Day of Unity and Empowerment
Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Founded in 1995, Destiny Church is a non-denominational religious institution located in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. An area rich with racial and religious diversity, Destiny Church observes the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday by bringing different faith communities together to celebrate and address Dr. King’s vision. Each year, a community march kicks off the Day’s activities, followed by service projects and discussion groups that engage individuals of all faiths in issues of tolerance and unity.

Recently, the church added a youth service component to the King celebration. With a goal to bring together youth across faiths, the church created a program to educate and more deeply engage area youth in the celebration of Dr. King’s legacy through cross-denominational, multi-racial, and multi-ethnic youth service teams. During an eight-week period leading up to the King Holiday, these students meet after school for structured lessons and discussion around the life and teachings of Dr. King. Topics include racial diversity, religious tolerance, and the significance of community service. In addition, they organize service projects that take place on the King Holiday, and commit to an additional 100 hours of volunteer service throughout the year.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is an opportune time to engage in community-wide discussions and service projects that address the racial, ethnic, and religious divides that persist in this country. Here are some ideas for your community:

• Hold a non-denominational prayer breakfast and invite area faith and other community leaders to speak followed by a service project
• Incorporate Dr. King’s messages of tolerance and unity into sermons, and youth lessons and use them as the basis for planning a community project
• Partner with area churches and congregations to engage in “service after the service”
• Organize a service project, or provide information about service opportunities on MLK Day and throughout the year