Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago

12/14/2025

Happy 100th Birthday to the Legendary Dick Van D**e 🎂🎭✨🎉
Dick Van D**e is a national treasure an icon of stage, screen, song, and laughter for an entire century.

From The Dick Van D**e Show to Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Diagnosis: Murder, his talent, charm, and boundless energy have lit up generations of hearts and homes.

🕺 With his signature smile, slapstick brilliance, and musical magic, he defined a golden era of entertainment and continues to inspire with his joy, grace, and passion for life.

12/13/2025

11/08/2025

As federal immigration agents carry out the president’s “Operation Midway Blitz” in Democrat-led Illinois — a “blue state” — a WBEZ and Sun-Times analysis shows “red states” have higher rates of murder and violent crime. They also have faster-growing populations of undocumented immigrants.

05/15/2025

South Haven is located in southwest Michigan on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan. Here you’ll find activities for all ages, whether you’re looking to relax, have an adventure, or simply unplug.

02/28/2025

(RNS) — Marty was a giant in the study of American Christianity and the fundamentalist movement in major faiths around the globe. He was also a warmhearted friend, mentor and pastor to many.

02/26/2025

The 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS) and other Pew Research Center polling find that the Christian share of the population, after years of decline, has been relatively stable since 2019. And the religiously unaffiliated population, after rising rapidly for decades, has leveled off – at least temporarily. At present:

62% of U.S. adults describe themselves as Christians: 40% are Protestant, 19% are Catholic, and 3% are other Christians.
29% are religiously unaffiliated: 5% are atheist, 6% are agnostic, and 19% identify religiously as “nothing in particular.”
7% belong to religions other than Christianity: 2% are Jewish, and 1% each are Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu (all figures are rounded).
Some key measures of religious belief and practice also have held fairly steady in recent years. The 2023-24 RLS finds that:

44% of U.S. adults say they pray at least once a day. Though down significantly since 2007, this measure has held between 44% and 46% since 2021.
33% say they go to religious services at least once a month. Since 2020, the percentages saying this have consistently hovered in the low 30s.
And large majorities of Americans have a spiritual, supernatural outlook. For example:

86% believe people have a soul or spirit in addition to their physical body.
83% believe in God or a universal spirit.
79% believe there is something spiritual beyond the natural world.
70% believe in heaven, hell or both.
But in future years we may see further declines in the religiousness of the American public, for several reasons:

Young adults are far less religious than older adults.
No recent birth cohort has become more religious as it has aged.
The “stickiness” of a religious upbringing seems to be declining: Compared with older people, fewer young adults who had a highly religious upbringing are still highly religious as adults.
The “stickiness” of a nonreligious upbringing seems to be rising.

Read key findings about trends in Americans' religious beliefs and practices in the 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study's executive summary. Pew Research Center.

02/04/2025

Winter is a very hard season for thousands of people in Metropolitan Chicago who are without housing, at risk of losing their housing, or staying with someone else as a last resort. Faith communities across our region offer critical direct services to help people with their housing needs. This episode of Sanctuary focuses on Homeless Outreach and Meaningful Engagement (H.O.M.E.), a program offered by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Inc., which works on the north and northwest sides of Chicago with those who are unhoused or facing housing instability.

On this episode of Sanctuary we will focus on a program offered by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Inc.. The Homeless Outreachand Meaningful Engagement...

01/09/2025

On January 20, the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago will host "Where Do We Go from Here?" a special forum for emerging faith leaders in Chicago and the Metropolitan area, age 45 and under. The forum will feature dialogue, networking opportunities, and sharing of resources with CRLMC members. Scan here for more information. REgister today!

12/30/2024

Please Consider a Year-End Donation to CRLMC -

12/19/2024

CRLMC Update | December 2024 -

Where Do We Go From Here? is a special CRLMC forum on January 20 for  emerging faith leaders in Chicago and the Metropolitan area, ages 45 and under. The forum will take place 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM at Catholic Theological Union, 5416 South Cornell Avenue in Chicago. 

12/10/2024

New research reveals most congregations avoid overt political activity, challenging popular assumptions about church political engagement. Study finds subtle influence through values-based messaging rather than direct political action