November 2019 Connections by College Church In Wheaton

Connections Proclaiming the GOSPEL

LOCAL & GLOBAL STORIES, NEWS AND EVENTS of COLLEGE CHURCH

"And as a family, we did exactly what families tend to do. We gathered." GEORGE BEDNAR, What We Miss, page 15

NOVEMBER 2019

Serving

Missions

Reflections

After Worship: Seen Behind the Scenes | 10

The Giving in Thanksgiving

Uncharted Territory

LIBBIE CASEY | 13

NORM BEASLEY | 17

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

November Highlights

The Faces of Persecution

Helping Hands

After Worship: Seen Behind the Scenes

Missions: 2019 Thanksgiving Eve Offering

A Gaggle of Geese | TERRI KRAUS

The Giving in Thanksgiving | LIBBIE CASEY

Christmas Store

What We Miss | GEORGE BEDNAR

Uncharted Territory | NORM BEASLEY

2020 Short-Term Teams

Perspectives, a fifteen-week class taught by fifteen instructors

New at the Book Stall

Milestones

Looking Ahead

Around Town

NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS Sunday Mornings SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICES — 8, 9:30 & 11 a.m. November 3:

Pastor Josh Moody preaches The Prayer of Jesus, “How to Become More Holy,” from John 17:17-19. We will celebrate communion in all services, and the communion offering will go to support persecuted Christians worldwide.

November 10: Pastor Josh Moody preaches The Prayer of Jesus, “The Mission of Unity,” from John 17:20-23. We will observe believers baptism in the services. November 17: Pastor Josh Moody preaches The Prayer of Jesus, “Experiencing Divine Love,” from John 17:24-26. We will celebrate infant dedications in the services. November 24: Pastor Josh Moody preaches Songs of the Season, “Isaiah’s Song,” from Isaiah 9:1-7. The services will feature a focus on missions.

Sunday Evenings SUNDAY EVENING SERVICES – 6 p.m. November 3:

All Church Prayer Meeting The evening service is dedicated to the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church and will also include updates and a call to action in support of those who suffer for the cause of Christ. See page eight, “The Faces of Persecution” for more.

November 10: Pastoral Resident Erick Solomon preaches on Ephesians 3:1-6, One New People. November 17: Pastoral Resident Jacob Warren preaches on Ephesians 3:7-13, One New People. November 24: Pastoral Resident George Bednar preaches on Ephesians 3:14-21, One New People.

Thanksgiving Eve Service The Thanksgiving Eve service is Wednesday, November 27, at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. We will gather for an evening of praise for what God has done for us. Pastor Moody will bring a Thanksgiving message, and we will hear of different ways God has been at work in this body. For more information on the offering, see page 11.

Pie Social After the Thanksgiving Eve service, head over to Commons Hall for pie, coffee and

conversation. If you can donate a nut-free pie, email pie@college-church.org. Stay after for pie and friends.

Tracts for Thanksgiving are available at the bookstall on Sunday mornings.

Thanksgiving Blessing. This tract gives blessings, Scriptures and thoughts to share with family and friends during the Thanksgiving season to thank God for his goodness. Let's Be Thankful. This one helps us recognize the blessings we have, realize where our blessings come from and respond in gratitude to the One who has met all our needs.

Give Thanks! With economic distress and life's hardships getting in the way, it can be difficult to feel truly "thankful." But the Bible shows that even in hard times, we all have reasons to give thanks to God.

Women's Ministries Women’s Bible Study There is still time to join us as

we begin the study of 1 Peter this month. Please visit collegechurch.org/adults/women.php for more information.

Mom2Mom November 4 Large Group – Parenting Gray Areas We hope you’ll join us on Monday, November 4, 9:30-11 a.m., in Commons Hall for our Mom2Mom large group gathering. This month we’ll enjoy a discussion on the topic of parenting gray areas. As parents we are responsible for setting and keeping boundaries in our families, but what happens when other Christian families set different boundaries about screen time, discipline, movies and other issues? Let’s explore how we can set good and healthy family rules as we also live in Christian community with others who may land in different places. Mom2Mom Gym Time—Victory Sports November 18 It might be getting colder outside, but your little ones still need to run around and let off steam. We have the perfect solution. Victory Sports will host our Mom2Mom gym play date on Monday, November 18, 9:30-11 a.m. Your kids will have fun playing games while you enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with other moms.

Women’s Monthly Gathering Saturday, November 9

Apples of Gold Registration open If you are a woman—from newlywed to not-so-new mom with teens or somewhere in between—you could be a part of this delightful program that includes Bible teaching, cooking demos and sit-down meals. The lessons, from Titus 2:3-5, are led by godly women who have a passion to help younger women practically apply God's Word to their lives. Come and meet new friends in a warm, caring environment. The program is held in a nearby home every Thursday evening, January 16 - February 27, 2020, from 6 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Cost is $20. Contact Mary Gieser for further information: maryegieser@ gmail.com.

Upward Basketball Online registration is open for boys and girls in grades 1-6. Invite unchurched friends to register for a fun-packed basketball league where they will also hear Bible teaching and non-threatening gospel presentations. Practices and games are January through mid-March 2020. Teams are in six divisions by gender and grade (1–2, 3–4, 5–6). Visit http://www.college-church.org/children/ sports.php for more information and to register. Become a coach, referee or scorekeeper for Upward Basketball this winter. Each season our Upward Basketball program needs coaches (age-appropriate basketball knowledge needed or co-coach with someone who has it), referees (ageappropriate basketball knowledge needed but no experience required) and scorekeepers (no basketball knowledge needed). Contact Audrey at ext. 109 or amceuen@college-church.org.

Gather with College Church women on Saturday, November 9 (9-10:30 a.m.), in Welsh Hall for a conversation on the topic of contentment as we continue our series exploring the question, “How does Christ change us as believers?”.

Women’s Retreat Registration open https://tinyurl.com/womens2020 What does it mean to abide in Christ? Join the women of College Church to explore this topic at our winter retreat, February 21-23. Escape and enjoy the lovely Abbey Resort in Fontana, WI. Registration now open and coupons available for discounted rate in November. Don’t wait until after the holidays—reserve your spot now!

NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS CONT. Men's Ministries Men’s Gathering Saturday, November 9, at 7:30 a.m. Our goal is to equip men to grow in biblical maturity in order to make a difference in their homes, our church, and in the community. This year we’re looking at the storyline of the Bible by examining several different books in order to see their unique contribution to the whole. This month Pastoral Resident Erick Solomon will be leading us through the theme of “kingship” as it relates to 2 Samuel and the life of David. We’ll also have a panel discussion looking at what traits of a king apply to you.

Men’s Bible Study – it is never too late to join! Our goal is to provide an experience for men to develop their biblical and theological understanding and to apply it to their lives. We meet on Wednesday nights in the Commons from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. in room C002 (former HYACK room and current STARS room on the tunnel level). We’ll follow the same schedule as other Wednesday night events such as Women’s Bible Study. So, if you’re a dad, join your wife and kids for a Wednesday evening at College Church.

Opportunities for Prayer Monday Morning Prayer Meeting: Every Monday, from 6:15 to 7:15 a.m., meet in the Board Room (second floor of the Commons building). This group is open to everyone.

Midweek Prayer Meeting at 7 p.m. in the fireside area. Join us for the Wednesday night prayer meeting where we pray for our church and missionaries as well as hear from a different ministry speaker each week. Dates are: November 6, 13, 20 November 27: Thanksgiving Eve service, no midweek prayer gathering

Prayer for the Persecuted Church: Every Friday, 12–1 p.m., we meet in C103 (across from the reception desk) to pray for persecuted Christians.

