Missional Transformation: Unlocking renewal in the Church

Human Chicago: Increasing the accompaniment capacity of parishioners to walk with spiritual seekers

When the Archdiocese of Chicago came to us they had a vision to reach spiritual seekers as a part of their renewal efforts, and help bring spiritual answers to the non-religious.

Through research across Chicago and the country, it was evident that culture was hungry for answers. With our experience in multi-faceted, immersive initiatives across cities, dioceses, and churches, we partnered with them to not just launch an event or program, but start a movement in the city of Chicago.

Guides, or disciples formed in accompaniment, were really at the heart of this ministry. We would form them in a worldview approach to accompaniment, a way of taking in your neighbor that helped invite a dialogue about the way they see the world, offer healing and restoration, and a compassionate avenue towards a biblical worldview. Through our R&D process, we saw this to be radically transforming for people across all demographics, religious backgrounds, and ethnicities.

Over the span of 9 weeks, we formed 12 guides through guide sessions and gatherings, and commissioned those same 12 into their mission at a final retreat. Even after just one session, we could see the shift happening in guides where the pressure to “change someone’s mind” was being taken off and they were beginning to see a real path towards loving their seeker friends. “I feel like I don’t have to fail.” - Guide

By the second guide session, people were already engaging with the world differently. One of our guides shared she had been in a group with a girl that she felt hard to be around / very annoying. After her own worldview dialogue with Jason, the girl asked her for coffee. She could feel a different response in her where she was more open to this girl. She didn’t quite know why but she felt a shift. She went for coffee and she could feel herself seeing this girl differently. Her experience in the interviews was “different” but she couldn’t quite name why.

Felt-Need content to invite people into the way of Jesus

We launched Behold in 2020 with the Archdiocese of Vancouver as a way to help bridge the gap between ideas Jesus taught and our lived-out, everyday life with Him. We desired to see all disciples integrate Jesus deeply into their way of life.

We focused on themes deeply relevant to life like building a healthy marriage, our relationship to money, parenting, anxiety and stress, discovering our real purpose, learning how to hear God, amongst others.

Content spoke to the real needs, questions, longings, burdens, and dreams of parishioners and helped them integrate the heart of Jesus into them.

Signal Hill equips young people to value every person by providing dynamic and relevant presentations, retreats, and support resources for high school students. Each year, they hold a Value Project Summit, an immersive experience where students gain the experience of their value in creative ways. At the end of the conference, students take what they’ve learned back to their schools and host their own Value Project week.

For several years, we worked with them to create the "VP" environment and installations, we developed the human formation methodology, and strategized and delivered all the talks.

During one of the summits, we created custom books for every attendee, each with an individual’s name, a sketch of their face, and a personalized message about their value. Because the theme was “glow in the dark”, we also added hidden, personalized messages inside that could be found with a black light. Each of these small details affirmed the overall theme of not being afraid to stand out for your uniqueness and value.

In 2020, we worked with a local artist to create a mural that revealed a three-fold hidden message to help drive home the conference message. When students entered the room, it was only lit with monochrome (sodium-vapour) lighting, drawing all colours out of the room and making everything look sepia yellow. The letters on the board read, “Value is Conditional.”

When white light was introduced later on, it revealed the full message underneath: “Your Value is Unconditional”. The lighting emphasized the message of their talks—there is value in every person despite. At the end of the weekend, a black light revealed the names of every student in the room across the mural, emphasizing that how we perceive the world is not always as it exists.

While we were an agency for ministries and faith-based organizations during this project, it points to our heart and work in human formation and accompaniment since the very beginning of Glass Canvas.