July 2022 Connections

JULY 2022

CONNECTIONS L O C A L & G L O BA L S TO R I E S, N E W S A N D E V E N T S O F C O L L E G E C H U RC H

“Unbeknownst to Don and Muriel, and the rest of the world, a disaster loomed on the horizon.”

Read Sent: To Go & To Serve

by Jacki Berg on page 8.

I BELIEVE

We Are Real Family RICHARD MOOMJIAN PAGE | 10 LIFE LESSONS

The Fondness of Memories PAT CIRRINCIONE | PAGE 12 FACE TO FACE

Easy Living KEITH BODGER | PAGE 16

TABLE OF CONTENTS PA GE 02

PAGE 14

July Highlights

Welcome New Members

PA GE 04

PAGE 16

Prayer Gatherings

Easy Living KEITH BODGER

PA GE 04 Artist Spotlight—Andrea Jacobsen

PAGE 18

PA GE 05

Partner in Caring Network Expansion

From the Editor

SARAH LINDQUIST

WIL TRIGGS

PAGE 19

PA GE 06

Summer Then, Now and To Come

A Fond Farewell

PA GE 08 SENT: To Go & To Serve

WIL TRIGGS

PAGE 20 At the Bookstall

JACKI BERG

PAGE 22

PA GE 10

Milestones

We Are Real Family RICHARD MOOMJIAN

PA GE 12

PAGE 23 Looking Ahead

The Fondness of Memories

PAGE 24

PAT CIRRINCIONE

Campus Maps

Our Pastors, Directors and Residents: Josue Alvarado, pastoral resident | Eric Channing, pastor of congregational care and family ministries Cheryce Berg, director of children’s ministries | Julie Clemens, director of disability ministries | Erik Dewar, pastor of worship and music Baxter Helm, high school pastor | Dan Hiben, middle school pastor | Tim Hollinger, technology director | Howard Kern, facilities director Bruce Main, interim pastor of visitation and care | Josh Maurer, pastor of discipleship | Curt Miller, missions pastor | Josh Moody, senior pastor Richard Moomjian, pastoral resident | Ben Panner, college pastor | Mindy Rynbrandt, director of women’s ministries | John Seward, executive pastor | Nancy Singer, director of administration and Qnance | Wil Triggs, director of communications | Michael Walker, pastoral res Our Council of Elders: David Bea | Mark Berg | Howard Costley, chair | Dave Gieser, vice chair | Randy Jahns | Heinrich Johnsen Josh Moody, senior pastor | Je Oslund | Roger Sandberg | David Setran | Jeremy Taylor, secretary | Chad Thorson | Brian Wildman

332 E. Seminary, Wheaton, IL 60187 (630) 668-0878 | www.college-church.org

Connections is a monthly newsletter published for and about the people of College Church. Send news items and suggestions to: connections@college-church.org.

Keep Connections in mind to promote a community event to the College Church family. Send event information by the following dates: For the August issue: July 9 For the September issue: August 9 | For the October issue: September 9

CONTRIBUTORS JACKI BERG

SARAH LINDQUIST

has been on staff with College Church in the missions office and the middle school ministry for nearly a year. She enjoys balancing the two positions while watching as the Lord oftentimes beautifully intertwines the two. Jacki and her husband, Ryan (son of Mark and Cheryce), live in Lombard.

serves with the Evangelism and Culture Impact Committee and Sanctity of Human Life Task Force. She homeschools her young sons and teaches violin, viola and performing ensembles at Community School of the Arts at Wheaton College. She enjoys exploring historic sites, listening to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra live, and eating curry.

KEITH BODGER Keith Bodger has lived in Wheaton since he married his wife, Mel. He and Mel have been at College Church for almost ten years and lead a small group. Keith’s summer gig has been the emcee at Tuesdays Together.

PAT CIRRINCIONE is a person who enjoys meeting people and finding out what interests them. If she isn’t cleaning house or washing clothes or cooking/baking for her family, she can be found, knitting, crocheting, cross stitching, reading and writing. If you can’t locate her, she is probably curled up in a chair with a good book. God and her family are her greatness joys— spending time with both has led to much joy, fun and laughter.

ANDREA JACOBSEN

RICHARD MOOMJIAN currently serves as pastoral resident with Pastor Ben Panner in the college ministry. He is a graduate of Wheaton College ( B. A. ) and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.Div.). He and his wife, Shelby, are getting settled back in Wheaton after two years in San Diego. Richard loves biblical theology, the deep things of God, and encouraging the college students he is privileged to serve.

WIL TRIGGS likes to think about how to express the love of Jesus to people who don’t know him. He enjoys Kids’ Harbor Kindergarten and is committed to advancing global communications through shortterm missions, including MAI’s LittWorld conferences, and prayer support for the persecuted church.

is a Qne artist living outside Nashville, TN. She is a graduate of Wheaton College and the eldest daughter of Mary DeMoss, College Church’s administrative assistant for adult ministries and facilities.

Andrea took the leap to being a full-time artist in late 2021. Her inspiration often comes from the idea of abundance which can be seen in her exotic color exploration.

COVER IMAGE: Flirty in Pink by Andrea Jacobsen

JULY HIGHLIGHTS SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICES

SUMMER FORUM

Everyone welcome

in Commons Hall at 9:30 a.m.

Join us at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Livestream broadcast is at 9:30 with a rebroadcast at 11. You can watch it at college-church.org/livestream

FAITHSHARE: Ten Weeks to Grow Your Gospel Readiness JULY 3: How can you say there is only one way to God?

SERMON SERIES

JULY 10: How can you trust the Bible?

JULY 3: Comfort, Comfort Isaiah 40:12-31, Josh Moody preaching

JULY 17: How can you say God is good when the world isfullofsuering?

JULY 10: Remember your Creator Ecclesiastes 12:1-8, Ben Panner preaching

JULY 24: How can you say God is love if he sends people to hell?

JULY 17: If It Had Not Been the Lord Psalm 124, Baxter Helm preaching

JULY 31: Isn’t Christianity homophobic and denigrating to women?

JULY 24: Relationships Genesis 2:18:1-5 “Family,” Josh Moody preaching JULY 31: Relationships 1 Samuel 18:1-5 “Friendship,” Josh Moody preaching

SUNDAY EVENING WORSHIP SERVICES Everyone welcome.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES (KIDS’ HARBOR) SUNDAYS—June 12-August 7 9:30 a.m. Nursery, preschool and elementary 11 a.m. Nursery and preschool (only for children of firsttime visitors and those teaching in Kids’ Harbor)

In Commons Hall at 5 p.m.

GOD’S GOOD DESIGN!

Walk in Christ Series, Colossians

A three-week elective class to lay a foundation for what the Bible has to say about our bodies and sexuality.

Sundays, July 17, 24 and 31 at 9:30 a.m.; for parents and students entering 4 th or 5 th grade. Registration is required materials provided cost $ 4 5 .

SUMMER CREW 2022 All events meet at 1-3:30 p.m. for children entering grades 1-5 Ticket price: $ 5 per event Registration required for each event at college-church.org/events JULY 3: No evening service JULY 10: Colossians 2:15, Dan Hiben preaching JULY 17: Colossians 2: 16-23, Ben Panner preaching JULY 24: Colossians 3:1-17, Baxter Helm preaching JULY 31: Colossians 3:18-4:1, Josue Alvarado preaching

SUMMER ADVENTURE DAYS IN JULY JULY 6: Take 2 : Water Fun ( grades one- three) JULY 7: Take 3 : Water Fun ( grades four- five) JULY 26: Take 4: The Finale (all grades)

PRESCHOOL ADVENTURE DAY IN JULY JULY 26: 1-2:30 p.m. Jesus will Return!

