Earlier this month, the congregation held a two-day community celebration in honor of the remodeled building’s 100th anniversary.
More than 500 people attended the celebration August 1-2 that included meals, face painting, games, a sidewalk Sunday school, and other activities, says Brewer, who was ecstatic about the turnout.
More important than celebrating the past, the event – as well as the building’s restoration – are beginning to inspire Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, in which the church is located.
“People have been driving by the church and my house saying, ‘Please don’t quit!” Brewer says. “The church is leading the block.”
The neighborhood is in as bad shape as the church was four years ago. The city threatened to condemn the church structure in 2005. If you were to do a word-association with “Englewood” in this city, a majority of the people probably would respond with words such as “violence” or “murder.”
The area is one of the most dangerous in a city that led the country in the number of killings, according to police statistics. There were 32 murders in the neighborhood between January and September in 2008.
Brewer says people expressed their amazement to her about how openly drugs are sold. “They said people boldly stand on the street corners selling their drugs, and yet there are 40 churches in the area,” Brewer said.
Atonement hopes to change that. It already has received help from elsewhere as well as from citizens in the community.
More than 30 members of Equality Christian Center in Equality, Illinois, supplied and prepared food for both days. They also went out in teams with members of Atonement Covenant to deliver meals to homeless people and others.
Many people came by the church saying they were amazed that a church would give away so much food.
The congregation had placed 60 signs around the neighborhood that read, “Help and healing for the household,” also displaying scriptures. The signs have become popular, Brewer says.
Atonement Covenant held an outdoor worship service on Saturday night that attracted about 90 people. People also sat outside on their porches in a two-block area near the church and listened to the service.
Atonement Covenant was founded as a Lutheran congregation and joined the Covenant in 1996. It has an average weekly attendance of around 30 people.
Six Covenant churches sent mission teams and resources to restore the structure. Participating churches include Community Covenant Church in Menominee, Michigan, and five Chicago area churches: Winnetka Covenant church in Wilmette, Trinity Evangelical Covenant Church in Oak Lawn, Libertyville Covenant Church in Libertyville, Northwest Covenant Church in Mt. Prospect, and Oakdale Covenant Church in Chicago.
Editor’s note: the photos used in this story are courtesy of radio station WGCI.
http://www.wgci.com
