HR0096 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0096 LRB094 07519 HSS 37686 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Grace Lutheran Church in Loves Park was a recipient of the 2004 Entrepreneurial Church Award, given by the Joy Leadership Center, an institute in Arizona run by the largest Lutheran Church in the country; the institute encourages greater church growth and leadership dynamics; and

WHEREAS, The Joy Leadership Center surveys churches nationally each year and then presents the awards to churches across the country; Grace Lutheran was selected initially from a survey of 400 to 500 churches; the group was narrowed to 72 churches; four churches finally received the award; and

WHEREAS, In the last 10 years Grace Lutheran has had an increase in membership of 25% to 30%, which is pretty significant for an established church; the church has about 2,100 members and is the largest Lutheran Church in Winnebago County; and

WHEREAS, In addition to the growth, the church was cited for leadership in the various types of ministries it provides; one thing the leadership institute liked was that Grace Lutheran sponsored a conference on the Purpose Driven Church and the Purpose Driven Ministries; 300 church people from 10 different states attended the conference, and it was the largest such gathering in the nation outside of events in California; the church also set up a website to help churches, particularly Lutheran churches, use the Purpose Driven Ministry; and

WHEREAS, The church uses many multi-media presentations in its various worship services; Rev. Robert Driver-Bishop, the church's co-pastor, has been invited to speak at a number of conferences and churches on the use of multi-media in worship, and the church has set up a website to help churches use multi-media in worship; and

WHEREAS, The church is led by co-pastors Rev. Robert Driver-Bishop and Terri Driver-Bishop and part-time pastors Pastor Gary Park and Pastor Robert Dirks; the church has services with four different styles ranging from traditional to more casual; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Grace Lutheran Church on receiving the 2004 Entrepreneurial Church Award; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Grace Lutheran Church as an expression of our esteem and with best wishes for continued success.