Grace is committed to partnerships!

As a small congregation we know that we can do more together than we can on our own. Grace shares their Building with St Luke’s Lutheran Church and also share a pastoral ministry team and resources with the NorthSide United Methodist Cooperative.

What is the Northside United Methodist Cooperative?

Since 2018, Grace has been a part of the Northside Co-op. The Northside Co-op is a group of United Methodist Churches who have come together to share pastoral staff and other resources in order to increase their impact in reaching new people and making disciples for Jesus Christ on the northwest side of Chicago.In a traditional co-op, people or groups come together bringing their individual resources for mutual assistance in working toward a common goal. The churches that are a part of the Northside United Methodist Cooperative share a pastoral team. 

The churches in the co-op are drawn together by common values and goals. The northside co-op consists of reconciling congregations that are committed to justice and the full inclusion of all people. The co-operative is built upon anti racist values: cooperation and collaboration, both/and thinking, abundant worldview, and transparent communication and decision making. 

The pastoral team works together to move each congregation’s goals and priorities forward while strengthening the congregation’s worship, discipleship, evangelism, justice ministries, and administration. 

Participating churches remain autonomous while they contribute financially- either one or two shares- based on ability and needs- to supplement clergy salaries. Each congregation has a primary pastor and also benefits from the skills and gifts of the entire pastoral team. While each congregation has different financial ability, all are able to afford a different percent of pastoral compensation. By contributing to the co-op, each of the congregations is able to leverage the gifts of each of the participating pastors. 

What are the benefits of joining the Northside Co-op? 

By sharing pastoral resources and entering into mutual relationships with other congregations, churches and pastors are able to do more and multiply their impact. This model allows churches with a solo or less than full time pastor to benefit from a diverse staff. Congregations regularly hear from different preachers and benefit from the gifts, knowledge and experience of each of the pastors in the co-op. The pastoral team meets together regularly and works together according to their strengths. This allows pastors to take time for restorative spiritual and personal development, while maintaining robust support of a congregation. 

Joy, gratitude, and generosity are experienced as participating churches bring their gifts and resources and benefit from the gifts and resources of others. Congregations can participate and share in the fruit of the ministries of other congregations. Planning and some programs are shared and members of the congregations can participate in programs,  justice action and service opportunities hosted by other churches in the co-op. 

The co-op model pushes against traditional structures built on white privilege and individualism. Based on accountability, trust and power sharing, it provides a way for congregations to live into their commitments to justice according to their strengths and broadening and expanding their impact through the co-op. 

A Brief History of the Northside United Methodist Co-op

The Northside co-op began in 2017 when Pastors Lindsey Long Joyce and Pastor Hope Chernich were appointed as a team to serve United Church of Rogers Park and Irving Park United Methodist Church. Since then the co-op has changed to include four congregations, adding Pastor Mori Siegel to the co-operative pastoral team. Over the years our pastors and congregations have learned and grown together. They’ve adapted to meet the needs of the congregation and their neighbors. Below are some bullet points of what was made possible because of the shared pastoral team and co-op relationships: 

● Irving Park UMC, when supported by co-operative pastoral guidance, went through a discernment process.They decided to sell their building and, instead of merging with another church, they decided to plant a new faith community in Portage Park. 

● Irving Park UMC developed a plan and vision for ministry in the future and changed their name to Big Shoulders Church.

● Big Shoulders Church bought and now runs a boutique thrift store through which they are building relationships in the new community they want to reach. 

● During the pandemic, Big Shoulders Church engaged with 39 families in Portage Park through small groups and programming as an inclusive Christian voice in the northside community. 

● United Church of Rogers Park, through support of the co-op and additional pastoral attention afforded by collaborating pastors, adopted a three year financial plan to get out of debt and balance their budget. They paid off over $188,000 in debt, balanced their budget, and increased giving. 

● UCRP went through a strategic planning process and identified goals and a plan to grow their worshiping community. They have consistently grown in church membership each year they have participated in the co-op. 

● UCRP raised over $250,000 in a capital campaign to make their building more accessible.

● Grace Church of Logan Square, with dedicated staff hours of pastoral guidance, decided not to sell their building and instead strategically partnered with the community. 

● Grace fully renovated their parsonage and began renting it out to members of the community. 

● Grace began sharing their building with another congregation which created a new revenue stream and allowed the church to complete over $250,000 work to their building. 

● Throughout the pandemic all of the churches maintained giving, had new visitors connect with individual churches, and saw their memberships grow. 

● All of the congregations have participated in social justice work around policing, housing rights, labor movements, immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ inclusion and care, women’s rights, anti-racism and more. When challenging abuses of power, each church has had the backing of the others to demand a better and more just world for the most marginalized in their community. 

● Throughout Pastoral leadership changes and the uncertainty of the pandemic each congregation has provided pastoral care and support to those impacted by health and economic challenges. 

● In January 2023 Ravenswood Fellowship and Pastor Mori joined the co-op.