LAUSANNE PERSECUTED CHURCH INITIATIVE: A CALL TO AWAKE AND DECLARE CHRIST GLOBALLY
Yousaf Sadiq
Resiliance and Faith in Action
Our Pastors, Directors and Residents: Caleb Aulie, pastoral resident | Cheryce Berg, ministry director of children | Roger Burgess, pastor of visitation Julie Clemens, ministry director of STARS disabilities | 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 Ethan Kim, pastoral resident | Bruce Main, pastor of visitation | Josh Maurer, pastor of discipleship and care | Curt Miller, missions pastor | Josh Moody, senior pastor | Jacob Samuel Raju, pastoral resident | Mindy Rynbrandt, ministry director for women’s discipleship and care | James Seward, pastor of community | John Seward, executive pastor | Nancy Singer, director of administration and finance | Wil Triggs, director of communications
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
CONTRIBUTORS
PAT CIRRINCIONE
A regular contributor to Connections, Pat makes good use of her time reading, attending musicals and coffee and conversation with friends, old and new. She is devoted to praying for her grandchildren and writing.
GARY COOK
Gary serves as the ministry associate for small groups at College Church and as an adjunct professor in theological studies. His pastoral experience and study of church history have given him a passion for faithful stewardship by the church of the essential truths of the Christian faith. You can often find Gary reading and writing at a table in the Commons, and he’d welcome the opportunity to meet you and hear your story!
JOHN MAUST
Recently retired as president of Media Associates International, John and his wife, Elsa, were long-time missionaries of College Church. They first met in a writer workshop in Lima, Peru, and in November they will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.
YOUSAF SADIQ
Dr. Yousaf Sadiq teaches Global Christian Persecution. He has been appointed by the Lausanne Movement as a global leader for the Lausanne Persecuted Church Initiative to serve persecuted brothers and sisters worldwide.
JON SMALLEY
Jon served on the Board of Deacons and currently serves on the Board of Missions. Additionally, Jon serves as usher at the 8 a.m.service and is involved in the Veritas Adult Community. From time to time, you can also see him around the church campus volunteering with Facilities.
KARA VANCE
Kara serves as a mentor with the College Group discipleship team and is actively involved with the Sanctity of Human Life Task Forces. She works in Wheaton as a financial planner and keeps tabs on counting macros as part of her interest in nutrition and weightlifting.
KAYE WAUGH
Kaye and her husband, Kurt, have been members of College Church since 2019. She loves getting together with friends and families from College Church. A retired banker, Kaye’s passion is to start writing stories about seasoned missionaries, past and present.
TIME TO WAKE UP
WIL TRIGGS | EDITOR
Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
PSALM 57:8 (NIV)
Some people have trouble sleeping. Others have trouble staying awake even at critical times. Our theme this month, “Awake,” considers ways in which the Bible does not want us to fall into sleep. Christ does offer us rest, but this issue considers the need for us to stay alert, to persevere and not slumber when we should be ready and alert.
John Maust opens the issue with his article “Persevering Prayer to Our God Who Does Not Sleep” with a look at both Scripture and his life experiences in relation to the call to stay awake, to stay alert. “Awake by God’s Grace” by Pat Cirrincione goes a different direction, looking at how God opens our eyes to sin especially our own. Gary Cook shops for alarm clocks, not literally, but at how Scripture gives us ways to stay alert to the dangers of living in his “Wake Up! The Alarm Clocks of Scripture.” In “Awake in Spirit, Audacious in Action,” Kaye Waugh challenges us to live our lives wide awake to the things of God and to hear his many wake-up calls.
In his article “Hey You–Yes, You!” Jon Smalley doesn’t look so much at the eyes as the ears—are we listening to what God is saying? There’s a big positive story this month about a new Lausanne initiative on persecution: “Lausanne Persecuted Church Initiative: A Call to Awake and Declare Christ Globally” by Yousaf Sadiq.
This issue also includes a new standing column from Pastor of Community James Seward profiling people in our pews. And we also have reports and impressions of the recently held Caring Network banquet. The Giving Joy column is typically anonymous, but this month, I have written it and put my name on it as author. I’d be curious to know any thoughts you have on what it says.
I would be remiss in an issue with this theme if I did not mention my favorite earthly help for staying awake: coffee. Single origin: Kenya. Caffeine is a blessing of God’s creation. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Persevering Prayer to Our God Who Does Not Sleep
JOHN MAUST
The psalmists knew that God neither slumbers nor sleeps. But still they sometimes called for him to wake up:
“Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.”
(Psalm 44:23, NIV)
“Awake, my God; decree justice.”
(Psalm 7:6, NIV)
“Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.”
(Psalm 35:23, NIV)
Of course, they didn’t think God was literally asleep. But to them it seemed like God wasn’t listening, and they wanted to get his attention. Why didn’t God answer their pleas for help? Why didn’t the all-powerful God intervene in answer to their prayer?
Have you ever felt a similar impatience, or even discouragement, over God’s seeming unresponsiveness to your prayer for a specific need? Probably all of us have had the experience of praying for God’s resolution of a particular situation or need over a long period of time with, so far, no apparent results.
I think of friends in war-torn places like Ukraine, Democratic Republic of
Congo, South Sudan, northern Nigeria who have prayed fervently for years for peace, but the fighting continues. Or maybe you’ve been praying for months and years for healing from a chronic illness, for the spiritual conversion of a family member, for resolution of a marital or relationship crisis and you have yet to see God work in the way you have prayed. How do we respond if our fervent prayers for help seem ignored?
Maybe we become weary in our prayers, and our faith starts to dip. Maybe we begin to wonder if God really cares, like the disciples who worriedly shook Jesus awake in their sinking boat in the storm and asked, “Don’t you care if we drown?” Worse, perhaps
we’re tempted to give up and stop praying altogether for this particular need. How do we keep our faith and prayers strong when God seems silent, even asleep, to our prayer for a pressing need?
OUR GOD DOES NOT SLEEP
Thankfully, we know that God does not sleep. He is most definitely awake. Nothing escapes his eye or awareness. He is always available.
Isn’t it amazing that we can go to God in prayer at any time, from any place, from any time zone, and in any language, and he hears us? Isn’t it remarkable that we can take our needs directly to him through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? He knows our needs even before we ask him, but he still wants us to express those needs to him as our loving Father.
Our God is all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere present, eternal and unchangeable. Not only that, our God is good. He loved us so much that he gave his only Son so that by believing in him we might not perish but have eternal life. His faithful love endures forever.
If God does not immediately answer our prayers for help, it is not because he does not care, or from weakness or disregard. He is a sovereign God with a perfect plan. God does not “do random.” He is working all things together for good in the lives of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.
Still, the waiting and wondering of when and how God will answer our prayer and work all things together for good isn’t easy. Here we can be encouraged by the example of the prophet Habakkuk.
GOD HAS A PLAN
With the Babylonian armies laying waste to the people of Israel, Habakkuk was losing patience with God for not protecting Israel and punishing the marauding invaders. “How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save? Why
do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?” (Habakkuk 1:2-3).
Those are strong words. Yet I’m sure God prefers raw questions from the heart in our prayers more than words that sound like “going through the motions.” Let’s not be afraid to cry out to our loving, just and merciful God with our questions, worries and fears, much as Habakkuk and the psalmists did, as we continue to seek his help in answer to our prayer.
God does respond to Habakkuk’s complaint, of course. God hasn’t been oblivious to Habakkuk’s prayers or the situation playing out in Israel. Rather, he tells Habakkuk, he is using the Babylonians as his agent to punish Israel for its sin. Then, in God’s perfect time, he will hold the Babylonians accountable for their wickedness and violence.
In response, Habakkuk says he will watch and wait patiently for God’s plan to play out: “I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day.” Until then, he will trust in God, even if he loses everything else around him. “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:18-19, NIV)
As we continue to pray for that pressing situation or need we are facing, let’s be like Habakkuk and watch expectantly in faith for God to act. Let’s also rejoice in our Lord who does awesome deeds. God is not asleep; rather we need to wake up to the power of prayer. In fact, I am writing this article because I need to be reminded of these same things.
GOD WINS
A friend recently sported a T-shirt with words across the front: “Spoiler Alert: God Wins.” What a good reminder that our prayer is never in vain.
Though we may not see yet God’s response to our prayer for that pressing need or situation in our lives, we can be sure that he is working and that his power and purposes will ultimately “win.”
I’m sure that many of you reading this article have testimonies of praying for years for the same need and then seeing God suddenly show up and answer your prayer perhaps in ways you never imagined. Let’s encourage one another with these stories of God’s faithfulness. It’s not God who is asleep. May we wake up to the power and importance of persevering prayer.
Awake by God’s Grace
PAT CIRRINCIONE
Iawoke one morning, not to children climbing on the bed and bouncing us awake, but to finally accepting that God wanted me to be his. I actually was always his, but I had strayed, oh, so far away. I know now that he allowed me all of my worldly foibles, so that once I awoke, I would see that his guiding hands and protection had been upon me and around me all my life. His faithfulness actually saved me from myself.
Waking up from one’s pride can be very hard. I had great self-esteem, but pride? Not a word I would have used. I was just seeking great things for myself. What was prideful about that? How little I knew then that all my self-centered dreams were to fail, even if I did have fun, and learned a lot of stuff. God had other plans for this deluded human being, exactly as he did for Moses, David, Ruth, Baruch (in Jeremiah), the twelve disciples and so many others.
Are we awake to the grace of fresh starts and new beginnings? Were any of God’s people awake to their new beginnings in the Bible? Particularly Paul? While ravaging the church, and “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, he went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:1-2) But the Lord had other plans. Jesus struck him down and Paul could then see nothing. For three days, although awake, he could neither eat or drink, and then “the Lord came to Ananias in a vision and said to him ‘go and find Saul, lay your hands on him’” and Saul regained his sight. He awoke and began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues (you can find the complete version in Acts 9).
