I BELIEVE
God’s Property
SHELLY WILDMAN | 6
LIFE LESSONS
Valentine from the Garden
VIRGINIA HUGHES | 12
SIDE BY SIDE
Alive and Well in Middle School
ASHLEY ANTHONY | 20
“Have you ever been mistaken for Jesus? Not in physical appearance but in temperament, action, love, grace and compassion?”
Read “Who Do You Resemble” by Keith Bodger on page 10.
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February Highlights
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Opportunities for Prayer
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From the Editor WIL TRIGGS
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God’s Property SHELLY WILDMAN
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Resolutions and Renaissance KATHERINE BAYLIS
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Who Do You Resemble?
KEITH BODGER
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Valentine from the Garden VIRGINIA HUGHES
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Artist Spotlight— Dave Carlburg
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Prayer Everywhere MATT ANTHONY
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ArtSpace
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New Members
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It’s Too Political KARA BETH VANCE
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Alive and Well in Middle School ASHLEY ANTHONY
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Sanctity of Human Life Events
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At the Bookstall
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Serving Opportunities
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Milestones
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Under the Radar
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Looking Ahead
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Campus Maps
Our Pastors, Directors and Residents: Josue Alvarado, pastoral resident | Matt Anthony, pastoral resident | Cheryce Berg, director of children’s ministries | Roger Burgess, pastor of visitation | Julie Clemens, director of disability ministries | Erik Dewar, pastor of worship and music Baxter Helm, high school pastor | Dan Hiben, middle school pastor | Tim Hollinger, technology director | Howard Kern, facilities director Bruce Main, pastor of visitation | Josh Maurer, pastor of discipleship | Curt Miller, missions pastor | Josh Moody, senior pastor Richard Moomjian, pastoral resident | Ben Panner, college pastor | Mindy Rynbrandt, director of women’s ministries | John Seward, executive pastor | Nancy Singer, director of administration and finance | Wil Triggs, director of communications
Our Council of Elders: David Bea | Mark Berg | Howard Costley, chair | Dave Gieser, vice chair | Randy Jahns | Heinrich Johnsen Josh Moody, senior pastor | Jeff Oslund | Roger Sandberg | David Setran | Jeremy Taylor, secretary | Chad Thorson | Brian Wildman
332 E. Seminary, Wheaton, IL 60187 (630) 668-0878 | www.college-church.org
Connections is a monthly newsletter published for and about the people of College Church. Send news items and suggestions to: connections@college-church.org. Keep Connections in mind to promote a community event to the College Church family. Send event information by the following dates: For the March issue: February 9 For the April issue: March 9 | For the May issue: April 9
ASHLEY ANTHONY
serves in middle school and children’s ministries at College Church. She and her husband, Matt, a pastoral resident, have four children and moved to Wheaton in August of 2022.
DAVE CARLBURG
Dave has been the assistant facilities manager at College Church for nearly 17 years. He is equally comfortable doing repairs and joking with his high school and college staff and looking through his camera to capture the beauty of God’s creation.
MARK ANTHONY
is in his first year as a Pastoral Resident at College Church. His family of six moved to Wheaton from Philadelphia after he graduated from Westminster Theological Seminary. They have enjoyed the neighborhood God placed them in and their trips to the Museum of Science and Industry.
KATHERINE BAYLIS
a semi-regular contributor to Connections, is a tea enthusiast who loves rare books. She works in Bible manufacturing at Tyndale and is also a grad student at Wheaton College studying church history.
VIRGINIA HUGHES
has served in many ways over the years, mainly those related to children and the deaconess board ministries. She and her husband, Roger, have three grown daughters and often drive up to Ann Arbor (MI) to visit their two-year-old grandson.
KARA BETH VANCE
currently serves as a mentor with the College Group discipleship team and with our Sanctity of Human Life task force. She works in Wheaton as a financial planner. Kara Beth has listened to all the Harry Potter books and made a hard shift to reading a book on strength training philosophy.
