Eric Channing, pastor of congregational care and family ministies

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

The pace of change, uncertainty and unrest in our world this past year was dizzying at times. However, amid such challenges, we must remind ourselves that we have a solid foundation, built upon the rock and anchor of our souls, Jesus Christ. In the passage above, Peter reminds us that our hope is living, and it is founded upon God’s great mercy. This mercy has given us a new life in Christ. This means that no matter what happens in our lives, or within the world at large, our hope is secure. Our inheritance is imperishable. What a needed reminder for all of us as we seek to minister to one another at College Church.

Here are a few highlights from 2021-22 in the areas of ministry that I oversee:

EQUIPPING In March 2022 I had the privilege of training 25+ leaders within our church on “Caring for One Another,” using material from Ed Welch’s book with the same title. My hope is our church would continue to live out the “one another’s” of Scripture and that we would not be intimidated to step into one another’s lives, especially as those around us go through times of difficulty and trial.

In addition, this spring Jim and Heidi Johanik joined me in leading the Becoming One class, which equips pre- and newly married couples with biblical tools for successful marriages. We had 13 couples participate in the class, the largest in 10 years, all in various ages and stages of life. Please join me in praying for these couples, that their marriages would be a living picture of the foundational marriage, the one between Christ and his bride, the church.

PASTORAL RESIDENCY The residency program continued to bear much fruit this past year. In December, we welcomed Josh Maurer to the full-time pastoral staff after his service as a pastoral resident for one and a half years. He and Caitlin and the kids are such a blessing to us all, and we look forward to how God will use them here in the years ahead. In February, Josue Alvarado joined the staff as a pastoral resident, and he has already brought much life and a new perspective to the staff. Looking forward, Richard Moomjian begins his residency in June. God has truly blessed us with godly men whom we are called to mentor and train, all while benefitting from their ministry among us.

DEACONESSES The deaconesses at College Church are all-stars. Most of their work is done behind the scenes, but they serve with faithfulness, compassion, Christlike care and excellence. They serve meals at funerals, administrate Care and Share benevolence fund requests, prepare the communion elements, visit homebound congregants and so much more. What a blessing this group of hardworking, humble women are to this church.

SUPPORT GROUPS Laurie Costley (Grief Share) and Pat Fallon (Grace Mental Health groups) provided excellent leadership over our support groups this past year. If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, or if you or a family member are struggling with mental health issues, please reach out to us and we would love to get you involved with these ministries.

VISITATION Bruce Main has done a fantastic job as the interim pastor of visitation and care for our senior adults. As a veteran pastor of 40 years, he has brought godliness, maturity, and deep care for people into every conversation and visit. In addition to Bruce, various congregants have visited homebound individuals within the congregation, and the pastoral staff and deaconesses have done the same.

FRONT DOOR MINISTRIES This year the Front Door Ministries (greeting team, welcome center, hospitality committee, ushers and LST) worked together in fresh ways to welcome people to College Church. Our theme verse comes from Romans 15:7, “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” It is a joy to see how these dedicated servants work hard to bless new visitors, members and anyone who comes through the doors of the church.

MEMBERSHIP We know from Scripture that the Lord is the one who builds his church. In February we were blessed with the largest membership class in recent history, with more than 65 people participating in the class. College Church’s commitment to God’s Word is the main factor in drawing people from around the western suburbs.

There’s so much more that I could report. As I close, let us rejoice in the Lord who has given us a living hope, and a future that can never be shaken.

ERIC CHANNING, PASTOR OF CONGREGATIONAL CARE AND FAMILY MINISTRIES