I don’t know about you, but the day God gave me back my sight I too was “awakened” and since then all I want to do is great things for God, but like Paul I had to be broken first. I had to see God’s ways, not my ways. I had to
repent and believe, to quit working at half my capacity (although I thought I was going full force). Pride had to be stamped out of my life. As Jill Briscoe wrote in her book Faith Enough to Finish: “I had to quit thinking I’m worth something more than this. I’m not appreciated, affirmed, congratulated, or rewarded for all my labors of love, and I’m sick of it.” How sad. To not see that we can’t do this thing called “life” alone, or need anyone’s help, not even God’s. Whew! Kind of takes your breath away, doesn’t it?
Well, it was time for me to wake up and be in his Word and hear his voice instead of my own. By grace and God’s love, I slowly woke up. My attitude took a while to change (like four years!), but by believing and seeing what he did in others, I began to awaken to his corrections in my life. I had forgotten to put my heart in his hands, and began to awaken to the fact that, bottom line, he is all I needed. That my life was not my own, but his. That my gifts were from him, not self-bestowed. That my whole life was not for me to direct my steps, but that my steps were to be his steps. What an awakening to the grace of new beginnings and fresh starts! God’s patience and love were, and are, amazing gifts.
God had not abandoned me. He had given me a new hope and a new beginning. God’s discipline had reawakened my senses. Everything I see, everything I feel, everything I hear, touch and smell has reawakened me to God’s beauty and design in the world around me. God’s grace has reawakened me to God’s Word and its many layers, and to the good news of the gospel which is our only hope in a world gone mad. God will never abandon his children. As Paul Tripp says in his book the Everyday Gospel: “The God of the Bible created the world out of nothing. The God of the Bible holds His creation together by his power. The God of the Bible commands the forces of nature to do his will. The God of the Bible is sovereign over everything and
everyone. The God of the Bible rules the nations, and His will be done. The God of the Bible reigns in majestic splendor so great that nothing compares to Him.”
So, my friends, wake up! Know that Jesus will never leave you, because he is in us, with us and for us, and that is what we have reason to hope.
Remember, Jesus told us to “stay awake” because unless we are paying attention, we will crowd our lives with things that make Jesus seem less real, instead of developing a profound personal transformation as we shift to a deeper connection with Our Creator God.
Let us awake to Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
“Wake Up! ” The Alarm Clocks of Scripture
If you begin to read the New Testament, you won’t get very far before encountering verbal alarm clocks. From Matthew to Revelation, they ring, strongly and loudly chastening us: “Wake up!” “Be alert!”
The language of “wake up” may be metaphorical, but the reasoning is anchored in an unmistaken reality. Some of these biblical alarms are reminders that each day holds the possibility of the Lord’s return. That expectation should keep us awake and alert. Some sirens are stark warnings of our susceptibility to sin in a world that is seeded with temptations to create distance in our relationship with the Lord and derail us from proclaiming and serving him.
Let’s look at some of these alarm bells in Scripture.
AWAKE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE LORD’S RETURN
The gospels record several pre-alarm messages delivered by Jesus himself. Two are found back-to-back in Matthew 24-25, where Jesus calls for alertness in view of his return for judgment for those who reject him and fulfillment of the promise of eternal life for believers. While prophesying the coming destruction of the temple, Jesus answers a question from his disciples about the signs of his coming and the end of the age, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only . . . Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matt. 24:36, 43-44)
Jesus follows this with a chilling parable of ten virgins locked out of attending the wedding feast with the bridegroom. This parable, which symbolized Christ’s return, finished with a call for alertness.
Mark’s gospel, with its brevity and urgency, recorded the same discourse of Jesus (sans the parable of the virgins) in Mark 13:32-26. He repeated this reality of “no one knows” with rapid-fire alerts. “Be on guard. Keep awake” (verse 33). “Therefore stay awake” (verse 35). “And what I say to you I say to all: stay awake” (verse 37).
We set our alarm clocks to wake up at a certain time. Our devices send alerts about upcoming events on specific dates. But the cascade of calls in Scripture to be awake and alert for the return of Jesus lacks that precision. We are to be awake and alert for a time no one knows except God the Father.
Puzzling, isn’t it? Yet this calling for watchfulness is filled with wisdom and insight as to precisely what is needed by followers of Jesus. Both passages in Matthew demonstrate the necessity for proclaiming the gospel now. With no date on the calendar, there is no certainty that there is plenty of time on the clock for people to hear and be saved. For Jesus’ followers, the longer the clock ticks, the greater the possibility that expectation and excitement of Jesus returning can get lost in the shuffle of everything else in life that demands attention. And along with that can come a lesser (or no) sense of urgency to share the gospel. Perhaps this is why we see Jesus’s words “no one knows” with the call to “be alert” so many times in the New Testament, as we witness the early church actively proclaiming the good news. They believed the time for the return of Jesus was near.
GARY COOK
AWAKEN FROM DROWSING AND STEERING OFF THE PATH
A second purpose of the Bible’s alarm clocks is to warn Christians—and churches—when they are falling asleep at the wheel. On the evening before his death on the cross, Jesus included words about this for those who were and would become his followers in his prayer to the Father. “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the world. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth.” (John 17:15-17)
By God’s grace, part of the answer to this prayer are the wakeup calls in Scripture giving stark warnings of our susceptibility—and even surrender—to sin. Luke bookends two warnings spoken by Jesus when he prayed in the garden just before his arrest. In Luke 22:40, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation. . .” But when Jesus had finished praying, he went to his disciples only to find them sleeping for sorrow, and he said, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:46)
Beyond these warnings of Jesus in the gospels, there are many other “wake up” passages. In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul called these believers to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). He follows this with a statement that harkens back to the prayer of Jesus in John 17. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2), continuing with instruction on what the Christian life should look like. The alarm clock sounds in Romans 13:11-14, where Paul contrasts the night and the day, the darkness and the light. This passage rings out a cautionary warning to arrest us from straying back into darkness as the time nears for Christ’s return.
The apostolic letters bearing alarm clocks were written not just to individual believers, but to the entire church. And there is one other important and incredibly gracious gift we should recognize and remember. Yes, Jesus did ascend and is now at the right hand of the Father. Yes, he has not yet returned so that the work of the Father, Son and Spirit will be consummated. But this does not mean that Jesus is disengaged with what is happening in our lives and in the church. Quite the opposite. Perhaps the most profound alerts are those spoken by the ascended Jesus himself as he discloses to the Apostle John a vision of his return in the Book of Revelation. These alerts are John’s in messages to seven specific churches. The call to “wake up” occurs twice in his message to Sardis (Rev 3:2-3), the church to whom Jesus declares “have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” Each of the seven churches, though their situations are distinct, show that Jesus is watching carefully and calling them to hear and heed his words as if as reveille horn to begin the day is sounding.
Jesus demonstrates that he is still watching his church. And note the plural in the repeated phrase of each letter in Reve-
lations 2-3. Do the words “let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” not include every church throughout history? A survey of writings, teachings, preaching and movements in churches throughout the ages shows this to be true. These were not words only to people living in New Testament days. No, these alarm clocks have been buzzing throughout the history of the church. Yes, it’s been a long time waiting for the Lord to return. However, while there is no specific letter to our church, we can be sure that our Lord Jesus is watching, and the Holy Spirit is actively seeking to engage us in the reminders provided in the Scriptures and their import for our day.
GENTLE REMINDERS AND COMMENDATIONS FOR THOSE AWAKE AND ALERT
Not every passage regarding the call to await the Lord’s return, proclaim the gospel and abstain from temptation bears an alert or an alarm. There are many passages with gentle reminders and commendations that call our attention to expectation and preparation for the day of the Lord’s return such as Hebrews 10:24-24; Philippians 1:3-6; and I Thessalonians 5:1-11. Read these passages that can serve us to stay awake, alert with great encouragement of the promise of the return of the Lord.
LET’S SEEK TO STAY AWAKE AND ALERT
Here are a few thoughts of how we can stay awake and stay alert.
• Pay attention to alarm clock passages. Earmark them in your Bible. Perk up when you hear them preached or taught. Pray with thankfulness for these passages.
• Elevate your expectation and excitement for the unknown date of the glorious return of Christ. Perhaps it’s as simple as rising in the morning with the thought, “Christ is coming back. Maybe this is the day! Maybe tomorrow! And I want to be ready in thought, word and deed
• Pray for your pastors, elders, and other church leaders. They are entrusted with staying awake and being alert on behalf of the entire flock of the local church. Pray that their words and works will provide encouragement and exhortation for us, individually and collectively, as we serve the Lord with great anticipation for his return.
• Pray and speak unashamedly for those in your life who need to hear and believe the gospel and awaken to a life of expectation for his return.
By God’s grace, he has planted these alarms in his Word to strengthen our relationship with Christ, stimulate our expectation and excitement of his return, and seek to share the good news of what he has done for those for whom the clock is ticking.
Gallery SPOTLIGHT
THE SFS ART STUDIO
The Art Studio at STARS Family Services recognizes, trains and celebrates the artists within the SFS community. The studio holds classes weekly with residents and other members of the STARS community taking part. The purpose of the studio is to provide STARS with tools to express their ideas through the creation of art and to develop their craft. The framework of teaching is a holistic, individualized approach for each participant to focus on strengthening fine motor skills, enhancing emotional regulation, training in visual observation, and applying all five senses for grounding while also providing a venue for social interaction. The results are inspiring.