KEITH BODGER
has lived in Wheaton since he married his wife, Mel, 28 years ago. He and Mel have been at College Church since 2012 and they lead a small group together. Keith greatly enjoys winter and can be found shoveling at church when it snows on Sunday mornings.
SHELLY WILDMAN
is a longtime member of College Church and is married to her longtime sweetheart, Brian. Shelly is the owner of Walkabout Tours, a boutique touring company that takes small groups of women on sightseeing and spiritual retreat trips in Europe. She’d love to have you join her!
COVER IMAGE: Dave Carlburg, Falling Sand, Antelope Canyon, AZ
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICES
Everyone welcome.
Join us at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Livestream broadcast is at 9:30 a.m. You can watch it at college-church.org/livestream
FEBRUARY 5: All Things Come from You, 1 Chronicles 29:1-22
Pastor Josh Moody preaching on Mark.
FEBRUARY 12: The Real Meaning of the Passover, Mark 14
FEBRUARY 19: The King and His Kingdom , Mark 15
FEBRUARY 26: The Story Has Just Begun , Mark 16:1-8
SUNDAY EVENING WORSHIP SERVICES
Everyone welcome.
In the Crossings at 5 p.m. unless otherwise indicated.
FEBRUARY 19: Community Celebration—
Ten Foundational Principles of the God Centered Life #2 The Authority of Scripture
FEBRUARY 26: Psalm 125
ALL NATIONS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104F
• TEACHER: Jim Tebbe
• STUDY: The Mission of God in Scripture—Daniel 1-6, signs in John’s gospel, end of Acts after Paul’s arrest, messages to the seven churches in Revelation
• DESCRIPTION: Exploring the mission of God in Scripture through Bible study. There will also be testimonies, information about and prayer for the church in different parts of the world.
FORUM 15 Sundays 8 a.m. in C104F
• TEACHER: Bruce Main
• STUDY: Life of Christ
• DESCRIPTION: In-depth study of important times in the life of Christ
GREEK CLASS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in the Board Room
• TEACHER: Jon Laansma
• STUDY: 1 John
• DESCRIPTION: Walk through the Greek text and message of 1 John in discussion format. Knowledge of Greek is not required for this class.
LIFE TOGETHER COMMUNITY Sundays 9:30 a.m. in Commons Gym or join by Zoom in C101
• TEACHER: Teaching Team
• STUDY: Varying Topics
• DESCRIPTION: Authentic, biblical community for adults ages 25–40
LIVING WORD Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104A & C104C
• TEACHER: Doug Moo, Josh Maurer and Felipe Chamy
• STUDY: 1 & 2 Thessalonians
• DESCRIPTION: Fellowship and exposition of 1 & 2 Thessalonians, with application to life today
LOGOS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104E
FEBRUARY 5: Psalm 123
FEBRUARY 12: Psalm 124
• TEACHER: Dan Haase
• STUDY: The Gospel of John
• DESCRIPTION: Appeal of Jesus
THRIVE Sundays 9:30 a.m. in Crossings-Clapham Main Area
• TEACHER: Teaching Team
• STUDY: Varying Topics
• DESCRIPTION: Biblical community for 40s to mid-50s, including: single/married/widowed/divorced. Join us to be encouraged and thrive.
VERITAS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in C104B & D
• TEACHER: Neil Wright
• STUDY: Book of Revelation—Young parents are welcome!
SUNDAY MORNING
NURSERY (0-2) at 9:30 and 11 a.m.
BIBLE SCHOOL (preschool-fifth grade) at 9:30 a.m.
WONDERS OF WORSHIP “WOW” (K-third grade) during second half of 11 a.m. service
CHILDREN’S CHURCH (preschool) at 11 a.m.
PRESCHOOL at 5 p.m.
GOD’S CHILDREN SING (Kindergarten and Pre-K)
CHILDREN’S CHOIRS (grades 1-6) at 5 p.m.
WEDNESDAYS
KIDS’ HARBOR WEDNESDAY CLUBS at 6:45 p.m.
The Wednesday clubs include Pioneer Girls (grades 1-5) and Boys Brigade (grades 1-5). Pioneer Girls 3-4th grade class is full and no new registrations are being taken.
