United Church of Rogers Park is part of North Shore Co-op.
This co-op is formed with United Methodist inter-city churches on Chicago’s northside that share resources and clergy. With inter-city churches financial struggles, the co-op brings together churches by supporting each individual neighborhood church with their unique relationship with its surrounding community. It makes the United Methodism reach further on the northside of Chicago.
The co-op includes:
Grace United Methodist Church [Logan Square neighborhood]
Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church
United Church of Rogers Park
Helen Keller - an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. At the age of 19 months, she lost her sight and her hearing after a bout of illness. Of all people, she understood being alone; And yet, she once said:
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
As individuals, we have gifts that are within us. We can keep them under a bushel, or we can bring them to the community.
There is a bigger dynamic to United Church being merged with three other churches under one roof in one area here in Rogers Park.
There is a greater dynamic being part of the Northside Co-op. This Co-op has four buildings covering a very large area on the north side of Chicago. This cooperative model makes our shared resources exceeding and our common goal more reachable.
As individual churches’ resources may be limited but shared together our common goal to make disciples for the transformation of the world is fuller. Our voices are louder.
The Northside Co-op’s clergy and staff become stronger by sharing their resources. For small churches, and probably for most churches, clergy and church staff are the biggest ticket item in the budget. This Co-op model allows us to share pastoral time in a way that gives small churches the fuller staff that they actually need to live out their missions.
As Mother Teresa said:
”I Can Do Things You Cannot, You Can Do Things I Cannot; Together We Can Do Great Things.”