CREATION GALLERY ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Matt Brinker
Ashley Seagren
Katie Klein
Dawson Miller
Chris Reilly
Christy Kosirog
Cassie Tomaras
Jackie Mauer
Joseph Gaba
Lauren Chase
Lizzie Birks
Maria Gritsonis
Vicki Jensen
Christopher Hensley
The Gallery show will close on Friday, November 7, with an art auction and sale at 7 p.m.
GALLERY
CREATION
Art from the STARS Family Services Art Studio
SEPTEMBER 28-NOVEMBER 7
Closing night art auction starts at 7 p.m.
The artists at the SFS Studio have been exploring the days of creation. Come share their insights into the handiwork of God and his good creation.
GALLERY HOURS:
Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12 to 2 p.m.
NOTE: For other opening times, contact the church office at (630) 668-0878 or email artspace@ college-church.org
GATHERING
A monthly coming together, where we discuss our personal projects and the many facets of creativity and God.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14 at 7 p.m. in Crossings
Oct. word of the month: AWAKE ALL ARE WELCOME!
WORKSHOPS
IMPROV GROUP
OCT 11, NOV 15 12-2 p.m. in Crossings conference room
FREE | No registration.
Join this new recurring group to learn and practice principles and practices of improv, led by Doug Lindhardt.
GROWING YOUR WRITING MUSCLES
IN 2025
FALL WRITING WORKSHOP WITH ANDY LE PEAU
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8
9-11:30 a.m. in Crossings
Registration: $20 includes a copy of Andy’s book Write Better [financial help available, email artspace@college-church.org]
The morning will cover: The Myth of Creativity. Any of us can be creative, and any of us can become more creative. Andy busts the myth of creativity and offers concrete, practical ways to be more creative on the job, in the home, or when you write.
The Secret of Powerful Prose. All of us struggle at times because our writing is just a bit flat. Andy will help us find that energy, that zing, that subtle quality that pulls readers in and keeps them reading.
For more information or to sign up for a workshop, visit our webpage: college-church.org/artspace.
The Fear of Being Edited. While writers hope their work will be published, that also means getting edited. This can be an anxiety-producing moment. While Andy has edited authors for five decades, he has also had his own writing edited, and has unique insights for us from his own experiences.
Awake in Spirit, Audacious in Action
Afew years ago, while we were living in South Dakota, my best friend and I were invited to a women’s conference at a local church. It was a live telecast of a conference in Houston, Texas, with a well-known Bible teacher, who shared her passionate teaching. The church lobby was filled with the speaker’s materials—books, handouts, and announcements for upcoming events.
My friend and I were browsing through the books when she suddenly grabbed one and said, “I think I’m going to buy this for you.” Surprised, I took it from her to see why. The title was Audacious written by the speaker. She grinned and said that the word fit me perfectly. I laughed, because truthfully, I had to run to the dictionary just to figure out what audacious actually meant!
The Bible encourages Christians to live daily with an awareness of God’s presence and readiness for Jesus Christ’s return. Paul reminds believers that the time for spiritual slumber is over; now is the moment of opportunity and decisive action. To “awake out of sleep” is more than a gentle stirring; it is a call to rise and move with purpose. 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 says:
“For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”
KAYE WAUGH
To be awakened, then, is not merely to recognize the light, but to live audaciously in it, which is boldly stepping into God’s calling, alert and courageous, unafraid to act in faith and love even when the world sleeps around us.
My spiritual journey began with boldness and a spiritual awakening unlike anything I had ever known. In that moment, I found deep peace, knowing I am forgiven and unconditionally loved by the God who gave his life for me. John 3:16 was and still is the source of my spiritual awakening. I carry this reminder with me every day.
Having walked through the fire of testing, suffering and loss, I can now encourage others with the comfort that God has given me. From the moment of your salvation to the journey you are on today, what is God calling you to do?
Is God calling you to awaken fully and live audaciously in his purpose? Imagine if you knew Jesus was to return in ten years, how would your life look? Would it reshape your priorities, goals and lifelong desires? Or, knowing his return is near, would you step boldly into a life fully devoted to his calling, perhaps even serving as a full-time missionary in one of the persecuted nations of the world? What if you built an orphanage in one of the world’s most impoverished countries?
In the early years of our marriage, my husband and I often spoke of becoming missionaries someday, even daring to imagine building an orphanage in South America.
Though the years have taken us down a different path, I’ve come to see that living awake and audacious is about faithfulness to God’s leading, wherever he places us.
When you are awake in Christ, you see beyond the ordinary rhythms of life, you recognize opportunities for witness, service or obedience. To be audacious in that awakening means you do not shrink back but move forward with daring faith.
• Awake is the posture of awareness: “Open my eyes, Lord.”
• Audacious is the action that follows: “Here I am, send me.”
To be awake is to rise from spiritual slumber, fully aware of God’s presence and calling in our lives. To be audacious is to step boldly into that calling, trusting him even when the path is uncertain. From the dreams of our youth to the choices we face today, being awakened and being audacious should prompt us to live courageously, pursue God’s purposes wholeheartedly, and act in faith with the confidence that he hears and guides every prayer.
This is my prayer: Open my ears, Lord, that I may hear you say, “Go forth!”
Work with US
SECOND SHIFT CUSTODIAN
(40 hours per week)
College Church in Wheaton is looking for an onsite 40-hour Second Shift Custodian to work alongside our current facilities staff to help maintain our buildings and set up for events. A successful candidate will be able to lift up to 50 pounds, move an 8-foot table and stacks of chairs, with required bending and lifting regularly. We desire an employee who will have a thriving relationship with Jesus and be able to be treat all church customers in a courteous and professional manner. This important role requires an excellent attendance record, a willingness to learn new tasks and functions and the ability to follow instructions with a good attitude. Must be able to work the following schedule consistently: Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday between the hours of 2 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. with Tuesday and Wednesday as the regular day off. Some management and facilities maintenance or similar experience is preferred.
Applicants must be able to read and understand direction in English as all supervisory instruction is in English.
All applicants must be able to sign and adhere to our Articles of Faith and Standards of the Christian Life document. Regular Membership at College Church is preferred but not required.
Visit the college-church.org/job-openings or email Ann at akarow@college-church.org.
“Hey you –yes, you!”
JON SMALLEY
Such a terse title as this for an article in Connections should be quite startling to regular readers and unexpected for good reason. Despite the lack of context or hearing the tone in which they are delivered, these words are abrupt almost to the point of disrespect and thinly veiled rudeness. I hope it comes as some relief to hear that this is intentionally so.
While pedaling along the Prairie Path recently, as is normally the case, I was muddling through random thoughts when I got to thinking about the notion famously espoused by Mr. Rogers that “There’s no person in the whole world like you.”
As any competent thinker does, I started to process through available data in my head to test the notion—is it in fact, a fact?
Given the current world population combined with all those who have gone before, is it reasonable to assert that there has never been nor will there ever be another person like me? Well, given the combination of place and time, DNA and character, physical and mental acumen, etc., it is quickly apparent that I represent a unique set of “circumstances” . . . what can this mean?
Having established that my existence represents a singularity, it needs to be identified to ensure that it does not
become confused with any other entity with similar characteristics. To confirm my uniqueness, a method is needed so that there is a way to reference me, myself and I—a name, no less.
For anecdotal evidence, I was checking onto a flight out of Detroit one day and the agent was going through the process of generating a boarding pass. The agent’s printer, having spit out the relevant documents, a boarding pass was handed to me with my name on it. As a seasoned traveler, before leaving the check-in counter, I verified the details on the boarding pass. I was a little peeved to see that the airline had erred in sending me to the wrong destination. I hastily “harumphed” to get the agent’s attention and explained the airline’s error. Sensibly, I suspect, the agent did not jump to agree with my assessment of the problem but turned to her fellow agent in conference which lasted a minute or two. What would the odds be that there could be two individuals with the same name at the same check-in desk at the same time with boarding passes printed concurrently? Thankfully, the single point of difference as far as the airline was concerned was that the gentlemen of the same name standing next to me knew that he was not flying to Chicago and I was adamant that Chicago was my desired destination. It also helped that our stories corroborated with each other so after sharing some stories we parted ways.
Proof if proof were needed perhaps, a name alone does not confer uniqueness. But in combination with other related characteristics, the evidence supports the notion that we each are unique. Wow, surely this is truly meaningful and definitive!
As any believer with Berean tendencies does, I started to sift through biblical data in support of this seemingly unequivocal assertion. The evidence is clear that this is not the first time by any means that the question of uniqueness has been posed.
In all my Bible reading, I have not found a single instance of God addressing anyone with: “Hey you—yes you!” Quite the contrary in that God speaks directly to individuals such that there is no confusing to whom he is speaking.
Some noteworthy examples include Exodus 3:4-6: “When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
The Lord clearly called Samuel by name, “And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” (1 Sam 3:10)
Even those who weren’t God’s chosen ones were called: “While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you.” (Dan 4:31) In Daniel 9:22, he recalled that the man “Gabriel made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding.” (Dan 9:22)
In the gospels, there’s Joseph who “as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (Matt 1:20) And Zechariah: “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. (Luke 1:13)
In John 11:43, it’s Jesus who calls a dead man: “When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out. (John 11:43) And it’s a risen Savior who calls to a frightened woman: “Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). (John 20:16)
Lastly is the call of the most unlikely convert of all, “And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4)
Without exception, when the Lord speaks to individuals, either directly or through his appointed messenger, it is strictly business, the Lord’s business. The inference is clear that the Lord not only knows us individually but also has discreet and unique reasons for speaking with us. Since the Lord is not in the habit of exchanging pleasantries at the expense of getting his message received and understood by us, we would do well to heed the warning reiterated to the Hebrews: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart.” It is a matter of eternal consequence.
