About Us
Core Values
We as a part of the Association of Journey Centers, embrace the same core values known as
the Journey Center Way. The core values may take different expressions in each place, as we each are called
in unique places and communities. The essence of the Journey Center is enfleshed in the core values.
This is how we describe and embody the core values at Journey Center of Chicago.
The Way of Hospitality
Our God is a God who made each of us as we are however we describe ourselves. Our God deeply loves, accepts, and meets each of us right where we are. Jesus reflected this in the way he intentionally pauses to attend to, to listen to, and love the person before him. His essence was one of welcome and radical hospitality. That is why it is one of our core values. We encourage all to come and encounter this loving and welcoming God. “Come as you are. Encounter the Holy. Be renewed.”
The Way of Contemplation +
Spiritual Direction
Contemplative listening and spiritual direction are at the core of what we do. With each person we encounter, we listen reflectively to people’s stories, with welcome and acceptance. We listen with a spirit of openness, care, and support, because people matter and their stories matter. We believe God is in all our stories because God cares so deeply for each one of us.
The Way of
Silence + Solitude
Silence and Solitude are a core value because our souls crave both silence and connection with God. We teach people to pause and to prayerfully listen, in order to hear and be with God. We offer deep listening spaces in order to provide opportunities for people to have that connecting reflective space with God. Examples of such spaces are: our groups and retreats.
The Way of Discernment
Listening is core to who we are, so we prayerfully listen to God. We seek God together using scripture and prayer practices to discern what God is saying to us. Through contemplative listening in this way, we discern needed decisions in order to follow God’s desire for us.
The Way of Mission
Our mission is to extend welcome, to deeply listen, and to reflect God’s unconditional love to everyone. We offer spiritual direction, counseling, workshops, and groups related to mind, body, and soul, through which people can experience healing, wholeness, and a deeper awareness of God. Just as we listen prayerfully to hear what God is saying to us, we also pay attention to what God is doing, as that guides us. Our mission is inherent in our tagline, “Come as you are. Encounter the Holy. Be renewed.”
The Way of Love
Our last core value which is central to all we do is the Way of Love. God’s love is expansive, healing, and transforming. God loves us as we are and it changes us. It is unconditional and accepting. At the end of Romans 8 it says that nothing can separate us from God’s love for us and that God is for us. What a wonder and an incomprehensible gift! We seek to love each one who comes to Journey Center of Chicago as God loves us, our God who is fully present, radically welcoming and hospitable, and compassionate with each one of us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Journey Center of Chicago part of a particular church or affiliated with a specific denomination?
Journey Center of Chicago is a non profit organization, and is not a part of a particular church or denomination. Those who are part of our leadership community are involved in various Christ-centered faith communities, but we do not represent a particular church. Anyone is welcome to come.
Do I have to agree with your beliefs in order to attend classes/events?
Absolutely not! You are welcome to attend whatever workshops/events are of interest to you. Come as you are. This is a safe and welcoming place, a loving and accepting space. We hope among the resources we offer, that you will find what is filling for you wherever you are at on your journey.
We are a part of an Association of Journey Centers, a growing, vibrant movement of God’s Spirit inviting people to encounter the Holy.
Meet the Board
Rev. Eva Sullivan-Knoff
Founder and Executive Director
Kitchie Ranillo Bakken
Chair
Jeff Ondrey
Treasurer
Rev. Janet Lundblad
Secretary
Rev. Aaron Johnson
Board Member
Become a part of the journey
YOUR GIFT CAN HELP:
Offer opportunities and scholarships for people to experience spiritual transformation and healing the narrative of their lives and relationships through spiritual direction, workshops, and retreats.