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Santa Teresa de Avila is an Episcopal church located near Midway Airport in Chicago. We are a worshipping Christian community of faith with programs of service to the community. A predominantly Latino congregation, we currently have one bilingual (10:30 a.m.) and one Spanish (12:30 p.m.) worship service each Sunday, in addition to a bilingual service the first Sunday of each month in the evening (7:00 p.m.). Our congregation offers various programs for children and youth, including Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, preparation for first communion and confirmation, a youth group, a quinceañera formation program for teenage girls, and offers service projects for youth from nearby schools and from other congregations. During the summer, we host outreach programs for the community: in 2012-2014, the Parents Program of the Community Violence Prevention Program, and since 2014, a few youth workers from various youth employment programs. All who would like to grow in their faith in Christ and to serve the world in Christ's name are welcome to join us as we endeavor to live as his followers in both church and the world.
Santa Teresa de Ávila es una iglesia episcopal ubicada cerca del aeropuerto Midway en Chicago. Somos una comunidad cristiana de fe y adoración con programas de servicio a la comunidad. Una congregación mayormente latina, actualmente tenemos una misa bilingüe (10:30 a.m.) y una misa en español (12:30 p.m.) cada domingo, además de una misa bilingüe el primer domingo de cada mes por la noche (7:00 p.m.). Nuestra congregación ofrece varios programas para niños y jóvenes, incluyendo una Escuela Bíblica de Vacaciones, Escuela Dominical, preparación para primera comunión y confirmación, un grupo de jóvenes, un programa de formación para quinceañeras, y proyectos de servicio comunitario para jóvenes de escuelas cercanas y otras congregaciones. Durante el verano, hemos sido anfitriones de programas de servicio a la comunidad: del 2012 al 2014, el Programa de Padres del Programa de Prevención de Violencia en la Comunidad, y desde 2014, unos trabajadores jóvenes de varios programas de empleo para jóvenes. Todos los que quisieran crecer en su fe en Cristo y servir al mundo en nombre de Cristo están bienvenidos a acompañarnos mientras intentamos vivir como sus seguidores en la iglesia y en el mundo.
Worship times
Volunteer opportunities
Various volunteer opportunities are available at different times of the year. In the summer, we welcome volunteers to prepare crafts, educational materials, breakfast and lunch, and decorations for our Vacation Bible School. We also welcome volunteers to help our Youth Employment Program or Parents Program workers. We periodically participate in ecumenical and community events, including the CROP Hunger Walk (October), neighborhood Marches for Peace (spring or summer), or gardening at our church and nearby YMCA (summer). A nearby community garden has been proposed but needs more volunteers. Other church youth groups are welcome to present a project or lesson with our Sunday School with advance notice. Also, youth may be able to receive community service hours for volunteer work here depending on the requirements of their school.
Ministries
SANTA TERESA YOUTH MINISTRY
Ministry to and with youth takes various forms at Santa Teresa. Our youth group has engaged in educational, service, and fun activities at different times of the year. Each year, youth prepare Easter baskets for younger children on Holy Saturday, assist with our Vacation Bible School in the summer, participate in the Chicago CROP Hunger Walk in October, and host a posada with piñata in December. The group meets periodically for pizza, fellowship, planning of future activities, and spiritual and educational discussions. In different years, the group has taken field trips to St. James Cathedral, Navy Pier, the Chicago History Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and other locations. Besides our youth group, youth have participated in our diocesan youth events and retreats. Youth and older children also regularly participate in worship services as acolytes, readers, and oblationers. We also host a few youth each summer through various youth employment programs. In addition, various young people have done community service hours for school at Santa Teresa.
PARENTS PROGRAM OF THE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM
The Parents Program of the Community Violence Prevention Program (CVPP) empowers parents, especially parents of adolescents in at-risk neighborhoods, to draw on their parenting experience, to network with other parents and community leaders, and to share their expertise within their communities. The program’s goal is for parents to then have a positive impact on their own children and other youths, so as to diminish the likelihood of violence in their neighborhoods. The Parent Program employs parents in our community to reduce the risk factors that contribute to violence and negativity while promoting protective factors that contribute to family and community stability, well-being and peace. In addition to learning to reduce the risk factors and increase protective factors at home and sharing this knowledge with others in the community through "Parent Cafés", parents engage in service projects to better the community such as removing trash, gardening, visiting the elderly, educating about domestic violence, and becoming liaisons with schools and churches. Santa Teresa hosted the Parents Program in 2013 and 2014 and its predecessor, the Parent Leadership and Action Network, in 2012. Due to cuts in state grant funding, it appears the program is suspended for 2015. We hope that grants will allow the program to resume in future years to continue to strengthen our community.
6201 S Saint Louis Ave
Chicago, IL 60629-3713
United States
Contact
Rev. Gary Cox