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SPARK STUDIOS VBS

VISITORS LUNCH

Created in Christ, designed for God’s purpose (Eph. 2:10) Please attend one VBS session only.

Are you new to College Church?

If so, you’re invited to our Visitors Lunch on Sunday, August 7, at noon in the lobby outside the Sanctuary. Come and meet pastors and sta , learn about College Church and Qnd out how you can get involved. Lunch is on us!

JULY 11-14: Backyard JULY 18-21: Backyard

MIDDLE SCHOOL (KMS) NOTE: All middle school programming is cancelled for the week of Fourth of July (July 3-9).

MONDAYS: Boys & Girls Bible Studies 10:30 a.m. to noon— boys meet in the North Lot Tent, girls meet in the Commons WEDNESDAY NIGHTS: meet on the Commons Patio ( rain call: Commons Hall West) 6 : 4 5 - 8 : 1 5 p. m.

TUESDAYS TOGETHER Fun for all ages, food, music, plus time and space to chill together. Every Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m.

SUMMER BOOK GROUP

THURSDAYS: Sports Hangout—meet in the North Lot Tent 10:30 a.m. to noon

Wisdom from the Ancients: 30 Forgotten Lessons from the Early Church

SUNDAY MORNINGS: KMs Summer Sundays 9:3010:30 a.m. Meet in the KMs room.

by Bryan M. Litfin

Find out more at https://college-church.org/middle-school/

Wednesday nights at 7 in Commons from June 8-August 17

HIGH SCHOOL (HYACKS) NOTE: All high school programming is cancelled for the week of the Fourth of July (July 3-9).

SUNDAYS IN THE CROSSINGS at 9:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAYS from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

JULY 6: No meeting Fourth of July week JULY 13: Capture the Flag at Northside Park.

JULY 20: Chicago Day—more details in the HYACKS enews, and there is a regular HYACKs gathering Wednesday evening.

JULY 27: Guys/Girls Fellowship Night. Girls will meet at the Clark home ( 9 1 5 Gary Ct. , Wheaton) and guys will meet at the Dennis home ( 1 2 3 W. Prairie Ave, Wheaton) .

COLLEGE GROUP COLLEGE GROUP BIBLE STUDY on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. at 322 E. Union Ave.

STARS SUNDAYS INCLUSION CLASSES at 9:30 and 11 a.m.

TEEN STARS at 9:30 a.m.

YOUNG ADULT/ADULT/MULTI-GENERATIONAL at 9:30 a.m.

WOMEN’S MINISTRIES SUMMER BIBLE STUDY As schedules change for the summer, let’s take the opportunity to be intentional about spending time in God$ s Word. We are excited to offer a newly released, eight-week, video-based study on Matthew for you to use as you organize and gather friends for Bible study this summer. The Seek First the Kingdom study is available for $ 5 in the Commons by the reception desk. We are praying that this study would not only be a blessing to you, but also a support as you seek to minister to the people around you this summer. More information is available on our website.

WOMEN’S MINISTRY SUMMER BOOK CLUB on the Commons Patio, rain location Commons Hall, 7-8:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 14: Made for More by Hannah Anderson TUESDAY, AUGUST 9: Worthy by Elyse Fitzpatrick & Eric Schumacher

MOM2MOM Summer Park Playdates, 9:30-11 AM JULY 11: at Herrick Park JULY 25: at Kelly Park

WHEATON NDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE at 1 0 a. m.

MUSIC CAMP July 6, 13, 20, 27 from 3 to 5 p.m.

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PRAYER GATHERINGS ONLINE & IN PERSON Call the church office or email info@college-church.org for details on these prayer meetings.

Sunday Morning Prayer 8:15-8:40 a.m. in C101 Monday Morning Prayer 6:15-7:15 a.m. Board Room Wednesday Night Prayer (Zoom only) 7-8 p.m.

JULY 6: WATCH Couple JULY 13: Kristen JULY 20: Robbie & Lauren Becker JULY 27: Jake & Honah Finn Friday Prayer for the Persecuted Church (Board Room) 12-1 p.m.LedbyWilandLorraineTriggs.Theweeklyprayerguide is also available at our website: https://bit.ly/3vzdcAz Our Prayer Pulse email goes out every Monday. You can get prayer updates via that email. Sign up by clicking “Enews signup” on our website. If you already receive other emails from College Church, click “manage my preferences” at the bottom of any email and select Prayer Pulse to add yourself.

HANNAH PRAYER FELLOWSHIP will meet on Wednesday, July 13, at 1:30 pm in the Commons, C101. A worker in a hard-to-reach area will be sharing with us. All are welcome.

DORCAS PRAYER FELLOWSHIP will learn from the Beckers at its July meeting about their part of the Lord’s work in Bogota, Colombia. This will be Wednesday, July 20, at 1:30 p.m. in The Upper Deck at Covenant Living at Windsor Park. Robbie and Lauren are, respectively, on the teaching sta and the board of El Camino Academy. With their four children, they are also working to evangelize and plant a church in their neighborhood. Men and women are welcome to visit or become members of this prayer group for some of the global workers College Church helps to support.

AARON-HUR PRAYER FELLOWSHIP will meet on Thursday, July 28, at 7 p.m. at the home of Eric and Marilyn Enstrom, 1460 Stoddard Avenue in Wheaton, ( 6 3 0 ) 6 8 2 - 8 3 4 1 .

FINE ARTIST

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

ANDREA JACOBSEN Wearealllivingoutastorythatwillbetoldonedaywhenwe$regone.Whatwould itlookliketotellthatstorythroughart?

My name is Andrea, and I’m a painter and writer inspired by the stories that make up our lives. If I were to title my story thus far, it would be “Yes, but not yet.”

Although I grew up painting and selling art at age 11 (my mother, Mary DeMoss, is also an artist), I spent the Qrstsixyearsaftercollegeworkingin a traditional career. After landing my dream job in sales at LinkedIn, I felt God heavily putting on my heart to start painting again. I had no idea what that meant, but I listened and set up an easel in my one-bedroom apartment.

Fast forward two years and I found myself quitting that dream job to pursueartfulltime.

THE MOVEMENT OF BEAUT Y

By no means have I made it, but I’ve found there are a lot of lessons in the “not yet” seasons. I believe it is here God teaches us skills needed for when the big yeses come.

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SOME TH NG W LD, SOME TH NG NE W

www.andreajacobsen.com

FROM THE EDITOR

JULY INSTEAD OF JANUARY

Roald Dahl, the man who wrote about the giant peach, said of July, “If I had my way, I’d remove January from the calendar altogether and have an extra July instead.”

Growing up in southern California, I must confess that I do like the four seasons we have here, even if spring and fall can seem like much shorter seasons than summer and winter some years. Summer gives us time in the sun to consider things afresh. t$ s the time for Tuesdays Together, Cream of Wheaton, Summer Forum, parades, Qreworks and Summer Crew. Check out the summer reading lists in this issue and consider what you’ll be reading in the lingering evening sun.

It’s also a time of movement and change as autumn arrives, with our fall ministries starting in the last third of August. It’s coming faster than we realize. And it’s not too early to start thinking about how you might serve in the fall.