STARS DISABILITY
SUNDAYS INCLUSION CLASSES at 9:30 a.m.
CHILDREN/TEEN STARS: at 9:30 and 11 a.m. in C001/C003 Commons Tunnel Level
ADULT STARS: 9:30 and 11 a.m. in C002 & C005 Commons Tunnel Level
STARS Choir at 5 p.m. in Commons Main Level
WEDNESDAYS
PRAISE IN ACTION at 6:45 p.m. in Welsh Hall Sanctuary Building
FRIDAYS
FRIDAY FRIENDS on Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in Commons Tunnel Level
FRIDAY NIGHT FUN on Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in Commons Gym Level
SUNDAY MORNING FOUNDATIONS, 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the KMs room
WEDNESDAYS large group gathering, 6:45-8:15 p.m. Crossings East
SUNDAYS at 9:30 a.m. in the Crossings
Sunday night Discipleship in the Crossings at 7-8:30 p.m. on specific Sundays
WEDNESDAYS from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the Crossings—Clapham main space and small groups in host homes
SUNDAYS at 10:45 a.m. in the Crossings
Building Gospel Friendships, Shaping Biblical Convictions
COLLEGE BREAKFAST on Sunday, February 26 at 10:45 in the Crossings.
HOME GROUPS: Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m.
20S GROUP
A landing place for you to grow in Christian community and launching pad to send you out in the ministry and mission of the church. Weekly gatherings and events. For more information, contact Kaitie Girgis at kgirgis@ college-church.org
MONTHLY GATHERING
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11: in Commons Hall, 9-10:30 a.m.
This year we are looking at Matthew 22:35-40, seeking to better understand what it means to love God fully and how this impacts the way we love our neighbors. These mornings are open to all women and include a short teaching, testimony and time around tables with discussion questions.
Wednesday Morning: 9:30-11 a.m.
Wednesday Evening: 6:45-8:15 p.m.
This semester we are diving into Luke’s Gospel and getting an up-close look at the compassion of Christ. We anticipate a joyful and fruitful journey together. To register, visit our website.
LARGE GROUP— Monday, February 13, 9:30-11 a.m. in Commons Hall
GYM PLAYDATE— Monday, February 27, 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the Commons Gym
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MEN’S BIBLE STUDY
6:45-8:15 p.m. Commons C002 (tunnel level) This semester we will study the Gospel of Luke together. Our hope is to cultivate a hunger for God and an ability to handle God’s Word in daily life.
ARTSPACE PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT —Around the World Runs through Sunday, February 26, in Crossings.
Join the senior adults (55+) of College Church on Friday, February 10, as they enjoy a delicious dinner together, followed by an entertaining program. The program for the evening is “Sacagawea Adventures with Lewis and Clark.” Sacagawea will be portrayed by Martha Mathisen, who for many years has presented “Living History” programs. Please join the group and bring a friend. The evening begins with a reception at 5:30, dinner at 6 and the program at 7 p.m. Reservations are required by February 7 by emailing keenagers@college-church.org.
Saturday, February 4, at 7:30-8:30 a.m.—Commons Hall
You are invited to the February 4 Men’s Gathering. Enjoy breakfast, hear encouraging testimonies and cultivate a greater hunger for God’s Word.
FEBRUARY 5: Outside the Sanctuary
FEBRUARY 12: Kids’ Harbor
FEBRUARY 19: Outside the Sanctuary
Call the church office or email info@college-church.org for details on these prayer meetings.
Sunday Morning Prayer 8:15-8:40 a.m. in C101
Monday Morning Prayer 6:15-7:15 a.m. in the Board Room
Wednesday Night Prayer (Zoom only) 7-8 p.m.
FEBRUARY 1: Greg and Faith Hurst
FEBRUARY 8: Bob Faber
FEBRUARY 15: Susan Perlman
FEBRUARY 22: Stanley Okoro
Friday Prayer for the Persecuted Church (C101 or Board Room) 12-1 p.m. Led by Wil and Lorraine Triggs. The weekly prayer guide is also available at our website: https://bit.ly/3vzdcAz
BARNABAS PRAYER FELLOWSHIP
meets at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15, in the Creative Arts room in the Centrum (2nd floor) of Covenant Living at Windsor Park to pray for our missionaries and hear from one of them.
