About Us

Vision

A Church, a Neighborhood, and a City Continually Made New
by the Grace of Christ.

What would it be like for our city to be made new? What would it be like for our neighborhood to be made new? What would it look like for you and for a church community to be transformed by the Grace of Christ?

"Behold, I making all things new." These are the words pronounced by the risen Jesus Christ as he is seated on his throne. They are recorded by the writer John in Revelation 21, and it is in these words that we hear the destiny of God's people and creation. We catch a vision of where the story of God's redeeming of his creation and people is headed. The grace of Christ - accomplished through his ministry, death, and resurrection - has established a New Creation. This new creation has begun with Jesus' resurrection as the first fruits of new life. Jesus calls the establishment of this new creation the coming of the Kingdom of God. The good news of the grace of Christ is that in him we are brought into this kingdom - it is here that we are forgiven of our sins, reconciled to God, and become part of a new community ordered by the grace and love of Christ.

God's people - the Church - is called to proclaim and to embody this New Creation. The gospel of Christ is full-bodied - it is proclaimed but consistently seeks to be applied, expressed, and take on flesh in all aspects of our lives, among our neighbors, and in our location.

This conviction about the Church's call to proclaim and embody the New Creation of Christ leads us to ask, What would it look like for a church to love and serve its neighborhood?

This question expresses the vision of Lincoln Square Presbyterian Church.  We believe that it is not the city that exists for the church but the church for the city. Therefore, we seek to join with God's story of redemption as he makes his kingdom come in Chicago. The church is God's chosen means to make his invisible kingdom visible; to share the good news of new creation in Jesus. The question, “How do we love this place and this particular people?”  reminds us of God's grace in our lives and His call to join him in mission.

The invitation of the gospel surely needs to be experienced and responded to on an individual level, but true lasting changes come by way of new communities. It is the presence of communities proclaiming and living the gospel that brings transformation to the larger neighborhood and culture. It is in the church – the people of God – that the Gospel comes to life and is demonstrated.