Lydia Prayer Fellowship and friends, mark your calendars now for Tuesday, November 12,

at 9:15 a.m. to hear from a new friend, Shannon, where the Lord has led her and the challenge of where he is leading her soon. Meet at the home of Cindy Roberts, 26W011 Hazel Ln., Wheaton, and feel a warm welcome there.

Hannah Prayer Fellowship will meet on Wednesday, November 13, at 1:30 p.m. at College Church, room C103. Faith Hurst will be sharing with us from her experience in discipleship through family ministry and church planting in Bolivia. We hope you will join us.

Abigail Prayer Fellowship will be meeting Thursday, November 14, at 1 p.m., at Windsor Park Manor in the "Upper Deck" of the main lobby. Wanda Poor is hosting, and Karen Bradley will be speaking to our group. We welcome new members who are interested in praying for overseas workers. For more information, contact Wanda at (630)-510-7667

Aaron-Hur Prayer Fellowship will meet on Thursday, December 5, 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 Greg and Faith Hurst serving in Bolivia.

Visitors Lunch November 10 at 12:15 p.m. The first Visitors Lunch of 2020 is January 12 at 12:15 p.m.

NEW TO COLLEGE CHURCH? VISITOR LUNCHES SUNDAYS AT 12:15 P.M.

KEENAGERS (55+) Friday, November 15. Doug Yeo, trombonist and expert on Bill Pearce's music and life. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. in Commons Hall. RSVP on the connect panel in the worship folder.

2019 September 15, October 6, November 10

2020 January 12, February 9, March 8, April 19, May 17

Come join us in the Sanctuary lobby for a casual lunch - on us!

R.S.V.P. by emailing welcome@college-church.org, or scan the QR code below

Christmas Reading Program The Library Christmas Read-to-Shop reading program kicks off in November. Children may begin to check out books on Sunday, November 17, to earn Book Bucks and shop the next Sunday, November 24, when the store opens for business. Children who are readers earn one Book Buck for every College Church Library book they read. If they read a biography or a missionary book, they earn two Book Bucks for a weekly limit of 10 Book Bucks. Pre-readers may earn three Books Bucks per week for Church Library books someone reads to them. There are already some amazing prizes for this year, but our kids are voracious readers, so we always need prize donations, especially for boys. The Christmas reading program is also a chance for children to do their Christmas shopping, so not only do we hope for the Hot Wheels and games and dolls but also items such as pot holders and screw drivers sets and flashlights and candles. Call Lisa at ext. 138 if you have any questions.

Looking Ahead: Mom2Mom, Monday, December 2 Both Men’s Gathering and the Women’s Monthly Gathering are Saturday, December 14. Keenagers does not meet in December, and the first dinner and program of the new year is Friday, January 17.

GriefShare: Surviving the Holidays Has the loss of a loved one left you wondering how you will survive the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas? Surviving the Holidays is an encouraging seminar about dealing with loss during the holiday season. There are two offerings of this special GriefShare seminar—the first will be Tuesday, November 19, and it will be repeated on Tuesday, December 10—both start at 7 p.m. in the College Church Commons. Anyone is welcome to attend, and there is no charge. For more info, contact Christy at ext. 175 or cchiodras@college-church.org.

The Faces of Persecution China, North Korea, Turkey headline geo-political news. Kenya, India, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan headline news of violence, rioting, internal unrest. These countries also share one common tragedy that goes underreported—the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. Bakeries and flower shops pale in comparison to kidnappings, prison camps, bombs and executions. There are no Go Fund Me pages to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars or organizations or radio programs to take up one’s case. In their countries and courts, our global brothers and sisters in Christ have no voice in their media, no human power to plead their cases. Our global brothers and sisters do have a voice—our voice. It’s our voices lifted in a concert of daily prayer to our righteous God. It’s our voices as we advocate on their behalf to government leaders. It’s our voices as we tell their stories and remember them in their sufferings. These eight vignettes from eight countries put names and faces to the persecuted, and even though we won’t meet these people on earth, we will reign with them forever and ever one day in heaven. OUT OF THE ASHES—NIGERIA Nigerian Christians continue to face an onslaught of violence from Islamic extremist groups, a situation that is made worse by the lack of protection from the government. However, in the midst of suffering, there is a story of hope and strength. After being kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2015, Saratu managed to escape captivity and lead 20 other women to safety. In August 2017, she lost her husband during a Boko Haram

raid. However, even that tragedy did not cause her to lose hope. She is currently learning how to run a business at a small refugee center so that she can better care for her family.

Pray for Christians to be able to persevere in this hostile and dangerous environment. Pray for the gospel to thrive in North Korea, defeat the rulers of darkness, and set the people free.

Pray for Christians in Nigeria to find peace amidst the ashes of their homes and families. Pray that they would have faith in God and strength to persevere even in the face of great adversity.

FORBIDDEN EVANGELISM—TURKEY

SURVIVING BLASPHEMY—PAKISTAN After nearly a decade on death row, Asia Bibi was finally allowed to leave Pakistan and seek asylum in Canada on May 5. Accused of blasphemy in 2009, Bibi remains the only woman in Pakistan’s history to be sentenced to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. While her release is truly a miracle, Bibi represents only one of the countless Pakistani Christians who have suffered as a result of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Say a prayer of thanksgiving for the acquittal and release of Asia Bibi. Also pray for support for Pakistani Christians who remain imprisoned as a result of unjust blasphemy laws. ENEMIES OF THE STATE—NORTH KOREA For the last 18 years, North Korea has been ranked as the worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution on Open Doors’ World Watch List. Christianity is seen as the state’s enemy; it is viewed as a threat to the stability of Pyongyang. Christians are thrown into prison camps once caught by the authorities. Torture or execution awaits them. One North Korean defector, Illyong Ju, learned about the execution of his cousin’s entire family after they shared the gospel.

Although Christian activity is forbidden at some universities in Turkey, one Muslim-background Christian couple is not deterred by the risk of jail. Every day, the couple gives students opportunities to ask questions about Christianity and their country’s Christian heritage. Young adults are surprised to learn that Turkey was first Christian, and that God loves them. Even after facing abuse for spreading the Gospel among young adults, the couple remains dedicated to their calling. Pray that God redeems Turkey’s negative memories of Christianity, unifies the Church and pours out his Holy Spirit so the Church may grow in number and in faith. XI’S CHURCH CRACKDOWN—CHINA With President Xi Jinping’s “Sinicization” campaign, Chinese churches, regardless of their status as state-vetted or underground, have been facing an unprecedented crackdown. Churches have had their crosses removed, Bibles confiscated and members harassed. Many churches have even been demolished or forced to shut down. On December 9, 2018, hundreds of Early Rain Covenant Church members were detained after the police raided their church. While most were released, the lead pastor, Wang Yi, and a few other members are still incarcerated. Pray for Christians to have the strength to endure increasing persecution,

while having discernment and wisdom to preserve their faith. Pray for the unraveling of President Xi’s recent crackdown on Christianity. LIFE AFTER ISIS—IRAQ

as faithful witnesses of Christ in their homeland.

to prevent al-Shabaab from taking more lives.

