October 2024

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CONNECTIONS O C TO BE R 2 024

THE CHURCH Living. Breathing. Prevailing.

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INSIDE

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AS SEEN ON SOME POSTCARDS

A HISTORY OF LOCAL COMMUNITY IMPACT

Anonymous

Vanessa Roth

Cross-cultural snapshots add up to a new view of God.

A remarkable legacy of local outreach and support.

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A MARTIAN WALKS INTO A CHURCH

COAT DRIVE FOR REPEAT BOTIQUE

Steve Pardue

Linda Murphy

What a time-traveling Martian can teach us about the church.

Some 3000-4000 coats needed for the cold that is to come—let’s help out our neighbors.

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HAPPY HUBBUB

SIXTY-PLUS

The Missions Team

Charles Welander

Something special happens when people from all over the globe come together.

Keenagers talking about Keenagers—we should be sure to listen.

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FEATURES From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Opportunities for Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

TRANSFORMATION

Gallery SPOTLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Keith Bodger

ArtSpace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Blind spots to Bible reading and what you can do about them

New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Our Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 CHURCH LIFE: October Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Looking Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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Under the Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

DO YOU FEEL LIKE AN OUTSIDER?

SOHL Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Pat Cirrincione

At the Bookstall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Facilities Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 MISSIONS FESTIVAL 2024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Milestones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

GIVING JOY: Offertory Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Church is a place where outsiders can be welcomed in.

On the Cover: Deep Calls to Deep by Helen Read

26 YOU ARE NOT ALONE Kara Vance

The Apostle Paul’s advice for caring for infants.

28 GOSPEL NOW: DISCIPLES TOGETHER Nancy Taylor

Discipleship that’s both hand in hand and life on life.

Our Pastors, Directors and Residents: Our Pastors, Directors and Residents: Cheryce Berg, director of children’s ministries | Roger Burgess, pastor of visitation | Felipe Chamy, pastoral resident | Julie Clemens, director of disability ministries | Erik Dewar, pastor of worship and music | Tate Fritz, pastoral resident | Matt Heaton, pastoral resident | Baxter Helm, high school pastor | Dan Hiben, middle school pastor | Tim Hollinger, technology director Jim Johanik, pastor of evangelism | Ann Karow, human resources director Howard Kern, facilities director | Bruce Main, pastor of visitation | Josh Maurer, pastor of discipleship | Curt Miller, missions pastor | Josh Moody, senior pastor Mindy Rynbrandt, director of women’s ministries | John Seward, executive pastor | Nancy Singer, director of administration and finance | Wil Triggs, director of communications Our Council of Elders: Mark Berg | Mark Bradley, vice-chair | Jay Cunningham Steve Ivester | Randy Jahns | Glenn Kosirog | Josh Moody, senior pastor | Jeff Oslund | Roger Sandberg | David Setran, secretary | Dave Tweeten | Chad Thorson | Brian Wildman, chair

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 November issue: October 9 | For the December issue: November 9 | For the January issue: December 9

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

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CONTRIBUTORS KEITH BODGER

Keith recently retired from a career in environmental compliance. He and his wife, Mel, look forward to traveling in these retirement years. They live in Wheaton, lead a small group, and have been married almost thirty years.

JUDY SATTLER

Judy has been collecting words and stories since before she could tie her shoes. She and her husband, Tim, serve as College Church missionaries. Along with reading and writing, Judy enjoys experiencing the wonders of God’s creation. She is also involved in the ArtSpace community.

PAT CIRRINCIONE

When not writing or praying for her grandchildren, Pat enjoys reading and baking and attending musicals.

Her greatest joys are God and her family, and time with both makes for much joy and laughter.

NANCY TAYLOR

Nancy has attended College Church since coming with a friend to HYACKs, which also happens to be where she met her husband, Jeremy.

She currently serves in Women’s Bible Study and the nursery.

LINDA MURPHY

Linda and her husband, Paul, are longtime members of College Church.

Linda has served in Kids’ Harbor and is part of the team that tends the gardens on church property. She enjoys traveling to visit relatives and returning home to her cats.

VANESSA ROTH

Vanessa has served on the College Church board of deaconesses and has participated in short-term missions trips. She is the chief operating officer at Outreach and enjoys traveling and perfecting her putt. She is also grateful for time well-spent with family and friends.

KARA VANCE

Kara has served as a mentor with the College Group, and currently serves on the Discipleship Committee. She is an active part of the Sanctity of Human Life Task Force. She works in Wheaton as a financial planner.

CHARLES WELANDER

A retired surgeon, Charles is the president of Keenagers and is involved in men’s Bible study.

He and his wife, Lori, relocated here several years ago from Virginia.

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R A I S I NG QU E S T IONS WIL TRIGGS | EDITOR This month’s Connections challenges its readers to consider their own answers to some interesting questions.

• What is daily life like in another country? (p. 2) • What if a Martian went to church? (p. 6) • How might I befriend someone from another country? (p. 10) • How many years has Twice is Nice Resale Shop been in business? (p. 12) • What’s happening at the Missions and Community Outreach Festival? (p. 22) • Does the Bible make us smarter sinners? (p. 24) • What is a Baby Bank? (Sounds creepy.) (p. 26) • How is God calling you to disciple another person? (p. 25) • Do I believe that all my money is God’s? What about my time? (p. 31) Some of these questions have specific answers. Others are more open-ended. But even where the answers are given, it’s not as simple as a Q & A transaction. The questions and even the answers should give us pause to stop and think about the church and its role in our lives and in the world now and in the days ahead.

Maybe it’s because of the church and local outreach festival landing on us this month that gave me pause. Church is an amazing institution. Maybe it’s best to think of it biblically as a body, something that’s living and breathing, something that we are each a valuable part. A body, too, that will outlive all the shiny and seductive and terrifying things that see so big and dangerous in our world today.

With Christ, the church will prevail. With him, all else will vanquish one day.

Another question: how does that work exactly? Only by the wonder and sovereignty of our amazing God. But I do think the stories in this issue give us glimpses of the wonder and glory of God at work.

So read the questions and the answers. Ponder God at work in the world and in us today.

Consider how he might want to change your life is some big or little way.

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As seen on some postcards Journal of a cross-cultural visit AN ON YM OUS

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hen you watch crosscultural workers leave home to serve in faraway places, it’s tempting to imagine their new lives are exotic and exciting. The reality for these workers, who have left family and friends and their home culture, is far different. Do we appreciate the depth and difficulty of the cultural adjustments they must make?

One way to build that appreciation is to get a taste of their cross-cultural experience through a visit. Sharing daily life with workers in a country a world away in customs and worldview

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gives insight into what it means to live and work in the everyday of another culture.

A visitor might take in such insights as brief snapshots of daily life. Suppose these snapshots were written down on postcards sent home.

Here is what they might say.

A NEW SOUNDTRACK TO LIFE The daily calls to prayer are the recurring soundtrack to life here. Morning, noon, night, and times in between, the insistent call sounds from the loudspeaker on the neighborhood mosque. The muezzin’s call resembles a chantlike song, although it would never be described

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in this culture as singing. It lasts longer than expected. Stop to listen, and it’s strangely arresting, yet vaguely sad.

After rousing to a predawn call, it’s hard to return to sleep.

GOING ON A WALK Trash skitters along the streets and on the sidewalk, not everywhere, but enough to make the neighborhood look slightly unkempt. Large, silver metal dumpsters, some overflowing and spilling onto the street, inhabit nearly every block. The sidewalks are narrow and bumpy, so often it’s easier to walk in the street. Here and there a few flowers or shrubs peek through the limestone ledges and iron gates edging the small courtyards, but most homes have sparse greenery. Stray cats dart across the sidewalk and perch on the steps near the apartments and tiny shops.

BREADSTICKS AND BUNS Like so many storefronts here, the bakery is narrow but long, with the door opening right onto the street. Large platters of sticky sweets sit covered in plastic wrap. Several large open bins feature the staple flatbread. Other bins hold varieties of flavored breadsticks, while nearby are trays of yeast breads shaped into large twists and fat buns.

We select some breadsticks and scoop them into a plastic bag, then carry the bag to the front counter to be weighed.

The shopkeeper is warm and friendly, chatting in Arabic, then English, while sharing photos of his children. We are surprised to hear they live abroad. He remains here, caring for his parents.

WATERMELON SEASON! The neighborhood produce market is also a small street-front stall, very close to the road. In the front area, resting on simple wooden tables, boxes overflow with seasonal produce: cauliflower, broccoli, greens, cucumbers, carrots, onions. Available fruits include small ripe strawberries, apricots, cantaloupe. In the back room of the market, large watermelons

stacked several feet high nearly fill the room. Obviously, it’s watermelon season! The young men working in the market smile as they bag and weigh produce. It is very hot, and there is no fan to cool them as they work, but they are good natured, joking with each other and their customers. There is more produce variety at a western style grocery, but that is a taxi ride miles away in another part of the city.

DRESS TO RESPECT Despite the intense summer heat, no one leaves the house in shorts, and for a woman, also never in short sleeves or a top that doesn’t drape long and full.

Dress is both conservative and more formal, the men often in slacks and polo or dress shirts, the woman in long dresses or loose pants and tunics and silky pastel head scarves. No tank tops, sleeveless shirts, sundresses, ripped jeans, shorts or even capris. As an expat, it’s important to respect the local culture and customs of dress, no matter the weather or personal comfort.

A THOUGHTFUL CONTRAST People here love children! Their eyes light up, especially at the sight of a toddler or preschooler. At a restaurant, total strangers ask if they can hold your child, play with them, take and introduce them to their family at a nearby table. In this culture, such a request is not considered strange or off putting but completely normal.

Store clerks and servers routinely offer children candy, balloons, small toys. The strolling restaurant musician plays a song just for the little ones.

After a meal, children may be invited to choose free ice cream treats. The sense that the local culture prioritizes children and family over work and career is a thoughtful contrast to many of the norms of western culture.

