Journey to our Next
On Easter Sunday, 2006, the Emmaus Community held its first gathering at 925 McArthur Drive in Chicago Heights Illinois. We thanked G-d for our first home. For many years this sacred space provided safe space for communion, weddings, baptisms, baby blessings, group meetings, explorations and Epic Sunday gatherings. It held countless leadership meetings, youth programming, PADS and NIU Summer Institute programs. Under the guidance of the Rev. Dr. Alise D. Barrymore and the entire Emmaus leadership team we made every single inch of 925 McArthur Drive work for
G-d’s glory.
However, as time passed it became clear that our building had limitations. It lacked adequate space for differentiated programming for all group ages, privacy needed for group sharing and meetings and pastoral counseling. Most of all, the Emmaus Community was looking for a facility that could enhance our mission of “being the church” We dreamed of having a facility that could serve as a youth community center, bridge the digital divide by providing a state of the art computer lab, provide college entry and scholarship services as well as providing vocational training for the community.
When the facility at 20820 S. Western became available (formally Beth Anshe Sholom Synagogue) , it became clear that the building was well suited to meet the immediate, as well as long term, mission and worship needs of the Emmaus Community. Through vision, fasting, prayer and the generous giving of our members, we were able to purchase the new home of the Emmaus Community. We are so excited that our Next is Now. Because we are less than a mile from our former 925 McArthur Drive address, we will be able to reach out and serve the same community that we have served over the past 14 years. We thank G-d for blessing us with this amazing facility with the understanding that the doors of this building open both ways. We will continue to leave the building to provide the needed outreach for our community as well as being a place to education, hold Exploration and Epic Sunday Worship.
The Emmaus Community___Where You Can Belong, Before You Believe.