AL-SHABAAB STRIKES AGAIN— KENYA

HINDU HATRED ESCALATES—INDIA

ISIS devastated Iraq’s Christian community, causing enormous challenges for those rebuilding their lives. Paulis is the father of five, and he was unable to keep his children in school unless his farm was restored. Every day, he bicycled through his destroyed town and pedaled bricks back to his farm. Over several months, this elderly man slowly rebuilt the farm’s structures. His story is a testament to the massive amount of work that Iraqi Christians must do in order to rebuild their lives after genocide.

In August of 2018, Ruth Obila lost her husband Joshua while he was riding on a passenger bus that al-Shabaab ambushed. The militants forced the passengers to get off the bus and told them to repeat the shahada, the Islamic prayer. Her husband, Joshua, and another Christian, Frederick refused because of their faith. Both were martyred for Christ. Al-Shabaab continues to threaten and execute Christians in Kenya. As one of the top three terrorist groups in the world, they are a real threat for many Christians today.

Pray that Iraq’s Christians may have strength, courage and patience as they rebuild. Pray that they may continue

Pray for Christians in Kenya to be able to work and live peacefully outside of al-Shabaab’s control. Pray for the Lord

“For the first time in 45 years, I feel like I don’t have the right to live as a Christian in my own country,” Pastor Sheeja Thomas, a house church leader in India, explained. This is a fear felt by many Indian Christians as escalating levels of persecution, perpetrated by radical Hindu nationalists, continue to be reported on a daily basis from across the country. The situation has only escalated since Prime Minister Narendra Modi was re-elected in May. Pray for the Church in India to receive supernatural protection from radical Hindu nationalists as the gospel continues to spread in India.

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE, OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE

Helping Hands WHAT EXACTLY IS HELPING HANDS? Stick out your arms and open your hands. Those are Helping Hands—right there at the end of all our arms. They don’t belong to a few, but to many. Not only to the church board assigned to catch all the church’s needs in a large net for organizing. Not just to that willing group over there, not only to the person who has the gift of helps or that excellent cook with the trendy recipes, but to all of us. To you and to me. Helping Hands isn’t fancy. It may look like sharing whatever you’re cooking for your family. Maybe it’s spaghetti night or cooking extra burgers or pieces of chicken. Slice a tray of fresh fruit. Wrap up that bread he gives us this day, soft as a cloud ready to melt real butter, that you make at home or grab from the store. Food, a little time, a ride to a doctor’s appointment or grocery shopping for someone who can’t get out. It’s helping with food for a funeral or helping with housework or other tasks. It simply looks like the church family in action. Don’t miss out on the joy of volunteering for Helping Hands. Practice and know how beautiful is the body of Christ.

Our group of loyal helpers are active and faithful. May they keep up the excellent work. But what about you who could help, but are a bit hesitant? Hesitate no more—this is the day to get involved and sign up for Helping Hands. We need your helping hands to join ours. Being a part of Helping Hands doesn’t mean extra meetings. It does mean providing one-time or short-term help to members of our church family. You receive an email, and then generously respond to needs as your schedule permits. As you know, our church has a lot of beautiful believers who experience times of need. Most of the needs involve unforeseen, difficult circumstances. We cannot offer help without many Helping Hands. VOLUNTEER FOR HELPING HANDS. GIVE TO CARE AND SHARE There is a distinction between Helping Hands and Care and Share, though both are part of the Board of Deaconesses. Helping Hands is a team of volunteers who meet immediate, short-term, non-financial needs of people in the church. Care

and Share is a benevolence fund through which the church provides financially for the needs of people in the church. People primarily call Helping Hands because they need meals, perhaps after a hospital stay or are undergoing chemotherapy treatments or need rides to appointments. Helping Hands also helps with requests for running errands for someone recently widowed or help with light housework. It’s no surprise that the most frequent Helping Hands request is for meals, and the second request is for transportation. If you’d like to provide rides for people to appointments, you do need

SERVING

After Worship: Seen Behind the Scenes Gum wrappers, worship folders, a jacket, an umbrella or two, some cough drops--these are just some of the items left behind in the pews each week after the three Sunday morning services. On communion Sunday, several hundred small plastic cups are added to the mix. Do you ever wonder how all of this magically disappears before the next week’s worship services? It’s really not a mystery, but an act of service. Every Sunday afternoon, a group of STARS and a few of their parents (some who don’t even attend College Church) arrive to attack the left-behind problem with enthusiasm. Not only do they look for trash, and the occasional treasure, they also fill the small pew boxes and replace the pencils as needed. The STARS do this joyfully as their act of service to support the staff at College Church. Let’s give thanks for these faithful STARS and their families who serve us service after service. Praise God for their acts of faithful service.

to be a College Church approved driver. It’s not as involved as it sounds, so just email Lisa Kern at lkern@college-church.org and let her know you want to be an approved Helping Hands driver. If you would like to join the team of Helping Hands, email helpinghands@college-church.org or call Christy at ext. 175. Conversely, if you need this kind of help, leave a message on the Helping Hands hotline at ext. 311, and you will be contacted within twenty-four hours.

MISSIONS

The Missions Office Announces the 2019 Thanksgiving Eve Offering Each year, at our Thanksgiving Eve Service, we hit pause, stopping to specifically thank God for his goodness and his work in our church family throughout the last twelve months. As part of this service, we also receive an offering that goes to support the church missions initiatives. Every fall, we ask our missionaries to submit project proposals that directly relate to the specific needs of their ministries but are not currently funded. This year we chose three of these proposals to support. Gifts given to the Thanksgiving Eve Offering are distributed among these three projects.

DECISIÓN MINISTRIES IN SPAIN José Pablo and Jane Sánchez live in Madrid, Spain, and serve the Lord with the goal to see an evangelical church in every unreached town of Spain. José Pablo is the director of Decisión Evangelistic Association. Decisión is an evangelical non-profit organization committed to sharing Christian values while communicating the message of Jesus Christ to the world. Decisión works on projects such as a Prayer for Spain as well as outreach into towns without testimony or summer evangelistic campaigns or internet evangelism. Though the name of Jesus is not new to Spain, the message of the forgiveness of sins and the assurance of salvation is new for 99% of the population as less than 1% have experienced new life in Christ. We are excited to support the work of this ministry as they advance their evangelistic outreach by purchasing new sound equipment. Owning their own equipment opens the door to more evangelistic events and increased mobility. They often invite Christian musical groups to participate in their campaigns and their current equipment doesn’t fit the requirements for these groups. New sound equipment will allow Decisión to better serve local leaders and churches during evangelistic events.

KIDS ALIVE INTERNATIONAL IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Victor and Leslie Trautwein have served impoverished at-risk kids in the Dominican Republic with Kids Alive International since 2002. Vic co-directs the operations of the ten Kids Alive schools and residential facilities. Leslie, who is a trained pediatrician, oversees preventative medical care, emergency and chronic care, nutrition and dental health at these schools. Kids Alive will use your gifts to expand their holistic care programs to include regular dental care at their Constanza site. The campus in Costanza serves approximately 250 children and youth daily and needs both equipment and a trained health care specialist to provide this care. The families the school serves cannot afford dental care and providing this service increases retention rates, which allows them to speak truth into the lives of children and families for a longer amount of time. Kids Alive has been offering dental care in some of their schools and hopes to expand to all the kids in their ministry as it directly benefits both overall physical health as well as students’ self-esteem. Kids Alive seeks to raise up the next generation of church members and leaders from the at-risk kids they serve, as well as helping the local church by providing stable employment for teachers and

staff. There are also many examples of formerly at-risk children in Kids Alive schools or orphanages who are now well educated, young Christian leaders breaking cycles of spiritual and material poverty that have plagued their families for generations (including two dentists).

