Bible Teacher. Pastor.Educator.

Transitions and Expansions!! Southside and Northside.....

                 I wanted to officially inform you all that I am stepping away from my responsibilities as a Youth pastor at New Beginnings Church on August 12, 2018. After spending two years with this organization, I have had the opportunity to learn so much about myself, inner city ministry, and strategies for reaching unchurched teenagers. When the Lord called me to move to Chicago I know that being a part of New Beginnings Church was definitely a part of His plan.

It has become a home away from home and the kindness that I experienced there when I arrived is exactly what I needed for that season in my life
                  That being stated, a lot of evolving has taken place within myself this year and I as I prayed for God to show me the next steps, He opened the doors for me to extend my ministry to the North Side of Chicago! After much prayer, I have accepted a position at North Side Gospel Center as their Associate Pastor of Evangelism and Outreach! I have also accepted a position to serve with the non profit organization, Slingshots, as their Assistant Director. Both of these opportunities will be under the leadership of my long time friend and mentor, Bob Anderson. I was unsure about these moves initially because it will be such a huge change in my life, however I realize it is a chance to grow in my leadership and it gives me a broader audience of teengers to reach. 

           Even though my primary church will now be on the North side of Chicago, I will be continuing to facilitate club events and do ministry work with Youth for Christ on the Southside! This new transition is the Lord’s way of enlarging my territory and blessing me with the responsibility of working on both sides of the greater Chicago area! I am excited about God’s Will for my life and I have to follow His directions. There were parts of me that were hesitant, but I know that just as I was blessed at New Beginnings, I will be blessed at North Side Gospel Center.Please keep me and both churches in your prayers! I greatly appreciate you all! 

Respectfully 

Pastor James Owolabi! 

 

CHICAGO 2015: September/October 2015 Ministry Update from Youth Evangelist James Owolabi

Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,

         This Sunday will mark my first official Sunday as a resident of the city of Chicago. For the past five years, God has given me a passion for this city. The last Sunday in September was the close of my ministry experience at the Korean church. Then I took trips to both Alaska and Peoria, where I had a wonderful time fellowshipping and preaching with new and old friends.

         Upon my arrival back to Indianapolis, I spent some time meeting with a handful of pastors and Christian workers and came across no open doors of opportunity for full time vocational ministry. After a couple of weeks of fasting and prayer, I made a decision to relocate my ministry from Indianapolis to Chicago.

         Beginning on October 10^th, I spent five days visiting and praying in the windy city of Chicago. This exploration trip was difficult and disappointing in some ways, yet it turned out to be a real blessing to me as I met total strangers who affirmed God’s call for me to relocate to Chicago.  One of these strangers, or maybe a “divinely appointed friend,” even emptied his wallet and gave me $45 for a night stay at the Motel 6. I prayed to God during these five days asking Him to confirm whether or not He wanted me to start a youth ministry in this city. The back-story is that Chicago has always had a place in my heart.  The diversity and the centrality of Chicago and of its geographical location in the United States makes it a favorite city of mine.         

            Recently there has also been a high rate of homicide among the teenagers in Chicago. Statistics show that during the first eight weeks of 2013, there were 52 homicides with 15 of them having victims between the ages of 13 and 19. This is nearly 30% of the homicide victims! Another statistic states that in 2012, there were 443 murders with firearms on the streets of Chicago. Sixty-five of those victims were 18 and younger. This breaks my heart. These teens need the Gospel of Christ. They need God’s word! They need to find the uncommon grace in the midst of the often unspoken truth of God.

        
        God has given me a passion and desire to serve God’s Kingdom by serving teenagers in a major city like Chicago for five years. There are 8.7 million people in the metro Chicago area!

        What a mission field that will provide! I am very thankful that God has prompted my desire to serve this age group in an internationally diverse city and also that He has prepared me for such a time as this. I am excited to see what He has in store for my life and this new opportunity.