In the environment in which we find ourselves, the overwhelming cacophony of voices calling for our attention is dominated by “Hey you—yes you!” But we are to resist the temptation to respond to such random attempts to snag our ears and minds for there is danger lurking for the unsuspecting and
continued on next page
curious passerby. Rather, we are to tune our ears to listen for the voice which addresses us by name—there is a word of significance to our Sovereign and therefore to us.
The summary of this cursory investigation is that it’s true. There’s no person in the world like you and me. It’s true that God knows us and speaks to us individually by name. God does not waste words, so it behooves us to keep our ears open, our minds at the ready and our hearts prepared to respond appropriately. The reward for our attentiveness will be unshakeable confidence melded with unceasing praise for our Creator.
The 18th century English Baptist pastor John Ryland, and a contemporary of John Newton, wrote words inspired by Psalm 31:15. The poet succinctly identifies the source of our uniqueness as the one who is our Maker and, as such, he has unique purpose for each of us under his sovereign rule. As we
MILESTONES
BIRTHS
Michelle Marie-Perkins was welcomed into the family of Stephen and Andrea Papierski on September 19 in Colorado Springs, CO. Paternal grandparents are Mark and Marilyn Papierski.
Baby Jack was born to College Church missionaries Isaac and Jenn Stough on September 8. He joins his big brother, Loyal. Jack’s paternal grandparents are Tim and Beth Stough, and his paternal great grandparents are Bill and Ruth Stough
Ayla Elizabeth was born to Colin and Becca Zimmerman on August 31, joining her siblings Micah and Eden. Her paternal grandparents are Todd and Susan Zimmerman
Ariah Grace was born to John and Lauren McKenna on August 26, joining her big brother Ian. Her paternal grandparents are Steve and Lisa McKenna
Silas Martin McLeod was born to Ian and Hannah Smith on August 24. Silas joins siblings Ian, Ezra, Judah and Levi. His paternal grandparents are Ian and Laurie Smith
MARRIAGES
Marta Oster married Alek Woltjer at College Church on August 2. Marta is the daughter of College Church members Dave and Liz Oster. The Woltjers will make their home in Brighton, Massachusetts.
Anna Joy Setran married Jonathan Michael Anderson on July 12. Anna Joy is the daughter of College Church members David and Holly Setran
grasp the import of this truth, our hearts will fly up and away with the poet in praise.
Sovereign Ruler of the skies, ever gracious, ever wise, all my times are in your hand, all events at your command. He that formed me in the womb guides my footsteps till the tomb; all my times shall ever be ordered by his wise decree.
Times of sickness, times of health, times of poverty or wealth, times of trial, times of grief, times of triumph and relief;
Times the tempter’s power is faced, times a Saviour’s love to taste— all must come, and last, and end, as shall please my heavenly friend.
Mortal dangers round me fly; till he bids, I cannot die; not a single arrow hits till, in love, our God permits.
God all-gracious, wise and just, in your hands my life I trust; you at all times I will bless: having you, I all possess.
DEATHS
Pray for Gary (Valerie) Chase and family as they grieve the loss of Gary’s mother, Shirley Chase, who passed away on September 19 in West Chicago.
Pray for Sarah Nelson and Rebecca (Ed) Wevik as they grieve the loss of their father and College Church member, George Nelson. George passed away on September 17 in Fort Myers, Florida.
Pray for Kevin (Adrienne) Cassel and family as they grieve the loss of Kevin’s mother, Ruth Cassel, who passed away on September 17 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Pray for Julia (Mark) Caldwell and family as they grieve the loss of Julia’s mother, Eleanor Thomsen, longtime College Church member and former employee. Eleanor passed away on September 11 in Yorkville, Illinois.
Pray for Kathryn McBride and Ian (Laurie) Smith and extended family as they grieve the loss of Kathryn and Ian’s father, Ian Martin Smith, who passed away on September 7 in Westchester (IL).
Pray for Jerry Wit and family as they grieve the loss of Jerry’s wife, Ruth, who passed away on August 25.
Pray for Chris (Ann) Garcia and family as they grieve the loss of his mother, Carmen Palmer, who went home to be with the Lord on August 21 in California.
People Profiles
JAMES SEWARD
This is a new feature in Connections. Each month, we’ll have a chance to get to know various people who call College Church home. It’s a little way we can make our big church feel a bit smaller.
KATHY ANTOINE
What Christian song/hymn do you keep going back to?
I have a hymn I would hum or whistle. A friend once asked me, “Are you whistling “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” ?” Sure enough, I was. The tune was embedded deep in my soul; my heart knew the melody before my mind could name it. “He to rescue me from danger bought me with his precious blood…. streams of mercy never ceasing …”
What activities/hobbies allow you to experience the creativity and pleasure of God?
I enjoy beautiful sunsets. During COVID times I would walk to a nearby lake to watch sunsets on many evenings and send photos to friends and family. It amazes me—the artistry and colors unique in each sunset, and it makes me think of God’s artistry.
As a single person, what is key to thriving spiritually?
Staying in the Word, engaging in Bible study and small group, praying for others and helping out wherever I can—whether friends, neighbors or family. These have shaped my walk with Christ. Worshiping, listening to services and serving in the church have not only strengthened my faith, but also have helped me meet others who are walking the same path and helped me to have a stronger sense of belonging in the body of Christ.
BETHANY ATCHISON
What’s something another Christian did for you that has shaped you?
The seasons when older women spent time mentoring me has shaped me to pursue the Lord more wholeheartedly and continues to shape me as I grow older and enter new life stages.
What is a life experience that shaped you significantly?
Serving in a variety of student ministries has shaped my perspective on people and church. It has taught me to be
ONE ANOTHER
GETTING TO KNOW OUR COLLEGE CHURCH FAMILY
less of a church consumer and instead to serve and look for those who are hurting.
As a parent, what is key to thriving spiritually?
Be humble. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Confess to others instead of hiding your struggles or failures.
What exhortation/encouragement did a fellow Christian give you that you could share with your College Church family?
In college, a non-believer pointed out an incongruence with my music and my Christian walk. I was convicted. I need to live all of my life—what I listen to, think about, read, do, watch, set my heart on and say—in congruence with Scripture. The world is watching.
MEAGAN CORTESI
What is a dark season you’ve experienced? What did God show you about himself in that season?
When my daughter was two years old, she was very sick and in the pediatric intensive care unit. As we watched and prayed by her bedside, I realized this child is not my own but ultimately belongs to God and whatever the outcome he would be with her. He will never leave us or forsake us. Mercifully, she was restored to health, and all the glory goes to God!
Aside from the Bible, what is one book that’s shaped you spiritually?
J.I. Packer’s Knowing God. I read it with my book club, and it really challenged some old patterns of my thinking about God. It helped me to reconstruct some weak spiritual frameworks and give language to convictions I’ve held to. I highly recommend it.
Think of a hard experience you’ve had. What would you say to someone who’s walking through the same thing? We’d walk through Psalm 23 together. I’d recount the times he’s faithfully shepherded me and pray with them.
What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were young?
How to study the Bible! I had a gnostic view of Scripture that there was this hidden meaning only the spiritually elite could find. If only I knew about expositing so that the author’s intended meaning can be plainly seen by everyone. I am so grateful I know how to study the Bible and can pass it on to my daughters.
CHURCH LIFE
OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICES
Everyone welcome.
Join us at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m.
You can watch it at college-church. org/livestream
MORNING SERMON SERIES: REVIVAL
Senior Pastor Josh Moody preaching
OCTOBER 5: Barriers to Biblical Revival, Ezekiel 36:26-27
OCTOBER 12: Experiencing Biblical Revival, Ezekiel 37:1-14
Missions Festival: The Mission of a Sovereign God
OCTOBER 19: Local Outreach Sunday, Dr. Daniel Block preaching from Deuteronomy 10 and 11
OCTOBER 26: Global Outreach Sunday, Dr. Douglas Moo preaching from James 1
SUNDAY EVENING SERVICES:
Everyone welcome.
Join us at 5 p.m. in Commons Hall. Songs of Wisdom
Sermons from the Psalms
OCTOBER 5: Psalm 119:129-136, Pastor Josh Maurer preaching
OCTOBER 12: Psalm 119:137-144,
Pastoral Resident Ethan Kim preaching
OCTOBER 19: Local Outreach Sunday, Pastor Jim Johanik preaching
OCTOBER 26: Missions Classified
ADULT COMMUNITIES
FORUM 15 Sundays 8 a.m. Commons Hall (C104F)
• Teacher: Bruce Main, John Maust, David Fetzer, Dick Albright
• Study: A Journey Through the Five Books of Moses
• Description: prayer, singing and study with class interaction.
GREEK EXEGESIS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in the Board Room
• Teacher: Jon Laansma
• Study: 2 & 3 John
• Description: reading and discussion of the Greek New Testament. Knowledge of Greek is not required for this class.
LIFE TOGETHER Sundays 9:30 a.m. room 211 (old library)
• Teacher: David Kelley (teaching team coordinator)
• Study: Parables of the Christian Life
• Description: short teaching with small group discussion. Authentic biblical community for adults, ages 25-40.
LIVING WORD Sundays 9:30 a.m. Commons Hall (C104A)
• Teachers: Dick Albright, Felipe Chamy, Gary Cook, Jacob Samuel Raju, Jay Cunningham, Phil Ryken
• Study: John 16-21
• Description: A “community within a community,” where we share, pray and learn together.
LOGOS 9:30 a.m. Commons Hall (C104C & E)
• Teachers: Rob Nordstrom and Tim Sattler
• Study: Exodus
• 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 Clapham Fine Arts Center
• Teachers: Joe Becker (teaching team coordinator)
• Study: Letter to Titus
• Description: a vibrant group, ages approximately 40-60, committed to growing with Jesus and his church through Bible-based teaching, small group discussion, common prayer and fellowship.
