Why

We believe that thriving congregations give life to flourishing communities, and that the church is uniquely positioned to foster spiritual, social, and cultural renewal.

We believe that youth and young adults are not just the next generation of the church—they are vital leaders in the present. Their voice, creative energy, and agency must be elevated and empowered.

We believe that Black churches hold a sacred and historic role in advancing truth, justice, and belonging in their communities. Their legacy of faith amidst adversity inspires our commitment to this work.

We believe in the transformative power of generational collaboration. When young adults, seasoned pastors, and community leaders come together, they can create solutions that exceed the capacity of any single individual or ministry.

We believe that God is at work both inside and outside the walls of the church, and the gospel lived is integrated faith and action. Community engagement for social impact is an outworking of Jesus’ command to love both God and neighbor.

We believe that modest steps—when taken faithfully—can lead to real change and new leaders. “They who are faithful in little, will be faithful with much.”

ECHO Steering Committee

  • Pastor Phil Jackson

    Firehouse Community Arts Center

  • Amy Williams

    Hope Dealer

  • Pastor Jonathan Brooks

    Lawndale Christian Community Church

  • Rev. Jonathan Banks

    Urban Outreach Foundation

  • Julian DeShazier

    University Church Chicago

Collaborations & Partnerships

All Questions & Answers

What is the ECHO Project?

The Elevating Church Outreach (ECHO) project is designed to foster thriving African-American congregations across the Chicagoland area by empowering youth and young adults to lead social impact projects that strengthen their church’s connection with the community.

What is the goal of the ECHO project?

ECHO aims to:

  • Equip churches to mobilize youth and young adults for leadership.

  • Encourage congregations to create impactful programs that engage their block and communities.

  • Invigorate churches who have an aging congregation but desire to pass a ministry legacy to a new generation

Where is ECHO located?

Chicago is our home and focus today, with priority on the South and West sides.

If the model is successful and sustainable in empowering young leaders, engaging neighborhoods, and energizing historic churches, we would seek in the future to expand to new cities.

Are you associated with “Echo Church?”

No, we are not associated with “Echo Church,” and we’ve noticed there are a variety organizations who use echo in their name.

The ECHO Project is an independent initiative launched in Chicago by a team of leaders and organizational partners. More about ECHO

What are examples of community impact projects?

Projects should aim to address a specific community needs, such as mentorship, education, child development, public health, or social justice. They should be led by a young adult leader or team.

Examples could include:

  • Organizing after-school programs or tutoring for local youth.

  • Hosting community health fairs or wellness initiatives.

  • Developing justice campaigns addressing local issues like housing or food insecurity.

  • Creating arts, music, or sports programs that engage both church and community members.

  • Launching community-centered workshops or support groups

Innovative proposals are welcome, and the steering community is eager to help develop and coach ideas.

How are next generation leaders supported?

Every next generation leader enrolled in the project will have regular connections with other project members across the city, and a team of experienced social impact leaders who will personally train and coach each project.

What is required of young adult leaders?

Young adult participants in the ECHO program are expected to:

  • Commit to leadership: Actively participate in designing, developing, and implementing the church’s social impact project.

  • Engage in cohort meetings: Attend 3x a month community of practice sessions where they will collaborate with peers from other churches, share insights, and receive mentorship from seasoned faith-based social impact leaders.

  • Demonstrate responsibility: Take ownership of big goals and learn to break them down to action steps, contribute to team goals, and meet deadlines as part of their local project timeline.

  • Participate in learning events: Join congregational learning sessions to share progress, celebrate successes, and troubleshoot challenges with their church community.

  • Cultivate personal growth: Reflect on their spiritual and leadership journey, engaging in values-based exercises and trauma-informed training provided by the program.

  • Be a positive influence: Represent their church and cohort with integrity, building bridges within the congregation and the community

  • Present a capstone project. Critical reflection on the project successes and failures.

What churches are eligible to apply?

Churches led by African American pastors in the Chicagoland area are eligible, with preference to historically black churches in urban neighborhoods on Chicago’s South and West sides. Active young adults (17-25 years old) or teams of youth must be recruited as next generation leaders.

Five churches will be selected for the first cohort (2025), with intentions to create new cohorts each year.

How old are eligible “young adults”?

We define young adult or next-generation leaders as 17 to 25 years of age. However, we’ll work on a case by case basis to include the right youth or young adults.

What is the grant money involved?

  • Local congregations are awarded a total of $10,000 across two years.

  • The “mini-grant” funds are to develop and launch a community impact project led by young adults

  • Young leaders also receive a $1000 stipend for participating in the training and coaching sessions led by social impact leaders across the city.

  • Grant funds cannot be used for unrelated church expenses.

What is required from participating churches?

  • Recruit / form a team of youth / young adults to lead the initiative.

  • Send young adult leaders to community practice cohort meetings for collaboration with other churches and and mentorship from steering committee members

  • Participate and /or host congregational learning listening sessions to share insights and strategize improvements.

  • Submit reports evaluating the program’s impact, with the assistance of the project steering committee

Let’s make some noise.