         I am excited to share more of God’s blessings with you. Just this past weekend, I stepped out on faith and took a risk. I packed up almost all of my belongings and returned to Chicago for a part-time job interview.

        I chose to take this risk because I’ve felt God leading me here to Chicago for a long time and have a fear in my gut to not disobey God’s call because I want to please Him. On October 16^th, I began this new part time job so I can have financial assistance in paying my bills. I will now take the time to visit churches and network with local pastors in the city. My goal in coming up here is that by November 1^st, I would like to launch a middle school bible study in the city. I know God will continue to provide the resources I need – Provision follows Vision!

Let me share with you my testimony of some of the provisions I’ve already seen. Through Air B & B, a temporary housing website, as well as through the generosity of a kind friend like you, I’ve been blessed to find a room in a home for a weekly fee of $90.00. I will be staying with an older black woman and her family in a three-story house with over seven rooms on the southeast side of Chicago. They are renting me a room on their third floor. I am hoping to find a roommate soon as well. This will be a wonderful blessing until then! I also just met with a pastor who is willing to let me use his church building to launch my middle school ministry next month. We are meeting this week to discuss what God can do through our newfound partnership and us. With these moves of God already at hand, please pray for me. Pray that God will continue to renew my passion for evangelism and discipling middle school aged students. Pray that God will provide the necessary partners and networking I will need to continue this work. Pray that God will orchestrate meetings for me to meet local pastors who need youth ministries in their churches. Pray that God provides strength, wisdom, discernment, and clarity, and also that He protects this ministry from the hands of the enemy.

         Let me also share some bullet points of my specific vision with you that God has given me for this city of Chicago:

Start weekly neighborhood bible studies for students ages 11-13 in the city of Chicago.

Begin with one church and one pastor and run a program like “AWANA” or “Good News club” for middle school students within the walls of a local church.

Start with one club and invest in relationships with parents of middle school students in the neighborhood by building relationships with local pastors of small churches in Chicago.

Connect with pastors of small churches in different neighborhoods of Chicago who have no active youth ministry in their churches and introduce myself as a youth evangelist who has a heart for middle school students in the city of Chicago.

Recruit, retrain, and retain ten adults from local churches to assist me in the execution of these weekly middle school neighborhood bible studies.

Raise a steady support structure of $2000.00 a month intentionally and prayerfully in the next thirty days ($1200.00 more than I have currently raised) to cover part of my living expenses and potential unexpected ministry expenses.

Build a strong team of prayer warriors and remind them weekly of prayer requests.

Call the middle school bible study: “Uncommon Grace ” - Middle School Youth Ministry.  

Pray for connection points and people of peace in different neighborhoods in Chicago.

 

         You may ask, “Why middle school bible studies?” That is a good question! J Middle school is such a foundational time developmentally and educationally in students’ lives. It is a very unstable time due to the many changes that students face. This is the age where most adults who have addictions were introduced to them, and also a time when many challenges that follows them through their adult lives are formed. However, the blessing is that during this age, many students still have “wet cement.” They are moldable and pliable. This can be a crucial time to prevent future issues and these students need the best possible help to navigate this time of their lives with the truth of God rather than the words of the current society and culture. I think it is time we did something for this age group and I am answering this call. Also, Jesus was of the middle school age when he began his ministry in the temple. Let’s train up these young warriors!

         Finally, I want to leave with you with how you can help me. Please send me a note using my Indianapolis address to share with me your thoughts and opinions on this transition. My address is:

         7399 N Shadeland Avenue Suite 261

         Indianapolis, Indiana. 46250.

         I value your input and thank you in advance for your words. I know that your encouragement will help me in times of need. I also know that more minds are better than one, and I know that your creative thoughts can enhance mine. I would also appreciate the opportunity to speak at your church and share my vision.

 

Thank you for your time and commitment!

Grace and Peace

James Owolabi