MISIÓN POSIBLE 2020 Giles and Debbie Davis serve in Spain with SEND International. Their passion is to evangelize and disciple youth while training up potential leaders. They work with Misión Posible, a biennial national conference that draws in young people from all parts of Spain. At the 2018 conference, 450 young people attended and fourteen gave their lives to Christ. At the April 2020 conference, they expect more than 650 youth to participate. The entire conference is centered around one biblical passage and all the sermons, worship, workshops, Bible studies and free time activities are developed with that passage as a foundation. A key element is the Bible study sessions where youth are taught how to dig into God’s Word and structure their own personal devotional times with God. Christian Spanish youth often feel very alone in their faith, knowing few other believers and this conference allows them to connect with others who are trusting in the blood of Jesus. This event profoundly impacts the local church community

by providing their youth with a national network of Christian relationships as well as a faith-building event where they can learn about God in an environment with top quality preachers and musicians.

and not inhibit youth from attending because of finances. You can give towards these projects at the Thanksgiving Eve Service on November 27 or online at College Church’s giving page.

Gifts from College Church will be used to subsidize the event

PATIENCE

A Gaggle of Geese Terri Kraus It’s that time of year—in the Midwest, at least—when the amazing happens: the Canada geese make their annual trek to the warmth of the south for the winter, passing through on their way. I always wonder and marvel at this God-given impetus within them as I see a gaggle flying, in tight V-formation, against a clear blue autumn sky. What is it that triggers their need to get going? As the leaves begin to fall, and the wind cools, does God whisper in their ears of the shortening days? There’s a lovely little pond behind our home, and it seems it’s become a popular wayside inn for a number of our feathered friends each year. I love hearing their earnest honking, sometimes in the middle of a foggy night—the plaintive, somewhat melancholy sound matching the feelings in my plaintive, melancholy soul upon having to say goodbye to another summer, not able to fly south, like they do, to escape the coming grey days of the winter cold. With this increased seasonal population of geese, it’s not at all unusual to have to hit the brakes for a group of them as they make a valiant march across any number of local roadways. It’s not so bad on a side street in town at 30 miles per hour, but alarming on a 4-lane highway outside of town that cuts across the prairies where they graze, at 55 or 60. It would be almost comical, the way they take their time, waddling and then pausing to crane their necks, webbed feet on dirty pavement, unhurried, totally unaware of my hurriedness in getting somewhere, if it wasn’t so precarious for them. I hold my breath as cars from the opposite direction speed toward their graceful bodies. Will the drivers see them and stop in time? Unfazed by the squealing tires, they purposefully cross in single file, as the line of traffic builds in both directions... So I’m sitting in my car, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel with a bit of impatience, and I say out loud, as if they can hear me, “But you can fly! Instead of risking your lives, you can easily glide above the road, out of danger! Use the wings God gave you!”

And in that moment, I am stunned by this thought: Isn’t that so like me. How often I don’t use the wings God gave me, stubbornly tethered to this earth, bent on doing it my own way (which inevitably ends up being the harder, more perilous, precarious way) even when I know his ways are higher than my ways, and that's he's proven this to me over and over. I trudge my way on a dirty road through many dangers, toils and snares, coming at me from both directions, on my own steam. Slogging through, sometimes joyless, to get to the other side. This, when my powerful God has equipped me with everything I need to soar, to mount up with wings as eagles in a clean, clear, wide open sky and do it the heaven way. His way. The far superior way. The way of joy. Which is followed by another stunning thought: Isn’t it so like God, who is not tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, who is not impatient with me, as he looks on while I waddle along on the low road, season upon season, when I could be flying. How beautiful is his long-suffering, how he waits, waits for me to use everything he’s given me to live victoriously in this life, being all he has designed me to be in Christ. To rise above. He lovingly watches, lets me learn from my mistakes, only encouraging, with no condemnation. And if my Heavenly Father does this for me, is this what I am doing as a parent, as a friend? If someone I love chooses the low road, will I be as lovingly patient with them? How well am I encouraging that friend who walks a dangerous path, with no condemnation, in the way to soar? Dear God, please whisper in my ear about the shortening days, and let me fly, O Lord, let me fly. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?" —Job 12:7-9

MISSIONS

The Giving in Thanksgiving Libbie Casey

Annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot to support Go! Ministries at St. James Farm in Winfield The sun is up. The air is crisp. Everyone is dressed in layers. The serious runners are stretching while the less serious ones spend time catching up with each other before the race. At first glance, it looks like your typical Thanksgiving Day race. Yet there is a different feel to this run— the Turkey Trot. As more and more people gather at the starting line, they pause and reflect on all that the Lord has done. What a beautiful way to begin Thanksgiving Day. The annual Turkey Trot has supported GO! Ministries in the Dominican Republic every year since 2012. Last year, more than two hundred people came out to support GO! Ministries. What began as a simple fundraiser for a STAMP trip has grown into a community tradition, and once again on Thanksgiving morning, people will gather at St. James Farm to walk or run with family and friends. For me, the Turkey Trot support is personal. Back in 2012, I was a freshman volleyball player at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. I had been on a couple of mission trips to the Dominican Republic and still had a strong desire to go back. One October afternoon, I sat in my dorm room reading a message from a friend about an interesting opportunity: sports ministry in the Dominican Republic. “You should definitely go!” she said. “It’s perfect for you.” I went.

I went because of the money that came in from the Turkey Trot. On that first STAMP trip with GO! Ministries, the team ran a basketball clinic with the Dominican coaches in Hato del Yaque. We played hours and hours of basketball that week on a small court behind a local school. The boys who came loved every minute of it. But that week was more than just fun for me; it was the beginning of a new chapter of my life. Six years, seven volleyball clinics, and one internship later, I am now preparing to move to the Dominican to work full time with GO! Ministries. The Turkey Trot has made a difference in so many lives. In 2013 and 2014, the funds raised by the Thanksgiving Day 5K allowed GO! Ministries to build its own basketball and volleyball courts. The courts were built just outside the church in the Hato del Yaque neighborhood. Now as an intern with GO! Ministires, I was back in the DR after a short absence. I remember the bumpy drive on the half-paved roads as we entered the Hato neighborhood. We wove through a maze of houses, past the mostly shirtless kids playing in the streets and past the men and women sitting outside of their small, one-room homes. As we turned the corner to the church, my jaw dropped. A few broken-down buildings had been transformed into two beautiful basketball courts. People from

all over the community came to play on those courts constantly, even in the pouring rain. “(This) has been a huge blessing to our community,” says Pastor Elidos, “where we can not only help them with basketball, but also with the Word of God.” In 2015, the Turkey Trot helped with the support of a World Impact trip for high school students to work alongside the church doing construction and VBS. The following year, it funded construction of a baseball and soccer field behind the church. The next year, it paid for lighting for the basketball and volleyball courts, and in 2018 the money the Turkey Trot raised helped start a local business that funds the church. This year, all proceeds from the run will directly support the church in Hato del Yaque and the ministry of GO! Sports. As I officially become the coordinator of women’s GO! Sports in January, I can’t wait to see the impact of this year’s Turkey Trot up close. Visit gomin.org/get-involved/ turkeytrot to sign up and join the legacy of the Turkey Trot. You never know the difference your participation on Thanksgiving can make—for people in the DR but also for people here whom God is stirring up to go. Thank you for your support.

SERVING

Christmas Store: December 14, 2019 What is the Christmas Store and who shops there? • The Christmas Store is a special one-day event, where qualified families can affordably shop for Christmas gifts for their children.