VERITAS Sundays 9:30 a.m. Commons Hall (C104B & D)
• Teacher: Dr. Gregg Quiggle
• Study: The Person and Work of Christ
• Description: a teaching class with active discussion and interaction. Most attendees are middle to upper age.
WOMEN’S MINISTRIES
MOM2MOM
Playdate Meet-ups Mondays at 9:30-11:30 a.m.
OCTOBER 6: Mom’s Night Out at Bonga home
OCTOBER 13: Playdate Meet-up at East Street Park
OCTOBER 20: Large Group Gathering. Topic: devotionals for moms
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY
Join us on Wednesdays as we study the book of James.
MORNING: 9:30-11 a.m.
EVENING: 6:45-8:15 p.m.
Join us for a walk! Get to know new women at church or deepen existing relationships as we spend time together. We have
both a Friday or a Saturday option available, both at 10 a.m. at the Danada Forest Preserve (Naperville) on Friday, October 3 or Saturday, Oct 4. Please register on our website to let us know if you plan to join so we can alert you if there are any changes.
MEN’S MINISTRIES
MEN’S BIBLE STUDY
Wednesdays at 6:45-8:15 in Commons Hall
Join us for Men’s Bible Study as we dive into the Book of James. Studies are Wednesday nights (6:45 to 8:15 p.m.), September 10 to December 3. Evenings include teaching, table discussion, fellowship, and a light meal.
PRISON MISSIONS TRIP
October 10-13
The College Church Prison Task Force is planning an upcoming trip to Parchman Prison (Mississippi State Penitentiary) October 10-13, 2025, which will be led by David Sohmer, Bruce Aulie and Pastoral Residents Jacob Samuel Raju and Caleb Aulie. The door has been opened. An opportunity is unfolding. Please contact David Sohmer at (630) 640-1061 or David@sohmer.net.
MEN’S WINTER RETREAT
Save the Date: February 6-7 Dr. Paul House will be our speaker.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Thursdays at 8 p.m.
A group of College Church men are gathering each Thursday night at 8 p.m., all ages (adults) and skill levels welcome. If you are thinking of participating, contact Jamesseward@college-church.org
CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES (KIDS’ HARBOR)
SUNDAY MORNING
9:30 a.m.: Nursery (0-2) and Preschool (two-preK), Elementary (K-5th grade), fourth and fifth graders will start in the service until dismissed to their classes about 9:45.
11:00 a.m.: Nursery (0-2), young and older Children’s Church (twoyears-old through kindergarten) and WOW (first and second graders), Children in WOW and the older Children’s Church classes will be dismissed from the service to their classes about 11:15.
Thursdays, October 7-30, 3:455 p.m., Discipleship class for 4th and 5th grade students, registration required
MIDDLE SCHOOL ( KINGS MESSENGERS)
SUNDAY MORNINGS
KMs meets in the KMs Room (lowest level of the Commons) 9:30-10:30 for fun & fellowship, worship & prayer, and Bible & small groups.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
KMs meets in the Crossings 6:458:15 for fun & fellowship, worship & prayer, Bible & small groups, and snacks.
HIGH SCHOOL (HYACKS)
SUNDAY MORNING
HYACKS meets in the Clapham Space in the Crossings building 9:30-10:30 for a time of teaching and worship. The entrance is on Wesley Street across from the ATM machines. There will be a flag outside the entrance door.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
HYACKS: 7-8:30 p.m.
COLLEGE GROUP (for college-age young adults)
SUNDAY MORNING College Group gathers at 10:45 a.m.–12 p.m. in the Crossings for fellowship through God’s Word, musical worship, prayer and testimonies.
SUNDAY NIGHT
Discipleship Cohort meets 6:30-8 p.m. for a deep dive into systematic theology and how it translates into our discipleship and calling; registration required.
WEEK-NIGHT LIFE GROUPS times and locations TBD; Life Groups meet in homes to read through the Book of Mark and build intentional fellowship within the body of Christ.
STARS DISABILITY
Children, Adult and Multi-Generational Sunday classes meet at 9:30 and 11 a.m.
Praise in Action: Wednesdays, 6:45-8:15 p.m. in Welsh Hall/Choir Room (no PIA on October 22)
STARS Choir: Sundays, 5-6:15 p.m. in Commons C002 (tunnel level)
Friday Night Fun: October 3, 6:308:30 p.m. in Commons Gym continued on next page
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.
Other ways to get involved:
• Commit to pray at home during our services (15 minutes).
• 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 prison taskforce@college-church.org.
ARTSPACE
Details on page 9.
SIGNS OF LOVE
BUILDING BRIDGES: First and third Sunday afternoons, 3:305 p.m., the Crossings conference room. Lessons in American Sign Language and Culture, aimed for ages eight to adult, taught by deaf people. Light refreshments. Free. No registration required. All are welcome. Invite friends.
PARENTS & TOTS CLASSES: best for ages 0-7 years old, plus caregivers, second and fourth Fridays, 4-5 p.m., September-May, taught by Alta Johnson. Free. No registration required. All parents and tots are welcome. Invite friends.
INTERPRETED WORSHIP
SERVICE: 11 a.m., first and third Sundays, Sanctuary, front, west side. Offered by local interpreters and skilled signers. Please join us in worship and invite others.
DEAF PRAYER ZOOM: 5:30-6:15 p.m., second Saturday every month, in American Sign Language. Email altajohnson@college-church.org for Zoom link.
Various bi-monthly outreach events coming soon. Watch for details.
GRIEFSHARE
Despite it being part of life, death is never easy. It hurts to lose someone, and it may be hard to feel optimistic about the future. GriefShare is a 13-week class which features video seminars with experts, focused group discussions and personal study and reflection that can help you face your challenges and move toward rebuilding your life.
GriefShare meets on Monday evenings, 7-8:30 p.m. in the College Church Commons. It is open to College Church members and attenders, as well as people you know from the community or other churches. You are welcome to begin attending GriefShare any week. Each session is “self-contained,” so you do not have to attend in sequence. You will find encouragement and help whenever you begin. For more information, contact Christy at griefshare@college-church.org, or register using the QR code.
KEENAGERS
Join Keenagers as hosts to our visiting global workers at the Fall Missions Festival on October 24. Enjoy food, fellowship and testimonies from our overseas workers.
The evening begins with a reception at 5:30, dinner at 6, and the program at 7 p.m. Sign up by October 21 by emailing keenagers@ college-church.org, or use the QR code. The cost is $10 per person, payable that evening.
GRACE GROUPS
Grace Groups are for those affected by mental illness. Family Grace is for those who have a loved one living with difficult mental and
emotional issues. You’ll find it to be a warm, caring and confidential environment. Meets almost weekly, October 20 through May.
STEPS OF FAITH
Steps of Faith such as believers baptism or confirmation, and infant baptism or dedication are important signposts in our lives. If you are interested in pursuing one of these for yourself or a family member, contact Christy at baptism@college-church.org.
Looking Ahead
MEMBERSHIP CLASS
Come find out about College Church’s history, core beliefs, ministries and what it means for you to be a member. This membership opportunity will be on Saturday, November 8, from 8 a.m.- noon in the Commons; registration is requested. For more info, contact Christy at membership@ college-church.org, or call (630) 668-0878, ext. 175.
SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS
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 holidays. This special GriefShare seminar will be held on Monday, November 17, from 7-8:30 p.m. in Commons Hall. For more info, contact Christy at ext. 175 or griefshare@college-church.org.
APPLES OF GOLD
A New Season of Apples of Gold
It’s time to register for Apples of Gold! If you are a woman, from newlywed to a not-so-new-mom with teens, or somewhere in between, you are cordially invited to be a part of this delightful program that includes Bible teaching from Titus 2, cooking demos and sit-down meals. Godly older women teach and encourage younger women to apply God’s Word to their lives. The program is held in a near-by home, Thursdays, January 15 – February 26, 2026, 6:00-9:15 p.m. Cost is $40 and space is limited. Register on-line at college-chuch.org/events, beginning Oct. 13, 2025. Questions? Contact Mary Gieser at maryegieser@ gmail.com. Hope to see you there!
Under the Radar
POTTERY AND ART SALE
Back Porch Pottery and Art Sale
Featuring the art of Lin Fallon, Ruth Gregornik and Julie Turner
202 S. Williston, Wheaton; Oct 17, 3-7 p.m. and Oct 18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
TRAVEL TOUR
College Church member and retired Moody Bible Institute professor Greg Quiggle with some of his colleagues will lead three trips in 2026: a “Birth of the Church” tour of Turkey and Greece in March, a “Making of English Protestantism” tour of England in May and a “From Reformation to Holocaust” tour of German in June. Even if you have toured Europe before, you’ve never seen it like this! Each stop gives you the opportunity to hear from college professors who are experts in the study
of the early Church, the Protestant Reformation and European history. Go to https://qoutelostravelservice. com/about-us for more details and to reserve your spot. Early bird pricing through November 1.
CHOIR
A Timbered Choir: The Witness of Creation
Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 7:30–9:30pm
The Marion E. Wade Center and the Conservatory of Music at Wheaton College present “A Timbered Choir: The Witness of Creation”—an evening of music, poetry, and art inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s and Wendell Berry’s love of creation and visions of stewardship. The evening features the world premiere of “A Timbered Choir,” composed by Joshua Rodriguez with words by Wendell Berry, performed by the Wheaton College Concert Choir under the direction of John William Trotter, and accompanied by reflections from Kristen Page, Tiffany Kriner, and Joel Sheesley. This event is free and open to the public and will take place in Armerding Center for Music and the Arts Concert Hall, located at 520 East Kenilworth Avenue in Wheaton. For more information, contact Wade Center at 630.752.5908 or wade@ wheaton.edu.