AARON-HUR PRAYER FELLOWSHIP
will meet on Thursday, February 9, at 7 p.m. at the home of Ruth Diffin, 1917 Ardmore Lane, Unit B (610) 291-2437. Our guests will be Caleb and Marisa Duttweiler, serving in South Africa.
Our Prayer Pulse email goes out every Monday. You can get prayer updates via that email. Sign up by clicking “Enews signup” on our website. If you already receive other emails from College Church, click “manage my preferences” at the bottom of any email and select Prayer Pulse to add yourself.
I’m bracing myself for my least favorite time of year. The season is so unpredictable that as you read this, we could be experiencing a snowstorm or a freakishly warm weather tease soon to be dashed by a blizzard or possible tornadic activity. Welcome to the ble ak late winter.
This is when I want to go to California, where everything is green and the temperatures are warm but not hot. I rarely go. Instead, there’s mud and rain. If the water falling from the sky should turn to snow, we don’t look ahead to Christmas and winter lights. We just kind of marshall on, our heads nobly stern, our eyes on whatever is before us.
There are little gifts, though, that help me make it through. The Connections writers and Dave Carlburg’s photography are sources of warmth for my soul in late winter. It’s really about people and, for me, the people of College Church.
In this issue of Connections I find a kindred spirit in Katherine Baylis as she contemplates a new year (p. 8). I get to go to France with Shelly Wildman, and unexpectedly meet a brother in Christ (p. 6).
I am reminded along with Keith Bodger of who Jesus makes me and what a miracle that is (p. 10). I get to look ahead to spring and our annual attempt to grow food in our backyard as Virginia Hughes considers her own future spring/summer bounty and the blessings and truths God gives us so freely. Kara Beth Vance provokes me to consider how and when to speak up (p. 18). Plus there are new people who might become friends (New Members p. 16) and a new set of biographies to read about even more people (p. 23). I’m thinking of meeting Adoniram Judson or Susannah Spurgeon before Easter hits.
Lorraine is transitioning our house from winter to spring. Even that is not so well defined with markers like Thanksgiving and Christmas. But she did put out a beautiful little Valentine’s gift from someone in our small group who likes to make things and they always look so fresh. Here is what it says:
“Winter Greetings!
“The season has passed, but trusting the joy of Christmas is with you still, along with the hope of peace on earth, and loving hearts eager to spread goodwill to a ll! May that always be!”
This is what the body of Jesus is all about.
Suddenly late winter doesn’t seem quite so bleak.
Lyon’s train station is called Gare de la Part-Dieu which means, literally, “Property of God railway station.”
And his property is everywhere— the place is absolutely heaving with humanity.
The girl on my train from Burgundy, who carries with her a string bass and struggles to step down onto the platform. She looks around for a moment, wondering the best way to lug her heavy instrument to an exit.
The gorgeous, high-cheekboned African woman in a beautiful black dress and black high tops, her long black hair pulled into a tight, high ponytail, who is holding the leash of a very thin, very long-legged black dog. Everyone around her is staring—she is stunning, and so is her dog—but she is oblivious.
I wonder: is she really oblivious or is she just used to being stared at?
The young waif with dirty hair, dirty clothes, dirty shoes, walking up and
down the terminus, holding out her hands, asking for something to eat. The woman ahead of me in the coffee shop uses the girl as an object lesson for her two children, buying her a sandwich while her children watch on.
I am in no mood for all of this gorgeousdirty humanity, the crushing crowds waiting for their train or alighting from one.
I’ve just come off a ten-day trip, leading an invigorating, inspiring, extremely memorable spiritual retreat with a wonderful group of women through Burgundy. Our tour has ended, and now I’m waiting for my husband who will meet me here.
I’m filled up, excited, but tired. Drained, in fact.
I’ve got about an hour to wait, so I take my coffee and, miracle of miracles, find a small cubicle in which to sit, gloriously alone.
