Circle Urban Ministries

CHICAGO, IL

Circle Urban Ministries is located in Austin, IL, on Chicago’s far west side.  It is a very poor area and gangs along with drugs and prostitution are part of everyday life.  The ministry was stared in the early 1970’s by a group of young adults from Circle Church, an ethnically diverse church in the area.  The ministry began in a store front and later the church bought a former Catholic rectory for the ministry and it became the Circle Urban Ministries campus.

Today, more than 35 years later, Circle has had a strong and widely felt impact on Austin for good and for God.  With programs to address family needs, i.e.,  poverty, housing, hunger, education, drug/alcohol dependency, medical and legal issues, God’s love has been seen working and influencing thousands of lives.  A new program added is Bridge2Freedom for newly released jail inmates.  This includes mentoring, job training and spiritual growth.

Racial reconciliation has been an important part of Circle since it’s founding.  A major step was made in 1983 when Circle joined in a faith-and-works partnership with the newly planted Rock of Our Salvation Evangelical Free Church.  Since that time, both bodies have sought to live out the principles of a blended body.

Youth are an important part of this ministry.  There is an after school program which addresses spiritual, social and academic matters, a mentoring program and college readiness classes.

They are living up to their Mission Statement which is: “Transforming Chicago’s Westside Through Faith in Action”.