THE SLINKMAN FAMILY, NAPERVILLE SPEAK LOVE Job transfers have moved Christian and Adrienne Slinkman from Naperville to Dallas and Phoenix for the past 20 years, but each time they move back to Naperville due to their strong ties to Grace Pointe Church in Naperville and their friendships built along the way. Their three kids, Caitlin (16), Joshua (13) and Madeleine (11) attend District 204 schools and are involved in football, basketball, baseball, soccer, gymnastics and dance to name a few; but the one theme that rules the Slinkman household is, “Serve others – especially those that can never repay you.”
As actions speak louder than words, the family believes in mission work and have volunteered with Feed My Starving Children and have supported missionaries in Guatemala and Ecuador. Joshua and Caitlin also participate on a missionary trip to Compton, CA each year.
The family value of mission work began after Christian and Adrienne attended a church in Arizona and were introduced to the non-for profit Live Love, highlighting the importance of local work. “Growing up, missions were always something foreign to me,” Chris says. “Live Love was used by God to stir my heart and create a passion for reaching people locally. The world around us has many needs and we do not have to look very far outside of our front door to see them.” This sparked the creation of Speak Love, a non-profit created by The Slinkmans to serve the local community.
Speak Love hosts events such as Breakfast & Books, as well as Movie Nights, providing free and discounted meals with complimentary books and entertainment to crowds of 200+ people. They will be adding soccer clinics and community cleanups. The next event is March 18th, donate or help at www.signupgenius.com/go/409084ba8a62eab9-breakfast or visit www.facebook.com/speakloveaurora - Kristen Kucharski