• Books, stuffed animals and board games are not typically chosen by shoppers. • Toys featured at Costco, Sam’s Club and Aldi are great options.

• Clients of the Outreach Community Center as well as residents who live near the center in Carol Stream may shop the store, with priority given to clients.

• Please no Monster Ink or Bratz dolls.

• Families who shop at the Christmas Store live within one square mile of the community center, situated along two of the poorest census tracts in DuPage County.

• Online gifts purchased from Amazon and Target may be shipped directly to the Outreach Community Center in Carol Stream.

• The 2018 Christmas store served 376 families who shopped for 959 children.

• Your purchase may qualify for free shipping.

• Families who do not have the financial resources to shop at the Christmas Store are invited to come to the center to meet with a case manager to determine whether a “Christmas Store Gift Voucher” is warranted.

• Visit Amazon.com or Target.com and search “Outreach Community Center” for gift lists and more ideas.

• Please ship to arrive by November 30. Where do I drop off the toys for collection?

How are volunteers used for this project?

• On Sunday, November 24, December 1 and December 8, there will be a table down in Kids’ Harbor and another one in the Narthex throughout the services.

• Volunteer work began as early as October, and with 400-plus volunteers needed to make the store a reality, there are plenty of opportunities before the Christmas Store opens and on the day itself.

• There will be a box for any gift cards from stores such as Walmart, Target, Kohl's, Game Stop, Best Buy, Ulta, Culver's, McDonald's, Subway, Dick's Sporting Goods (no online stores please)

• 402 volunteers from 27 local churches, businesses and organizations all were part of the Christmas Store in 2018.

• Leave your gifts unwrapped and brand new please.

• 1600 volunteer hours donated last year. • Volunteers may sign up at www.outreachchristmas.org What gifts may I purchase to help stock the Christmas Store? • Much of the success of the Christmas Store depends on gift drives to help fill the shopping tables every year. • Enough gifts are needed for more than 1,000 children from infant to 18 years old. • Gifts should range from $15-$40 in value. • Please choose toys that are nonviolent and age appropriate, and no nerf guns.

• Any questions, please contact Liz Reid (630) 665-6790

FRIENDSHIP

What We Miss George Bednar People often ask us if we miss life overseas. There are several ways that I could answer that. Certainly, there are aspects of life overseas we don’t miss. Thinking back on it, we don’t miss our first apartment. It wasn’t a terrible place to live, but any time the temperature dropped to a brisk 73 degrees, our giant ceramic floor tiles would raise up and shatter in half as the building shivered in the cold. And if it wasn’t our giant floor tiles shattering, it was our fuse box in the parking garage melting itself free from the building and shooting flames into parked cars. There are things about life in our particular city that we don’t miss. Once, while trying to navigate our way across town to a coffee shop, Alexis and I got stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic caused by a massive roadside hip-hop concert. As we sat there unable to move, a man walked by, noticing that we were foreigners and we couldn’t move. He bloodied his fists on our truck trying to punch his way in. If it wasn’t truck-punching concert-goers, it was local dentists drilling holes in my lip. We don’t miss the weeks without water. We don’t miss the weeks without power or cheese. There’s much we don’t miss, but there’s still so much that we do. Sitting atop the list of things we greatly miss and for which we’re deeply thankful are the people. WE MISS THE PEOPLE. The day we arrived in Myanmar is seared into my memory. We stepped off the plane that first day into a world of difference. A different world. A third world. A world where even the air seemed unique. It instantly and always

smelled heavy. It took us 36 hours to get there, but we had finally made it. As we walked over to baggage claim, we noticed a group of folks watching us from behind a glass wall. Once our eyes met, they began waving and smiling. They seemed quite happy to see us. They were friends we hadn’t yet met and their waves and smiles offered us a surge of confidence that we were exactly where we were supposed to be--Yangon, Myanmar. Once we had collected the duffel bags and crates that were our lives, we walked out and greeted those happy people. They guided us into a dizzying chorus of taxi drivers begging for our business and nearby flocks of birds bellowing with all their collective might. We loaded our lives into several vans, and those happy folks drove us to our apartment to get settled in. There’s no way that Alexis and I could have known then just how much we needed them. They were missionaries. They were now colaborers. Our brothers. Our sisters. They were new friends who quickly became family. GATHERED TOGETHER

services. We gathered to mourn together. We gathered to support each other. We gathered for meals and for much-needed fellowship. And we gathered for holidays. Thanksgiving was particularly special for our group. We started each Thanksgiving Day with a family-friendly game of football in a grassy field at a nearby hotel. After the games ended, we would clean up and gather together for a meal that often included purple sweet potatoes, mango cobbler, and bitter gourd casserole. It was different. It was glorious. We needed it. All of us needed it. EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED That group of people was exactly what we needed as we learned life overseas. Living there could be very lonely and trying, but God gave us these people whom we will always treasure. They were there when we struggled. They were there to laugh and cry with us over language classes and cross-cultural experiences. They taught us how to survive there. They taught us how to thrive there.

And as a family, we did exactly what families tend to do. We gathered.

Of that group, I want to tell you about Calvin and Winnie (not their real names).

We gathered to celebrate birthdays and did so regardless of Myanmar’s attempts to stop us. One year we birthday-partied our way through a seven-hours-long power outage. We didn’t need power. We had family. We gathered during the NFL season at 2 a.m. in order to eat cheetos and biscuits and gravy while watching live NFL games. We gathered in moments of great spiritual joy and celebrated missionary kids’ new faith in Christ with backyard water-tank baptism

It wasn’t supposed to work out as it did. We weren’t supposed to be on Calvin and Winnie’s team. They worked primarily with the Bhama people and we had accepted a job working with the Rakhine people. However, after landing in Myanmar, we discovered that we weren’t the only ones who had accepted the Rakhine job. Two other units had also accepted it. It was a divine computer glitch in the hands of a sovereign God. One of those other units was given the

Rakhine position and we were asked to travel the city, meet the different teams and prayerfully consider where the Lord would have us serve. As a part of that process, Calvin picked us up one afternoon and took us to his apartment for dinner. There was something unusually genuine and comforting about Calvin. It could’ve been his southern drawl. It could also have been his t-shirt, jeans, flip-flops and thin mustache (he remembers the mustache part differently). Whatever it was, Alexis and I seemed to connect immediately with him and the same was true when we met his wife, Winnie. As we sat there listening to them tell about their calling and work, it became abundantly clear to us that this was our team. We were there to serve alongside Calvin and Winnie.

Who through life has been my guide? Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell! For I know whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well; For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

WE ARE THANKFUL FOR CALVIN AND WINNIE

Traffic was beyond dense. Five of six lanes were completely stopped, but our lane was moving quite nicely. As we made our way up the street, a truck attempted to turn across all of the traffic and right in our path. Our driver slammed on the breaks and the car began to skid. We hit the passenger side door. The force of the impact drove us forward and, without a seatbelt on, only one thing stopped me from hitting the windshield: my right knee crashed into the glove box. Damaged and rattled, we weren’t really sure what to do. So we drove to Calvin and Winnie. They always knew what to do. They always knew how to help and how to empathize. They had the right words at the right moments.