This issue of Connections gives us time to relish seasons past. We have summer memory writing from Pat Cirrincione, Keith Bodger and me. Enjoy Richard Moomjian’s Believe story. We also look ahead to fall and Michael Walker$ s move to London.

So enjoy July while it’s still here and start thinking about fall service opportunities.

WI L T RI GGS

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SI DE BY SI DE

A Fond Farewell

The Missions Office interviewed Pastoral Resident Michael Walker about his future plans.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

HOW WILL YOU BE SERVING?

HAVE YOU EVER LIVED OVERSEAS?

conference in Louisville this past December, I began to pray about it daily, because I knew that the ending of my residency would be a great time to take that step in the global ministry, In February, I emailed Missions Pastor Curt Miller to set up a meeting about something else, but I included on my agenda—that he never saw—another bullet point: to ask Curt if he knew of any opportunities overseas and in a center city context. He emailed me a couple days before conversation with a church plant we have been supporting— Trinity Church Central London. The church was asking for help in its university ministry, and Curt wanted me to pray about going there to serve. As soon as I read Curt’s email, I knew that God had answered my prayer.

WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT LIVING IN LONDON?

HOW DID GOD LEAD YOU TO THIS OPPORTUNITY?

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I’m excited about everything related to a global, center city environment. London is home to people from all over the world, with vastly different stories and diverse faith backgrounds, and much like Manhattan, it’s largely secular.

I hope that these factors will provide opportunities to have real conversations about true Christianity with university

students for the first time in their lives. Many come from Buddhist, atheistic or prosperity gospel backgrounds.

They have fundamental questions about faith and what it means to live in this world as a Christian. Like Paul, I think my job is to establish them in the faith so that they are stable—not tossed by winds of doctrine. (Eph. 4:13-15; Col. 2:6-7) WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT SERVING AT TCCL? I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to work with David Seckington and Malcolm Riley, faithful servants of the Lord in their pastoral positions at TCCL. Like Paul wrote in Romans 1:12, I hope that “we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

David and Malcolm have lived in London for years and have a deep zeal for the Lord as they do their daily ministry.

I also am excited to learn from David and Malcolm and the wisdom they have gleaned from years in ministry in London and seeing how they connect with university students from diverse faith backgrounds.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN LEAVING THE STATES? As excited as I am about the center city, it also presents a major challenge. Urban contexts can be very isolating— the pace of life, the number of people, and even how politeness is defined—can mean people are far less connected to each other than you would normally think.

I don’t expect to be immune to those things, but I am excited for the opportunity that it presents, and my hope is that I’ll be like Jesus—on the lookout for the broken, hurting and isolated in order to love them and share the gospel with them.

fundamental questions about the Christian faith. I feel much more prepared to go to London and, through the help of the Spirit, answer questions that those students have about true faith.

WHAT DOES YOUR FINANCIAL PICTURE LOOK LIKE? ARE YOU FULLY FUNDED? As I prepare to go to London, I have been praying that the Lord would provide a team of people who would “go” with me. I might be the one who physically moves to London, but missions work always includes a team of people who provide financial and prayer support. I have been so blessed by so many already who have sacrificially and faithfully given their prayers and finances to help me in this journey. If you feel inclined to support me in either of these ways, I have a website you can check out by typing the link below or clicking the QR code to learn more about my ministry and to find out how you can give prayerfully and/or financially: bit.ly/39G9ZZ1.

PRAYER REQUESTS My prayer as I prepare to go is that students from some closed countries who would never otherwise hear the gospel would even now decide to come to London and would come to know Jesus.

Please pray that God would grant me wisdom as I prepare to lead this ministry for two years and set it up for many more years of gospel work in the decades ahead.

On a personal level, pray for strong friendships so that I can assimilate more quickly and be strengthened for life in an entirely different context.

WHAT DO YOU FORESEE AS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS YOU BEGIN THIS NEW MINISTRY? A lot of people from the UK have told me how cold London is spiritually, and it feels like it might be more difficult to share the gospel with those whose hearts already seem to be hardened to it. I am confident that through his Spirit, the Lord will use me to show others who he truly is, and I hope to overcome that initial cold shoulder that I’m anticipating receiving from at least some students.

COMMUNION AT COLLEGE CHURCH JULY 3

WHAT ARE SOME TAKEAWAYS FROM YOUR PASTORAL RESIDENCY AT COLLEGE CHURCH THAT WILL BE HELPFUL AS YOU BEGIN YOUR MINISTRY AT TCCL? First, I have been so grateful how the Lord has prepared me for ministry through my residency here at College Church and to go overseas and serve with TCCL. My work with the 20s ministry will continue in many ways as I work with a similar age group and environment. College Church also has a fantastic emphasis on discipleship, that has equipped me to help others answer the hard but

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GL O BA L V O ICES

SENT:

To Go & To Serve JACKI BERG

Meet Don and Muriel Stilwell, SIM mis sionaries for over forty years to the coun tries of Eritrea, Ethiopia and beyond.

SENT TO SERVE…IN GOOD AND HARD TIMES

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or others in Ethiopia and beyond were anticipating. Early signs of the famine were becoming apparent to SIM missionaries living in remote rural and then many families pouring out of the mountains towards bigger cities in

limited sharing of the troubling news. remain on the sidelines. SIM leadership soon called him into action as famine relief coordinator. He realized that if he was going to address the issue at hand see what was going on for himself. Over drove throughout many of the northern villages collecting information and confirming the severity of the famine.

The situation in numerous areas was worse than previously reported.

and passions pivoted to famine relief through leadership and organization of SIM individuals and teams who arrived in Ethiopia to care for the victims of a short-term problem but an ongoing

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crisis, and he continued to make regular visits to the communities over the coming years as SIM and other organizations addressed the physical and spiritual needs of the people.

Don noted, gratefully, that SIM was part of a larger team addressing the famine, “SIM is one of several agencies working to fight near-famine conditions ... Our teams are feeding about 6,000 children at several locations. One area of great need is so inaccessible, that no one has been able to bring help.”

Don and Muriel’s first assignment in 1958 was to Nakfa, Eritrea, a small town where SIM’s gospel outreach was beginning to have an impact on the local people. The Stilwells spent several years in Nakfa, building up the clinic ministry and engaging in various building projects.

After several years there, SIM asked the Stilwells to open a new medical clinic in the town of Afabet. There, Muriel operated the daily medical assignments with local medical assistants, while Don oversaw the building of their home, the clinic, and digging of a well and installation of a windmill pump. After five years of work in two locations, they returned to the U.S. for their first home assignment, but no longer alone. Their three sons, Jon, Mark and Dan had been born in Eritrea, and Muriel was expecting their fourth child, Beth (a current College Church missionary), who would be born in Bemidji.

The Lord strengthened the Stilwells daily to carry out the tasks that he had placed before them, and Don and Muriel constantly trusted him for energy and wisdom. Even in the pain and suffering, they rejoiced in the opportunity to move into temporary housing to support the many shortterm famine workers coming to Ethiopia. Muriel wrote at the time, “Don and I are ‘mom and dad’ to the young Returning to Eritrea in 1965, the Stilwells continued their rural medical ministry for several more years until they people that are working on the relief team. We have a very mixed family of Canadians, Ethiopians, Americans, were transferred to the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa, where Don took over as pharmacist for SIM. Germans, rish and so forth. We have a wonderful time here at [our home]. Our fellowship is sweet in the Lord. Later, through the famine ministry, Don transitioned into of SIM’s community development work in We see these young people growing in the Lord and coordination the Ethiopia and maintained that role until they departed love they show to each other is like a glimpse of heaven.” for the States in 1978. During the following twenty years, SENT TO SERVE: THE CALL TO GO Don served on SIM’s international staff, overseeing Looking back to their time of preparation for missions, community development work for SIM around the world.