THEATER
The Government Inspector
Adapted by Andy Mangin and Jeff Takacs, after the play by Nikolai Gogol
3 p.m. October 18 at Armerding Concert Hall, Wheaton College
We are thrilled to present Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev narrated by renowned soprano Robin Wiper! Bring your children to this entertaining and engaging family concert conducted by Maestro Drostan Hall! You will hear Jupiter from The Planets by Holst, Mozart’s Horn Concerto played by Lee Shirer, and Handel’s Let the Bright Seraphim sung by Robin Wiper. After Discount: Adult $42.50; Senior $34; Students $8.50; Children $1.70. Discount coupon available online only and not at the door. Camerata Chicago has two further performances: October 17 in Chicago and October 19 in Hinsdale. Visit www.cameratachicago.org/category/concerts for tickets. Use coupon code CCMP for a 15% discount.
Facilities FACTS
CCIW MOUNTED PROJECTION SCREENS
Did you know that there are 23 mounted projection screens in the Commons and Sanctuary buildings? Screens range from 6 to 12 feet in size, 35 to over 200 lbs. in weight, and are mounted on either the walls or the ceilings with commercial grade fasteners and hardware. All the wiring and equipment is stored and inventoried by the AV department who keeps our communication systems up and running. If you are interested in joining the Facilities Volunteer Team, please contact Howard Kern at Hkern@college-church.org.
Lausanne Persecuted Church Initiative: A Call to Awake and Declare Christ Globally
YOUSAF SADIQ
One year ago, the Fourth Lausanne World Congress convened in Seoul, South Korea. It was attended by five thousand Christian leaders from around the world, literally a global gathering of men and women from every nation on earth. I had the privilege of attending this once-in-a-lifetime event. For six days, Congress sessions focused on the Book of Acts providing insights into the Holy Spirit’s work, the concept of missional community, resilience in persecution, faith’s place in the workplace, servant leadership, and the mission of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. On the third day of the Congress, the focus was specifically on the persecution of Christians. This session emphasized the crucial role of standing in solidarity with the persecuted church, a call that echoes in Scripture and resonates with contemporary challenges faced by millions of Christians worldwide.
MoreWW than 380 million Christians endure high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, and statistics reveal a troubling rise in such persecution worldwide. In 2024, an estimated 4,476 Christians were murdered, 7,679 church buildings were targeted, and more than 4,744 Christians were unjustly detained without undergoing a trial.
Recently, the Lausanne Movement has launched the Lausanne Persecuted Church initiative in response to sharing in the sufferings of the persecuted church (1 Corinthians 12:26), upholding the global witness of Christ, entering into mutual partnership for standing shoulder to shoulder with those suffering for Christ, and fulfilling the call to be one church in declaring and displaying Christ together. The initiative is an outcome of the Fourth Lausanne World Congress.
According to a key Lausanne Movement leader, this initiative is the fruit of prayer and conversations that have been ongoing for almost a decade. It represents a significant step in serving the persecuted church worldwide, a call to awake in displaying and declaring Christ together. Through this initiative, the persecuted church in hostile contexts is strengthened in witnessing for Christ, and the work of global mission is propelled forward amidst suffering.
A critical gap exists in persecuted environments characterized by the scarcity of contextual resources, specifically designed for and created by Christians experiencing hostility in their respective contexts. Focusing on this gap, the Lausanne Persecuted Church Initiative aims to amplify local voices, embolden testimony, foster radical discipleship, contribute to evangelism, and aid in enabling the faithful to carry out the Great Commission.
Such resources developed through indigenous Christian leaders who possess an intimate understanding of the spiritual
needs, language, and cultural contexts, along with firsthand experience of the persecution and challenges faced by the local church, are crucial for the growth of the local church. Efforts to import materials or merely translate them often fall short of meeting the real needs.
In coming alongside the church in challenging environments, the initiative intends to address fundamental questions through consultations and symposiums, including: What is persecution? What does persecution do to us individually and collectively? How is God glorified in our sufferings? What is the relation between persecution and God’s mission? What does it mean to participate in the sufferings of Christ? How do we maintain witnessing for Christ amidst opposition? It also attends to a pressing need for the theology of suffering modules at theological institutions to strengthen and prepare future Christian leaders in regions where living out one’s faith presents significant challenges.
Solidarity with the persecuted is an act of global unity in mission. The relationship between the persecuted church and global mission is both deeply spiritual and strategically significant. Believers under pressure exhibit a passionate, uncompromising commitment to Christ, even at a great personal risk.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul awakes the church in Corinth to gain a deeper understanding of their union and relationship with the global church. He emphasizes that when one part suffers, every part suffers. Rather than being distant observers, we are invited into mutual partnership for standing shoulder to shoulder with those who suffer for the name of Christ (Hebrews 13:3). Serving the persecuted church is not merely an act of compassion but a core component of the church’s identity and mission in the world.
As the persecuted brothers and sisters remain steadfast in witnessing for Christ amidst adversity, may their stories of resilience and faith serve as an inspiration to the global church. As a part of the global body of Christ, let us remember them in our prayers and participate in the call to awake and declare Christ together.
NEW MEMBERS
JED MARRIOTT
Jed grew up in College Church and is currently a student at Wheaton College. In the free time that he has, Jed enjoys exercising and listening to audio books. Jed also has been part of the Easter morning cinnamon roll crew since high school.
TRUMAN MEECHAM
Truman spent most of his childhood in Wheaton. Owner of a point of sales and an outsource support business, Truman enjoys time with his wife and their daughter, Evelyn Elizabeth, who was born in March of 2025.
JAN MILLER
Jan has had home Bible studies for more than 50 years and is a discussion leader in Bible Study Fellowship that meets in Elmhurst. She loves having people in her home, sharing a meal and conversation together. Jan is part of the Logos Adult Community.
MICHAEL PATTI
Retired from the Air Force (second lieutenant), Michael has worked with several youth outreach organizations and has owned a carpentry construction business. Michael has a TH.D from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and teaches Bible studies. He enjoys camping, hiking and spelunking.
DANNY AND BARB PESCH
Danny and Barb met at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. After graduation, they moved to Los Angeles, CA, where Danny worked as an assistant golf professional, and Barb as a CPA. She currently works remotely as a financial analyst for the University of Illinois. Now a retired PGA golf professional, Danny is a life member of the PGA of America. They enjoy time with their four grandkids, traveling, and of course, golf for Danny.
ELLA RYNBRANDT
Ella grew up in College Church, and during her late elementary school years, lived in the Netherlands for about three years. A nursing student, Ella earning her master’s degree at Elmhurst University. An avid baker, Ella’s favorite tradition is baking and frosting the cinnamon rolls each Easter morning at College Church. She is a daughter of Chad and Mindy Rynbrandt.
GREG SHAW
Greg is married to Linda, and they have three adult children and three grandchildren. Born in southern Illinois, Greg has lived in Germany, Colorado, Oklahoma and Tennessee. He and Linda now reside in West Chicago. A human resource executive, Greg enjoys fly fishing, collecting seashells and golfing.
CJ WENNINGER
From Florida, CJ loves to be outside in the sun. CJ’s grandparents are retired College Church missionaries Bob and the late Carol Wenninger and her aunt and uncle are current missionaries Bob and Beck Faber. Carol is on staff of College Church and STARS Family Services. She also enjoys playing the viola and origami.
NOELLE WORLEY
A student at Wheaton College, Noelle is majoring in international relations and pursuing certificates in journalism and HNGR (Human Needs and Global Resources). Her family is close by in Warrenville. Noelle enjoys hiking, rockclimbing and playing soccer. Noelle also does a lot of babysitting and tutoring.
MEMBERSHIP CLASS
Saturday, November 8 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Ready to participate fully in the life and ministries of College Church? Come find out about College Church’s history, core beliefs, ministries and what it means for you to be a member. Registration is requested; walk ins are welcome!
To register, use QR code. For more info, contact Christy at membership@collegechurch.org,or call (630) 668-0878, ext. 175.
God Centered Life is an independent, listenersupported ministry that brings the preaching and teaching of Pastor Moody to all corners of the globe. Listeners from more than 200 countries visit the GCL website for resources.
A broadcast listener shared this: “I live and work in Japan. My wife is Japanese and not a believer. We have two daughters. There has been a lot of pressures, suffering and difficulties. But I am hopeful, holding on to God’s wonderful promises. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. God bless God Centered Life…”
This global ministry is here for you, College Church. Use it to augment your daily devotions and re-listen to pastor Moody’s sermons throughout the week. Or get it in your email daily. Download the God Centered Life app and listen to the daily podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.
A New Season of Mom2Mom
Motherhood is a joyous adventure. It is fun to watch your little ones learn and grow and become their own little people. It can also take everything you’ve got–and then take more. “When I transitioned to being primarily at home, I had to reconcile my deep aspirations for meaning and greatness in my work with a dirty microwave that needs cleaning and two babies that won’t sleep through the night…” So writes Courtney Reissig in her book, Glory in the Ordinary. Does this ring true for you? Long nights and never-ending chores become monotonous day after day after day.
This year, we look forward to diving into Wouldn’t it be nice to have other moms to talk to, share with and walk alongside in the joys and trials of motherhood? There is a unique encouragement that comes with saying, “You too? I thought I was the only one.”
This is the heart of the ministry of Mom2Mom. Through playdate meet-ups, Mom’s Nights Out and Large Group Gatherings, we hope to encourage those in the challenging season of caring for and ministering to little ones. God sees you, God cares for you and God will give you the strength and the grace you need for each and every day. He has done it for each of our mentor moms, and he will see you through this journey, too.