HOW TO SIT IN A TAXI Taking a taxi or shared ride vehicle is relatively inexpensive but requires awareness of the cultural protocol for

seating. Only a man sits in the front passenger seat of most taxis. In the back seat, a woman never sits between two men not in her immediate family.

So even an extended family group needs to be mindful of how to properly seat themselves inside a taxi.

APPEARANCES ARE EVERYTHING Cultural norms are very important for male-female interactions in situations such as visiting a home, conducting a business transaction, or meeting someone on the street. If a woman goes to visit another woman in her home, the husband (or father or brother) must leave, or at least not be present in the same room or area of the house.

If a husband and wife are conducting a business transaction together, the husband does the talking and negotiating (though a woman by herself can conduct a transaction on her own).

If an unrelated woman and man happen to meet on the sidewalk or in another public place, even if they know each other, they do not exchange greetings or even acknowledge one another. To do so might signal to others that their relationship could be inappropriate.

PUTTING HISTORY INTO CONTEXT There is a lengthy history here to learn, not the relatively young history of a home country oceans away, but thousands of years of history of ancient nomads, biblical patriarchs, Roman armies, and the unceasing wars and tumult of nations living at a crossroads. Touring historical sites while attempting to sort out the events and timelines is fascinating, but the unfamiliarity can be overwhelming. Yet gaining even a partial understanding is helpful to better understand and relate to the people living here with the ongoing legacy of their country and region’s past.

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HOT TEA AND A WARM WELCOME Hospitality is a given here. “Welcome to our country.” “Salaam (peace).” “We have a beautiful country to show you.”

Genuine smiles and gracious nods as you pass by storefronts. The shy and friendly glances of schoolgirls at the next table in the donut shop. Hot tea on offer seemingly everywhere.

“Where are you from? Ahh, America, I have family there!” I feel welcomed, even affirmed. How friendly am I to those from another culture when I am at home?

AN EXTRA HEAVY SWEET TREAT A visit to a sweet shop isn’t for cake, cookies, brownies or pie, but for large golden-hued squares of sticky, creamy, cheese filled custard layered onto a flaky pastry crust. It tastes sweet and dense, an extra heavy dessert. I don’t finish my portion but am glad I tried and tasted. We wash it down with cups of hot Chai tea. This is one of the most popular desserts in a country that loves its sweet dishes.

NEW LIFE RHYTHMS How different the weekly rhythms are here! Very few people get to enjoy a true “weekend.” Most work a minimum of six days a week, some sixand-a-half, with Friday the only day or partial day off. Every Friday around noon a long sermon broadcasts into the neighborhood from the local mosque. Many shops and restaurants close Friday morning until after the sermon, often the only weekly time off for a shopkeeper. You plan your day to accommodate the Friday closures and the different atmosphere around the city and adjust to the fact that Saturday and Sunday are not typical days off.

THE CHURCH IS ONE Christian church services are held anytime from Thursday night through Sunday morning. We attend on Saturday evening. The day of meeting may be different, but the reality of 4

worship is still profound. The setting, an old stone building surrounded by upper and lower courtyards on a narrow, hilly city street, may be different, but the songs, prayers, readings and teaching are all centered around the Book. The congregants may be of many different nationalities and backgrounds, but the sense of believers in community is especially strong. No matter the country, the culture, or the challenge of adjusting to unfamiliar norms and rhythms, the church is one.

IN CONCLUSION: A PROFOUND ADJUSTMENT A visit to another country and culture is a temporary change in routine and expectations. Moving there and undertaking daily life and work is a much longer lasting and more profound adjustment. Undoubtedly there are hard times, seasons of discouragement, and questions for the future. Hard times happen at home too, but in an unfamiliar place they are magnified by the constant need to observe, understand, and adapt to a different culture. At such times, a vision of the One who does the calling and sending into these

unfamiliar circumstances provides comfort and sustenance: BEAUTY IN THE DARKNESS After nightfall in the desert, we climb into the back of a pickup, outfitted with thinly cushioned seats, to ride into an even more remote area where the darkness is total. There is no road, the driver simply heads to an area where he knows star gazing is ideal. The truck seems to travel in circles for a long while, then finally stops, and we clamber out to find spots on the hard sand to lie down and gaze upward. We fix our eyes on the blazing canopy of stars. Nothing blocks the horizon, so we seemingly lie in a vast bowl where sky and stars stretch to the ground. Constellations fling wide while shooting stars arc across the expanse. Stars don’t simply twinkle; they flash and dance. The stars are an almost palpable presence, an otherworldly embrace of the Father’s creative glory. The grandeur of the heavens from the desert floor draws us to ponder the One who is so far above we cannot comprehend his full majesty and sovereign power. This light show, unlike any we have ever seen, is a reminder that sometimes the Father’s beauty is best seen in the darkness.

Work with us.

Admin. Assistant for the Director of Disability Ministries (40 hours) College Church in Wheaton is looking for a 40-hour Administrative Assistant with a contagious love for people with disabilities and their families! A successful candidate for this role will have a deep love for Jesus and abundant organizational skills. They will have experience in office work, be detail oriented, have the ability to plan and execute events, and be able to communicate well both verbally and in print with the STARS community and their families. This person will bring joy and enthusiasm, be able to multitask, and have a solid command of the Office365 products as well as Adobe InDesign. This role does help cover the reception desk for vacations and lunches. This is an in-office position, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Membership at CCIW is preferred, but not required. All applicants must be able to sign our Articles of Faith and Standards of the Christian Life document.

This role comes with benefits including health insurance, life insurance and LTD, elective vision, dental and accident insurance as well as vacation, personal and sick time and 12 paid holidays.

Visit the college-church.org/job-openings or email Ann at akarow@college-church.org.

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRAYER 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., meets in C101

Check out the online resource to learn about and to share Pastor Dewar’s worship songs. https://www.gloryandgladnessmusic.com

SIGNS OF LOVE DEAF MINISTRY POTLUCK & PRAYER: 12:30-2 p.m., in Crossings. Meets every other Sunday. Oct. dates are Oct. 6 & 20.

MIDWEEK PRAYER MEETING: Wednesdays now at noon via Zoom OCTOBER 2: Greeson, Joe & Holly, SEND, member care in Alaska OCTOBER 9: Nichols, Greg & Debby, GEM, discipleship/training in the Czech Republic OCTOBER 16: Dresselhaus, Steve & Lois, TEAM, church-planting in Mexico OCTOBER 23: Daniel & Julie, administration in SE Asia OCTOBER 30: Hatcher, Jim & Lynette, GEM discipleship in Austria FRIDAY PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH: 12-1 p.m. in the Board Room.

AARON-HUR PRAYER FELLOWSHIP will meet on Thursday, October 10, at 7 p.m. at the home of Everett and Marcelyn Peterson, 127 Westminster Drive in Carol Stream, (630) 784-0569. Our guests will be José Pablo and Jane Sánchez, serving in Spain.

BARNABAS PRAYER FELLOWSHIP will meet Wednesday, October 16, at 1:30 p.m. in the Creative Arts Room of Covenant Living at Windsor Park. Speaker TBD. Men and women are welcome to visit and/or join the group in its prayers for our cross-cultural workers.

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Steve Pardue Adapted from his book, Why Evangelical Theology Needs the Local Church, pp142-146

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n an article first published in 1982, church historian Andrew Walls offers a fascinating thought experiment that can help us grasp the breadth and variance of Christian expressions of the good news over time. He asks us to imagine “a long-living, scholarly space visitor” who visits the Earth every few centuries and is interested in understanding Christianity.

the ontological relationship between the Father and the Son. On this visit, the space visitor concludes that a key character of Christians may be that they are especially concerned “with metaphysics and theology,” engaging in intensive attempts to clarify the precise meaning of theological terms. Yet he wonders whether this could have also been true of the Jewish Christians he visited three centuries prior.

On his first visit, a few years after Christ’s ascension, he observes the original “Jerusalem Christians” and notes that they maintain most standard Jewish practices and are distinguished from other Jewish sects only in that they identify “the recent prophet-teacher Jesus of Nazareth” as having inaugurated the end of the current age. Our space visitor regards Christianity as essentially a denomination of Judaism, marked especially by a penchant for joyful obedience to God’s law, tight-knit family lives and the pursuit of personal holiness as the time for the Messiah’s second coming draws near.

The hundred years later still, he visits Ireland and finds a group of Christian monks gathered. Some are “standing in ice-cold water up to their arms outstretched in the form of a cross …

Others are sitting quite along in dark caves by the seashore, seeking no intercourse with men.” He notices some continuity with the previous era: the monks “use the same formula that he heard being hammered out in Nicaea.” But he is surprised that “they do not in general seem very interested in theology or very good at metaphysics.” Above all, he notes that these Christians are marked by “their desire for holiness and their heroic austerity in quest of it.”

Three hundred years later, the same visitor returns just in time to attend the Council of Nicaea. To his surprise, hardly any representatives of the council are Jewish; unlike the predecessors, they are “horrified at the through of animal sacrifices,” and none of them appear to be married of have children. They do not keep the Sabbath on the seventh day. They preserve the Jewish titles for Jesus, in Greek translation, but are especially focused on which specific Greek term best describes 6

On his next visit, he lands over a millennium later, in 1840s London. Here he finds Christians gathered in an assembly discussing the promotion of Christianity in Africa, proposing that missionaries be sent thousands of miles away to spread Christianity and “civilization” to the far-flung continent. Our observer finds that most of the present group accept “without question the creed of Nicaea” and that, “like the Irish, they

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also use the word ‘holy’ quite a lot; they are again, but they are aghast at the suggestions that holiness could be connected with standing in cold water, and utterly opposed to the idea of spending life praying in an isolated cave.” Here, rather than being starved and isolated, he finds Christians to be relatively prosperous and highly engaged with the wider society, both locally and abroad.

groups share significant continuity in their judgments about Jesus Christ, their reliance upon the same set of sacred writings (with the exception of the Jewish Christians, who did not yet have the New Testament) and their practice of special activities associated with bread and wine and water. Moreover, each group is conscious of its continuity with God’s redeeming work in the ancient Near East people of Israel.