Don and Muriel didn’t always know that they would go Don and Muriel finally retired in 1998, but were soon off into full-time ministry. Don grew up in a Bible-believing to Khartoum, Sudan, where Don filled in as acting director family in northern Minnesota, and Muriel grew up in for a year and a half. an un-churched family in North Dakota, coming to faith as a young teen. Although Don had heard much about missions, he hadn’t seriously considered it as part of his future. But God was at work. During his junior year of high school, he took a chemistry course which so interested him that he strongly considered becoming a chemist.

Then at church camp during the summer before his senior year, an SIM missionary introduced him to the idea of becoming a chemist and a missionary: Don recalls that, “[The missionary] pointed out that they needed another pharmacist for the SIM medical work in Nigeria and maybe the Lord would enable me to use my interest in chemistry for his purposes as a pharmacist in Africa!”

Don’s continued interest in chemistry ultimately led him to major in pharmacy while Muriel would pursue a degree in nursing. But first, their preparation for service led them to Oak Hills Christian College in Bemidji, Minnesota. They met there in 1949 and were eventually married six years later. As they continued moving forward in faith, Don and Muriel reached out to SIM and were eventually sent to the northeastern African country of Eritrea (then a part of Ethiopia), where they would serve the Lord through rural health care ministry.

FAITHFUL SERVICE THROUGH THE YEARS There are many stories that could be told from the decades of Don and Muriel’s gospel service, from the early days of preparation to medical work in rural Eritrea, to famine relief and development in Ethiopia, and eventually development work around the world, all stories of the goodness and graciousness of God. The Lord provided them with the education and training they needed to be sent to Eritrea in 1958; he granted them the wisdom they needed every day through their active years of ministry, and he continues to sustain them in retirement, now ages 90 and 92, living in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

It is easy to fall into the temptation of doubting and questioning the Lord’s plans for our lives. But I encourage you to look to these two beautiful examples of long-term faithful obedience. Along with the prophet Isaiah, we can continue declaring with Don and Muriel: “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’”

(Isaiah 6:8)

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I BEL I EVE

We Are Real Family Richard Moomjian

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1) EARLY ON

When I was in third grade, my parents divorced, and my mom started looking for answers. She had grown up in the Catholic church and had a strong sense that my brother and I needed to be in a church. The year of 20 3 was spent traveling to different churches in San Diego, trying to find a church home.

Just a mile and a half from our house stood a Bible-preaching Baptist church.

My mom went to an adult Bible study.

We went to Vacation Bible School. One day, that summer of 20 3, our almost fourth-grade VBS class was brought to

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an upper room for a Bible lesson. We all sat crisscrossABOUT NOW apple sauce on the carpeted floor. I remember hearing After the past two years in San Diego, God made it clear the teacher talk about a heavenly Father who loved me to Shelby and me that he was leading us back to College so much he gave his Son, Jesus, to die for me. “Raise your Church. Back to this church family. I praise God that I can hand if you want to know him and give your life to Jesus.” look back on my childhood and see that God was using I wanted to know that kind of love. My hand shot up. God the church—that church in San Diego—to be the family saved me that day and gave me new life in Christ. of God to me. God is also using this church—College The best part is my mom threw a party. Prodigal Son style. Church—to be a church home to both the healthy and I remember my godmother and other family friends were broken families here in the Wheaton area. We have the there. I think we had cake. My mom gave me a Bible and enormous privilege to be the loving, godly family many started to read it. We went to our new church homepeople every have never known. While some see church as an Sunday. went to youth group every Wednesday. Whenadd-on to the family, the Bible shows us that the church there were tensions at home, I would walk to church and is family. spend time with my youth pastor. Some days he would pick me up from school. My church family became real family. Not a perfect family, but a holy one.

I am going to be serving college students during my pastoral residency. Students who come from miles away will, in almost an instant, find themselves church homeless. As a church family, we are the ones who will invite LATER ON students into our Sanctuary, into our homes and into our For the most part Christians who serve their church family lives as family we have not yet met. I hope to paint for are ordinary. At least by the world’s standards. And while these students an inherited vision of the local church. they may not be famous, they are faithful. Their names A vision of the Church as the place of spiritual nurture. are great in the eyes of those they serve. Jim Benge was A vision of church as the parents and siblings you never one of those people for me. Every week we would meet at had. A vision of church as Scripture teaches. A vision of McDonalds and study the Bible. We started in the Gospel church as family. Real family. of John and got all the way to James over the course of my time in high school. He taught me to be an honest man. Cyprian, an early church father, famously said that “No Control your anger. Love Jesus. He taught me to say sorry. one can have God for his Father, who does not have the “Christianity starts in the home,” Jim declared as he held Church as his mother.” In other words, the church is not up a vision and dream of a family of my own. A family in optional. We are saved into a family. There are no loneranger, only- child Christians. We are adopted as sons and which Christ would rule and be its foundation. daughters of God Most High. Every Sunday is a family Along with a vision for Christian family, my home reunion. Every Lord’s Table, a Thanksgiving Day meal. And church affirmed my sense of calling to serve as pastor. that means that for every passer-by, every misfit, every Opportunities to lead in worship and Bible study were child of a broken home, there is a Father waiting with followed by encouragements to further theological study. arms stretched wide and adoption papers in hand. And I knew I wanted to serve the church but wasn’t sure where best yet—we get to tell them that good news. to go next. My mom was taking counseling classes at a nearby seminary and asked her professors where I should go. They all had the same answer: Wheaton College. When I received my acceptance letter, I went. No college visit, no afterthought. The night before I left for college, I googled Illinois; then I ordered a down jacket and long johns.

My time of study at Wheaton College was sweet. God gave me new delight in the disciplines of prayer and Bible meditation. I learned Greek and Hebrew. I met my wife, Shelby. And I began to serve here at College Church. God began using and is still using people like Ben Panner and Zach Fallon pastorally to sharpen my heart and mind.

Similarly, my time in seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School was sharpening and clarifying many of my theological convictions—a high view of the Bible, God’s sovereignty, the necessity of the local church.

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LIF E LES S O NS

The Fondness of Memories Pat Cirrincione I grew up on the west side of Chicago, not far from Garfield Park. From ages six to thirteen, my family and I lived in my paternal grandparents’ three-flat on Kildare Avenue, where we occupied the third floor (the top floor) residence.

Since heat tends to rise to the top level, it meant that our summers were especially hot. To keep the house temperature down, Mom would pull the drapes and blinds closed, and keep a fan going to draw the heat out (air conditioning was an unheard of commodity back then). I didn’t realize at the time that God had a plan for each of us, or I would have been inquiring about why dealing with sweltering heat was a part of my life at such a tender age. Little did I know that God was about to do an incredible “thing” in our lives.

I had just turned nine when Mom discovered the Offthe-Street Club for boys and girls. It was a place to learn woodworking and how to build bird houses. Kids could take cooking classes or participate in performing arts or sports. It was a place that took us to White Sox baseball games during the summer, to rodeos where I met the Cisco Kid and Poncho! The best part of their summer camp program was that it began as soon as school let out for the summer. Mom thought it was just what her children needed, to be outside all day and away from the city, out in a suburb called Wheaton.

