This summer from July 24-31 we’re heading down to the Windy-City to partake in an incredible adventure! Read on for more info.

About YouthWorks.*

About Chicago.*

Demographics: Chicago is a spectacular city that draws millions of visitors each year. From shopping and sports to music and art, the “Windy City” offers a variety of recreational attractions. Look beyond the tourism spotlight, however, and you’ll find many residents struggling to make ends meet. Located on the Shores of Lake Michigan—in the heart of the Midwest—Chicago is a great place to work and play. More than 200 theaters and 54 museums offer a variety of unique arts and culture experiences. With a population of 3 million, Chicago is the financial, business and cultural capital of the Midwest. The downtown area displays impressive architecture, including skyscrapers such as the 1,450-feet tall Sears Tower. The city is characterized by great ethnic diversity, including a rapidly growing Latino population. The U.S. Census estimates that up to 37 percent of residents speak a language other than English in their home. Chicago’s residential areas are broken out into several distinct sections, and, with a median home price of $245,000, finding affordable housing is a challenge. Many families live in poverty and approximately 166,000 people in the metro-area experience homelessness each year. We will have the opportunity to show the love of Jesus as you serve in this wonderful city.

About the Ministry: Our goal is to partner with local ministries and programs such as soup kitchens, elderly and children centers that seek to address the very basic needs of Chicago's residents. We desire to serve unselfishly, by doing whatever will truly help the community. Depending on the organization that we partner with, you may be at a specific site the entire week or partner with a couple of organizations on a rotational basis. Adult leaders will separate youth into ministry groups, and the youth in your group will be mixed with the youth from other groups for their week of service. Due to other churches joining you on your mission adventure, as well as unique and varying needs of the ministries with which we partner, we cannot confirm until all groups arrive exactly what ministries your youth will be working with. We ask that you come with a willing and flexible spirit.

Activities: Evening activities during a YouthWorks week are designed to give participants insight into the lives of local residents and the culture of the area. A list of evening/cultural activities we have done in the past include: spend an evening at Grant Park; go on a neighborhood scavenger hunt; attend a local church service; and visit Montrose Beach. These are examples of what your group might partake in during your mission week.

*Taken from www.youthworksca.com

For more info check out: www.youthworksca.com.

For more info on Chicago check out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Chicago

http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/home.do

http://www.choosechicago.com/Pages/default.aspx

*ayouthgroupproduction

Want to come? Email JT: jonathanturtle@gmail.com