Our morning playdates and evening Mom’s Nights Out aim to provide spaces for natural connections between moms and mentor moms, while kids play (at a park or in the Commons Gym) or stay home (for mom’s night out).
Large Group Gatherings happen once a month on Monday mornings in Commons Hall. They are for both moms and kids and include play time, followed by a time for kids to gather and sing, then snack, while moms enjoy a brief devotional.
This year, in our Large Group Gatherings, we are focusing our eyes on Psalm 143:8 which says, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Our prayer is that we will learn to lift up our souls and put our trust in our good and glorious and loving Father, who loves us despite our failures, who sustains and strengthens us with the grace we need for each day, and who graciously gives wisdom to all who ask.
As Reissig writes later in her book, “God sees your work... He cares about what happens behind the closed doors of your house each and every day because he cares about the people in it. He cares about the seemingly ordinary work that you do because he is the One who created you for the very work you are doing right now.” (p. 42)
Moms, we hope you will join us this year and be encouraged! If you have any questions about Mom2Mom, please send us an email at women@collegechurch.org.
MOMS, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AND YOUR LITTLE ONES! LEARN MORE ON OUR WEBSITE:
OCTOBER
OCTOBER 6: Mom’s Night Out, 7:30-9 p.m. at Allison Bonga’s OCTOBER 13: Park Playdate, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at East Street Park
OCTOBER 20: Large Group Gathering, 9:30-11 a.m. in Commons Hall
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER 10: Large Group Gathering, 9:30-11 a.m. in Commons Hall
NOVEMBER 17: Playdate Meet-up, 9:30-11:30 a.m. in Commons Gym
DECEMBER
DECEMBER 8: Large Group: Birthday Party for Jesus, 9:30-11 a.m.
DECEMBER 15: Playdate Meet-up, 9:30-11:30 a.m. in Commons Gym
UPDATE FROM THE EVANGELISM & CULTURE IMPACT COMMITTEE
SAVE THE DATE!
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19 is our annual Community Outreach Festival. Before or after morning services, head to the Commons to meet and greet the many College Church ministries, local partner ministries and evangelists our church partners with and/or supports.
COLLEGE CHURCH MINISTRIES: Prison Ministry Task Force, Sanctity of Human Life Task Force, Signs of Love (ministry to the deaf), Family Advocacy Task Force
SUPPORTED LOCAL OUTREACH MINISTRIES: Caring Network, Decision Point, Englewood Family Outreach, Koinonia House, My Half Kitchen, Naomi’s House, Outreach Community Center and PADS.
SUPPORTED LOCAL EVANGELISTS: Kalli Hill (Cru; COD, Elmhurst), and Mike Hernberg (Reformed University Fellowship; Northwestern).
LOCAL PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS: Evangelical Child & Family Agency (ECFA), LifeWise Academy, Repeat Boutique, South Asian Friendship Center, STARS Resale Shop and Stars Family Services, Re:New, Twice Is Nice Resale Shop and World Relief.
JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR OUR LOCAL OUTREACH PARTNERS:
Pray for local evangelists Mike Hernberg & Kalli Hill for their respective fall campus kickoff events and student leaders they are training and mentoring at Northwestern University, College of DuPage and Elmhurst College.
Pray for Caring Network and the 50 individuals who have accepted Christ in 2025 in the midst of personal crisis.
Pray for Englewood Family Outreach, specifically for Daniel Bair and his leadership towards opening a K-12 school in the Englewood neighborhood. Pray also for their after school clubs which are now in session.
Pray for the Prison Ministry Task Force and the weekly Saturday worship service and bible studies that is led by College Church at Stateville Peneteniary. Pray for the salvation of the warden, officers and inmates of the prison. Pray for favor upon the Task Force in maintaining access to the facility.
Pray for those going on the Parchment Prison trip (Mississippi), October 10-13.
As always, pray that College Church through the encouragement of the Evangelism and Culture Impact Committee would continually seek to share the gospel with our neighbors and be the light of Christ in our culture.
GLOBAL OUTREACH OCTOBER 24-26
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24
5:30 p.m. Keenagers
Join Keenagers (senior adults 55+) as they host our visiting global workers at the Fall Missions Festival on Friday evening. Enjoy food, fellowship and testimonies from our overseas workers. Reception at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6, and the program at 7 p.m. Reservations required by the Tuesday, October 21. Cost is $10. Sign up required on our events page: college.church.org/events
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25
9 a.m.-12 p.m. Missions Refresh
Missions Refresh is a church-based, cross-culturally focused workshop for globally minded Christians. You might be a new Christian learning about missions for the first time or an experienced missions committee member. You might be a pre-field missionary or an experienced career missionary. Maybe you serve as an agency mobilizer or a missions pastor. No matter your role, we welcome you into this gathering, so that we all might be refreshed in the gospel and in God’s mission for the world. Sign up on the events page: college.church.org/events
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26
8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Morning Worship Services
God’s mission of reconciling the world to himself comes from his loving and compassionate heart, and God’s method for accomplishing this mission is the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Former College Church member, Dr. Douglas Moo will preach from James 1 on the Mission of a Sovereign God.
12:30 p.m. Missions Discover Lunch in Commons Hall
If you are considering missions in the future, you are invited to lunch on us! Register by Monday, October 20 by using the QR code.
5 p.m. Missions Classified, Commons Hall
Hear from global workers serving in challenging locations. 6 p.m. Missionary Displays and Reception, Commons Hall Enjoy conversations with our visiting global partners after the evening service.
KARA BETH VANCE
with contributions from Ben and Charis Ellis and Nick Van Someren
Though I’ve known of Caring Network for many years and help with our church’s support of Caring Network during the annual Baby Bottle Campaign and the weekly Baby Bank Donation crib, last year was my first time attending their annual Night for Life banquet. I was excited to go, but even more excited to share the experience with some members of my small group. Of the eight of us from small group, none of us had ever been to the banquet before, even though most of us had some exposure to the ministry of Caring Network through College Church. We each learned more about the mission, vision and current strategic plan of Caring Network, which definitely energized me, but the stories of God at work in peoples’ lives through Caring Network were the highlight of the evening.
FROM BEN AND CHARIS ELLIS
Last fall was our first time attending the Caring Network Banquet. The evening gave us a deeper understanding of how the ministry and staff walk alongside women through the most desperate and challenging circumstances, offering grace, hope, and encouragement.
Hearing testimonies of lives transformed was a powerful reminder of how God’s light shines through Caring Network’s mission of compassion and life.
FROM NICK VAN SOMEREN
It was my first time at the event, and I found the testimonies of the lives impacted by the ministry to be the most impactful part. Their real-life stories truly brought to life the purpose of this ministry, which is to save the lives of women and children.
I was greatly encouraged by hearing about God’s work in individual lives, the impact of the women’s clinics, and the expansion of the network with new clinics being started.
I would highly recommend this event to anyone in our church. It is a powerful way to see God at work in a real-life ministry
that is saving the lives of women and unborn children. It truly is eye-opening to see the number of lives affected.
Following the banquet, some of our small group also attended a Thursday night Vision Tour which is an opportunity to join a much smaller group at the Glen Ellyn pregnancy center. This runs from 7-8 pm and the time is spent hearing from President Kirt Wiggins as well as touring the pregnancy center and hearing about how the ministry connects with clients in that space. I thought it was really helpful to be in the physical space where pregnancy consultants meet with clients and where clients see their babies for the first time via ultrasound! The next Vision Tour is on Thursday, November 20. Email sohl@college-church.org if you’d like to be part of it.
At both the banquet and the tour, Caring Network highlighted its plan to open multiple pregnancy centers in Chicago. Most of the abortion clinics in the state of Illinois are located in Chicago, but most of the pregnancy resource centers are located in the suburbs or other parts of the state. There had been a number of obstacles already at that point to getting a center open in Chicago, but we were urged to pray that God would make a way. One Chicago center opened in July and saw clients on the first day. Another center was set to open in early September and two more are built out, but still in the process of hiring staff. It is so encouraging to see God answer our prayers! Let’s keep praying that God would bring the right people to staff these centers and that the centers would reach abortion-minded women FIRST (before they go to an abortion clinic).
The upcoming Caring Network Night for Life banquet is on Thursday, October 23. Go to caringnetworknightforlife.com or scan the QR code on the page for more information and to register.
You won’t regret getting to know Caring Network better and the impact they’re making by attending the banquet or the next Vision Tour.
SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIFECHAIN on Roosevelt Rd. Sunday, October 5, 2-3 p.m.. In conjunction with the National LifeChain organization, Christians gather as a peaceful, prayerful, non-confrontational public presence. Arrive at Compass Church parking lot at about 1:45 p.m. for a brief prayer and to pick up signs. We will line up along both sides of Roosevelt Road and silently pray while holding prolife signs for the hour.
40 DAYS FOR LIFE PRAYER
Saturday, Oct. 11, 1-2 p.m.. Join Sanctity of Human Life Task Force at 40 Days for Life’s year-round peaceful prayer vigil as we unite with Christians around the world in over 60 countries for the 40 Days for Life Fall Prayer Campaign. Meet on Waterleaf pregnancy center’s property across from Planned Parenthood Aurora. Questions? Email sohl@ college-church.org.
VISIT THE CARING NETWORK AND SOHL BOOTHS on Community Outreach Sunday, Oct. 19 between church services.
CARING NETWORK CORNER
50 clients have accepted Christ January through mid-August of this year! Many others are open to hearing the gospel.
Partnership Expanded with two churches in Lemont and Geneva to open new Baby Banks where mothers receive free baby supplies.