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The first summer Mom signed us up for the day camp experience, which ran from Monday through Friday. She walked her three children (along with their camp bags filled with lunch, bathing suits and towels) to the pick-up spot, which was in front of the Marbro movie theatre (where I eventually would watch the “The Ten Commandments”). There were so many children that a bus and truck were needed for the trip to the country.

By eight in the morning, we were off on our first summer adventure.

I remember being amazed as we left the brick-and-mortar and paved streets of the city to countryside I didn’t know existed. Farms, dirt roads, lakes, the Sky-Hi outdoor movie theatre. It was like entering another world. Had we landed in a different country? No noise except for our own chatter. It was amazing.

Butterfield Road was dirt and gravel, with farms on either side. The air was so

fresh, and green grass everywhere you looked, and a high blue sky. I thought I had landed in heaven (or in Iowa), and we hadn’t arrived at our destination yet – what was that going to look like?

It was incredible, at least in the eyes of a city child.

After driving down a winding gravel road, we came to the top of a hill and got our first glimpse of the campgrounds.

Large and sprawling, with a huge pole barn to our right, and the American Flag blowing in the breeze. As we progressed down the hill we saw dormitory buildings, a house, and another building we would go in in case of inclement weather. A rack with bicycles, a campfire ring surrounded by logs to sit on, a water pump. Did I mention the blue skies? And grass for running around on? And picnic benches? And years later there would also be a pool. The only word that came to my mind? Freedom.

Paradise to a city child.

So, it began…. bike hikes to Herrick Lake once a week where we learned to row a boat, and then a cookout with hot dogs and S’mores for dessert, or a bike hike to the Batavia Quarry for swimming. There was always something to do or enjoy. Twice a week on our way home we would head to the Forest Park pool for swimming lessons and cool off on those hot summer days.

were spent on a grassy knoll, under the beautiful starlit sky and the director would teach us the names of the constellations (the Big and Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, Perseus,). In the country you could see the magnificence of the night sky and its twinkling lights. Some nights, we would head out to the evening campfire where the camp counselors would tell ghost stories, and by chance you might find your hand being held by the cute boy you had a crush on.

There were always things to learn and do. We had a nature trail that encircled the campgrounds, and it was here where we learned what plants we could eat and survive on, and what poison ivy looked like. At the end of the year there was a contest to see who could name the most plants and point out the most constellations – those campers would get to stay overnight for free the last week of the summer.

Those days and nights are printed indelibly in my memories, but one of the funny things is that I thought Wheaton consisted only of farms, St. Michael$ s Church and the Dairy Queen. never knew about the rest of Wheaton until later, when we moved from the west side of Chicago to one of the burb towns, where the roads were still dirt and gravel.

Our neighbor had her salon in Wheaton, and we would travel there on dirt roads. At that time, I had no idea that almost fifty years later the Lord would call me to College Church in Wheaton, where, while was at camp, students such as Billy Graham, Jim Elliott and Ken Taylor were studying at Wheaton College. Who knew that would meet Margaret Taylor or Pastor Kent Hughes and Pastor Moody who would mentor me in the faith as they faithfully taught The following year a miracle occurred. After my mom saw ( and Josh still does) from God$ s Word? how much we enjoyed that first summer out in Wheaton, Who but the Lord knew that he would bring me full circle she, an awesome cook and baker, offered to be the camp back to a place that nurtured my young soul and now cook. Her deal? No pay but her children could spend nurtures my aging soul! From a director that lovingly the whole summer in the country, and Dad could spend taught his campers to appreciate the land, to a heavenly weekends with us. To this day I am so grateful for their director who has guided my soul to appreciate his words. sacrifice of time apart so their children could enjoy the gift The Bible is clear that God has a purpose for each of our of outside freedom and fresh air. lives and look at what he has done with a young city girl to The next three years we spent our summers in the country. now. I feel truly blessed.

As overnighters, we did more than the day campers. Every morning, we ate breakfast as a group in the dining area and learned how to set tables for breakfast and dinner and helped Mom in the kitchen. The house cat, a beautiful Siamese that liked to sleep with me at night on my top bunk, got in on the morning routine running up from the basement to drop a dead mouse at Mom’s feet.

And when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we discovered our first summer that some kids got to spend a week, or more, at camp. A week of dorm life with cold showers, evening campfires, breakfast and dinner in the long indoor eating area, lunches made by the camp cook.

However, it was a bit costly, and our parents were just able to pay for the day camp.

After breakfast and cleanup, we headed outside to await the arrival of the day campers. Tuesday evenings

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N E W M E M BER S

Welcome!

JOHN & CONNIE SHANK

PLACES LIVED: John grew up in Michigan. He and Connie have served in the U.S. Army for 30 years and have moved around a lot— eight different states and four different countries.

FAMILY: Married over 25 years and have three adult children 9 TO 5: John retired from the Army in 2019 after having served in very high levels within the Department of Defense, including on staff for the secretary of the defense. Connie is a retired Army colonel. Her most recent assignment was as the continuity of operations officer for the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve at the Pentagon.

PASTTIMES: John enjoys working around the house. Connie enjoys hiking, playing board games with family and traveling CHURCH INVOLVEMENT: Small group

ALLISON SIPEK

FAMILY: Grew up in Lemont, Illinois.

She is the youngest of three and loves being an aunt. She is getting married to College Church member David Kelley on July 9.

9 TO 5: Works as a credit representative at Tyndale House Publishers. She enjoys the relationship building that comes through talking with Christian authors, missionaries and owners of Christian bookstores.

PASTTIMES: Allison enjoys all kinds of crafting, especially crocheting and painting.

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT: Small group, Kids’ Harbor

DICK STAHLER

PLACES LIVED: Born and raised in the Chicago area. During active duty as a Marine Corps pilot, he and family lived in many places around the country.

FAMILY: After more than 65 years of marriage, Dick’s wife, Patricia, entered the presence of Jesus last November. They have five adult children and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

9 TO 5: Retired from engineering, then business systems and information technology PASTTIMES: Enjoys hiking, gardening and reading. He recently began converting their many years of home movies to digital media CHURCH INVOLVEMENT: Greek Adult Community

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TOM & CARRIE STONER

PLACES LIVED: Tom grew up in Wheaton. The Stoners lived in Boston for 20 years before moving to St. Louis and now Naperville due to job changes. Carrie is from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

FAMILY: Married since 1991 and have four children. Carrie’s brother is Dr. Jon Laansma.

9 TO 5: Tom is the head of school at Covenant Classical School in Naperville. Carrie works parttime as a licensed social worker but has been home almost full time since they moved here from Massachusetts.

PASTTIMES: Tom likes to decompress from work with time with family. He enjoys watching sports and playing golf.

Carrie enjoys reading and walks at the Arboretum. She enjoys working in their yard and walking their dog. They also spend a lot of free time going to the fitness center together.

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT: Carrie has attended Women$ s Bible Study.

ALISON TAYLOR

PLACES LIVED: Alison grew up in Wheaton and attended College Church FAMILY: Alison’s parents are College Church members Jeremy and Nancy Taylor, and she has many relatives at College Church.

9 TO 5: She is a student at Wheaton College.

PASTTIMES: Alison loves making music, writing and going on walks.

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT: College Group, Kids’ Harbor, serves in worship and music

JOHANNES VANDERMEIJ

PLACES LIVED: Has lived in Geneva his whole life, except for college at Cedarville University in Ohio 9 TO 5: Johannes is a product development engineer for WEN power tools PASTTIMES: He enjoys sneakerreselling, fitness, playing and watching sports, gardening, board games and free-style rapping!

