Something special is happening on the northwest side of Chicago—and our Good Friday gathering was a great picture of what God is up to.

We're part of a growing partnership called the Chicagoland Collective, a network of churches and ministries committed to seeing the gospel take root and flourish in neighborhoods throughout the region. Alongside partners like Centro Cristiano and Refuge Chicago, we're linking arms to do together what none of us could do as well alone. Our conviction is simple: more churches, not less. More communities gathered around Jesus. More neighborhoods with a place to belong.

Most of us were introduced to faith through the language of certainty. Do you know, without a doubt, that if you died tonight you'd be with Jesus? It's a question asked with good intentions — but it may have done more damage than we realize.

If we’re honest, we like tidy categories. Good or bad. Right or wrong. Faithful or faithless. Our brains are wired to simplify the world that way. But Scripture doesn’t always cooperate with our need for clean lines—and neither does real love.