1. Worship: the worship at Ethos is both historically rooted and artistically creative, but it's neither traditional organ music nor rock praise band. There are no screens or technology either; all the songs and prayers are printed in the bulletins each week. All the musicians are extremely talented and the band is composed of members from the local Chicago music scene. The style is varied from folk/roots to early blues to indie, but the lyrics are theologically deep and expressive. Members of the church have written several of the songs sung during worship. The liturgy itself is robust: they start with a call to worship, recite creeds and confessions, have eucharist/communion, and end each week with a benediction.
2. Preaching: the preaching is intellectually curious and emotionally engaging. It is clear that the sermon is the main event of the service, and the pastors focus the sermon on the Biblical text they are preaching from. They teach the Bible in an intellectually credible way, but also connect it to the way we live.
3. Community: the community is the biggest draw for most of the people who attend this church. They have coffee and pastries before and after the service and hang out long after the service has ended. Most people go out to eat together somewhere in the neighborhood after church. The congregation is a mix of students, artists, musicians, and white collar professionals with children. The church hosts lots of events like meals at people's homes, pint nights at breweries, and small group Bible studies. They also serve in lots of missions around the city and see social justice as a demand of the gospel and teaching of Jesus Christ. read more