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT: 20s ministry, serves in HYACKs, small group, STARS Buddy Break

DAVID & HEATHER WIGGINS PLACES LIVED: David was born in Evanston, grew up in Bu alo Grove, moved to Downers Grove until marriage, and now lives in St. Charles.

Heather was born in New York and has lived in Michigan and Batavia.

FAMILY: They have been married almost 30 years and have five children. (Heather’s sister, Kim Jimenez, is on staff at College Church as the administrative assistant for our disability ministry.)

9 TO 5: David is an account manager working in electronic components. Heather is a passionate homeschool mom who loves learning, teaching, encouraging and doing life with family.

PASTTIMES: David enjoys reading, research and watching sports. Heather likes to refinish furniture. She also has fun doing needlework, working out and biking with David when the weather is good.

ANDREW WILLIS

PLACES LIVED: Grew up in Homer Glen and is the oldest of five siblings. His brother and sister-inlaw are College Church attenders Christian and Sarah Willis.

9 TO 5: Andrew is an attorney at a small Chicago law firm that works with nonprofits and small businesses.

PASTTIMES: He enjoys reading history, playing sports and hiking national parks.

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT: 20s ministry, serves in KMs and STARS

ANNIKA YODER

PLACES LIVED: Born in Rockford, but grew up in Frankfort, Illinois. Her family now lives in Winfield.

FAMILY: Besides her parents, John and Suzy, who are also new members, she has three brothers. The Yoders are related to Eric and Marilyn Enstrom and Nate and Abby Clark.

9 TO 5: Annika is a junior at Wheaton College studying pre-nursing and English literature.

PASTTIMES: She loves to read, play the piano and sing, do crosswords and play volleyball.

CHURCH INVOLVEMENT: College Group

JOHN & SUZANNA YODER

PLACES LIVED: John grew up in Wheaton. John was a pastor of a church in Minnesota and two in Illinois. Suzanne was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois. They currently live in Winfield.

FAMILY: John and Suzy have four children.

9 TO 5: After 25 years of pastoral ministry, John is taking a rest and looking for other work. Suzanne is a registered nurse but took a long hiatus from work to raise and homeschool their children. Two years ago, she rejoined the nursing work force and now works at the Wheaton College Student Health Services.

PASTTIMES: They enjoy reading or time outdoors fishing, golfing and hiking as well as time with family.

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Keith Bodger

Easy Living

FACE T O FA CE

GL OBA L VOI CES

During the early 1970s, I lived in northern Ontario, Along with the Slimes, summer brought berries galore.

Canada, in a gold and iron mining community. Summers In late June, I could walk across the road, and I would be were a joy for a young boy. We lived in a town called in the woods. From there I would walk several hundred Kirkland Lake, which is as far north as northern feet and there would be a bounty of raspberries. After Minnesota. During the 1920s and 30s, millions of ounces eating my fill, I would bring buckets of raspberries home of gold were extracted from the bedrock on which for my mother to make into raspberry jam. The house Kirkland Lake sat, and gold is still mined there today. was filled with the aroma of raspberries.

One thing that comes with gold mining from a century Later in the summer, it was blueberry season. Again ago is the tailings ponds. Back then, long before I would walk a short distance and there were blueberries environmental regulations, miners dumped the tailings, galore on bushes low to the ground. Not like the the waste rock, into nearby lakes. Kirkland Lake, the cultivated ones in southwest Michigan. The blueberries actual lake itself and others, were filled with tailings. were tiny but so flavorful. Again, we could pick and fill During the summer, they became large flat areas that buckets and eat as much as we could. They were free were great for bike riding. They were like miniature Salt and abundant.

Flats of Utah. But not salty. Possibly toxic, but not salty.

The berries were free and abundant to black bears, as My friends and I would ride our bikes as fast as we could well. It was late June, school was still in session, when across those former lakes. We called them the Slimes. several of my friends looked out the school windows One time, near the Slimes, we were riding our bikes on and noticed a few bears running across the playground. the bedrock. We fancied ourselves daredevils along I was inthe fourth grade, so what do ten-year-old kids do? lines of the ever-popular Evel Knievel. I jumped my bike They look for bears. Every day after school, and throughacross a small crevice in the bedrock but failed to see out the summer, we would go on a bear hunt. We were the one or two foot drop beyond. Wheel down, head armed with sticks, maybe a pen knife, and brimming over handlebars, three stitches in my forehead. The with ten- year old courage. We would go out in the Slimes and other areas were dangerous but still our woods and search for bears. I never saw one. My friends summer playground. claimed they saw them. Friends claim a lot of things.

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I did see a place where some tall grass was matted down.

Perhaps a place where bears slept? Perhaps it was a place where friends matted down to say that bears slept there.

If you wanted to see a bear, all you had to do was go to the dump at dusk. They were there. Thinking as a bear might, I would rather have a smorgasbord of leftovers in a dump than forage tiny berries around the crazy kids.

Bible School. My friends wanted me to attend the next day.

My friends had learned that we were all related through two people. I was a ten-year-old skeptic. I attended on the Tuesday, and it was in our public school, in the fifth-grade classroom. I remember the two adults telling me that Adam and Eve were the first two people created by God, and we were all related from those two. I didn’t believe it. didn$ t go back on Wednesday. told my mother what they believed, and she said that it’s okay for them to believe that and we should have regard for them. I wonder where those VBS leaders are today, and will I find them in heaven to say I have been redeemed?

A highlight of summer was when our parents would take a crew of kids to Crystal Lake. It was a small lake about 15 miles from town. The water was crystal-clear and the sand white like a Caribbean beach. Unlike the Caribbean, the water was Canadian cold. But that didn’t stop us from frolicking for hours in the water. Our parents would God created that Canadian land up there perfectly. He sometimes have bonfires going on shore and we would put gold and iron in the rocks, seemingly for our purpose. roast hot dogs. It was at Crystal Lake that I learned you We made it our purpose. We took what we needed and really didn’t need to roast hot dogs. They were just fine dumped the rest in a lake. They reclaimed, or should I say raw. We would eat and swim and throw the Frisbee,redeemed, or the lake about thirty years ago. There was still dive for a Frisbee in the shallow water and land safely with gold in the waste rock, so they mined the lake to reclaim it in hand. the gold. That lake was redeemed but the Slimes remain in other areas. They’re a scar of what people did. The middle Crystal Lake was an unusual lake because it did not have finger on my right hand is scarred (crooked) from falling leeches. Other lakes were filled with the bloodsuckers. off an inner tube. My head is scarred from falling off my I don’t know why they avoided Crystal Lake, but I don’t ever bike and onto the bedrock (three stitches). But it will all be recall leeches in the lake. At the other lakes, you could see redeemed when Christ returns. My new body in heaven them along the shoreline. We would use sticks to collect won’t be bent or scarred. them. Kind of like the berries, you could get a bucket full.

I remember one lake where my friends and I filled a sand Maybe northern Ontario is a little slice of heaven on earth. pail about half full of leeches. We were at a cottage It wasand my heaven for several years as a child, and I am carried the pail inside and asked our mothers for a box looking forward to the new heavens and new earth that of salt. Why do you want salt, ( they asked. To kill the will not have the scars from gold mining—but there will be bloodsuckers in the pail,” we innocently responded. It was gold—and amethyst and agate (Rev. 21:19-21). a well-known fact that if you wanted to get a leech off of you, you could apply salt. The plan was to fill the rest of the pail with salt. I don’t recall if we got the salt or not. For the purposes of this audience, no leeches were harmed in the writing of this story.

