Basics
We are a small network of churches in the western suburbs of Chicago.  Our mandate and passion is to see new churches planted throughout northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.  The pastors and leaders of our churches are friends who encourage each other, learn from each other, and challenge each other to live in the Way of Jesus and to lead their churches to be deep and fruitful communities.  We long to expand our circle of leaders and churches, and encourage you to get to know us.   Please read about our Core Values to get an idea of what the passions are that run deep within us.

Theology
We are evangelical in theology in the sense that we believe the key to finding life is a transforming relationship with Jesus Christ who lived, died and rose on our behalf.  We are also orthodox in our view of Jesus, the Bible, and the nature of God. 

However, we are disturbed that for so many Christians today (not least evangelicals) the faith has become either a set of doctrines, a mere moral code, or a quick deal where God takes our sin and we get a free pass to heaven.  We find ourselves returning to the Jesus of the Gospels and the message he preached, which was both deeper and larger than our current reductionist versions.  We understand his primary invitation not to be merely about forgiveness or heaven, but about finding life.  In short, he offers us all a new way to see, and a new way to be, and out of these a new way to live.  Our churches, therefore, are about helping people encounter this beautiful living God so that they may become free and alive, and then together carry the good news of His Kingdom into new places and new lives near and far.

We don't really like labels, and you'll find that our theology and practices are an eclectic mix because we desire our thinking, living and ministry to be reflective of the Jesus of the Gospels.  So to know what we are, you'll have to get to know us-- that's all there is to it.  You'll also find that no two of our churches are just alike, as we believe every leader has the freedom to follow what God calls them to, as well as the responsibility to contextualize their church for the community they are reaching out to.  What glues us together as a network is our shared core values and our desire to chase the Kingdom together as leaders, rather than in isolation.  We don't want to be part of another institutional network, but something perhaps better described as a "tribe".
  
Our Larger Connection
Some of the churches in our network are part of the Churches of God, General, Conference (CGGC), a group of some 350 churches in the U.S., with various mission works in other countries.  The CGGC is a theologically balanced evangelical denomination.  Like many smaller denominations, it is redesigning itself to be more effective in our current culture.  We were given permission to create New Wineskins precisely because the CGGC needs new forms through which to carry out the mission of Jesus effectively, forms which are less institutional, more fluid, and wildly visionary.  Churches do not have to be a part of the CGGC to be part of New Wineskins.  Our primary glue is to be a geographically focused, local connection of like minded churches.  One thing the CGGC does do for us, is provide some funding for new churches who are willing to fully affilaiate with the CGGC.

Funding for New Churches
We do have funds to invest in the creating of new church communities.  Because these funds come from the Churches of God, they are only available to planters who are prepared to join up with the CGGC.  We do not "fully fund" church plants, though, because our experience is that planters who are fully funded are often lazy planters.  The amount of support each plant and planter get depends on the details of each particular plant.  In any event, if you are considering applying to plant a church with us, be aware that in addition to your funding, you will also need to raise support, work, or some combination of these.

 
Our Coordinator
Fran Leeman has been the visionary force behind forming a network of churches centered in better things.  Fran and Linda planted LifeSpring Community Church in Plainfield, Illinois in 1993, a church of 300 that has evolved into something very different from where they started.  Fran also serves as the Director of New Life for Haiti, a Christian development organization seeking to live the Kingdom in wholistic ways among the people of Haiti's southern peninsula.  He and Linda have been married for 27 years and have two grown children.  Fran's new book, The Forgotten Way of Jesus, is a map for everyone from seekers to long-time Christians who are searching for a deeper kind of Christianity and a more authentic picture of what it means to awaken into life and follow him.  We ask every person considering planting with New Wineskins to get a copy and read it, simply because it will help you know if you are going to resonate with the way we think about Jesus and his community.