ANNUALREPORT
2023
Jon Ferguson
Lead Visionary & Movement Leader
A NOTE FROM JON
The Apostle Paul reminds us that Jesus is the one who does the great work in and through us when he wrote these words:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
It is with Paul’s words in mind that we thank Jesus for the incredible work he has been doing through the NewThing Chicagoland Movement since the inception of our first Networks in 2019.
I also want to say thank you to the many pastors, leaders, and churches who have served faithfully with us since that time - and to the ones who have joined us in 2023. God has truly done immeasurable work through you, your church and the networks each of you lead. I am blessed to serve alongside you and look forward to an even greater 2024 together.
CHICAGOLAND TEAM
Jon Ferguson
Lead Visionary & Movement Leader
Eric Metcalf
Chicagoland director & movement leader
R.A. Atanus
relationship catalyst & network leader
Rodrigo Cano
reproducing catalyst & network leader
NETWORK LEADERS
Shine Gilda
Network Leader | Microchurch Network
Homero Garcia
Network Leader | Spanish-Speaking Network
Watson Jones III
Network Leader | Chicagoland Network
Daniel Yang
Network Leader | microchurch Network
Rodrigo Cano
Network Leader | Spanish-speaking Network
Tara Beth Leach
Network Leader | female leader Network
Aubrey Sampson
Network Leader | female leader Network
R.A. Atanus
Network Leader | far Northside Network
Jonathan Masters
Network Leader | Chicagoland Network
Bob Bouwer
Network Leader | kingdom Network
Dave Weemhoff
Network Leader | kingdom Network
Ted Kim
Network Leader | vineyard Network
Scott Nichols
Network Leader | send Network
Ted Coniaris
Network Leader | chicagoland Network
Phil Adams
Network Leader | microchurch Network
Darrell Cloud
Network Leader | compass Network
Rick Pierson
Network Leader | compass Network
Don Kauffman
Network Leader | far Southside Network
MISSION STATEMENT
Catalyzing multicultural church planting networks to transform Chicagoland
We are aligned by
4 CORE VALUES
THE 4R’s
Relationships
We are committed to being friends on mission.
Resources
We are committed to sharing our resources in order to achieve more together.
Residency
We are committed to investing in the next
generation of leaders.
Reproducing
We are committed to reproducing at all levels.
THE MOVEMENT SYSTEM
The story of
Movement Makers like you
all over Chicagoland…
Rafael Polepaka
Lead Visionary & Movement Leader
TELEGU MICROCHURCH
In 2017 God called Rael to do work for His kingdom. Rafael made his way from India to the U.S. in 2018, to study theology. With the desire to plant a church for the Telugu community, Rafael pondered and prayed for provision. The question Rafael kept asking: where does he start from and who would be his sending church.
Much to Rafael’s surprise, there was a sending church that God was preparing, in Little India, Chicago: Sabka Sahaara, a location of Park Community Church, led by Pastor Shine Gilda. Pastor Shine had been praying for the Telugu community and for a leader who would start a new church to reach them. Rafael was this answer to prayer.
Rafael then began putting together a church planting team. They focussed on outreach, evangelism and organizing events for students. Rafael pictured a smooth road, but actually it ended up being quite a challenge. It has been a hard learning for him, but he has kept persevering, keeping his eyes on Jesus and his mission.
This new church feels called to the Telugu community, so they keep praying, keep serving, in order to reach the many. The Telugu community is by far the largest from India, living in America. Only 6% of people from Rafael’s country are Christ-followers. He and his team feel very called to reach them.
Will you please join the Chicagoland Movement in praying for Rafael and this new church that’s reaching the Telugu community.
E liezer Buenos
PUNTO CONEXION
In early 2022 NewThing Chicago started dreaming about starting more Networks in different languages. We gathered with some local pastors in Aurora IL and started casting vision to form a Hispanic Network. Out of that network, we knew Eliezer had the desire to start a new church he called Punto Conexion (Connection Point). He went through Community’s MicroChurch training and started to live out on mission. The network then got together to support him in different ways. The network was able to take advantage of a matching grant Thrivent was giving and came together to gift him seed money for the church. He also had the need for space and Community Aurora opened up their doors to help him in his church plant. Eliezer and his planting team also went through the Reproducing Leaders Catalyst and now he is on a good trajectory to develop more leaders. God has been at work at Punto Conexion and Eliezer always says: “I do not want to do this alone, I am glad to be doing this with friends on mission. Being part of a network has been the catalyst for reproducing at every level.”
RON CHILDERS’ STORY
THE GARDEN CHURCH
CHICAGOLAND
BY THE NUMBERS
movements 3
networks 10
churches 45
new churches 16
new churches since 2019 62
BUDGET
Eric Metcalf
chicagoland director & Movement Leader
THANK YOU
Thank you for being friends on mission. When you invest in NewThing Chicagoland, you invest in Jesus’ John 17 prayer:
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
The NewThing Chicagoland Team is incredibly grateful for your investment in 2023 and we can’t wait to see what God does in 2024! If you’d like to learn more about how to engage our Network Leaders, join a Network or start a NEW Network, we would love to talk: ericmetcalf@newthing.org. Thank you for believing in the Jesus Mission.