The final imagined visit is to Laos, Nigeria, in 1980. Here, a “white-robed group is dancing and chanting through the streets on their way to their church. They are informing the world at large that they are Cherubim and Seraphim; they are inviting people to come and experience the power of God in their services. They claim that God has messages for particular individuals and that his power can be demonstrated in healing.” When asked, these Christians say that they “accept the creed of Nicaea, but they display little interest in it; they appear somewhat vague about the relationship of the Divine Son and the Holy Spirit.” They are not politically engaged, and while they sometimes fast like the Irish, it is “on fixed occasions and for fixed purposes.” What most characterizes this group of Christians? The space visitor concluded that is it “their concern with power, as revealed in preaching, healing and personal vision.”

…Every culture can and must become a true home for the good news; the gospel also draws all of us out of our home cultures by “bringing it in everyone’s society some sort of outside reference.”

Walls has helped demonstrate that understanding of the how the church grappled with the gospel and culture in the past is the critical backdrop for understanding the interplay of these realities today. I look forward to learning about the church with you at the missions festival this month.

Missionary Steve Pardue joins us for our missions festival. Hear more from him at the morning services on Sunday, October 27.

Now the space scholar is back on his planetary home, wondering how to correlate all his observations…All five 7

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Gallery SPOTLIGHT WATERS OF THE WORD Just a few days left to see up close the art featured in this issue of Connections.

The Bible is filled with words and images related to water. This month’s artists ranged from preschoolers to retirees. Each has their own perspective. Come and be inspired by the art in this month’s gallery. But be quick—the show closes October 11.

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GALLERY

WORKSHOPS

WATERS OF THE WORD

LET’S MAKE MOVIES!

SEPTEMBER 8-OCTOBER 11 Exploring water through the stories and truths of the Bible.

Creative techniques for developing material for film

GALLERY HOURS: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12 to 2 p.m. Also open on Sundays after the evening service.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 10 a.m.-Noon in the Crossings COST: $20 per person, registration required

For other opening times, contact the church office at (630) 668-0878 or email artspace@college-church.org

This workshop’s not just about filming stuff on our phones. We’ll learn how to approach creating material in the first place. We’ll learn how to film captivating scenes in one take and build the basic blocks that go into a short film.

THE GROWING CHURCH: EVERY TRIBE, TONGUE AND NATION OCTOBER 27-DECEMBER 6 Opening Reception: October 27, 12-2 p.m. in Crossings This gallery will celebrate the faces, cultures and practices of the church in every corner of the world. If you have creative expressions of the living church in a country or culture you have visited, consider sharing it with College Church in this special gallery.

Submissions accepted on our webpage at college-church.org/ artspace through October 21.

All ages are welcome to submit art.

GATHERING A monthly coming together, where we discuss our personal projects and the many facets of creativity and God.

INSTRUCTOR: Maureen Kelly

Registration is required. Sign up at www.college-church.org/ artspace or by using this QR Code.

GARDEN DESIGN FOR YOU INSTRUCTOR: Henry Parker

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 10 a.m. in the Crossings Conference Room COST: FREE Experienced gardener Henry Parker gives you insights in planning and designing.

Registration is not required, but is encouraged. Sign up at www. college-church.org/ artspace or by using this QR Code.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 at 7 p.m. in Crossings Oct. word for the month: Church Future Meetings: Nov. 12, Dec. 10, Jan. 14 Look forward to seeing you there!

For more information or to sign up for a workshop, visit our webpage: college-church.org/artspace.

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Happy Hubbub The Missions Team

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cially open to new friendships, and often need practical help such as finding transportation, figuring out how to fill out forms, knowing where to buy certain foods and so on.

HOW IT BEGAN A few years ago, College Church missionary Emmanuel Tahear noticed that although these people, many from unreached countries, were right on our doorstep, there was no real opportunity for church people to engage with, welcome, befriend and encourage them.

For years they were coming, and we never had any connections. How could we present Christ to these people? Emmanuel wondered. So he went to Curt Miller, who agreed—we had to do something. To start, Emmanuel suggested, at the very least we can serve tea, welcome the students and get to know them. And so it began, with Emmanuel taking the lead and continuing this ministry.

Wendy Robinson always wanted to share Christ with people who have little gospel access, and America was the last place she expected or wanted the Lord to lead her family to. Imagine her delight when she learned of the opportunity to meet, get to know and befriend people from some of the least-reached and least accessible (for Westerners) places in the world, right in the College Church Commons on a Thursday morning.

very week, the world comes to College Church. If you stop by church on a weekday morning, you may have noticed people from the Middle East, southeast Asia, northeast Africa, South and Central America, Ukraine, Russia, so many different places in the world, unloading from vans, standing outside in the sunshine, talking on their phones, waiting for rides. And lately, on Thursday mornings, from 10 to 11:30, if you are at church, you will hear a happy hubbub of voices, enjoying coffee and conversation in the Commons lobby.

HOW IT WORKS Students who come for job training are often very new to America (often just arriving within the month). We have discovered that these students are espe10

This is one of the best opportunities to befriend people who are new to America, to meet people from many other countries, and to form relationships that can last for years. When asked what her favorite part of International Café is, Marilyn Huffman cites the warm smiles when she greets people, the stories she hears, and sometimes (though rare and precious) at long last the joy of seeing a family becoming a part of the church, and benefiting from the rich community and resources that come with belonging.

The purpose of the café is to provide a welcoming and hospitable space for refugees and immigrants, where initial interactions and conversations show the love of Jesus in word and deed. The hope is that long-term relationships develop and turn into safe places of friendship where gospel conversations can occur and go deeper.

At the café, as people go through the buffet line to pile treats on a plate, to fill a cup with coffee, volunteers help and greet them cheerfully, “How are you?” “Welcome!” “Good to see you again!” As visitors settle into their places around the tables, volunteers mingle and engage in varying levels of conversation. Sometimes there is awkward silence, hand gestures, simple questions: “What is your name?” “Tell me about your family.” “How long have you been in America?” Other times students’ English language ability is rather advanced, and conversations get deep quickly. Some students are eager to talk; others prefer to keep to surface topics.

Volunteers show up at 9:30 to set up the coffee, tea and snacks, and to pray. At 10 all the tables and chairs are set out for 60 people in the Commons lobby. Students filter up, starting at 10:15. First to arrive are World Relief ’s job training classes, which consist mostly of newly arrived people, and mostly men. Then the ESL classes, which are evenly distributed in terms of men and women, and finally, at 11, a group of women from Afghanistan. We would love to have more volunteers, both men and women, to come alongside the current team and build this important ministry, which has so much potential for growth.

Why is this such an opportunity? As sojourners here on this earth, we can relate. This world is not our home, and every one of us who has felt at all uncomfortable or out of place can relate to some degree to the discomfort of the displaced. Ultimately, we know that safety, belonging, and all that home provides is found in Christ alone.

One way we can communicate safety and belonging is to provide a haven of friendship—a relationship to fall back on in times of difficulty, when the stress becomes too great to bear, but there is no outright emergency that requires official help. We can take our new friends to our favorite parks and places of beauty. We can help them see that there are pleasant memories to be created here as well, joys

they can discover in this new place that can make them glad to be here. We can invite them to men’s or women’s Bible studies, and maybe even be available to drive them to and from the church. We might invite and bring them to church or community events, meet in the library or on the patio, and such friendships can become for our immigrants and refugees the kind of safety net we all need when we are new in a place.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, this is a great opportunity to show how much God cares for those who are “strangers.” One student from Afghanistan shared in confidence, “I didn’t know it would be okay for me to be in a church, because I didn’t know Christians would be so kind and welcoming.”

We don’t know what preconceived ideas visitors might have about Americans, about Christians, or about the church.

This is one opportunity to glorify God by putting hands and feet to God’s concern and care for foreigners, and indeed, for all who are vulnerable and needy.

Even if, as we hope, the most intensely uncomfortable time will be short for many of them, it can be a small window

of opportunity to provide respite for a stranger just when they might need and appreciate it most.

Wendy was talking with two young men who had recently arrived from Afghanistan. Their families were still back home, and Wendy expressed sorrow for the sad situation that required them to leave. Conversation turned to the lack of peace in the world, and a suggestion that the only way to have peace is to start with peace in our hearts, peace with God. “How do you think that would happen?” Wendy asked. A thoughtful pause. “I don’t know.”

“May I share with you how I believe that happens?” she asked and then shared the good news about Jesus.

Sometimes we meet people at the café who are already strong believers, who have left their countries because they are persecuted for being Christians.

And we have the privilege to help and encourage them in their walk with the Lord, to call them deeper and higher, in the context of a growing friendship, to walk alongside them.

Of course, you don’t have to come every Thursday between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.

We can all do our part in the grocery store, in the entryway, along the way, whenever we see the foreigner among us, by greeting, smiling, praying for them in our hearts. But our International Café is, right now, one of the best opportunities we have as a church to reach the less reached, on our own campus.

And to communicate the love of Christ in a very practical way, in about two hours per week. If you are interested in being a part of this ministry, please email missions@college-church.org.

If you can’t come but would like to support this ministry in other ways, you might set an alarm on your phone to pray. Perhaps you would like to just participate for one season, and then maintain those relationships over the long haul. Anyway, however we choose to do it, may we as a church faithfully communicate God’s love to immigrants and refugees, and may they find friendship and support in this new place, and ultimately and eternally, a lasting home in Christ.

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A History of Local Community Impact VANESSA ROTH 12

OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

THE BEGINNING

O

ver 32 years ago, College Church made an intentional decision to have a greater impact in the local community. A committee was formed (and became known as the “dream team”) and time was spent thinking through a variety of options that the church could pursue in serving the local community.