We are thankful for them because they love Jesus. Their desire wasn’t just to live in Myanmar and work to get the gospel of Jesus to the Bhama people. Their desire was to grow in their own understanding of the gospel and to grow in their affections for Jesus. One of the ways that their faith shined before us was through prayer and worship during our team meetings. We met each week to debrief and to share a meal. And it always seemed that at just the right moment when life in Yangon had us weary and frustrated, Calvin would lead us in a time of worship. There’s something soul-level nourishing about having the audacity to sing to God in the midst of hardship. One of these songs that meant a lot to Calvin and Winnie and, by extension, meant a lot to us, was Fanny Crosby’s hymn, "All The Way My Savior Leads Me." All the way my Savior leads me, What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy,

We are thankful for them because Calvin and Winnie were there for us every time we needed them. Every time. One morning, Alexis and I set out for a local teashop to do some language study. Our Burmese driver scoffed at me for putting on my seatbelt. “This is Myanmar,” he said. So, wanting to do as the locals do, I opted against my better judgment and against the safety of a seatbelt and went without it. Everything was fine until just before we arrived at the teashop.

We are thankful because they trusted us as much as we trusted them. One afternoon Calvin mentioned to me that he had a pain in his stomach. I asked if he thought he needed to see a doctor. He didn’t think so. However, at 10 p.m. that night, Calvin knocked on my door. He needed a doctor. We drove to a clinic often staffed by foreign doctors,

but that night the only doctor there was Burmese. Assuming that Calvin was having appendicitis, we asked the Burmese doctor what Calvin should do. “Umm… I think that you should just go home and wait and see.” For those who are curious, that’s the wrong thing to do in cases of appendicitis. Thankfully, we didn’t do that. PREP TIME We headed over to a local hospital. We sat and waited a while for the surgeon to arrive and during that time Calvin’s pain rapidly increased. He could barely stand. Finally, the surgeon walked in and pulled Calvin’s clothes aside. She could immediately see what was going on and told him that he needed emergency surgery. Calvin asked if he could wait and get to Bangkok the next morning. The hospitals in Bangkok are world class. She said no. In fact, she said that if he were her brother she would take his appendix out right then and there. A few minutes later, Calvin was preparing for surgery. Unable to get Winnie on the phone to let her know what was happening, I left Calvin and drove back to my apartment. I woke Alexis and we went to find Winnie. We explained to Winnie what was happening and she knew she needed to go. Alexis stayed at their place with their sleeping kids as Winnie and I rushed back to the hospital. Winnie and I sat there in the small, concrete surgical auditorium. And we waited. And waited. After a while, Calvin’s surgeon came in. She smiled at Winnie. “The surgery went well,” she said as she held out a metal tray. On the tray was Calvin’s appendix. She was showing us so that we would know that she actually did what she said she did. She took it out. We were so shocked to see one of Calvin’s body parts that we didn’t know what to do. We just sort of nervously giggled and then took pictures of it.

TWO-WAY TRUST But none of that would’ve gone as it did had not Calvin and Winnie trusted us. Trusted us to watch their kids. Trusted us to be with them in unusual moments. Trusted us to be there for them just as they were for us. We’re thankful for Calvin and Winnie because of their willingness to let us into their family, and their willingness to be a part of ours. They were friends who became best friends. They were best friends who became family. They

were family who invited us to be there when their kids were born. They were the family with whom we created yearly traditions and with whom we longed to spend our time in both Myanmar and the States. So special was our relationship that other teams of missionaries from other parts of Asia would approach us at company meetings. Stunned by our closeness, these other missionaries would plead with us, “Tell us how you do this. Tell us how you get along so well.”

Looking back on that first day, there’s no way that we could’ve known just how much we needed any of them. We couldn’t have known. But, thankfully, God knew. Each of those folks there in Myanmar holds a special place in our hearts. We love them. We’re thankful for them. And we miss them greatly. Especially Calvin and Winnie.

REFLECTIONS

Uncharted Territory College Church missionary Norm Beasley "I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. ( Jeremiah 29:11-14, NIV) These verses have been an anchor for Norm and his wife, Cathy, at various times in their missionary trek from Lima, Peru, to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to Waxhaw, North Carolina with Wycliffe Bible Translators. “For some reason,” Norm reflects, “these verses are often associated in my mind with medivac flights from Papua New Guinea to Australia. The times we needed the weather to clear so an aircraft could take off or land, or when we needed a prompt response from the Australian government to allow our plane to carry a medical patient to Cairns, and civil daylight is about to end, and we need for the plane to take-off. “Or the time we needed an insurance company in Pennsylvania to authorize a medivac flight for some short-term team members who were visiting missionaries at Ukarumpa and were seriously injured in a vehicle accident. It was on a Saturday afternoon in PNG, but after five p.m. on a Friday afternoon in the States. The answering machine on the medivac authorization clicked in and tells us to call back Monday morning after eight a.m.”

I know the plans I have for you echo both personally and professionally in Norm and Cathy’s lives. Now director of global crisis management services for Wycliffe, Norm deals with security concerns for their workers. He holds on to his anchor on behalf of a young family in a village where criminals, or “raskols,” are threating the wife and mom. He holds fast for the three months a team was held in during a government detention event in a North Africa. On the personal side, Norm and Cathy have trusted God with practicalities such as finances for airfare and a vehicle for a home assignment year. Their trust in God’s plans ventured deeper as they entrust one of their daughters and her constant struggle with migraines. plans to prosper you and not to harm you “Three and a half years ago, our twenty-nine-year-old son, Jacob, was killed in a car accident,” Norm says, “Lord, what is that about? Why? Really, Lord? How is that a hope and a future? We had lots of other questions, most without answers.” Norm pauses to read 1 Samuel 7:12, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far has the LORD helped us.’ (NIV) “Over the years that we have been in missions, Cathy and I have seen God, time and again, meet needs. We have built up

a pile of Ebenezer stones, these stones of remembrance, when God has helped us, or helped friends and colleagues, or people we didn’t know, but prayed for. In these three and a half years after Jacob’s death, we have seen multiple instances where we can say, ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us out.’

of questions, and many with no answers.”

“Yes, we still have questions.

“Right now, I don’t have an answer,” replies Norm. “I don’t have the positive ending, but I do want to be faithful, to be appropriately encouraging and supporting and to be Godhonoring in my thoughts, attitudes and words.”

“Yes, we still feel the ache of loss and yes, we still struggle with whatever the so-called new normal has become.” Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you. “And now we have another opportunity to practice this passage,” says Norm. “We are moving into uncharted territory for us and some of our adult children. Again, we are asking lots

At the October Missions Festival, Norm participated in the Go Meeting, where the group was asked to consider a problem (easy for Norm), and then challenged with this question: how do you see Christ glorified in this problem?

And for now, for Norm and Cathy, that is the graced answer that glorifies a God who knows the plans he has for his children.

STAMP

2020 Short-Term Teams As we seek to serve our partners, learn about the world and grow in Christ, we invite you—yes, you—to come on a STAMP trip this year. How do I apply? Online at college-church.org/stm When do I have to decide? Our application deadline is January 15, 2020 or until teams are full, whichever comes first Questions? Email STM@college-church.org

Czech Republic This trip is best described as a spiritual scavenger hunt, as we look for glimpses of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of atheist Czech students. We'll be going into English classes, talking with students and looking for glimmers of spiritual hunger for the God who made them. We will then join God's work of building his kingdom as we share the gospel and/or invite these Czech students to meet God through the Bible. Dates: May 22-30, 2020 Hosts: Nathan & Vera Beck Ages: 12+ (younger students must be spiritually mature) Team size: 6-12 Skills needed: Spiritual sensitivity, conversational ability with strangers, healthy curiosity about people Physical requirements: Ability to walk a lot

Greece

Honduras

In the cradle of western civilization, Athens is the capital and largest city there. GEM has committed to pouring both physical and spiritual resources into Athens with the desire for others to see transformation taking place within the city. This team will work in partnership with Greek churches and ministries through outreach, evangelism and meeting practical needs to encourage and support ministry already in progress.

