HR0994 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0994 LRB097 21225 KXB 68833 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the members and staff of Covenant United Church of Christ on their 16th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, Formally established in 1996, the vision behind Covenant United Church of Christ (UCC) was first conceived of in 1995 when the former Thornridge UCC closed its doors in the same location; having dwindled to 8 members, the church held its final service Easter Sunday morning; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ set out to fill the void with a new church; Reverend Ozzie E. Smith, Jr. had a vision that the new church would be a church always in the mode of "becoming a new thing" (Isaiah 43:19); it would not be a church weighed down by anchors of tradition; it would be a people-friendly, biblically literate, Christ-centered, spirit-filled church that lived out in its ministry, the tangible fruits of its mission statement: "to be a people of Afro-sensitive faith empowered by Christ, embracing its culture in shared ministry"; and

WHEREAS, Based upon this vision, Reverend Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr. was called to organize, develop, and pastor Covenant United Church of Christ; on Easter Sunday, April 7, 1996, one year from the time Thornridge UCC had closed its doors, Covenant United Church of Christ opened its doors; and

WHEREAS, That first Sunday 24 members joined; during that year the choir was organized, the first Associate Pastor was added to the staff, a 3 night Vacation Bible School was held, 2 $500 college scholarships were awarded, 125 Thanksgiving baskets were given away, and 40 families were adopted for Christmas; and

WHEREAS, In April of 1997, the church celebrated its first anniversary and the official Installation Service for its Pastor, Reverend Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr.; that same year, the church experienced phenomenal growth, a second service was added, the parking lot was expanded, 7 deacons were ordained, and the first confirmation class was confirmed; and

WHEREAS, After 5 years of prayer, praise, and faithful giving, ground was broken for the new sanctuary in 2001; on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2002, with a membership of over 1,200, the congregation moved into the new sanctuary; and

WHEREAS, Now with over 2,500 members and almost 40 ministries, Covenant is the fastest growing congregation in the United Church of Christ and one of the fastest growing in the Chicagoland area; the mortgage was burned on December 31, 2007; a Family Life Center is being planned; and adjacent property was acquired, known as CUCC North; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the members and staff of Covenant United Church of Christ on this occasion and wish them the best for years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Dr. Ozzie E. Smith, Jr., on behalf of the members of Covenant United Church of Christ, as a symbol of our respect and esteem.