Meet Our Family
Jesus People USA Evangelical Covenant Church
at Thirty (1972-2002)

Jesus People USA (JPUSA) never started out to be a Christian community; our roots were in the early Jesus movement of the late sixties and early seventies. When Jesus called, many of us were social rejects in search of something worth living for. You might say community living simply evolved as the practical expression of Christianity in our everyday lives, the working out of agape love.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said in The Cost of Discipleship that Christianity without discipleship is Christianity without Christ:'Costly grace was turned into cheap grace without discipleship."When we talk about community living we are essentially talking about discipleship. This is not to say that to be a disciple you must live in a community situation. You can have discipleship without community, but you cannot have community without discipleship.

A Christian community is really what the Book of Acts talks about. The early Christians simply practiced Jesus'teachings:'He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none "(Luke 3:11 RSV). Community takes this principle and applies it to every facet of life. James writes, "What good is it , my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warmed and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:14-16 NIV)

What Are Your Personal Standards of Living?

So many Christians miss out on the blessing of letting God provide their needs. Jesus was materially poor on earth and taught His disciples to live day by day. Likewise, our security should not be in a bank account or insurance plan, but in the heavenly Father.

"To become preoccupied with material things in such a way that they engross our attention, absorb our energy and burden us with anxiety is incompatible with both Christian faith and common sense," writes John R. W. Stott in Christian Counter-Culture. "It is distrustful of our heavenly Father, and . . . an utterly unsuitable and unworthy ambition for Christians. So just as Jesus has already called us . . . to a greater righteousness, a broader love and a deeper piety, He now calls us to a higher ambition." To be Jesus' followers, we must continually guard our hearts and with God's help surrender to His will rather than choose our own, as did the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-30).

Many people question us with, "Why don't you drive new cars, eat better food, live a more materially acceptable life? God wants you to abound in wealth. Why, you're His children, aren't you?" Whereas other people say, "You people are too spendthrift. You should never spend any money on luxuries. God wants you to be humble. Why, you're God's servants, aren't you?" To some we are rich and to others we appear poor. Where we are may depend on your perspective. To middle-class America our clothes are "acceptable," our cars worn and abused, our furniture lacking, but to most of the Third World we are well-todo. Perhaps it's more a matter of priorities.

Jesus never prohibited the possession of property. He ate and drank with His disciples but He never accumulated goods. Earthly goods are given to us in stewardship, to be used for God's glory. Since we moved into Chicago's inner city, Uptown has become our home and our neighbors have become our friends. As the Lord blesses us we are able to reach out to our neighborhood.

We can see only one good reason why God makes a person prosperous:so the individual's needs can be met, and she can in turn give away the overflow. It is like milk and cream. Cream is the richest part of the milk. It is the top cut. When the Lord meets your needs and then gives more, that cream is not to be skimmed off the top for yourself. We should willingly think, "Oh, I have more than I need," and immediately distribute the overflow to others.

'But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth " (1 John 3:17-18 RSV ). Anything that hinders us from loving God above all things and keeps us from obedience is wrong.

How Is Leadership Set Up in Your Community?

The role of leadership in a community is not without difficulty. By nature, it is our inclination to desire such a role for all the wrong reasons —for honor, for prestige, for the adoration of others, or simply to prove that we are someone. In recognition of these natural tendencies that occur in all of us, we don't operate on a oneleader basis. At this point we have a council of eight pastors in leadership. Interacting with the council are deacons, deaconesses, business leaders, and various other members of the community.

While the primary oversight of the ministry is the responsibility of the council of pastors, various other individuals do much of the daily running of the community and our ministries and businesses. Such plurality in leadership is based on a mutual submission that enables us to hear God's voice through the youngest community member as well as through those who hold positions of authority. Every healthy community has good leadership with mutual submission simply as a by-product of Christian commitment one to another.

From day one, we've not been a separatist group, feeling it was important for JPUSA to be part of a larger Christian work. After years of praying that God would lead us to the right church group, we became acquainted with the Evangelical Covenant Church, which has congregations worldwide and historic ties to its cousin, the Evangelical Free Church. Though we are an exceptional congregation for the Evangelical Covenant Church in that our congregation members are also part of a community, the Covenant Church has welcomed us with open arms and provided us with guidance and mature wisdom.