My dad worked in the construction/mining industry. He was able to get a truck inner tube that had to be six feet diameter. It was easy to pack when deflated and we would bring it on vacation. We kids could stand and jump on it or across it. We could get six or ten kids on it and bounce around. We$ d sing the current songs of summer on it. O- oo-e. Chirp a chirp, a cheep, cheep. One time I bounced at the wrong spot and fell to the ground trying to stop myself Missing Something? with my hands. I think I broke my middle finger. I showed Visit one of our Lost and Found bins it to my mother who probably had me put ice on it. Other located in the Sanctuary building summer vacations took us to different areas of northern and also the Commons. There are Ontario where you could mine your own amethyst or find many well-worn Bibles in there whose agate. We still have eight- inch- tall book ends of the deep owners may be missing them! purple quartz. I still have agate from Lake Superior.

One summer my friends told me about a Bible school that they went to for a week. Today I know it was a Vacation

(See our Campus Maps on pages 24-25 for locations).

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LOCA L L Y S O UR CED

Partner in Caring Network Expansion SARAH LINDQUIST Thank you to all who donated to the Coins for Caring Network baby bottle campaign. Caring Network offers pregnancy center resources and services in our community.

For 2 0 2 , $ 1 0 , 0 6 5 . 9 3 was received from College Church.

The total is a bit lower than in 2021 so I encourage those of you who missed the opportunity to donate earlier to do so now in support of this Christ-centered ministry to the vulnerable. You may make an online donation here: www. caringnetwork.com/get-involved

appointment, they talked through their concerns with their pregnancy consultant. She was able to encourage them with hope for their future. After their appointment, Kaitlyn and her consultant maintained contact. She recently shared that she and her boyfriend chose life!

Caring Network envisions expanding to 25 centers in the She said, “I think it’s possible for my boyfriend and me next five years to stand in the gap where clients most to raise our baby together. We would just need some need services through Caring Network$ s Avenue Women$ s financial help.” Kaitlyn and her boyfriend will return to Centers. Caring Network$ s seventh center, Avanza, is ready Caring Network soon to receive parenting resources and to open in Bolingbrook as soon as needed staff are found. information on prenatal care. Praise God for turning Housed at the Compass Church’s community center around this situation to protect Kaitlyn and her baby! building, Avanza seeks to reach out strategically to the Other clients experience healing after abortion through local Hispanic population and provides bilingual services.

Restore, confidential free services for women and men Hopefully, another center in the Austin neighborhood experiencing post-abortion stress, even long after the in partnership with a Wheaton and Austin church will procedure. “Next to the pain of my abortion was the fact soon be funded and provide an alternative to Planned that I couldn’t grieve with my husband. He just couldn’t Parenthood Austin. face it. When he would start to consider the horror of If you or someone you know might interested in full or it all, he would stop short and “tune out.” It was just part time positions at Caring Network such as bilingual too depressing for him to contemplate. I felt completely pregnancy consultant, pregnancy consultant, helpline alone. I grieved alone and I hated him for that. It impacted professional, executive assistant, center director, nurse every area of our marriage, until I felt so much anger it or sonographer, please check online. www.caringnetwork. was impossible to be close to him,” relates one woman. com/ careers But there is hope and healing, even after an abortion.

Be encouraged by words from Caring Network and their Just like these women, so many describe feeling trapped clients below. in emotional darkness. Recently, a client shared her experience of going through a Restore group.

Our medical staff continues to provide ultrasound services in a safe, sanitary environment, where women “Before Restore, I was in a very dark place emotionally and can encounter their babies for the first time. A high level spiritually. I knew I could not continue my life in this much of communication is maintained through the entire pain. Meeting other women who went through a similar process, ensuring the women seeking our services feel experience was very helpful for me, to realize I am not alone heard and cared for. and hear how others have healed from a painful abortion.

Kaitlyn came to Caring Network with her boyfriend. He was worried he would be kicked out of the house due to the pregnancy. They are young and both feared that an unplanned pregnancy would require them to give up on their dreams. Due to these circumstances, and lack of finances, they were considering abortion. During their

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Restore pushed me emotionally and spiritually to a place where I found light at the end of the tunnel. Now I feel much better about myself and have experienced healing.”

If you are suffering from post-abortion stress and want to begin your road to recovery, email Care@RestoreAfterAbortion.com or call (630) 599-0043.

L OCA L L Y SO U R C ED

Summer Then, Now and To Come WIL TRIGGS I was going through some old books this week and mixed in with the books was a little photo album.

The photos were from July 2001, the first-ever College Church missions trip to Russia. The church in Russia was celebrating its freedom. Summer camps for children run by evangelical churches were on the upswing. They were taking down the statues of Lenin and Christians were standing in the places and telling the story of Jesus.

This all happened about 130 miles south of Moscow.

Another 370 miles on the same road, and we would have hit the border with Ukraine.

Things change, don’t they? The children in the photos are all adults. We would not be allowed in Russia to do now what we did then. The evangelical church there has to be careful what they do outside the walls of their churches.

But God did something. Most people would not have Wordspread.twasnewsthatevangelicalChristianswere dreamed doing it. And it was such a blessing that he used little a camp, even bigger news that a group of Americans had come us to be a part of it. A shadow falls as I think about that tojointhem. MostofthepeoplehadnevermetAmericans.road to Ukraine and how different it must be now.

Camp was in an elementary school rented from the local officials. Our big meetings took place in the dining/ meeting hall. Kids and counselors and our team all slept in classrooms.

Cars were stopping with children in them. The drivers were moms or dads or grandmas or grandads. No, they had never been to church. But they had heard that there was such a thing—a Christian camp. Something our Russian colleagues thought impossible when they were growing up. They wanted to drop off their children to join the camp. The Russian counselors gave up their room and pitched tents outside so the staff rooms could be converted to rooms for. more child campers. They added more sleeping spaces in the other rooms as well.

God never stops. Neither people nor Satan will defeat him.

Today, God is touching lives. He can still use little us, not in the same way as back then, but does that really matter?

God can do what God wants to do. Ours is only to be willing and available with where he has put us and to not shrink back to our own ways.

When we look back in another 2 1 years, in 2 0 4 3 , we will be in a very different world. But Jesus will not have changed.

The Holy Spirit will still be moving into the houses of souls.

God$ s living Word will still be speaking. Maybe the most hostile places to the gospel today will be places filled with churches and revival. May our hearts have grown to be more like the heart of Jesus between now and then. May we still be found serving Jesus, caring for and reaching out We made tie- dye shirts with the kids. We broughttoover others on the road to the kingdom that has no end. the shirts and dyes and soda ash, that just a few years later would have not been allowed because of security concerns. To keep dye from staining kids, we made makeshift smocks out of trash bags. In between cooking for lunch and dinner, the cooks managed to fit dunking the dye-drenched shirts into the giant cooking pots.

The next day, we unwrapped the shirts revealing bursts of color. The kids could hardly wait to put them on. We tried drying them, but the bursts of color on the shirts were irresistible to the children. On the shirts went, dry or not.

During afternoon rest time, we got to know the Russian Christian leaders and counselors. We listened to them and they listened to us, telling how Jesus had touched and changed us.

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at the Bookstall SUMMER READING

TIM HOLLINGER,

DAVID KELLEY,

I’d like to either re-read the Chronicles of Narnia series or read the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time.

