Those who are part of the HTC North Side church community live in neighborhoods such as Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville, Uptown, Ravenswood, Roscoe Village, Lincoln Square, North Center, Albany Park, Edgewater, Jefferson Park and beyond. We love the North Side, so we live, serve, bless, socialize and worship on the North Side. You are welcome to check out our community to see if HTC North Side is where God is leading you.
We come from diverse faith backgrounds - from Catholicism, to a number of Protestant denominations and churches, to many who have no prior church background. The main thing that unites us is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some of us are pursuing lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. Others of us are exploring Christ's claims and are seeking a community of faith that allows us to progress at our own pace.
Its all about Jesus
The end of the Gospel according to Matthew is instructive to better explain who we are. The resurrected Jesus said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Mt 28:18). That’s a huge statement, but fitting. The only one who combines heaven and earth, the only one who is the God-man, has been given all authority. Jesus then told his followers to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). Often churches can be about a lot of things, even a lot of good things, but loose sight of the main thing. From Matthew 28 it is clear that the main thing is to be a disciple of Jesus who is on Jesus’ mission of making disciples. When we say “Its all about Jesus”, we mean we are disciples of Jesus on his mission of making disciples of Christ.
Many people who make HTC North Side their church home come to Chicago for reasons like school or career. The temptation for many of us is to put off living out our calling as a disciple of Christ, until life is apparently less hectic. But the reality is that time never comes - life is always busy. Our lives can be filled with many things that will take all of our time and then some more. The only way we can live out Jesus calling on our life is if we prioritize being a disciple of Christ, in the midst of being a student, employee, stay-at-home mother, or whatever our stage in life. At HTC North Side, we want to be a community that lives out Jesus' mission of being his disciples no matter what stage of life we are in. Because Jesus' call on our lives to be on his mission transcends time and location, we want to be a community to help each other live out our calling.
A people who gather on Sundays
The church is not a building, but rather is God’s people. So we don’t just ‘go to church’ on Sunday morning, we are the church every day of the week, in every context we are in. Sunday is the day we come together to worship corporately. You are very welcome to visit us for our Sunday worship services at Blaine Elementary School’s Auditorium at 10:30am.
What to expect on Sundays
The first thing you can expect is to be welcomed into our community. Around 10:15 on Sundays we hang out before the service to drink coffee and O.J. in the foyer. At 10:30 the worship service begins with a call to worship – this is to help us all get in the right state of mind and heart to enter into a particular time of encountering the living God. We then sing worship songs, affirm the words of the Apostles Creed, and have a time of meeting and greeting some of the other people present at the service. During the Family Life portion announcements are made. A church member then prays the congregational prayer. Beginning in January, we will partake in the Lord’s Supper weekly, remembering Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. The pastor then delivers a message based on a text of the Bible. The service is concluded with a song of response to the message.
Missional Communities
Since its all about Jesus, being his disciples who are on his mission of making disciples, and we are the church every day of the week, we live out our calling as being on Jesus’ mission by being part of Missional Communities. Discipleship is not just a solo activity – discipleship is to be carried out in community. Our Missional Communities seek to live out the Gospel in their context to make the Good News of the Gospel known in every part of the North Side of Chicago.
North Side Women's Ministry
By God's Design - Ever wonder what God's Design is for us as women? Today, women face many challenges and questions but we can face those challenges with the truth of the Bible. During the 2011-12 ministry year, the north side women will meet monthly for times of teaching, discussion and social interaction.
Dates:
October 28-30, HTC Women's Retreat
November 20th, 9:30am, Women's Kick off Brunch
December 10th, 9:30am, A time of teaching and discussion
January 14th, 9:30am, A time of teaching and discussion
February 10th, 7:00pm, Social gathering
March 24th, 9:30am, A time of teaching and discussion
April 21st, 9:30am, A time of teaching and discussion
May 11th, 7:00pm, Social gathering
North Side Moms Group
Little Oaks, our gathering of moms, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month, meets for fellowship and play.This group is always open to new faces and friends.9:00am - 10:30am at the home of Traci Barrett, 4136 N. OakleyFor more information, contact Traci Barrett at or Shalice Brawner at
Calendar
Sunday service teaching series
February 5 - Matthew 4:1-11 Pastor Tom Barrett
February 12 - Matthew 4:12-17 Pastor Arthur Jackson
February 19 - Matthew 4:18-25 Pastor Tom Barrett
February 26 - Matthew 5:1-12 Pastor Jon Dennis
March 4 - Matthew 5:13-16 Pastor Tom Barrett
March 11 - Matthew 5:17-20 Pastor Tom Barrett
March 18 - Matthew 5:21-26 Pastor Tom Barrett
March 25 - Matthew 5:27-30 Pastor Jon Dennis
April 1 - Palm Sunday
April 8 - Easter Sunday - Pastor Tom Barrett
Questions?
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Pastor Tom Barrett at 773-844-3663, or . Tom would be glad to talk with you by phone or meet in person. Even if you are not sure about your beliefs, you are welcome to join our community as you explore the claims of Christ.