Leaders in the Covenant Church headquarters have provided welcome counsel as we find our own community maturing in Christ, and God has used our new brothers and sisters to bring many of our visions into reality. On the individual level the model of authority is Jesus, the Jesus who washed the feet of Peter, His disciple, the Shepherd who gave His life in exchange for that of the flock. Jesus was a servant. He told us that the greatest among us would be the servant of all.

Could You Describe Your Ministries?

Though many of us feel that community living is a lifeline to our Christian growth, JPUSA as a whole is set up to be a service to others. A community cannot exist long if it does not learn to live for something greater than itself.

Our Function as a Spiritual Shelter: We have, since our beginning, been a place of refuge for young, wounded individuals in search of a living, healing relationship with Christ and other Christians, and for believers looking for a fuller expression of discipleship (www.jpusa.org).

Cornerstone Community Outreach (CCO—www.cornerstonecommunityoutreach.org)has become a network of ministries to our surrounding neighborhood:

Dinner Guest Program :This ministry provides over two hundred meals three times a week for not only homeless men and women but also entire families who would otherwise go hungry.

Hannah's House :In this transitional shelter for homeless women, children, and men, the bulk of the housing is for seventy homeless women and children. There are also rooms for three to four two-parent families. The staff assists in finding affordable housing and oversees daycare and classes such as personal growth, parenting, and life skills. Our prayer is that these families will see Jesus' love and reach out in return.

Leland House was renovated by JPUSA to provide eighteen two-and three-bedroom apartments. These apartments, operated by CCO as a secondstage transitional shelter, are stepping-stones between homelessness and getting back into the flow of normal society. Families at Leland House remain for periods of one year to two years while working on educational needs, job skills training, sobriety programs, and emotional healing for physical and sexual abuse, all designed to break the chain of events and choices which led to that person's homeless condition.

CCO's Sylvia Center provides emergency shelter for "intact "families, which are often overlooked by shelter providers. Usually the parents of homeless families are split up so the wife and children can get in a women and children's shelter; the man normally has to go to a single men's shelter. The goal of Sylvia Center is to provide immediate housing for families living on the street or in the parks. Next, the staff attempts to find a transitional shelter for each family to go to. We house approximately one hundred men, women, and children in the Sylvia Center.

Operated by CCO, Macon's Overnight Men's program, known as MOM's Place, is an overnight shelter for one hundred or more homeless men. Each evening the men receive a healthy meal and a bed for the night. For those who want to participate, the staff provides devotions and a prayer before lights out. The next morning the men leave after a quick breakfast snack. We also provide optional Bible studies or personal prayer upon request.

CCO also offers Naomi's Place, an overnight emergency shelter for one hundred single women. Arriving in the evening, the ladies eat a nutritious meal and then go across the street to their center where they each have an area of their own, including a bed and storage for their belongings. In the morning they have a quick snack-type breakfast, and then leave the center. The staff provides for their immediate needs with toiletries and personal items and their spiritual needs by optional devotions or personal prayer and Bible study.

Brothas and Sistas United (BSU—www.jpusa.org/bsu) provides daily activities for neighborhood youth. From attending Les Miserables to learning to be counselors for younger teens at youth camp, they are learning what it means to be Christian on the streets of Chicago. The staff closely monitors their school progress and helps each member in his or her weak academic areas. A branch of BSU, our kids clubs and big buddy programs reach out to the "at risk" youth of our neighborhood. We offer an alternative to the street culture:multicultural Christian fellowship packed with Bible studies, outings, sports and recreation, community service projects, retreats, camping, tutoring, and homework assistance.

Friendly Towers Seniors Program (www.jpusa.org/ftowers/index.html), currently located on the top three floors of our JPUSA residence, offers intergenerational living and provides a support system for eighty seniors who are at risk of falling through the cracks of traditional social programs. This includes three meals a day, 'house calls" from a physician, weekly housekeeping and linen changes, Bible studies, poetry readings, outings to the movies and area attractions, art classes, and more. Many of them now consider us their newfound family and friends.

