Two hundred volunteers. A live Nativity. Wagon rides. S’mores around a campfire. An indoor snowball fight. Santa. A puppet show. Christmas Cookies. Food vendors. Christmas Traditions is upon us. Our celebration runs 3 to 7 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 9. The community is...
Barb Chidley is the Neighborhood Specialist for the City of Rockford. A Dixon native, she taught English at Auburn High School for six years before moving to her current role. In a recent conversation at her office in City Hall, Barb talked about creative ways to meet...
The Sunday that Kaylin Carlson led the worship song Rattle at Rockford Rescue Mission, she knew she was in the right place. Kaylin is part of a team of volunteers that lead worship at the Rescue Mission, one of two offsite venues for First Free’s Sunday worship...
Early in my post-college life, I experienced a season of intense depression and anxiety. Something I found helpful during that time was acknowledging how my emotions were tied to my surroundings and circumstances. It’s not wrong to not want to feel depressed or...
“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” Rogers Hornsby, Hall of Fame baseball player All due respect to Mr. Hornsby, but that’s no way to spend Rockford’s long...
In a neighborhood where need is always visible and hope isn’t, a former factory contains a thriving ministry for at-risk kids. Located at the corner of Seventh Street and 13th Avenue, Rock House Kids is a Bible-based program for children and teens. It runs four...
