Brooks challenges local churches to rediscover that loving our neighbors means loving our neighborhoods. Unpacking the themes of Jeremiah 29, he shows how Christians can be fully present in local communities, building homes and planting gardens for the common good. His holistic vision and practical work offers good news for forgotten people and places. And community stakeholders and civic leaders will rediscover that churches are viable partners in community transformation in ways that they may never have considered. 

Jonathan Brooks ("Pastah J") is senior pastor of Canaan Community Church in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. A sought after speaker, writer, and artist, he has contributed to two books: Banned Questions for Christians by Christian Piatt and Making Neighborhoods Whole by John Perkins and Wayne Gordon.

Jonathan has a Master of Divinity in Christian community development from Northern Seminary, and taught elementary education and arts in inner city Chicago for over a decade. A firm believer in investing in the community you grew up in, he has a deep desire to impress this virtue on the students and young people in his congregation, classroom, and community. His projects include the Canaan Community Redevelopment Corporation (CCRC), a not-for-profit community development company that provides youth development, holistic health options, college scholarships, music lessons, and continual support to the incarcerated and their families. He is also a recording artist with the hip-hop group Out-World and has been featured on numerous albums with artists such as Lecrae, Tedashii, Shai Linne, and Sho Baraka.