Operation Nehemiah is our outreach to Romania. We started a building supply distribution company to provide employment to Romanians and to be a base for ministry there. The Christian ministry in Romania has developed as Osana, a nongovernmental agency that operates two orphanages for abandoned HIVpositive children. Osana's vision has grown, however, to not only helping the children but also the poor, the sick, and the elderly. CCO provides funds from United States donors for Osana.

Besides CCO, What Are Your Other Ministries?

Some more of our local efforts at Christian witness include open weekly Bible and personal growth classes; free clothing distribution; "night patrol" (each winter night, a car cruises our neighborhood in search of individuals in need of shelter); correspondence with those in jail; street evangelism; and support and assistance for pregnant women.

We offer church youth leaders a chance to give their kids a taste of community, Christian service, and ministry in the inner city. In return, we make some lifelong friends (www.youthmissions.net)! Our in-house book publishing company, Cornerstone Press Chicago (www.cornerstonepress.com), offers numerous titles spanning fiction and nonfiction, keeping in step with the challenging tradition of Cornerstone magazine (www.cornerstonemag.com). Our web presence has grown exponentially over the past few years; to see a web page of only some of our sites, log on to www.CSTONENET.com.

Glenn Kaiser performs solo with his unique brand of blues and worship music, as well as with Glenn Kaiser Band (www.glennkaiser.com). Additionally Glenn and his wife Wendi have been teaching at churches, conferences, and other venues on the subjects of "musicians and ministry" and "young adult sexuality" (www. askwendi. com). Some of our other music groups include the Crossing, offering traditional and inspirational Celtic folk music; Headnoise, a hardcore punk group; the blamed, heavy rock with avant-garde influences. Our own label, Grrr recordS, represents all of the above (www.grrrrecords.com).

The annual five-day-long Cornerstone Festival (www.cornerstonefestival.com) is JPUSA's single largest outreach, as every year thousands of people gather at Cornerstone Farm near Bushnell, Illinois, to hear nationally known teachers and bands of every kind proclaim the gospel and equip the saints. Tom Sine, Jim Sire, and John Perkins meet P. O. D. , Ramsie Shick, and MxPx.

Now for the meat and potatoes. The Jesus People kitchen, like any kitchen, is central to the home. Cooking nearly two thousand meals a day is an act of God that requires the miraculous, and God certainly does provide our daily bread. Our staff consists of two teams. One begins at 4:30 A. M. preparing breakfast for our work crews, school kids, seniors, and the rest of the community. Our second crew comes on at 9:30 and covers lunch and dinner for all JPUSAs, the seniors, and three days a week the CCO Dinner Guest Program.

The kitchen is a busy place requiring not only culinary skills but also people skills, such as getting along with others and working toward the same goals. One of our former head cooks did not know how to fry an egg when she first joined the team, but she learned to not only plan meals for five hundred plus but also creatively blend the ideas and opinions of her coworkers.

Our belief is that leadership in a community is not so much based on efficiency but on caring. Sometimes the ministry of the kitchen brings to mind Jesus praying over the loaves and fishes, which were turned into many, with leftovers (our leftovers are usually consumed by the next day).

How Do You Provide Funds for Your Community Ministries?

We feel that Jesus has called us to provide the majority of our community funding as Paul did, through work (Acts 18:3). Through their determined hard work and sacrifice, brothers and sisters who have captured the vision established JPUSA-owned businesses that make all the outreaches and the existence of the community itself possible.

Our businesses include Lakefront Roofing Supply (www.roofmaterials.com), one of the larger roofing supply businesses in Chicago. The Lakefront story deserves a book!Also, there's Creative Wood Design's custom-built cabinetry for every need (www.creativewood.com), Tone Zone Recording Studio, Belly Acres T-shirt printing (www.bellyacres.com), and Street Level, our book, gift, and music store. In each business there are opportunities for evangelism and learning the principles of discipleship in an everyday work setting. Though we began our businesses as a means to support our outreaches, they have become a tool to shape our understanding of what'serving God "requires.