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 the Commons board room
9-9:15 a.m. Gospel Now prayer meeting in the Crossings
MONDAY MORNING PRAYER: 6:15 a.m., meets in C104A
MIDWEEK PRAYER MEETING: Wednesdays at NOON via Zoom
OCTOBER 1: Sara (Manu) Klopfenstein, Youth for Christ, community development in France
OCTOBER 8: Jim & Kathy Hansen, SIM, mobilization in U.S.
OCTOBER 15: Tim & Carol Avery, Pioneers, discipleship and training in Kenya
OCTOBER 22: Bill & Laurie Stough, AIM, community development in Uganda
OCTOBER 29: Steve & Mirian Cox, Word of Life, seminary teaching and discipleship in Brazil
AARON-HUR PRAYER FELLOWSHIP
will meet on Thursday, October 9, 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 J. & L. L., serving in Asia.
BARNABAS PRAYER FELLOWSHIP
Baby Bank Bring diapers (size six especially needed), wipes, baby lotion, shampoo, and wash, diaper cream, and formula to the crib (outside the sanctuary on the 1st Sunday of every month and in the Commons the rest of the month). Check out Everylife diaper company which funds pregnancy centers. https://everylife.com/ (20% off with auto renew. Use code LIVEACTION10 for an additional $10 off first order.) You may also order from the Baby Bank Amazon QR code
anticipates hearing about the work of John and Leila among a people group living throughout south Asia. This report will be at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21, in the Patio Dining Roo at Windsor Park. Men and women are welcome to visit or join the group for its regular prayer times for some of our cross-cultural workers.
at the BOOKSTALL
WISDOM FOR FIGHTING SIN
by Amy DiMarcangelo
DiMarcangelo equips women to face daily battles with biblical wisdom and Spirit-empowered strength. With 25 wisdom principles, reflection questions, and group discussion guides, this resource helps believers pursue joyful obedience and victory over sin
Bookstall Price: $15
A BIG CHANGE HAPPENED
by Darby Strickland
When Wallace the whale faces a big move, he worries about what life will be like in a new place—until Mama reminds him that God’s love goes with him wherever he swims. Written by counselor Darby Strickland and inspired by Psalm 139, this comforting story helps children ages 4–7 process change with gospel hope and assurance of God’s never-changing love.
Bookstall Price: $14
COME, YOU WEARY
by Michael Reeves
Michael Reeves invites weary believers to drink deeply from the true well of joy—Christ Himself. With warmth and clarity, he points readers to the transforming vision of Jesus that lifts burdened hearts and refreshes tired souls
Bookstall Price: $5
THE MAN ON THE MIDDLE CROSS
by Alistair Begg
In this short evangelistic book, Alistair Begg retells the encounters of the woman at the well, the paralysed man, and the thief on the cross—each transformed by meeting Jesus. With clarity and hope, he shows that the same grace is available to all who come to the Man on the middle cross.
Bookstall Price: $3
Visit the Shepherd Shelf
Between the fireside and the bookstall checkout desk, we are building a “Shepherd Shelf,” a curated collection of books our pastors and directors are referencing in their varied counseling and Christian living situations. Be sure to check out this new “Shepherd Shelf.”
OUR VISION
2025 INITIATIVES
Vision: “Proclaiming the Gospel”
PATHWAY. We will foster a pathway for our gospel ministries: Discover Jesus, Grow in Your Faith and Impact the World. In 2025, we will continue to expand and strengthen this pathway by 1) equipping and encouraging congregants so that they are motivated to share the gospel and their personal faith stories within the community; 2) expanding outreach initiatives by building upon our existing programs and developing new efforts designed to invite community members to engage with the church more frequently and meaningfully; and 3) promoting the proclamation of the gospel and what College Church offers to the community through a variety of communication channels.
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 2025 by: 1) Calling a pastor focused on care, encouragement and connection; 2) Establishing a permanent Care Team to support congregational care; and 3) Exhorting our congregation to: make consistent attendance on our Sunday morning worship a priority; be active in a smaller gathering; and to be involved in an area of service.
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.
DISCIPLESHIP.
We will elevate biblically rigorous and practical discipleship in 2025, by developing a clear track to introduce people to the foundations of Christian discipleship: basics of the Christian faith, spiritual growth (including training in Bible study and prayer) and gospel impact. This will parallel our church-wide ministry pathway of discover, grow and impact.
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, executing year two of the three-year capital campaign launched in 2024, prioritizing safety and accessibility upgrades to our parking and other key areas, and clarifying the highest and best missional use for our portfolio of rental properties.
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.
PARTNERSHIPS. We will leverage the church’s history of church planting, training programs, and connections across the country and world by seeking to develop one new church partner in each category (planting, strengthening, revitalizing) by December 2025.
Rationale: By partnering with like-minded churches and organizations, and by broadening our scope to including planting, strengthening, and revitalization, we can increase our gospel impact through gospel-centered, Bible preaching churches.
We bathe all these initiatives in prayer.
Gospel Now Update
PASTOR JIM JOHANIK
Summer is always a challenging season to communicate broadly with our church family, so our last Gospel Now update was in the spring. Let me take a moment to bring you up to speed on where things stand.
The Gospel Now project began in April of last year. For those newer to College Church, the project is focused on three priorities:
• Reducing our debt significantly
• Expanding parking for those with disabilities and limited mobility, with spaces closer to the Sanctuary
• Developing the Crossings building to serve our junior high, high school, college, and growing adult ministries
We committed to advance these priorities in three ways: Pray, Give, Act.
PRAY
Prayer is and always will be the foundation of this church. Here are some of our regular rhythms:
• Monday Morning Prayer: 6:15 a.m. in the Commons Board Room
• Staff Prayer: Tuesdays after staff meeting
• Midweek Prayer Meeting: Wednesdays at noon on Zoom
• Prayer for the Persecuted Church: Fridays at noon in the Board Room
• Sunday Morning Prayer: During the 8 a.m. service, and by our pastoral staff beforehand
And prayer is always part of our worship. Individually, we pray for those who do not yet know Jesus, seeking to live out Paul’s call to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
We have added a 15-minute prayer time specifically for Gospel Now on Sundays at 9 a.m. in the Crossings. Join us.
That’s prayer. Let’s move on to Give.
GIVE
Our goal is to raise $8.5M for these initiatives, with a stretch goal of $10.5M to completely eliminate our debt while building out the Crossings and adding parking.
Since the spring, you’ve contributed another $1M. That brings us to over $5.5M in cash and pledges—less than $3M from our goal. Praise God!
ACT
From the start, the priorities of Gospel Now—debt reduction, parking, and the Crossings—were designed to position this church to reach our community for Christ. Now, because of the growth God has given, the need has become urgent.
• Ministry Growth: Men’s Bible Study has over 220 men, Women’s Bible Study more than 470 women—both record-breaking. Student ministries are expanding. On Wednesday nights, Kids Harbor, STARS, student ministries, and adult studies pack this campus. The Crossings build-out is critical.
• Debt Reduction: In just over a year, Gospel Now and other gifts have reduced our debt from $5M down to $3.6M, with another $600K pledged. That means we could soon be under $3M. With continued faithful giving, being debt-free by the close of this project is possible.
• Parking: For a congregation of 2,000, we should have at least 600 spaces. We have only 181—30% of what’s needed. And though we have the largest disability ministry in DuPage County, not one space is ADA compliant. Today, those with mobility challenges—when they park—must walk the length of a football field, climb six feet of elevation, and cross a busy street just to reach the steps of the sanctuary.
Last month we submitted a permit application to build a lot adjacent to the sanctuary. Some neighbors raised concerns about the proposed lot with the city, and rather than risk the permit not being approved, we temporarily withdrew the request.
We are now meeting with our neighbors to address their concerns so that we can better serve those in this church with mobility challenges by becoming ADA compliant. Please pray with us for a solution that honors everyone.
Here’s my personal take: Isn’t it great to be in a church with these kinds of opportunities?
We have a vision to Discover Jesus, Grow in Faith and Impact the World. And we’re here because you are carrying that vision into our community. The kingdom of God is advancing, and this church is growing.
Let’s praise God for how He has worked in us and through us in the Gospel Now project.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES OF THE SOUL
WIL TRIGGS
There is something uniquely human in weighing and measuring just about everything. If you think about it, our lives are full of weights and measures. Our height and weight are basic identifiers for each of us but there’s more. We choose our clothes based on a size that fits. There’s the square footage of your home. The number of gallons to fill your gas tank. How many ounces of water to drink in a day. How many ounces of coffee you might need before fully waking up. Dollars—in your bank account, given to church or to Gospel Now, the size of your bequest. Miles on the odometer of your car. Shoe size. The start-to-finish of a marathon.
There is so much of life that is measured. But how do we measure the spiritual life?
Jesus said “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
I know it’s a little early for Christmas, but miserly Scrooge was always counting every penny, until he had a ghostly driven vision of the impact of his actions had on the people around him, or the fleeting nature of everything that he so tightly grasped.
There was little joy in the grasping to hold onto things, and in the end, Scrooge shocked everyone with his zealous generosity and kindness. It’s really the image of a transformed life.
When we give away ourselves and our treasures, Jesus suggests that we are laying up treasures in heaven. The Jesus way is the way of joy, but it is a different weight and measure than we know as humans. The weights and measures of eternity are ones we ought to strive for more, but they are earned by us when we do the opposite of our human nature, when we put others before ourselves and not amass earthly treasures for ourselves. We all nod affirmation, but inwardly I’m wondering how can I do that?
God is the one who measures our souls. His units of measurement are not dollars and cents, inches, pounds or meters. It’s a different kind of gold that God is mining in our souls. May I be more open and yield to him in my giving away. Lord, help me get out of the way and let you help me store up treasures in heaven, not on earth.