Pro Rege

technology director

AMY KRUIS, deaconess

Deeper

by Dane Ortlund

Technopoly

by Neil Postman

Housekeeping

evangelism and culture impact committee

by Abraham Kuyper

SARAH LINDQUIST,

evangelism and culture Impact committee

A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing

by Laura Barringer and Scot McKnight

by Marilynne Robinson

Eleanor

by David Michaelis

ANN LAWRENZ, deaconess

To the Heart of the Matter: The 40-Day Companion to Live a Culture of Life

by Shawn D. Carney

CURT MILLER,

Life Together

missions pastor

Ten Words to Live

Confronting Injustice without Compromising the Truth

by Dietrich Boenhoeffer

By by Jen Wilkin

Strange New World

by Thaddeus J. Williams

Jack

WENDY ROBINSON,

Chronicles of Narnia

Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church

by Carl Trueman

by Marilynne Robinson

by C.S. Lewis

George Herbert Collected Poems

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board of missions

by Paul David Tripp

JEREMY TAYLOR,

TIM WANG,

Polycentric Missiology

The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission

elder

by Allan Yeh

Soul Survivor

by Philip Yancey

Amazon Unbound

by Brad Stone

Footprints in the African Sand

by Michael Cassidy

Motus Dei

by Warrick Farrah et al.

Come, My Beloved

by Pearl S. Buck

BEN PANNER, college pastor

Side by Side

by Ed Welch

board of missions

by Christopher Wright

The Beasts, the Graves, and the Ghosts (Christian preaching during Chinese Festivals)

by Hann Tan

BRIAN WILDMAN, elder

Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church

by Paul David Tripp

The Righteous Mind: Why People Are Divided By Politics And Religion

by Jonathan Haidt

WIL TRIGGS,

director of communications

The Glory of Christ

by John Owen

Red Stilts

by Ted Kooser

Where the Light Fell

Everyday Holiness: Becoming Who You Were Made to Be

by Josh Moody

The next book in the Cork O’Connor mystery series

by William Kent Krueger

by Philip Yancey

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M I L E S T ONES MARRIAGES College Church members Nick Girgis and Katie McCollum were married at College Church on June 4. Nick’s parents, Phil and Maggie Girgis, are also College Church members.

Rachel Jagrowski and Patrick Gallagher were married on April 2 in Carmel, Indiana. Rachel is the daughter of College Church members Jerry and Laura Jagrowski.

BIRTHS Zion Robert was born to College Church missionaries Kyle and Dariana Bradley on June 20. Zion joins his big sister Kya. Paternal grandparents are Mark and Sarah Bradley.

Adaline Josephine was born to Mark and Vanessa Aloisio on May 18. Adaline joins her big brothers Whitt and Luke.

DEATHS Pray for Howard (Lisa) Kern and family as they grieve the sudden loss of Howard’s brother Roger David Britton, who passed away on June 22.

Pray for Keith (Elise) Bishop and family as they grieve the loss of Keith’s father, JR Bishop, who passed away on June 2 1 in Wheaton.

Pray for Paul (Valerie) McCallum and family as they grieve the loss of Paul’s mother, Ruth Schow, who passed away on June 19, at the age of 94.

Dawson Micah was born to Josue and Kristen Alvarado on June 18. Dawson joins his big sisters Zoey and Taya. Josue is one of our pastoral residents, working with Pastor Josh Maurer in discipleship.

Pray for Ginny O’Brien, retired College Church missionary Gene Taylor and family as they grieve the loss of Ginny and Gene’s sister Pearl Rathbun, who passed away on June 5.

Amy Victoria “Avie” was born to Bond and Lissy Bailey on June 14. Brad and Vicky Bailey are her paternal grandparents, and Bill Bond is her paternal greatgrandfather.

Pray for Joyce Patterson and family as they grieve the loss of Joyce’s husband, Dave, who passed away on June 2.

Malachi Atlas was born to Micah and Jenna Chiang on June 13 in Austin, Texas. Malachi’s maternal grandmother is Ann Lawrenz.

Lionel Borden was born to Kolby and Bethany Atchison on May 23. Lionel joins his siblings Justus and Vivienne.

Pray for Neil Wright, Kimberley (Nathan) Lindquist and family as they grieve the loss of Neil’s wife and Kimberley’s mother, Karen, who passed away on May 29.

Pray for Pastor John (Debbie) Seward and family as the grieve the loss of John’s identical twin, Jim, who passed away on May 28 in Chicago.

God Centered Life the media ministry of College Church, features the Bible teaching of pastor Josh, both online and on the radio. This exciting ministry with a global reach continues to grow in impact. Here in the US, the program is heard on the radio in about 70 locations.

Globally, the ministry also has a mission impact. The teaching is heard online through the OnePlace and TWR360 platforms, which have extensive listenership outside North America. Imagine! More than 35,000 people have been touched with some form of gospel content through this outreach of our church, either an online audio message, a spiritually encouraging article, or a devotional reading.

You can listen locally on Moody Radio (WMBI) at 10 p.m. M-F and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday and can have daily devotionals delivered right to your inbox.

Your prayers and partnership with this ministry are greatly appreciated.

godcenteredlife.org

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LOOKING AHEAD

God Centered Life, the Bible teaching ministry of Dr. Josh Moody, is sponsoring The Word Conference on Monday, September 26, at College Church. The conference is on “Expository Preaching and Teaching in an Age of Tweets, Memes, and Sound Bites. ( Dr. K. Edward Copeland, lead pastor of New Zion Baptist Church in Rockford (IL) and Dr. Josh Moody, senior pastor of College Church, will lead the morning of fellowship, which begins at 9 a. m.

Wild Woods

The Word Conference is designed for ministers of the gospel to grow in fellowship together around the Word. Do invite friends and ministry partners who would enjoy this conference. We look forward to seeing many of you there. The cost of the morning conference is $ 1 5 and you may register here: www. godcenteredlife.org/events/the-word-conference/

ART SHOW

presented by STARS FAMILY SERVICES A DISABILITY MINISTRY

COLLEGE CHURCH COMMONS

RETURN TO THREE SERVICES

August 21 8AM | 9:30AM | 11AM

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7-9PM

20

10AM3PM

AUGUST AUGUST 23

COMMONS COMMONS SECOND FLOOR

MAIN LEVEL C101 LOST & FOUND

OFFICES

OFFICES

C103

BOARD ROOM

OFFICES

C104A

C104B

C104C

C104D

C104E

C104F

LOWER LEVEL 2

CL01 COMMONS KITCHEN

LOWER LEVEL 1

CL02B

TUNNEL

CL03

CL02A

N KEY

C001

Adults

C002A

STARS

C003

CL07 GYM C002B

Students Children Bathroom Elevator

C005

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Stairs

SANCTUARY SANCTUARY MAIN LEVEL

SECOND LEVEL 205

101

201 202 204 210B 210A

SANCTUARY

SANCTUARY BALCONY

LIBRARY

FIRESIDE ROOM

LOST & FOUND

211

BOOK STALL

LOWER LEVEL

014

301 GYM

020

021

022

305

302

304

019

012

WELSH HALL

017

HUB

KIDS HARBOR

OFFICES

023

001

011A 013 011B 015

005

KITCHEN

THIRD LEVEL

KEY

Adults STARS

N

CROSSINGS

CLAPHAM SCHOOL

STARS RESALE SHOP

Students Children

Bathroom Elevator Stairs

OPENING FALL 2022

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