Chicago: The Second City, The Second Chance

Welcome to Chicago! After arriving, we’ll settle into our accommodations and gather for a welcome dinner. Opening devotional and orientation: what does it mean to serve as the hands and feet of Christ in your own country, in a city many of us think we already know?

Tour McDonald’s training campus at Hamburger University, then see the city from the top at the Willis Tower Skydeck. In the evening, take a river boat cruise discussing the business and architectural history behind Chicago’s skyline. Evening devotional on cultivating a servant’s heart.

Venture to the Amazon Fulfillment Center to see modern logistics at work, then visit Pullman, a planned community built during the Industrial Revolution around one company’s vision — and the site of a pivotal moment in American labor history. Climb to the top of the John Hancock Center for another sweeping skyline view. Evening devotional on the dignity of work.

Meet our local shelter partner and their job-readiness program staff. Training on respectful interviewing practices, active listening, and how to help someone identify transferable skills. Devotional: praying for the week ahead.

Our week of service begins! Alongside program staff, sit down with shelter guests to hear their work histories and skills, help draft simple resumes, and support staff as they identify job opportunities matching each person’s background. Afternoons include team debrief and reflection.

Continue interviews and resume support alongside program staff. Team members also assist with practical shelter needs — meal service, facility support, and simply spending time with guests.

Service continues, with today’s devotional focused on second chances and new creation. Afternoon: continued interviews and job-matching support.

Service continues. Today’s devotional theme centers on every person having a story and a skill worth naming. Evening: shared meal with shelter staff and guests.

Our final day of service wraps with a closing celebration alongside shelter staff and the guests we’ve come to know this week.

A joyful close to the week’s work: catch a Cubs game at historic Wrigley Field, one of the oldest ballparks in America.

Snap a picture next to “The Bean” while strolling through Millennium Park, then spend your final evening along the Navy Pier.

Final group devotional and debrief: what did God teach us this week? Depart for home.