Answered Prayers

GOD AT WORK – OVER TEN YEARS…
Rockford Renewal Ministries – Winter 2008

The downpour of rain that came as a result of Elijah’s prayers began with a cloud as small as a man’s hand (I Kg 18:44 NIV). Here are some small clouds, God at work.  Look toward the horizon with us for more:

1. The Rockford School District was convicted for inequitable treatment of minorities on the city’s West Side and came under Federal control. Negative rhetoric filled the local paper month after month.  Taxes increased.  People began to move out of the city limits.  Housing values declined.  The school board was polarized.  Today the board is more unified than it has been for many years.  A new Superintendent was hired unanimously and his first budget was approved unanimously. The district is out from under Federal control-test scores are improving.

2. When the prayer movement began, there were thirty homicides in the city, more per capita than in Chicago, Illinois.  In 2004 they were down to eleven.  In July 2005, the newspaper reported that in the last ten years, the violent crime rate dropped 34.6 percent.  The crime rate has dropped 3 years in a row – 6.6 in 2005 in Rockford; 11% regionally

3. The Evangelical Minister’s and the Rockford Minister’s Fellowships nearly disbanded but have been re-birthed and are strong. A Servant Leader Group is meeting each month to pray and to prepare for revival so they can give leadership to it under the Holy Spirit’s guidance.  In 2005, Youth With a Mission’s Impact World Tour came to the city.  Forty congregations and over 2000 volunteers united together to exceed the budget, and to see 1,957 people make public decisions.

4. A diverse fellowship of Women In Ministry has been birthed and is meeting monthly

5. Area-wide prayer gatherings have been sustained since 1994, expressing great diversity. On the National Day of Prayer, May 3, 2007, 2000 gathered for prayer and worship, the largest prayer gathering in the city’s history.

6. Over 1000 people or households have agreed to be Lighthouses of Prayer, a commitment to pray and care for their neighbors.

7. Redemptive, city and international ministries have been birthed in the area like Kids Around the World and the Life Center. Others have grown, like the Pregnancy Care Center, doubled and strategically re-located and the Reach Out Jail Ministry tripled in staff. Carpenter’s Place is seeing 300 homeless people come off the street annually, 200 getting jobs. A School of Discipleship has been opened and is producing graduates.

8. Prophetic leaders have visited the city saying that revival is coming to the area; latest one came in April of 2007

9. There is a growing passion and activity for redevelopment in the city and efforts to re-build her economy. Beginning in 2007, 50,000 new residents were expected to move into the area and 10,000 new jobs were expected. The regional economy growing. The Coronado Theater has been restored; the Metro Center is being renovated to become home to new hockey franchise. New semi-pro teams have come to town like the Raptors. A new Federal Court building will begin construction in 2008. The new Correctional Center is state-of-the-art with many more rooms for teaching and “correction.” Soon a rapid-rail system will be extended to Rockford from Chicago and beyond bringing new business and providing commuter services. The local airport has expanded to a regional/international facility, the Chicago Rockford International Airport. A local UPS hub has been birthed and has grown to be a regional hub. A large trucking hub has been established South of the city. A large Lowe’s distribution hub has been built. A new tax referendum in 2007 allowed major road and infrastructure improvements. In April 2007, the Chicago Tribune wrote, Rockford might not be on everyone’s map of must-see places, but it has just made it onto the must-count industrial property chart of Colliers Bennet & Kahnweiler, Inc., a full service real estate firm…. Developers are acquiring land in Rockford as the last western frontier.

10. Northern Seminary and Judson College, both strong Christian schools have moved branches to Rockford.

11. Sports Illustrated magazine named Rockford the 50th Anniversary Sports town for the State of Illinoi

12. Love, INC (Love in the Name of Christ), has grown from a struggling ministry, to over 70 congregations networked to meet special needs.

13. As the city prepared for the construction of a new jail, God prepared strategic ministry in the vicinity:  the Rescue Mission—Hope Place, the post care Reach-Out Jail Ministry, an additional Pregnancy Care Center, the Life Center, and Reformers Unanimou

14. A Healing Room opened in Rockford in 2007

15. The Chairman of the County Board is a Christian.  In April of 2005 the city elected a new Christian Mayor. The Sheriff and Chief of Police affirm Christian faith as does our two State Representatives, our State Senator, and our local US Congressman.

16. In August 2005 and 2007, Rockford won the National City-In-Bloom contest as efforts to bring gambling to the area were turned away.

17. A Fund for Transformational Ministries has been birthed to support strategic faith based ministries.

18. Rockford has become a regional medical center with three hospital networks. She is recognized as one of the best cities in America for heart care.

19. Rockford has one of the top children’s museums in the nation.

20. Rockford's TLN TV 51 has grown to a full power Christian TV station and is now on local cable.  There are four Christian radio stations.

21. The local Gideon’s were once the smallest group in the state; now they are one of the largest…with new young leadership.

22. Careers, etc., Directed by a Christian employment-training leader in our community, has been awarded a large re-newable contract with the IL Department of Corrections to develop and administer a transitional jobs program for state prison parolees. This program, the first of its kind in the nation, includes job readiness training and subsidized wage job placement.