New Beginnings Church of Chicago

OCCUPY KING DRIVE Part 6/Day 11 "Committed to Change"

            By Pastor Corey Brooks,            December 4, 2011 at 12:48 am       

In the words of Dr. Cornel West - "None of us alone can save a nation or a world, but each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so."

It is Day 11, and I am still living on the rooftop of an abandoned motel right across the street from my church.  This is also the 20th day of my 40 day "water" only fast and we're still trying to raise the funds needed to implement change.

Listening to the news, I realize trouble is everywhere; war oversees, civil war in the White House, allegations of a marital war in Herman Cain's house and street wars right in front of God's house (New Beginnings Church) on Chicago's south side at 66^th and Martin Luther King Dr...

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED...

            By Pastor Corey Brooks,            November 30, 2011 at 6:56 pm       

Well, I'm still here, still on the rooftop, still hoping, still praying and still needing HELP!

Today has been a a very thought provoking day.  I didn't sleep well, but for some strange reason was reminded of a sailor man whose pulse would race, his blood pressure would sky rocket and his anger would begin to boil when he came under attack.

Triggered by moments of frustration, Popeye would blurt out the famous words that an entire generation has branded into their psyche...  "That's all I can stands, and I can't stands NO MORE!"  Bad grammar, yes, but what do you expect from a sailor.

The Journey to the Roof...

In this gallery, you'll find just a short pictorial of what the journey looked like to get to the roof.  I'm anxious to show you the end of the journey by coming down soon!

Please HELP by donating to www.projectHood.org ...every little bit counts.

Pastor Corey Brooks

We Protested and Prayed every weekend from 9:00pm - 2:00am until it was SHUT DOWN!!! We placed the motel under contract. We have to make it happen! Press Conference announcing that we have to STOP the violence! The only way to the roof... We need your HELP to pull this off... This has got to go... Home until we raise $450,000 to make a difference... We must keep Praying, no matter what... God hears our cry... I'll admit, it gets lonely sometimes... I wonder what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have said?

OCCUPY KING DR - Conversations with the Mayor Part 3 Day 6

Earlier today, I was pleasantly surprised when Mayor Rahm Emanuel called me.  He was very encouraging and spoke highly of our radical move to bring attention to the excessive violence in the south side communities of Woodlawn and Englewood.

I received the mayor's call while still on the rooftop of this abandoned motel across the street from my church, New Beginnings, at 6620 S King Dr.

The mayor was very enthusiastic and applauded our efforts and wished that more people would not only take a stand to bring attention to violence, but also take action against violence.  After speaking with him I know this can work, but it's going to take a collective effort by city officials and the community in order to see some significant change.

OCCUPY KING DR - A Pastor's view from the Roof - Part 2 Day 6

            By Pastor Corey Brooks,            today at 12:47 pm       

It's been 15 days fasting without food, only drinking water; 6 days and counting, living on the rooftop of an abandoned motel in the cold, rain and now some snow.

This morning I was reading twitter messages and I came across a tweet by LL Cool J that expresses my sentiment, he quoted John Churton Collins, "In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends."

Since this is my first blog, let me introduce myself, my name is Pastor Corey Brooks, and I pastor New Beginnings Church of Chicago, located at 6620 S Martin Luther King Dr.

It is amazing what you can see when you rise above adversity; and since I am living in a tent on the top of a roof, I can see and can no longer be quiet!  From the words of Tupac Shakur, "If God wanted me to be quiet, He would have never, showed me what He does."

That is why I am screaming from the rooftop of an abandoned motel for action.  Many people have asked me, 'why am I on the roof?'  Well, there are many reasons, but the 10 most important reasons are dead, buried 6 feet underground - teenagers, with names and families whose funerals I did this past summer!