John Seward, executive pastor

For, lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing of birds is come, And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

For over 30 years these words from the Song of Soloman (KJV) were used by the venerable Ernie Harwell to start each baseball season as he broadcast the Tigers’ home opener. . .words reflecting the hope and anticipation baseball fans everywhere carry into a new season.

And, as COVID lockdowns are further in our rearview mirror, and isolation is diminishing, there is a degree of hope in the air. More connecting; more gathering together; more serving side by side. The time of the singing is come.

So, as we recount this past year and look forward to the next, we do it with a perspective of hope. These words from Romans inspire us for this season and will serve as the structure for this ministry report—a report which will focus on how, in both this past year and also in this year ahead, we Rejoice in hope:

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal. Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation Be constant in prayer Contribute to the needs of the saints. Seek to show hospitality.

. . . Rejoice in hope for how we are sprouting new ministries which are specifically structured to foster ways for us to love one another with brotherly affection; to seek to show hospitality.

We plan to continue our Tuesdays Together time this summer with inflatables for our children and knockout

basketball. But we are also planning new games for our older children like 9 Square in the Air and Gaga Ball—and new food vendors, new live music, and contests to promote and provide an easy way for us to connect together mid-week.

On Sunday mornings we’ve added two new Communities— Living Word and Life Together. New opportunities to connect with others as we gather around in community and the Word of God. We’ve also instituted open gym Saturdays for little ones and continue to have numerous weekend retreats for all different ages throughout the year strengthening our relationships with one another and with our Lord.

And our women and men continue to have midweek and weekend Bible study opportunities—times where we exhort one another in learning the truths of Scripture. Also, we will soon be learning how the Crossings building will be renovated for new ministry space for our surrounding community, for our youth, our college students and for outreach.

. . . Rejoice in hope for how we contribute to the needs of the saints through sharing our finances and our time.

A remarkable (and not well-publicized) trait of College Church is the willingness of this congregation to consider others before considering themselves, and to focus on serving others. Over the past year we have had more than 1,000 ministry roles filled by volunteers— our men, women and students giving of their time and talent for the benefit of others. Our congregation has gone above and beyond in ministering to one another, serving one another. Perhaps most remarkably, in a year when giving financially was challenging, this body of believers has been more generous than in any previous year! Also, our Care and Share fund has disbursed nearly $200,000 to help those here in the Wheaton area needing financial assistance. With such a giving and generous congregation, as we move into this new year, we do so with great hope knowing this body is focused on not only our own needs, but the needs of others.

. . . Rejoice in hope for our leaders who earnestly serve the Lord; who are not slothful in zeal; and who are constant in prayer.

In a recent ministry assessment of our church, we identified over 300 specific ministry functions that take place over the course of a year. That equates to over 30 ministries on average for each of our ministry heads. In a time when we hear of many ministries across the country needing to scale things back, we have been blessed here with leaders looking to do more—finding new ways to engage; and building on the successful programs built through years of refinement.

We love this body of believers and together we are committed to discover all there is to know about Jesus, to grow in our knowledge and faith, to impact the world around us—let us not be “slothful in zeal” for our calling. And, may it all continue to be undergirded in prayer.

As we complete this year and step into a new one, we resonate with Paul’s words from Romans chapter five, verse two:

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.