In many ways, Living Word Christian Center, 7600 W. Roosevelt, is located in Forest Park, some parishioners consider it a Chicago congregation.

If you walk through the parking lot outside it massive worship facility on a Sunday, you’ll spot as many Chicago license plates as those from Forest Park. From March 25-27, the church hosts its 2009 Ministers and Missions Conference.

Pastor Bill Winston began hosting the conferences several years ago. In 1989, Winston and his wife, Veronica, moved into a storefront on Madison Street in Forest Park with about a dozen members. Attendance grew enough that Winston added a second service. Before long, they outgrew the location on Madison and moved into the much larger space, formerly occupied by Forest Park Mall. Living Word eventually bought the entire mall and transformed the mall’s old movie theater into a worship auditorium, seating up to 2000.

The conference begins at 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 25, and concludes 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 27.

For more information, call 866-816-4653.

-Tom Holmes