All finances brought in through these businesses are pooled, and virtually all expenses, from house payments and utility bills to shoes and birthday parties, are met from this fund. All cars are shared in common. When we are blessed with much we all abound; when there is little we all abase. The secret is to be thankful in all situations. The Lord keeps us on our knees.

We often do rely on donations to "put us over the top." Many friends of JPUSA over the years have stood beside us as co-laborers, their financial help allowing us to more effectively minister. Though donations are a small percentage of our income, they make a welcome difference!Recently, a local business offered workers to help us build new rooms for homeless couples at Sylvia Center. When they discovered we didn't have finances for raw materials to build rooms with, they donated over ten thousand dollars and their labor as well. Now that's being a co-laborer!

What about Family in the Midst of Community?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions concerning community. We believe strongly in the family unit. The Bible is not vague in its outlines of family structure. Be subject one to another, husbands love your wives, wives respect your husbands, children obey your parents, parents provoke not your children to wrath. Undergirding all family relationships is the idea of interdependence rooted in love rather than a strict hierarchy. The family unit is one revelation of the love that Jesus has for His church.

In the community there is an environment of commitment and support to the family. For example, there is a lot of flexibility in the workload to accommodate special situations. If a couple needs the afternoon alone, they can have it. Or during times of stress there are loving friends and a common pool of gentle wisdom that moderate and restore the strained relationship. The typical single family often misses this luxury. Far from dividing a family unit, community, for us, creates a much wider expression of love for the children as well as a natural buffer for the strains of normal family life. Burdens are felt by all, not just by the breadwinner.

Another frequently asked question is, 'How do you keep from getting lost in a large community?"As the years have gone by, we have experimented with various forms and groupings, ranging from extended families to cell groups. Occasional changes in these forms reflect the profile of who our members are and their needs. Whatever the style of group currently in operation, we have found that the secret of community is in maintaining above-board, open, and honest relationships with one another, forgiving each other as Christ has forgiven us.

Unity in diversity best describes those you will find within the membership of JPUSA. The core people who make up JPUSA come from all walks of life. Some have come from lives of addictions, abusive situations, crisis pregnancies, incarceration; others grew up in the church and in stable families. Cultural and ethnic diversity is well represented in JPUSA, from green hair and nose rings to interracial families as well as many international guests and members.'For the body does not consist of one member but of many "(1 Cor. 12:14 RSV ).

More than just a place of work or an institution to serve God, this has become our home. The married couples and singles often help varnish, plaster, paint, and decorate each other's rooms. It's like an old-fashioned house-raising. On our days off, we play games and have popcorn and ice cream parties together. Sometimes we all go to the lake and have a picnic, playing soccer or volleyball or just relaxing in the sun.

Aren't You Separating Yourselves from Society?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer states in The Cost of Discipleship , 'The way which the Son of God trod on earth, and the way which we too must tread as citizens of two worlds on the razor edge between this world and the kingdom of heaven, could hardly be a broad way. The narrow way is bound to be right. . . . The disciples of Jesus must not fondly imagine that they can simply run away from the world and huddle together in a little band."

The truth of this quotation is a constant reminder to us. The balance is not in becoming a sheltered cloister of Christians blessing each other, or in going the other way and getting into such a social gospel that there is no spiritual feeding or security within ourselves.

How can a workman work if he neglects the feeding and resting of the body?Yet if he only eats and rests, then he becomes fat and is a stagnant pool. We don't feel that God is pleased with either of these. The body must be strengthened and cared for inwardly with spiritual food and attention so that it can be strong. But the strength is only for the benefit of reaching out and serving others.

God wants us to be one with Christ and, as we see it, we cannot fulfill that more completely than by living together and learning to share with one another in the Lord's love. This is Jesus' prayer for us, that we may be one even as He and His Father are one. Yet as Jean Vanier notes, "A community is never there for itself. It belongs to something greater —to the poor, to humanity, to the church, to the universe."

If you would like more information about JPUSA or about participating in our outreaches, please see: " Are You Called?" which offers information on Visiting and/or volunteering with JPUSA.

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