The committee decided on a partnership with Outreach and its ministries just one mile away as the place for the church to make an impact in the community. The focus of the partnership has been Twice Is Nice Resale Store.

2. Twice Is Nice will be hope and light to those less fortunate.

And in November 1992, College Church launched a new chapter in its history. The Twice Is Nice Resale Store opened its doors in partnership with Outreach Carol Stream (formerly called the Outreach Community Center). That chapter is still being written today. As of July 31, 2024, Twice Is Nice has contributed just over $2.6 million to Outreach Carol Stream.

As a local, faith-based organization, Outreach annually serves over 1500 residents in the southeast section of Carol Stream, one of the most vulnerable, at-risk neighborhoods in DuPage County. Outreach Carol Stream’s mission is to restore hope and provide opportunities for people to become all that God intends them to be, and we do this through ministries from pre-school to older adult residents of the neighborhood.

On behalf of the Outreach board and staff, we are grateful to College Church and the staff and volunteers of Twice Is Nice for this incredible milestone.

Early in its history, the staff of Twice Is Nice decided to be intentional in getting to know shoppers who came to the store, many of whom lived in the southeast Carol Stream neighborhood.

One of those shoppers was a woman named Judy who came to the store every day to shop. Often when Judy would buy items from the store, the next day she would return those same items.

Judy suffered with a mental illness that caused her to make unusual decisions.

The staff and volunteers at Twice Is Nice treated Judy with gentle kindness and grace, demonstrating to Judy the dignity of being created in God’s image.

Judy would visit there so often because she felt the hope and light of Jesus.

THE SUCCESS OF THE STORE College Church and Outreach developed three stated purposes for Twice Is Nice: 1. Twice Is Nice will take action toward meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the neighboring community of southeast Carol Stream.

3. Twice Is Nice will be profitable and assist in funding ministries of Outreach Carol Stream.

In its 32-year history, Twice Is Nice has accomplished these purposes many times over. From the beginning, the people of College Church have generously contributed their clothing and household goods to the store to assist in its success. The store has been profitable every year of its existence and the store has doubled in space.

Several volunteers at Twice Is Nice began as shoppers. Another resident of southeast Carol Stream who shopped regularly at the store, got to know some of the volunteers and the manager at the time. Conversations with this resident were a frequent occurrence. As this shopper shared more and more about her life, spiritual conversations began to take place. The volunteers could tell that this shopper was searching for things that only God could fulfill. One of the volunteers asked the manager if they could start a Bible study group at the store that they could invite the

shopper to attend. The Bible study began, and the shopper found her way to a relationship with Jesus.

That shopper for years considered the staff and volunteers of Twice Is Nice her family.

THE STORE TODAY The stated purposes of the store are still alive at Twice Is Nice. Mary Quiggle is the store manager and Christine Romanski the assistant manager. They have created an intentional atmosphere that shoppers enjoy. From customer service to merchandising, the store is one of a kind. In the resale store world, Twice Is Nice has become a destination store for shoppers from all over the area. The residents of the local community remain the focus with the staff and volunteers still greeting each who enter.

The generosity of College Church in donations to the store is evident in the backroom. The store has 25 volunteers, and more are needed to help sort, price and work the front of the store when it’s open Monday-Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone interested in volunteering can call the store at (630) 260-0942.

Outreach is grateful for this longstanding partnership in ministry.

The impact of Twice Is Nice on the local community remains purposeful and strong. The funds contributed to Outreach Carol Stream continue to sustain the ministries and change the lives of the residents with the hope of the gospel.

Thank you, College Church, for your long-standing commitment to serve the local community with the hope and light of Jesus.

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NEW MEMBERS SHIRLEY LARSON

Shirley is widowed and has three adult children, including Ken (Laurel) Larson.

Shirley lives at Windsor Park and is a retired nurse and psychology teacher.

JULIE MANDERS

Julie has an adult daughter, Mia. Julie grew up in Wisconsin and works as a medical equipment consultant. She has been involved with the Adopt a Plot group at church, and enjoys being outdoors, playing tennis and golf.

CLARE MASTERS

Clare participates in Women’s Bible Study and the Thrive Adult Community.

She also serves in the STARS ministry.

Clare enjoys making art, reading, listening to podcasts and taking care of dogs.

MARTA OSTER

Marta, and her three brothers, grew up at College Church and she is the daughter of members Dave and Liz Oster. She is involved in the 20s ministry and small groups and serves as a small group leader in HYACKs. After studying business marketing and management at Taylor University, she now works on the sales team at Crossway Publishing.

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CAROL PFUND

Carol and Kerry Pfund have been married over 30 years and have attended College Church for almost their whole marriage. Carol majored in physical education at Wheaton College, and then taught for over 40 years in various states, as well as in Poland and Indonesia. In her retirement she enjoys biking, dance classes and other activities. She and Kerry enjoy hosting people in their home and helping with community meals and activities.

GERRY POST

Gerry and his wife, Regina, have been married more than 45 years. His career has included a wide range of business experience with extensive travel. Now that he is retiring, he enjoys fishing, learning about military history and reading historical biographies.

JACK ROBINSON

A Wheaton College grad, Jack is involved in the Life Together Adult Community and a 20s ministry Bible study. He also is a Kids’ Harbor volunteer in Kindergarten. He is currently in his first year of medical school.

KATIE SCOTT

Katie is a niece of Bruce and Allison Bonga. She has been attending College Church since she began Wheaton College as a freshman. She is involved in a 20s small group and has served in KMs. She works for an investment management firm in Chicago.

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OUR VISION 2024 INITIATIVES Vision: “Proclaiming the Gospel”

PATHWAY. We will develop a simple invitational pathway for our gospel ministries: Discover Jesus, Grow in Your Faith and Impact the World. In 2024, we will continue developing that pathway by emphasizing and enhancing the “on ramps” to College Church in the following ways: 1) promoting Kids’ Harbor as one of the first impressions of College Church, 2) augmenting and strengthening our Front Door ministries, and 3) establishing a culture where our congregants willingly and effectively share our faith.

Rationale: After consultation with a Christian communications company, and surveying the neighborhood, we have discovered that we need to present the distinctive gospel ministry opportunity of College Church more clearly and invitationally to the surrounding community.

COMMUNITY. We will cultivate care, encouragement, and connection in 2024 by: 1) calling a pastor focused in these areas (title to be determined), 2) establishing a permanent CARE team to support congregational care, 3) expanding elder prayer for each member of the church by name, and 4) identifying and training Small Group Coordinators to support all of our Small Group Leaders.

DISCIPLESHIP. We will elevate biblically rigorous and practical discipleship by, in 2024: 1) emphasizing and encouraging a renewed focus on discipleship in the context of church family life, 2) providing additional resources for personal disciple making as well as improving awareness and accessibility to them, and 3) offering two churchwide seminars on matters of current importance for being faithful disciples in today’s world.

Rationale: After a churchwide discipleship survey, we have ascertained a growing need for more rigorous and practical discipleship that is coherently coordinated across both small and large groups.

CAMPUS. We will increasingly activate our campus by utilizing the Crossings as a crossover space to reach the community and for student, worship and family space, funded through Gospel Now, prioritizing safety and accessibility upgrades to our parking and other key areas, and studying the highest and best missional use for our portfolio of rental properties.

PARTNERSHIPS. We will leverage the church’s history of church planting, training programs, and connections across the country and world by: 1) expanding the scope of our church planting efforts to include planting, strengthening and revitalizing, 2) hosting a prayer gathering for College Church members interested in this work, 3) exploring partnership with one new organizational partner, and 4) seeking to develop one new church partner in each category (planting, strengthening, revitalizing) by December 2024.

Rationale: By partnering with likeminded churches and organizations, and by broadening our scope to include planting, strengthening, and revitalization, we can increase our gospel impact through gospel-centered, Bible-preaching churches.

Rationale: After the Site and Facilities committee’s extensive work surveying the ministry pinch points, it is apparent that we need to develop our ministry space, and we will target the Crossings space.

Rationale: After conversations with key ministry leaders, it is apparent we need to increase connectivity between members and attenders of the church through mutually loving and caring hospitality.

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CHURCH LIFE OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICES Everyone welcome.

Join us at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Livestream broadcast is at 9:30 a.m. You can watch it at college-church.org/ livestream

OCTOBER 20: Missons Festival— Local outreach: Equipping for Evangelism in the Crossings OCTOBER 27: Missions Festival— Global Missions in Commons Hall.

Missions Classified—hear from global workers in challenging locations.

Missionary displays and reception following the service at 6 p.m.

ADULT COMMUNITIES GENDER AND SEXUALITY WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN STORY Crossings at 9:30 a.m. Sept 8–Oct 13 MORNING SERMON SERIES:

The Gospel of Matthew Senior Pastor Josh Moody preaching OCTOBER 6: Light Greater than Darkness Matthew 4:12-25

ALL NATIONS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104F • Teacher: Curt Miller, Matt Heaton • Study: Word Based Equipping for Gospel Impact

LOGOS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104E • Teacher: James Seward • Study: The Book of Hebrews • Description: A caring community centered around interactive Bible teaching and prayer, spanning a range of ages and family situations.

THRIVE Sundays 9:30 a.m. in Crossings-Clapham Main Area • Teachers: Teaching Team • Study: Gospel of John VERITAS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104B & D • Teacher: Dr. Gregg Quiggle • Study: Christian History since the Reformation

OCTOBER 13: 9 Steps to Blessing Matthew 5:1-12

FORUM 15 Sundays 8 a.m. in C104F

WOMEN’S MINISTRIES

• Teacher: Bruce Main

MOM2MOM

OCTOBER 20: Missions Festival— Local Outreach: Jim Johanik preaching

• Study: Probing Scripture: Personal Bible Study Principles

OCTOBER 7: 9:30-11 a.m., Large Group Gathering: decision making in Commons Hall

OCTOBER 27: Missions Festival— Global Missions: Growing Together: God’s Church Pursuing Maturity in Christ College Church missionary Stephen Pardue preaching on Ephesians 4:7-16

SUNDAY EVENING WORSHIP SERVICES Everyone welcome at 5 p.m.