Casa Santuario is a long-term residential care center for Honduran children in the government care system. This team will build the next phase of an onsite playground for the children to help nurture their physical, social and emotional growth. The playground serves as a community gathering spot for local children along with their parents and provides open doors for sharing the gospel of Christ as children from the community gather to play.

Dates: May 1-11, 2020 Hosts: Greater Europe Mission Ages: 18+ Team size: 6-12 Skills needed: Variety of skills. Specific skills of team members may help shape what type of ministry work the team does, while keeping in mind the needs of the local ministry. Physical requirements: Ability to walk and be on your feet for long periods of time

Dates: February 16-22, 2020 Host: Judy Blumhofer, Loma de Luz Casa Santuario (Light of the Hill Sanctuary House) Ages: 15+ (students must be accompanied by parent) Team size: 4-10 Skills needed: Skilled and unskilled laborer, one or two people with construction experience and ability to lead the team Physical requirements: Project requires strenuous, manual labor, good physical health, ability to walk a lot, able to work in strong, direct sunlight

Israel

Mexico

Be the hands and feet of Jesus to a vulnerable population in Israeli society. Serve the poor, the outcasts, the addicts, those caught in sex trafficking, those who are homeless. Working alongside Christian and secular NGOs, Christian volunteers can show loving and serving in action. Twenty-one percent of Israelis live below the poverty line, and Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have roughly 1,500 homeless men and women. Our service project participants will minister to the least of these.

Join this small group of international adventurers and explore the wild and remote coast of Baja's Sea of Cortez in sea kayaks. As you paddle and camp in this undeveloped part of the world, you will build close friendships with new Mexican friends and help them practice their English. As you share these adventures, you will also have the chance to share Jesus, and like Jesus, you will be making men of the sea to be his disciples.

Dates: June 6-14, 2020

Hosts: Steve & Lois Dresselhaus

Host: Susan Perlman, Jews for Jesus Team leader: Spencer Garrett Ages: 16+ Team size: 4-20 Skills needed: A servantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart to serve as needed. People with experience in physical therapy, counselors, nurses, music, construction would be helpful. Physical requirements: Ability to walk at least a mile

Dates: November 1-8, 2020 Team leader: Dan Hiben Ages: 18-30 Team size: 3-5 Skills needed: Ability to swim; Spanish (helpful but not essential), comfortable with rustic, wilderness camp situations, ability to direct conversations to Jesus Physical requirements: Must fit in a kayak cockpit, no medications that require refrigeration, physically fit to engage in strenuous activity

Spain

Uganda

Join the national Decisión team as it brings the gospel to one of more than 7,000 cities without an evangelical presence through a community outreach festival. The team will serve through projects such as mime, music, community projects, crafts and one-to-one street evangelism. Specific to our team will be participation in the Country Festival (line dancing, hats, boots and hot dogs. Yee-ha!) and the English Coffee Time.

Share God’s love and provide mentorship to STARS Ministry Uganda by walking alongside people with disabilities and their caregivers to share your expertise and life experience. Spend three days leading and facilitating a retreat for Ugandan STARS and their caregivers, a sports day and Wednesday church. Be ready to share your knowledge and skills as you serve.

Dates: July 1-12, 2020

Dates: July (second and third weeks; specific dates to be determined)

Hosts: José Pablo Sanchez

Hosts: Sylvia Kalyebara/STARS Ministry Uganda

Ages: 16-30 Team size: 5-15

Team leader: Nancy Biedry

Skills needed: Mime, music, drama, country dance, intermediate level of Spanish (not required as accommodations will be made for English speakers)

Team size: 5-12

Physical requirements: Ability to withstand heat (possibility of no air conditioning), ability to walk a lot, no wheelchair accessibility

Ages: 25+ Skills needed: Hands-on experience with persons affected by disabilities, teaching, parenting and/or therapeutic skills Physical requirements: Ability to maneuver over rough terrain, ability to thrive in a difficult physical environment without the comforts of home.

MADE FOR MORE

Perspectives, a fifteen-week class taught by fifteen instructors Tuesdays—first class is January 21, 2020

WHY PERSPECTIVES?

Hosted by College Church.

Another good question. God has a “world-sized” role for every Christian in his global purpose. Whether people go to distant countries or stay at home is a secondary issue. The primary issue is what most people are hungry to discover: vision to live a life of purpose. Discovering that vision makes this course valuable, and perhaps crucial, for any Christian.

WHAT EXACTLY IS PERSPECTIVES? We’re glad you asked. It’s a fifteen-week course designed around four vantage points, “perspectives,” if you will: biblical, historical, cultural and strategic. Each one highlights different aspects of God’s global purpose. The biblical and historical sections reveal why our confidence is based on the historic fact of God’s relentless work from the dawn of history until now. The cultural and strategic sections underscore that we are in a costly, but very doable task, confirming the biblical and historical hope.

Register at Perspectives.org and search for classes in Illinois for the Wheaton class. Early bird registration ends November 15.

Visit the GCL World Wide ministry of Pastor Josh Moody at godcentered life. org. Find daily sermons from Pastor Josh there plus daily devotionals. Sign up for the devotionals to receive them daily in your inbox. Listen to Pastor Josh daily on WMBI at 10:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Your prayers for and partnership with this ministry are greatly appreciated.

NEW AT THE BOOK STALL Visit the bookstall and check out our selection of books by Pastor Moody, other titles selected by our ministry staff, and new or classic books for young and old.

Closing the Window Steps to Living Porn Free By Tim Chester

A church-planter and Bible teacher, Tim Chester provides practical helps and insights for living without porn. He repeats the word “freed” to describe the beauty, grace and glory of God in life. This provides a helpful lens through which to view life without pornography.

Have No Fear

Being salt and light even when it’s costly By John C. Lennox Christians are under increasing pressure to be silent. We’re led to believe that, at best, our beliefs are outdated, and at worst they are dangerous. Silenced by fear, it’s all too easy to keep quiet. But our Christian faith was never meant to be private. Jesus’ followers are instructed to be deliberately and willingly different, seeking to share the life-changing good news they’ve heard with everyone whatever the cost. We might feel that we fall very short of this confident evangelistic lifestyle, but John Lennox shows us that any one of us can become an effective gospel witness. Using examples from the Bible and from his own life, John explains practically how we can winsomely share Jesus with our friends, despite our fears. He argues that it is possible to stand up to the pressure society places on us and in so doing we’ll find our Christian life grows in strength and joy.

Repeat the Sounding Joy

A daily Advent devotional on Luke 1-2 By Christopher Ash This new advent devotional focuses on the first two chapters of Luke, bringing Mary, Elizabeth, the shepherds and Simeon into the season day by day. Each day's reading includes a short reflection, a prayer, a carol and space to journal, helping you to treasure the Lord Jesus in your heart in the hectic run-up to Christmas.

J-Curve: Dying and Rising with Jesus in Everyday Life By Paul Miller

Better known as the author of A Praying Life, Paul Miller introduces readers to the “J Curve,” in his latest book, J Curve: Rising & Dying with Jesus in Everyday Life. In his characteristic combination of prose and personal anecdotes, Miller describes the J Curve as “the idea, frequently articulated by

the apostle Paul, that the normal Christian life repeatedly re-enacts the dying and rising of Jesus. I call it the J-Curve because, like the letter J, Jesus’ life first went down into death, then up into resurrection.” Full of diagrams and practical teaching, Miller’s book is designed to help us map the ups and downs of life onto the story of Jesus.

