviors like watching pornography, inappropriately touching, sexually explicit language, sexual harassment, etc. will not be tolerated. Refusal to embark on a path to change this behavior will also be grounds for dismissal.
4. We will encourage everyone in the Hope House to live as good stewards of God’s resources. This means taking proper care of the home and respecting other’s property by not stealing or damaging it. If after having gone through a process of Christian discipline, the student remains unrepentant, it is automatic grounds for removal.
5. If the students reject the discipline of the Hope House parents, they will be sent back to their parents. The students can only leave the Hope House when agreed upon by both parents and Hope House leaders.
6. No “outright rebellion.” With “outright rebellion,” we do not mean just working through anger issues. If, having gone through a biblical process of reconciliation, disrespect and disobedience continue, this is grounds for dismissal. We are trying to grow Spirit guided and empowered young men and women.
7. The students at Hope House have entered into an intentional disciple-making journey with us, which includes daily devotionals, regular one-on-one mentoring, youth group experiences and worship services.

“Being a part of Chicago Hope Church has helped my son and me in so many ways. I found my way back to the Lord through CHC. I’m also teaching my son the Word and how to apply it to daily living through the church and Bible study. It is a blessing for my son and me to be a part of the Hope House and meet new members of the church. Thank you Chicago Hope Church for helping me restore my faith in Jesus Christ.” -Yvonne

“Being a part of Chicago Hope Church has made me feel closer to God. Listening to the teachings and lessons during the church services have taught me a lot, like learning about the grace of God, forgiveness, finding out what the Lord really wants us to do and helping others come unto Christ. As I sit and listen to the things that are being taught by the church pastors, I sometimes try to picture how the stories they share from the Gospel of John would play out. One of the events that I like from John is when Jesus brought Lazarus back to life after everybody saw him pass away and be put in a tomb. In the sermon, Pastor Pankau talked about how Martha ran up to Jesus and told him that he was late and that Lazarus had been dead for three days. Even though He knew it, it didn’t bother Him and at the end He amazed everyone who was present that day when He brought Lazarus back to life. Pastor Pankau then said that everything the Lord does, He has a reason for it, like what He did with Lazarus’ death. He is also specific with what He does because He wants us to know that He is the son of God and that we should put our faith in Him (like how He called out Lazarus’ name because if he had called out “come forth” without a specific name, everyone from the grave could have walked back out alive). From this story it has taught me that the Lord has a plan for all of us and that He sent us to Earth for a reason and that He has a mission for us to accomplish. As I spend more time with the Chicago Hope Church members I can testify that everything that they stand for and talk about are true, and I know that the teachings, lessons and help they give will help you as you go on in life because I have experienced it as I have started to grow and learn in this new environment. I also know that if you have any questions or start to feel that you are lost, they can help you and guide you as you try to find your way towards Christ. If you come and join Chicago Hope Church you will not only see it as a wonderful church but the members in the church will feel like family because of the warm welcome you get when you enter and having the feeling like you have at home.” -Sereana

“Being a part of Chicago Hope Church has helped me understand what it actually means to follow Jesus, and understand how much He sacrificed for me. Chicago Hope Church is so different from other churches, because it teaches me the difference between the “prosperity gospel” and real Christianity. Chicago hope church not only brought me closer to God but also is teaching me how to become a better man. I have truly been impacted because I see deeper into Christianity than I did before. I actually can feel that I am not lonely anymore because I know that God is always with me. I know that God can communicate to us in numerous ways. Confessing my sins won’t guarantee that everything is ok, but confessing and repenting is key. I learned that repent means ‘to turn’, so if I am truly repenting, then I am turning away from the sins I confessed and toward a god guided and empowered life. ” -Tre

“The Pankaus have helped me tremendously with moving into their home for the school year. The Pankaus also talk me through adversity and help me get through it to continue the day. I am very thankful for them being great problem solvers in my life. I am very thankful to have this place be a second home to me.” -Will