Our History
In 1972, a bus full of young Christian hippies decided to set down roots in Chicago with the goal of boldly sharing the gospel message.
![People standing in front of the Jesus bus in the early 70s](https://jesuspeoplechicago.org/images/jpusa-on-the-bus.jpg)
As many young people did in this era, the Jesus People lived together communally - first in the basement of a local church before we were able to acquire our own property.
Over the years, the ministry took many shapes. Most notably through:
- Impactful music - Resurrection Band were pioneers of Christian hard rock. They were one of our bands who reached thousands of hungry ears around the world.
- Cornerstone Magazine - a publication that bravely dove into faith and culture (1971-2003)
- Cornerstone Festival - Our Christian music festival drew up to 20,000 attendees each summer for 29 years (1984-2012).
- Cornerstone Community Outreach - What started as a makeshift shelter in our dining room has become one of the largest shelters for people experiencing homelessness in the city of Chicago (1989-present).
As the season of the magazine and festival ended, we shifted focus to our local efforts - Cornerstone Community Outreach, the Wilson Abbey (a center for faith, art, and events), as well as the intentionality of caring for each other within the community.
![A view of the sidewalk and the front of the Wilson Abbey building](https://jesuspeoplechicago.org/images/jpusa-wilson-abbey-building.jpg)