NEW IN OCTOBER SPECIAL EVENING SERVICES:

Let’s Gather OCTOBER 6: Pastor Dan Hiben preaching, What Is a Healthy Church Like? 2 Timothy 1:1-2 in Commons Hall OCTOBER 13: Pastoral Resident Felipe Champ preaching, What Is a Healthy Church Like? 2 Timothy 1:3-7 in Commons Hall

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GREEK EXEGESIS CLASS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in the Board Room • Teacher: Jon Laansma • Study: 1 John • Description: Knowledge of Greek is not required for this class.

LIFE TOGETHER COMMUNITY Sundays 9:30 a.m. in Commons Gym • Teacher: Teaching Team • Description: Various Topics with small group discussion.

Authentic, biblical community for adults ages 25–40 LIVING WORD Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104A & C104C • Teachers: Felipe Chamy, Jacob Samuel Raju • Study: Gospel of John

OCTOBER 21: 7:30-9 p.m., Moms Night Out, Karen Bagge’s house OCTOBER 28: 9:30-11:30 a.m., Park Playdate at East Street Park, Winfield WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY Wednesdays MORNING: 9:30-11 a.m.

EVENING: 6:45-8:15 p.m WOMEN’S MONTHLY GATHERING One Saturday a month, 9-10:30 a.m.

Join us on October 5 as we kick off our year talking about Jesus’ seven I AM statements in the Gospel of John. Whether you are a new Christian or have studied John countless times before, there is always more to discover about who Jesus is. These mornings

OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

include a short teaching as well as time around tables with discussion questions and are open to women of all ages and stages of life. Check out our website to learn more.

Other Fall Dates: Nov. 2, Dec. 2

MEN’S MINISTRIES MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Wednesdays 6:45-8:15 in Commons Hall

OCTOBER 13: NO KMs—Fall Retreat at Dickson Valley Camp (Oct. 11-13)

OCTOBER 6: Literary Apologetics: Creativity and the Gospel Drs. Tom & Dyanne Martin

OCTOBER 20: KMs in KMs Room

OCTOBER 13: Is that Ethical?

Dr. Paige Cunningham

OCTOBER 27: Fellowship Sunday in KMs Room (with missionary guest) WEDNESDAY NIGHTS: 7-8:30 p.m.

OCTOBER 2: KMs in Crossings

OCTOBER 27: Costly Choices: Discipline vs. Regret in the Christian Journey Dr. Jim Gruenwald

OCTOBER 16: KMs in Crossings

NOVEMBER 3: The Art of Truth: News, Journalism and the Christian Imagination Dr. Drew Bratcher

CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES (KIDS’ HARBOR)

OCTOBER 23: Connect Week: Gym Night in Gym

STARS DISABILITY

OCTOBER 30: KMs in Crossings

SUNDAY MORNING Nursery (0-2) at 9:30 and 11 a.m.

HIGH SCHOOL (HYACKS)

Bible school (preschool-third grade) at 9:30 a.m.

SUNDAY MORNINGS at 9:30 a.m. in the Crossings.

Enter through the door across the street from the Chase ATM. Baxter will be teaching on the Book of Exodus. Afterwards, you are welcome to walk over to the Sanctuary with us for the 11 a.m. church service and sit together.

SUNDAY Children/Adult/Multi-Generational Sunday classes meet at 9:30 and 11 a.m.

At the 9:30 hour, fourth and fifth graders begin with their families in the service (or an Adult Community) until dismissed for Bible school.

Wonders of Worship “WOW” (K-third grade) dismissed during second half of 11 a.m. service Children’s church (older preschool) during second half of 11 a.m. service Children’s church (younger preschool) at 11 a.m.

KIDS’ HARBOR FALL WEDNESDAY MINISTRIES Kids Korner: 9:30-11 a.m.

Evening Programs: 6:45-8:15 p.m.

MIDDLE SCHOOL (KINGS MESSENGERS) SUNDAY MORNINGS: 9:30-10:30 a.m., in the KMs room (Commons Lower Level) OCTOBER 6: Fellowship Sunday in KMs Room

OCTOBER 9: KMs in Crossings

WEDNESDAY MORNING: 6:30-7:30 a.m.

Men and Women of Courage groups meet every other week (Oct.2, Oct.16, Oct. 30). Women meet in Welsh Hall and men meet in the Crossings conference room. A time of Bible reading, prayer, worship and Scripture memorization.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: 7-8:30 p.m.

Large group gathering (in Crossings) and small group gatherings (location varies per group) alternates weekly.

COLLEGE GROUP AFTER HOURS: Sunday in the Crossings at 6 p.m.

GRACE GROUPS Whether you or your loved one’s mental and emotional health has been impacted by recent circumstances or if you live with a diagnosis, we have practical tools to help. Living Grace and Family Grace are support groups that meet on Monday evenings at 7 p.m., beginning October 7. Living Grace is meant for the person who is living with the pain of difficult mental and emotional issues; Family Grace is for the person who has a loved one who struggles with these issues. For more information email gracegroups@collegechurch.org, or to register.

PRISON TASK FORCE Every Saturday our Prison Task Force heads to Stateville Prison for ministry to the inmates there. Join them in prayer in the parking lot at 9:10 a.m.

Other ways to get involved: • Commit to pray at home during our services (15 minutes). continued on next page

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OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

• Pray for the names of men who share requests (10 minutes).

• Help establish a new ministry of weekday, in-person visitation.

• Be a pen pal to help disciple believers behind the walls.

Find out more by emailing prisontaskforce@collegechurch.org.

ARTSPACE Details on page 9.

SIGNS OF LOVE DEAF MINISTRY POTLUCK & PRAYER See opportunities for prayer on page 5.

THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE

TOUCH-A-TRUCK

Wednesday, November 27, from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Liberty Drive, Wheaton October 12, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Psalm 65, Why Give Thanks and Praise to God, Pastor Josh Moody preaching. Invite your Thanksgiving family and guests to join us

Get up close to climb, honk and touch cool vehicles from right behind the wheel.

Under the Radar

Children’s Concert with Wheaton College Symphonic Band

POTTERY & ART SALE

FREE, KID-FRIENDLY

CHILDREN’S CONCERT

October 8, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Edman Chapel Auditorium Free. Reservations required.

Call (630) 752-5099

POP, POP, POP, POPCORN!

Looking Ahead

KLINE CREEK FARM October 12 Demonstrations begin at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Learn all about popcorn on an 1890s Midwest farm, and sample an array of heirloom varieties.

SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS Monday, November 18, from 7-8:30 p.m. in Commons Hall

Suggested donation of $5 per person ages 3 & up to enter farm.

Facilities Annual Back Porch Pottery and Art Sale, October 18-19 Has the loss of a loved one left you wondering how you will survive the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas?

Come be encouraged about dealing with loss during the holiday season. This special GriefShare seminar will be held Monday, November 18, from 7-8:30 p.m. in Commons Hall. For more info, contact Christy at ext. 175 or griefshare@college-church.org.

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FACTS Did you know. . .

College Church members Linda Fallon, Ruth Gregornik and Julie Turner are having a sale at 202 S. Williston Street, Wheaton.

In the 332 & 335 Seminary Buildings alone there are 24 washrooms that contain the following and are cleaned every day.

THEATER

• 60 toilets • 15 urinals • 51 sinks

Arena Theater at Wheaton College: Love’s Labor Lost November 7-16 Go to https://tickets.wheaton.edu/ shows/arena-theater-loves-labourlost/ or call 630-752-5010

We are grateful for our hardworking custodial staff who help the church with these responsibilities and much more.

OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

COAT DRIVE FOR REPEAT BOUTIQUE Linda Murphy WHAT ITEMS DOES REPEAT NEED? With 1,500 people searching our shelves each month for some of their basic needs, and we need winter clothes. Children’s and men’s clothing are always in short supply, but there are usually 25 moms each day looking for an encouraging garment to brighten their day. So, donate whatever your family can no longer use.

You can’t imagine the good this does in lives that are weighed down by traumas or just life in general. Let’s demonstrate the tender heart of God and how he plants that tenderness through the hearts of his children here at College Church as we seek to be the hands of Jesus to some of the least of these.

Repeat Boutique expects to give away 3,000+ coats this year, possibly even 4,000, if we have enough to give away. Let’s be a significant part of these donations. The Boutique is currently serves 400+ families each month that represents 1,500 individuals.

Who are the shoppers at Repeat Boutique? Forty percent are newly arrived refugees from World Relief who also attend ESL classes here. Another 25% are graduates of World Relief resettlement programs who work but are still in need of our help.

Christian workers comprise another 25% who shop once every three months, or whenever they pop back into the country. We

love providing them with coats, sweaters and blankets to help them meet their needs in a colder climate than what they might be accustomed to. The final 10% of our shoppers come from local food pantries, county health departments and offices, pastors, deaconesses or other charitable organizations such as Outreach.

GIVE OR VOLUNTEER TO REPEAT BOUTIQUE. WHEN: Donate coats Sundays in October 6, 13, 20 in the drop box in the Narthex. You can also visit the Repeat Boutique display on Local Outreach Sunday (October 20) to find out more.

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CHARLES WELANDER

I

n the 1950s, a group of seniors at College Church formed what was then known as the “Sixty-Plus Club.”

They would meet in homes to share dinner and a program, and as the group grew, the meetings moved to Welsh Hall. In 1977 the group changed its name to “Keenagers,” after new members who had recently moved here from Florida suggested it. Over the years the name “Keenagers” has been considered for a change, but there has never been a consensus for a new alternative—so, Keenagers remains uniquely identifiable, never confused with any other program at College Church.

