TimSchraeder.com

If you pick up the latest issue of COLLIDE Magazine [I now subscribe to the digital edition], you’ll notice a familiar name on the cover.
Park was featured in COLLIDE’s Church Spotlight in their latest issue and the article features an interview with yours truly, our lead pastor Jackson, and Jason Widney our Media Arts Director.
Don’t [...]

I had no idea what kind of firestorm I was starting when I posted my blog about Park’s switch from a weekly bulletin to a monthly a year ago. It’s been fun to hear from so many different churches that have made the switch or are considering taking the plunge.
I thought I’d share a few [...]

One of the highlights of the year at Park is our summer baptism.
Early on a Sunday morning in July hundreds of people gather at North Avenue Beach to witness people going public with their faith in Christ by being baptized in Lake Michigan.
It’s definitely a moving sight to see with the city skyline as a [...]

Last week we had the chance to welcome LV from Catalyst to Park to share a bit about what’s going on here and our vision to reach the city of Chicago.
Pretty random, LV connected to us via Twitter and came to meet me, Jason and our lead pastor Jackson.
It was a phenomenal opportunity and so [...]

Well besides my little Twabbatical, I’ve been busy the past month or so… here’s
a quick rundown on things I would have Twittered or blogged about…
A Month in 10 Points…
1 – Our website was stolen. Park’s website was stolen by another church. Like for real. It was a valuable experience in learning that imitation can be [...]

It would be hypocritical for me to say I don’t think there needs to be “another conference” for people to attend… (I’m part of the brains behind the newly-announced Cultivate Conference)… but that aside, I think that what we don’t need is “just another conference” but a NEW kind of conference. A new idea, a new thought… [...]

On May 7, 2007, I had nervous jitters like it was my first day at school. It was sort of like that in a weird way… it was my first day on staff at Park Community Church.
I honestly can’t believe it’s been 2 years. There are moments it seems just
like yesterday and other times that it seems [...]

The first church communications conference I ever attended when I was starting out my journey was MinistryCOM.
At the time I was working for a church of under 1,000 in a small town trying to figure out how to take what I was seeing and learning from other, larger churches and develop a way to [...]

Stop Traffick from Park Community Church on Vimeo.
I’m so excited about this.
Park has a ministry called The Just Life, which is completely ran by volunteers who are passionate about living out Micah 6:8 which says to “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly before our God.”
Social justice is “in” right now – everyone is talking [...]

We had a great Easter at Park — it was our first Good Friday and Easter in our new building. Here’s some shots of the Good Friday and Easter services:

Images via Jason Widney and Devin David Photography

I have unsubscribed myself from a lot of email lists lately. With things like blogs and Twitter keeping me up-to-date, who needs an archaic email?
Which made me look at Park and how much email we generate.
When I first came on staff, Park was sending a ridiculous amount of email. Like, you would not believe. Some [...]

Cathleen Falsani, the Religion Columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times (and author of the book Sin Boldly) did an article on Sunday about Spiritual help in hard times.
She said:
Lately, I’ve been hearing from a lot of folks who are having a hard time, and not just financially. For some of us, the economic downturn has led [...]