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Earlier this month, the congregation held a two-day community celebration in honor of the remodeled building\u2019s 100th anniversary.<\/p>\nCHICAGO, IL (August 17, 2009) \u2013 Four years ago, Atonement Covenant Church was in danger of having its building condemned. \u201cIt was in shambles,\u201d says Pastor Karen Brewer.
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\nEarlier this month, the congregation held a two-day community celebration in honor of the remodeled building\u2019s 100th anniversary.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
More important than celebrating the past, the event – as well as the building\u2019s restoration – are beginning to inspire Chicago\u2019s Englewood neighborhood, in which the church is located.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople have been driving by the church and my house saying, \u2018Please don\u2019t quit!\u201d Brewer says. \u201cThe church is leading the block.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 \u201cEnglewood\u201d in this city, a majority of the people probably would respond with words such as \u201cviolence\u201d or \u201cmurder.\u201d<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
Brewer says people expressed their amazement to her about how openly drugs are sold.\u00a0 \u201cThey said people boldly stand on the street corners selling their drugs, and yet there are 40 churches in the area,\u201d Brewer said.<\/p>\n
Atonement hopes to change that. It already has received help from elsewhere as well as from citizens in the community.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Many people came by the church saying they were amazed that a church would give away so much food.<\/p>\n
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The congregation had placed 60 signs around the neighborhood that read, \u201cHelp and healing for the household,\u201d also displaying scriptures. The signs have become popular, Brewer says.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Atonement Covenant was founded as a Lutheran congregation and joined the Covenant in 1996. It has an average weekly attendance of around 30 people.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n