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There are a lot of groups designed for seniors to meet and enjoy food and entertainment, perhaps at a local community center.

Keenagers, however, expands on the food and entertainment principle and adds a vision to be more. The College Church vision of “Proclaiming the Gospel” is foundational for all the programs and ministries that are part of church life. Looking forward to the coming year, each Friday night Keenagers event will include a reading from God’s Word, a specific passage related to the theme of the evening. With a fair number of adult choir members participating in Keenagers, we

OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

want to make sure to sing hymns of the church. Each month, a member of the College Church pastoral staff will come to introduce himself or herself, describe the area of ministry, and present specific prayer needs. The Keenagers audience is filled with intercessors who daily present the needs of the church before God. Monthly programs vary in focus, but all have an intentional goal to inform everyone of God’s work in this community and throughout the world. In addition, Keenagers provides award winning meals every time.

Wonderful fellowship among God’s children is a natural result at Keenagers. Guests who may not know our Savior are also welcome. “Proclaiming the Gospel” happens in varied settings, including at Keenagers, once a month on Friday evenings.

Come and see! — Charles Welander, Keenagers President NOW HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR SENIORS… There are several reasons I appreciate this program. First, I like to support our church in any way I can, especially programs that are specifically planned for my age group or my personal interests. I really enjoy attending Keenagers for several reasons.

The programs are well planned, interesting and diverse. I learn something new almost every time. The meal is beautifully presented, the food is amazing, and the menu is different every time. However, the chance to meet more folks in my age group, some I would not meet any other way, is great. Keenagers is a great place to invite people who may not have a church home or are seeking to find one. — Miriam Barnett Are you looking for a place to belong and a sense of community in a large church? It can be intimidating. My husband, Jim, and I moved to Wheaton two years ago. We knew we wanted to make College Church our church home, but we had come from a small church where we knew everyone, so this was going to be a challenge. We learned about Keenagers right away, a monthly dinner and program for those 55 years old and older. It has been such a blessing and is a wonderful way to meet other people and enjoy an evening together. Every month during the school year, Keenagers hosts a dinner and an interesting program.

There is a time to mingle (with punch) beforehand and then enjoy a wonderful dinner prepared by volunteers. Every month we have attended the dinner has been different, but always creative, delicious and beautifully served. (It’s always nice to have someone else do the cooking and cleanup!) The programs have also been on a whole range of topics: Timothy Botts doing a calligraphy demonstration, various musicians including Bert Kettinger, a puppet show, a trip to the base camp of Mt. Everest, a trip to the Holy Land, a program on how to preserve photos in various forms, a history of the Living Bible, and much more.

staff comes and tells us about their ministry. In October, various missionaries from College Church visit with us. But most of all, it is a way to get to know people. I’m so glad that everyone wears a name tag so it’s easy to make introductions and helps with “senior moments”! You can be comfortable coming by yourself or coming with friends, even inviting friends who don’t attend College Church. Guests are always made welcome. We like to sit with different people each time and get to know them a bit. It is so good then to see people in the larger church setting on Sundays. We have found it has been a very important way for us to truly feel a part of College Church in a short time. You will be glad you have reached the old age of 55 and can come. — Penny Schoerner I began going to Keenagers when I would take my mother. I didn’t feel old enough myself, although I was. Soon I was hooked and began looking forward to each Keenager event. Now, some 35 years later, I still look forward to each meeting. The fellowship with about 100 other seniors is enjoyable and stimulating. The programs are varied—informative, educational, inspirational, or entertaining—but always worth attending. A big draw are the delicious home cooked meals prepared by a small group of ladies from College Church. These ladies (and a few of their husbands) spend all day on Keenager Fridays preparing these much-anticipated meals. They had a hard act to follow, for Carol Carlburg’s crew had prepared our delicious meals for many years. But they have proved themselves up to the task. If you are 55 or older, I encourage you to attend a Keenager event.

You’ll be glad you did. — Marilyn Himmel COMING UP… The fall season of Keenagers began on September 20 with violinist Daniel Ziesemer on the program, and now on October 25 we will participate in the church’s annual Missions Festival and hear from some of our missionaries who will be here. The last gathering of 2024 will be on November 15 when our own Everett Peterson shares pictures and stories from his visit to the Oshkosh Wisconsin Air Show, called AirVenture 2024.

This event attracts about 600,000 people and a variety of more than 10,000 aircraft. We take time off for the holidays before resuming in January. Each of our evenings begins with a time of fellowship with punch at 5:30, with a delicious dinner at 6 p.m.

Then our featured presentation begins around 7 p.m., finishing around 8:30. The cost for the evening— dinner and program— is only $10, payable that evening by cash or check.

Sign up is easy! You can simply email keenagers@ college-church.org, or call the church at (630) 6680878, or use the QR code with your smartphone to sign up.

Keenagers is also a way to learn more about the ministries of College Church since each month, a member of the church 21

OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

Growing Together: God’s Church Pursuing Maturity in Christ LOCAL OUTREACH: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 LOCAL MINISTRY MEET & GREET 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Commons Hall Ministries & Organizations Participating • Decision Point • Naomi’s House • My Half Kitchen • Outreach Ministries • Kalli Hill, Cru • Englewood Family Outreach • Caring Network • Sanctity of Human Life Task Force • Koinonia House & Prison Task Force • Family Advocacy • Evangelical Child and Family Agency • LifeWise • World Relief • Repeat Boutique • South Asian Friendship Center • Re:New • STARS Resale Shop • STARS Family Services • Signs of Love (Deaf Ministry) WORSHIP SERVICES: 8, 9:30, 11 a.m., Pastor Jim Johanik preaching 5 p.m., Equipping for Evangelism in Crossings

GLOBAL MISSIONS: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 5:30 p.m., Missionaries Meet with Keenagers in Commons Hall (RSVP)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 8, 9:30, 11 a.m., Missionaries in Worship and Adult Communities, Steve Pardue preaching 12:30 p.m., Missions Discovery Lunch in Commons Hall (RSVP) 5 p.m., Missions Classified in Commons Hall 6 p.m., Missionary Displays and Reception in Commons Hall

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or two millennia, Christ has been building his global church. What began as a fledgling group of fearful followers in ancient Israel has become the world’s largest, most diverse community of faith found in most countries around the world. God built his church as believers shared the gospel with their friends, family and co-workers and lived according to biblical truth.

Many Christians were persecuted and fled to areas that were previously unreached.

Some became pastors and missionaries who were sent to the hard-to-reach places to teach God’s Word. As the seeds of the gospel were planted and watered, God gave the growth. Now, over two billion people claim to follow Jesus.

For this reason, our 2024 Missions and Community Outreach festival will focus on Growing Together: God’s Church Pursuing Maturity in Christ. God’s global church is a global family. It’s not mainly a building or a 501(c)3 organization. These physical and social structures are meant to support the spiritual family of adopted sinners, saved by grace. The church is one people, unified under Christ, and God’s people are growing, not only numerically, but also in spiritual maturity.

Our global missions festival Sunday will be held on Sunday, October 27, and College Church missionary Dr. Stephen Pardue will explain from Ephesians 4:7-16 how God’s global church is pursuing maturity in Christ.

Steve teaches theology at the Asia Graduate School of Theology (AGST) and the International Graduate School of Leadership (IGSL). He is director of AGST’s ThM/PhD program in Theological Studies and Church History and serves as Associate Publications Secretary for Asia Theological Association Publications. Steve is the author of Why Evangelical Theology Needs the Global Church (Baker Academic, 2023), The Mind of Christ (T&T Clark, 2013), and the co-editor of nine books, including most recently Majority World Theology (IVP, 2020) and Asian Christian Theology (ATA/Langham, 2019). His research interests include the virtue of humility and the ways the Majority World Church is reshaping and strengthening evangelical theology. Steve and his family live in Manila, Philippines.

MILESTONES BIRTHS Eliza Hope was born to Patrick and Rachel Gallagher on September 21. Her first-time maternal grandparents are Jerry and Laura Jagrowski.

Gwyneth Rose was born to Grant and Faith Garrison on September 16. She joins big brother Roman. Her maternal grandparents are Shawn and Mary DeMoss.

Judah James was born to Jacob and Micah Frerichs on August 26.

Jacqueline Elise was born to Mark and Vanessa Aloisio on August 22. Jacqueline joins her siblings Whit, Luke and Adaline.

Miles August was born on August 17 to Ben and Jenelle Colling. Miles joins his siblings Henri, Silas and Lucie.

Ruth Elizabeth was born to Allie and Danny Benson on August 16. She joins her big brother Samuel. Her maternal grandparents are Gary and Marilyn Lange.

DEATHS Pray for Michelle Smidesang, Nancy Smidesang, Jane Lazar and family as they grieve the loss of Michelle’s husband, Jane’s brother and Nancy’s son, Brian, who passed away on September 28.

Pray for Jill (Bruce) Bryan and family as they mourn the loss of Jill’s mother, Jean Hawkins, who passed away on September 27 in Rock Island, Illinois.

Pray for Susan Dunn-Hensley (Robert) and family as they mourn the loss of Susan’s father who passed away on September 22 in Texas.

Pray for the family of Kimberly Jiminez, the administrative assistant for the disability ministry and Julie Clemens, who passed away on September 22.

Pray for Dan (Lisa) Burden and family as they grieve the loss of Dan’s Father, Dr. Stanley Burden, of Upland, Indiana, who passed away on September 15.

Pray for the family of Florence Scott who passed away on September 9 in North Carolina. Florence was married to the late Dr. Julius Scott.

Pray for Evelyn Reeve as she grieves the loss of her sister, Dr. Carolyn Schroeder, who passed away on September 16 in Dallas, Texas.

Pray for family and friends of former College Church missionary Roger Walkwitz, who passed away on September 8 in Florida.