Sophie and the Heidelberg Cat

by Andrew Wilson, illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia Move over Christopher Smart and your cat, Jeoffry, servant of the Living God, there’s a new cat in town—the Heidelberg Cat. I met both the cat and her human companion, Sophie, in Andrew Wilson’s delightful book, Sophie and the Heidelberg Cat. To me, the book wavered between a read-aloud and an early reader, and I finally landed on an early reader especially with its illustrations (done well by Helena Perez Garcia), smallish type size and, ultimately, its subject matter. From the start of the book, young readers will relate to Sophie. Her sister broke her dollhouse, Sophie pushed her sister over, yelled at her parents and stormed upstairs to her room, where she meets the Heidelberg’s cat from next door. “The Heidelbergs bought me. I’m theirs, and that’s that,” explains the cat. Fortunately for the readers, Sophie knows better than to lie to a talking cat and also knows that you say, “yes to a cat that can talk.” And the adventures begin as the unlikely duo walk the rooftops at night. At the start of their conversation, Sophie easily answers the cat’s question about what the Bible is trying to say, but soon discovers that she has enough questions to talk for a week. The adults reading this book will quickly hear the echoes of the Heidelberg Catechism as well as the gospel, especially at the end of the rooftop walk, and the cat gives Sophie her tag, with her name—Grace. --reviewed by Lorraine Triggs

The Pilgrim’s Progress

by John Bunyan—edited by C.J. Lovik, illustrations by Mike Wimmer. Crossway, the publisher of this edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress, rightly points out in its forward that except for the Bible, this book “is widely recognized as the most influential, beloved, and widely distributed book in the English language.” Lovik’s edition is described in the forward as a painstaking labor of love. Artist Mike Wimmer created the illustrations for this edition, that are fitting to Bunyan’s classic tale.

MILESTONES Births and Marriages • Lauren Graham married Pete Rizzo at College Church on Saturday, October 19. Lauren is the daughter of College Church members Kent and Courtney Graham. • Ezekiel David Thrasher was born to Michael and Annelise Thrasher on October 15. This is their first child. Paternal grandparents are College Church members Bill and Penny Thrasher. • Caleb John Paul was born to Mark and Shelley Hopson on October 11. He joins his older siblings Abigail, Anna and Luke. • Philip Oster married Sarah Recker at College Church on Friday, October 4. Philip is the son of College Church members Dave and Liz Oster. • Isabella Grace was born to Jim and Michelle Schmugge on September 25 in Rochester, MN. Maternal grandparents are College Church missionaries John and Elsa Maust.

• Autumn Marie was born to College Church mid-term missionaries Kenny and Valerie Hamilton on September 19 in Herrenberg, Germany. Maternal grandparents are Tim and Sally Tonyan. • Magnolia Grace was born to Trey and Mary Martin on July 30. Maternal grandparents are Hal and Anna Marie Walsh.

Condolences • Anita White and family as they grieve the loss of Anita’s mother, Beatrice Pankratz, who passed away on October 17 in San Diego, CA. • Walter Fuchs and family as they grieve the loss of Walter’s wife, Bonnie, who passed away on October 16. • David (Cathryn) Lyon and family as they grieve the loss of David’s mother, Barbara, who passed away on October 3 in Evanston, IL.

LOOKING AHEAD Songs of the Season

Becoming One

Pastor Moody’s Holiday Series November 24—Isaiah’s Song at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. December 1—Mary’s Song at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. December 8—Zechariah’s Song at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. December 15—The Angels’ Song at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. December 22—Simeon’s Song at 9:30 and 11 a.m. December 24 CHRISTMAS EVE—Paul’s Song at 4, 7 and 9 p.m.

Becoming One is a class for engaged, pre-engaged or newly married couples. It provides a biblical perspective on topics such as the covenant of marriage, roles of husbands and wives, finances, intimacy, communication and conflict resolution. This class will meet Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. beginning February 2, 2020. If you have questions or would like to register, please email Christy at marriage@ college-church.org. Registration fee of $35 per couple covers materials and an online inventory.

Advent and Christmas at College Church December 8 at 6 p.m.—Christmas Musical featuring seven choirs and musicians of all ages December 15 at 6 p.m.—STARS Christmas Program Come celebrate Christmas with our STARS and their families--a highlight of the season. December 22 at 6 p.m.—Carols and Cocoa Our all church carol singing service is open to the community—bring a friend!

Believers Baptism/Confirmation/ Infant Baptism/Infant Dedication There are dates coming up for those interested in believers baptism, confirmations, infant dedications and infant baptism. If you would like more information about any of these opportunities, email Christy at baptism@college-church.org

Join College Church at March for Life Chicago 2020! Join College Church as we take a public stand to affirm the value of every human life, born and unborn, in downtown Chicago.  Date: Saturday, January 11, 2020 Time: Arrive at College Church at 11 am and return by 5 pm. Go to www.college-church.org/SOHL to reserve your free seat(s) on the bus.

AROUND TOWN November Midwest Creation Fellowship The topic of the November Midwest Creation Fellowship (MCF West) is “The Ice Age: Only the Bible Explains It,” with speaker Michael Oard. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation is at 7 p.m. The MCF West meets at the DVC Ministry Center, 25W560 Geneva Road, Carol Stream.

Tyndale’s annual warehouse sale

No struggle is new. No sin is new. History and the Bible show us that for generations leaders in the church have wrestled with issues of burnout, mental illness, and personal and congregational care. But history also shows that God heals, and that he cares. The church throughout the generations is a beacon of hope that God intervenes to redeem and restore all the places in our leadership that need renewal. This is why we are hosting the GC2 Summit on Facing Hard Truths & Challenges in Ministry Leadership (visit www.gc2-summit.com for information). Because it’s past time we all learn we are not alone, and that healing is possible.

November 7, 8 and 9 at Tyndale House Publishers, 351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream.

Join with hundreds of other pastors and church leaders on December 6 in Wheaton, IL, for a one-day evangelical conversation on leadership, burnout, and mental health. The event will be livestreamed as well. More to come on that in the days ahead, but register today to join us in person as space is limited!

GC2 Summit coming to Wheaton College

You will walk away encouraged, edified and prepared to lead well today.

This event is sponsored by the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College in partnership with the Wheaton College School of Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy. The following is from the college.

Abundance

All of us in church leadership desire to lead well and seek the good of not only ourselves, but our bosses, staff, and our entire congregations. Today, however, the challenges of leadership can lead even the best of us to wonder if we’ve gotten off track and if change is possible. We may wrestle with hidden sin or hidden struggles, we may doubt ourselves and our leadership, we may see unhealthy patterns but have no clue how to change them. What, really, does it mean to be a healthy leader and a healthy team?

A concert for Thanksgiving, featuring the Concerto Competition winners Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Sommerville, conductor, presents music by Gershwin, Dvorak, Rossini, Vaughn Williams, Ives and Glazunov. Saturday, November 23, 7:30 P.M., Edman Chapel. Admission: $10 / $5 for seniors

Take advantage of events—some one-time, some ongoing—that are taking place around town this month. Also, keep Connections in mind to promote a community event to the College Church family. Send event information by the following dates to connections@college-church.org. For the December issue: November 7 For the January issue: December 7

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