Pray for the family of Dr. Jeanne Blumhagen, including her daughter Susan Fullerton, wife of former pastor Dr. Larry Fullerton. Jeanne passed away on Sunday, August 25. There will be a memorial service at College Church on Saturday, October 12, at 11 a.m.

Pray for Melissa (Nate) Peterson and family as they mourn the loss of her father, Ted Miller, who passed away on August 31 in Peoria, Illinois.

Pray for Alex Balc and family as they mourn the loss of Alex’s wife, Kathy, who passed away on August 30

Children’s Choirs “SINGING DOES AT LEAST AS MUCH AS PREACHING TO IMPRESS THE WORD OF GOD ON PEOPLES’ MINDS.” —D.L. Moody Singing not only involves text, pitches and rhythm, but also helps to create a bridge into the mind and heart of those participating. Music is a unique avenue that helps us hide God’s Word in our hearts, guiding and shaping us to become more like Jesus.

Children’s choirs run September through May on Sundays, 5-6:15 p.m.

Registration is open.

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KEITH BODGER

Transformation

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ere’s a tricky question: Why do we read the Bible? It’s especially tricky here in Wheaton, the home of Wheaton College. My first answer is that we read the Bible, so we know God. But Satan knows God. So that’s not enough of a reason. We read the Bible so that we change to become more like Jesus and less like ourselves. A friend told me about a quote by Howard Hendricks along the lines of, “We don’t read the Bible to be smarter sinners.”

Yet here we are next to Wheaton College. Those students are pretty smart. They read the Bible, so they become smarter and get good grades. The professors have read the Bible a great deal to get their advanced degrees. Pastors read the Bible a lot, whether they are prepping for a sermon or preaching it on Sunday morning.

Why do pastors preach sermons? I haven’t asked our pastor why, but I suspect it’s so that we change, not that we become smarter sinners. In a recent sermon Pastor Moody revealed that when he feeds us with his sermons, he also feeds himself. That suggests that Scripture is nourishment, which is consistent with 1 Corinthians 3:2.

I read the Bible. I study the Bible. I have done so since the early 1990s. There have been periods of neglect and periods of extra study. And here I am, a smarter sinner.

Ha, I compliment myself. I am here, a sinner. Why haven’t I changed? Or at least changed more? I write this because I’m tired of the old me. Others are tired of the old me. I want God to hurry up and transform me. Earlier this summer I visited my dad and siblings. I prayed that I would be a shining light for Christ. Instead, I reverted to the pre-Christian me—outbursts of anger, sulkiness and impatience.

I apologized to my sister for getting angry at her. Not very shiny.

During this past summer’s forum, Ben Panner spoke of a verse that resonated with this concept. He read 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” It resonates that I am in Christ, a new creation, but the old continues. There is new but there is still plenty of old. In the service that same Sunday, Josh Mauer read 2 Peter 3:14 “Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”

In my mind, these two verses contradict each other. Second Corinthians says I’m a new creation. Something happened when I was saved that caused me to be new and the old passed away. But in 2 Peter, it says that I must be diligent to be found without spot or blemish. Pastor Mauer also said it could be translated as to make every effort. Why do I have to make an effort when I’m new and the old has passed away? Why doesn’t the Holy Spirit, who lives in me, make his home nicer?

A pastor friend of mine told me, “We are justified immediately but sanctification takes a lifetime.”

Recently, I had a lunch with a friend and I was talking about a project I’m planning.

It would seem I was bragging about the project I’m planning because he quoted 1 Kings 20:11, which says, “And the king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.” Basically, if you’re going to boast, do it after you finish the project, not before you start. It’s good to have friends like this in your life who can help you be like Christ.

I am a new creation in Christ. But I’m still covered with spots and blemishes and I’m not at peace. What does it look like to “make every effort,” especially on sins like patience and arrogance? I really don’t know. If you do, feel free to stop me on a Sunday morning and talk to me. You won’t likely see my spots on Sunday morning as I cover them with a clean shirt, smile, and sometimes service unto the King.

Stop me anyway and let me know the efforts you’ve made to make those sin spots disappear. We’re a church. We need to help each shine as bright lights to the world we affect, and not prove how smart we are.

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Do You Feel Like an Outsider?

Pat Cirrincione

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ears ago, when I first came to College Church, I felt like I had come home, and at the same time I felt like an outsider. There were five of us: several of us there without our husbands for various and sundry reasons, one single woman and a widow.

We found each other for a while, but no place else where we felt comfortable. I remember going to one of our pastors and asking if the church would formulate a group for women such as us, but at the time it wasn’t a possibility. Fast forward, of the five women I’m the only one who remained.

Then in the year 2019 the Women’s Monthly Gathering began. It was an answer to prayer! The stated goal of Monthly Gathering is: “A space where the women of College Church can connect with one another, discuss relevant topics, learn from God’s Word and grow with one another.” In other words, a place where women can connect and discuss biblically based topics, with no homework, and meets one Saturday a month from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

I don’t know about you, but that was and still is a perfect fit for me—once a month, like Keenagers, but without a dinner, but with coffee, tea and delicious breakfast treats, especially the scones. It’s a gathering of women willing to let you cry while you pray for them. And, according to Michelle Kelley, one of our leaders, “It’s a neat intersection of ages: single, married, divorced—and has a wonderful intersection of different demographics of women, which makes these mornings so sweet and special! It’s enjoyable hearing how women in different life stages have been thinking through spiritual disciplines or serving our neighbors or fighting sin. It’s encouraging to see God at work through the different members of his body.”

As I sit here and wax poetic about Woman’s Monthly Gathering, I am reminded of Rosaria Butterfield’s words from her book The Gospel Comes with a House Key. A few years ago, while focusing on hospitality, we used this book as one of our core resources.

Butterfield writes: • Daily hospitality, gathering church and neighbors, is a daily grace.

• Christians are not lone rangers.

• It begins with recognizing people as your kin.

• The way of following Jesus is hard. It breaks you. It is best walked in the company of other broken people, accompanying one another in suffering, helping each other repent of sin, bear the cross, and make biblical sense of things.

• All around you, people hunger for the covenant of God to include them.

• Living in community is not just pleasant; it is lifesaving.

So, if you are looking for a place to be revitalized and rejuvenated join us. The morning is exactly as the website describes—a morning that includes “a short teaching as well as time around tables with discussion questions. It’s a space where women can get to know each other, have meaningful and relevant conversations.”

It’s a place I longed for so long ago. A place where, by grace alone, we are brought together each month. (And let us not forget, where occasionally there are delicious scones to enjoy with morning coffee or tea) And most importantly, a place where you don’t have to feel like an outsider.

Fall Monthly Gathering dates are: October 5, November 2 and December 7.

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You are not alone.

Supporting Life in Our Community KARA VANCE

with input from Heather Johnson who runs the local Baby Bank

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wo years ago, the Sanctity of Human Life Task Force introduced the Baby Bank Crib as a drop-off spot for donations to our local Caring Network Baby Bank hosted at Church of the Resurrection.

WHAT IS THE BABY BANK? Caring Network is a partner organization of College Church and runs full-service pregnancy centers in our community that offer pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, pregnancy consultations, resources and referrals, as well as support and counseling for women who’ve had an abortion and men who’ve participated in that decision. All of these services are at no cost to the clients. The counselors at Caring Network seek to care for women in crisis with the love and compassion of Christ, equipping abortion-minded women to choose life— both physical and spiritual.

The Caring Network staff offer access to a local Baby Bank for women who choose to parent, but do not have the financial resources and support network that they need. Once every two weeks, referred Caring Network clients may pick up critical baby care items such as diapers, wipes, baby shampoo, baby lotion, diaper rash cream, and formula at no cost.

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WHO COMES TO THE WHEATON BABY BANK? Within the last two months, the Baby Bank served a record 54 families on one Thursday evening and averaged 45 families per time over the summer. The clients and their experiences are wide ranging. About 17 different countries of origin are represented. For many, English is not their first language. Individuals of various different religious backgrounds, including Muslim and Hindu families, regularly access the Baby Bank. There are teenagers who come in with a parent, as well as moms in their early 40s. Some families are intact and others are not.

WHAT DO FAMILIES EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY COME TO THE BABY BANK? There is a dedicated group of about eight volunteers who assist clients when the Baby Bank is open once every two weeks. Moms can park right by the entrance of the Baby Bank. Volunteers seek to make eye contact and greet families by name. Each family fills out a brief questionnaire on arrival to confirm the number of kids, sizes of diapers that they need, type of formula. The questionnaire also asks if they would like the volunteers to pray for them.

Then, part of the volunteers gather the essentials while the families chat with the other volunteers. Clients may also peruse a selection of baby clothes, ma-

ternity clothes, blankets and toys that they could choose to take with them.

Volunteers have many opportunities to be good listeners when families come in upset and regularly pray with families in the name of Jesus.

WHY SUPPORT THE BABY BANK? WHAT’S THE IMPACT? Heather shared with me that they “want to make sure that everyone knows that they’re not alone.”

Caring Network’s hope, and ours as we partner together, is that people will encounter Jesus as they come through the door of the Baby Bank, that the Lord would make his fatherly care known to people through this ministry, these baby supplies, these volunteers. We want people to come to know Jesus, the most faithful friend who will never leave or forsake his people.

One family has visited church after meeting volunteers. Another woman started an Alpha course. Many Bank Bank clients note the warmth and kindness shown and felg in the space. It’s definitely about more than just providing “stuff.”

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT NEEDS? With so many families, a large quantity of supplies are needed! Around 5,000 diapers alone are distributed every two

OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

church on Sunday is too inconvenient, you can also scan the QR code below for the Baby Bank Amazon Wish List.

Just select “Church of the Resurrection Gift Registry Address” for where to ship the items.

Please reach out to us at sohl@college-church.org if you have questions or want to discuss options to be more regularly involved. We’re also still looking to add to our team of volunteers who would take items from the Baby Bank donation crib at College Church to the Caring Network Baby Bank location at Church of the Resurrection.

SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE ANNOUNCEMENTS

baby bank

JOIN THE SOHL TEAM. LEARN, SHARE, ADVOCATE, SERVE TOGETHER. Fill out SOHL participation interest survey to Indicate your interest in inviting a friend to join our email list or come to an event, attending prolife events yourself, or getting more involved with the volunteer team.

STUDY THE BIBLE WITH CARING NETWORK CLIENTS

weeks. Recently the bank ran completely out of purple Enfamil (available at Costco) and baby shampoo.

• Baby lotion • Diaper rash cream • Formula (especially purple Enfamil)

Let’s make the month of October a big month for Baby Bank donations! Please bring any of the following to church with you on Sundays and drop in the Bank Donation Crib.

On the first Sunday of every month, the crib is located in the narthex to the left of the main sanctuary doors. On all other days, the crib can be found in the Commons to the right of the reception desk.

• Diapers (size newborn through 6) • Baby wipes • Baby shampoo

Consider incorporating baby care items for the donation crib in your weekly grocery list! If bringing items to

Restore After Abortion is seeking volunteer mentors to walk through biblical abortion recovery curriculum with clients who regret past abortions. https:// www.caringnetwork.com/post-abortion-groups/ There are more clients who want mentoring than there are current mentors. Caring Network will train and support mentors.

40 DAYS FOR LIFE PRAYER Saturday, Oct. 12, 1-2 p.m. Join Sanctity of Human Life Task Force at 40 Days for Life’s year-round peaceful prayer vigil.

Meet on Waterleaf pregnancy center’s property across from Planned Parenthood Aurora’s driveway.

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OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

DISCIPLES TOGETHER NANCY TAYLOR It was a crisp, fall day at Adams Park, and I was sitting with my best friend and my youth pastor’s wife, Amy. The leaves fell gently around us, tactile reminders of a new school year and a new phase of life.

I was fourteen years old, and this was the first time I had been in such an informal setting for a Bible study. It was also the first time I had been in such a small group, just the three of us, opening God’s Word to explore what it meant to follow Jesus. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was the first of what would be many discipling relationships that would help me grow in my faith. In the coming years I was discipled not just by Amy, but by so many others— Allison, Melinda, Mary, Debbie, pastors and teachers, my peers, and many others whose names I may or may not remember but who left a mark on my life.

In more recent years I’ve been discipled not only through formal discipling relationships, but also through observing the lives of faithful saints who have shown me how to persevere in trouble, how to joyfully labor for the gospel, how to life a life of grace and generosity at all times.

Discipleship isn’t just about formal Bible study or mentoring. It naturally happens when the body of Christ is functioning as it should, as we live a life of contagious faith and enduring faithfulness together.

In 2 Timothy chapter 3, Paul exhorts, “But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. . . . But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who 28

taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.” (verses 10-11, 14-16, NLT) What strikes me in this passage is that the core instruction—Remain faithful— is placed in the middle of all these “you know” statements. You know what you have been taught, how I live, what my purpose is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. You know my story of persecution and suffering. You know that the things you have been taught are true because you know you can trust the people who taught you.

Timothy has everything he needs to live a life of faith and obedience because he’s been discipled, life on life. He’s observed Paul’s example and he’s been taught what is true. Consistently following Jesus is possible because of the truth we know and the people we know. Or to put it another way, the life of faith is relational as well as theological.

And that flows both ways: we need to humbly and gratefully receive instruction and mentoring from others, and we need to pass these truths on through genuine relationships in all our spheres of influence. That might mean grabbing coffee with a friend or teaching threeyear-old Sunday school. It might mean starting a habit of memorizing Scripture with our children or spouse or signing up to be a mentor at Mom2Mom. It might mean sending notes of encouragement or having a difficult conversation we know we need to have.

I don’t know how God is calling you to disciple others, but I do know that every Christian is called to be a discipler.

It’s right there in the great commission, which could be translated, “as you’re going, make disciples”—wherever you go, wherever you find yourself, be intentional about encouraging others to take their next step of faith. This is for all of us, whether we are new believers or have followed Jesus for our whole long lives—we all have responsibility to pass on what we know so that others can know Jesus better.

So here’s my exhortation to all of us, in the spirit of the Apostle Paul: Be faithful to read God’s Word so that you are ready to speak gospel truth into your relationships. Be faithful to serve in the roles God has given you for this season, with joy and zeal and perseverance. Be faithful in prayer. Be faithful to continue in the things you have learned, never ceasing to grow in your knowledge, continuing each day to listen and respond to God’s voice. Remain faithful to what you know, returning again and again to the basics of Scripture, for you will never outgrow your need for the gospel. Remain faithful to your church, encouraging and building up your brothers and sisters in the faith. Remain faithful in generosity, knowing that everything you have comes from God’s hand and you are merely a steward of it. Remain faithful in moral virtue, so that those who watch your manner of life will see in your conduct reason to believe the truth of the gospel.

Remain faithful in suffering and persecution, so that by your endurance others may be encouraged. Remain faithful to all of God’s calling, for you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Remain faithful in all these things because you know that the Lord always remains faithful to you and to the church he gave his life for.

OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

at the

BOOKSTALL

NEW AT THE BOOKSTALL: The Shepherd Shelf. Check out these titles our pastors and directors curated for us and our children in areas of particular concern that they see in their ministry with us.

Here are just a few of the selections from the Shepherd Shelf:

FIGHT YOUR FEARS

ONE TO ONE BIBLE READING

by Kristin Wetherell It is so easy to get bogged down by our fears and to let anxiety creep in each day. Fight Your Fears reminds us of 10 of God’s precious promises which help us to battle these fears on a day-to-day basis.

Bookstall Price: $14

I’M PRAYING FOR YOU

by David Helm This is a simple guide to help Christians learn how to read the Bible together. In an effort to foster spiritual growth and know the Savior more deeply, why not read the Bible with a friend or family member. This book provides some practical tips on how to do this with others Bookstall Price: $9

HENRY SAYS GOOD-BYE

by Nancy Guthrie

by Edward T. Welch, editor; Joe Hox, Illustrator

Nancy Guthrie helps us to broaden our prayer vocabulary when praying for loved ones who are suffering. Rather than just praying that God would take away their pain, we can pray scripture over them. Each short chapter ends with a QR code, so you can copy and text to people what you’ve been praying for them that day.

Kids have troubles and emotional issues that they need help and counsel with just as much as teens and adults do.

Henry is dealing with deep sadness because of having to say good-bye to his dear pet. This book helps parents navigate loss and sadness with their children and gives them biblical truths to apply.

Bookstall Price: $9

Bookstall Price: $14

Pastor Josh Moody’s book makes a great gift for the season: THE JOY OF JESUS by Josh Moody “With theological richness and devotional warmth, Josh Moody guides us through Advent as he walks us through the Gospel accounts of the greatest story ever told. Your heart will be stirred and your mind enriched as your eyes are pointed to the child of the manger and the Lord of salvation. Here believers will be drawn afresh into the wonder and joy of the Saviour’s arrival— and those just exploring the faith will find a gentle and winsome invitation to experience that same wonder and to discover that unmatched joy.”

Jonathan Griffiths, Lead Pastor, The Metropolitan Bible Church, Ottawa, Canada Bookstall Price: $9 Purchase early and give away for Advent readings throughout the season.

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OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

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OCTOBER 2024 CONNECTIONS

O F F E RT O RY L I F E ANONYMOUS

“Giving ought to be an act of conscious worship rather than a reflexive religious act. The givers, as they give of their substance, ought to first give themselves to God (cf. Rom. 12:1; 2 Cor. 8:5).”

T

The Pastor’s Book by R. Kent Hughes. Dough O’ Donnell contributing editor, Crossway Books, 2015, p.53

he offertory in a worship service is the time when offerings are collected from the congregation.

When College Church used to do this, ushers would pass plates from pew to pew. Musicians played thoughtful, usually meditative musical. When I think back to it, the offertory was a quiet time for both giving and personal prayer. We no longer have that formal part of the service. We invited people to either give online or drop their offering in an offering plate on the way out.

In the last few years that we included this element in the worship service, I shifted my giving from in person to online. It became so much easier. I never write checks anymore. I don’t have to remember either the check or my tithing envelope. The bank does it for me. I’m consistent in my giving and I like that.

In some ways, though, I miss the old way. I miss the reflective moment and the act of putting my gift in the plate. But I have to tell you that the change has made me consider giving in a deeper way than just passing the plate ever did.

The challenge that I feel now that my tithe is automated and the reflective music as plates are passed is gone has to do with my heart and mind. The bank can transfer the money to the church every week, or however often I have told it to, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect a heart and mind, my heart and mind, that is actively engaged in giving. I’m not done giving for the week when I drop my gift in the plate.

So, my challenge is for my soul giving to match my money giving. How does that work? It’s not as simple as thinking about it as we pass plates to thoughtful music or sign up for EFT giving. So here are a few questions I ask myself as I contemplate my offertory action to my church: DO I BELIEVE THAT ALL MY MONEY IS GOD’S? What about my time? Do I give enough of it to others or am I so taken with work and home that I don’t have much left for others who need me or for the church where I worship?

Someday I’m going to die. When that happens, my time will be gone. So will my money. They’re both just expressions of who I am here on earth. Money and time are given to us for just a temporary season and then both be taken, gone forever.

Now, however, today, this week, this year, while I still have breath, I can worship God by giving him and his church and his people my time and my money. It’s part of life, not something to be put aside until death, when it’s all taken from me anyway. So, I resolve to have offertory living—where I’m giving my time and my money in worship to the Lord Jesus Christ.

These are questions to ask not once a week in worship service, but perhaps even more appropriately, every day of my Godgiven life. May God give me wisdom to live this way all the time.

And in the responsive answer there is much joy.

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