Two blue vinyl benches face each other, room for four, and I shoot a quick prayer to God that none of his “property”
decides to join me there. He gives me about two minutes of peace before a young man sits down, phone in hand.
I give the man a half-smile, half-grimace and notice his appearance: black t-shirt, gray sweatpants, black leather suspenders, black tennis shoes. He carries a black leather jacket that is slung beside him on his bench directly across from mine. His hair is dark with speckles of gray, cut very close, and I can see some stubble of a black beard beginning to poke through the skin on his cheeks.
I’ll admit, he makes me a little nervous. He looks like someone from another part of the world with which I’m not familiar. Or maybe from a rough part of town. At any rate, he isn’t the type of person I generally know.
I avoid eye contact.
Until he looks up from his phone and starts speaking French to me like I’m a local. Me? French? I laugh to myself because I know I can’t look more American.
But he jabbers on in French until I can jump in and say, “Non Francais.” That’s about all the French I can muster. He looks surprised. You’re not French? he indicates, and I laugh and say, “No, American.”
He doesn’t speak English, and I don’t speak French, so I take a sip of coffee thinking that will be the end of it. But he keeps going. I hear words like “Hollywood” and “New York.” I smile at the thought that these are all he knows of the vastness of America.
But he’s trying to connect, so I smile and play along. Using hand motions and his limited English and my (very) limited French, we begin to communicate.
Somehow, I pick up that he lives in Paris, works as a baggage handler at the airport, and is
in Lyon to meet his brother for the day.
I explain that I am waiting for my husband to arrive from Chicago.
“Ahhhh! Chicago! Al Capone!” (Why is it always Al Capone?) We laugh, smile, and haltingly get to know each other on the most surface of levels.
Then, out of the blue, he asks me if I am a Christian. I hear something like “Jesu Christu,” and say, “Yes. I follow Jesus. Do you know Jesus?”
He puts his hand on his chest, patting the place over his heart, and says, “Oui! Jesu Christu!” I have Jesus in my heart. “You have Jesus in your heart?” I ask.
Looking back, I probably shouldn’t have sounded as incredulous as I did, but I absolutely could not believe it. And yet I did. Because I wasn’t the one who sat down with him. And I wasn’t the one who started the conversation. And I wasn’t the one who turned the conversation to Jesus. He did. God did.
Between hand motions and single words, I ask him how he came to know Jesus, and he somehow explains that he grew up in a Muslim household. His father was Muslim, but his mother had been raised Catholic in Italy. She had kept a Bible (hidden? I wonder), and she taught him about Jesus. Somewhere along the line, he rejected his Muslim upbringing and accepted Jesus Christ.
“I am saved, and I will go to heaven!” He says this in French and some halting English, with lots of hand gesturing.
“Me too!” I say, my eyes shining with tears. We sit with this knowledge between us, both of us knowing that our meeting was not by chance and would not be the last.
Just as we’re coming to this understanding, in our incredible non-French, non-English conversation, a woman in a burka sits down next to me. She doesn’t say a word, but she slowly unwraps a sandwich and starts eating. God does, indeed, have a sense of timing, if not humor.
Suddenly, a lightning bolt strikes me: why haven’t we been using Google Translate? I pull out my phone and open the app, only to tell him how nice it was to meet him and that it was time for me to go meet my husband.
He grabs his own phone and slowly punches in some words:
“I wish you a superb weekend with your beloved in two words your other half. I was delighted to speak to you because you are good company.”
We smile and wave goodbye.
It’s not until I walk away that I realize we never exchanged names. It doesn’t matter. He’s God’s property, and so am I. That’s all I need to know.
The list-makers love New Year’s. A psychological clean slate of goal-setting and ambitious planning. Even the anti-resolution-making people find themselves poking around for new recipes to try, a new book to read, or perhaps a subscription free trial to indulge in. There’s a sense of anticipation of what could be in the new year that’s exciting, but
leave us feeling depleted at the end. It’s like finishing a good book, the kind that you can’t put down, and when you finally finish and are ripped back to reality you feel like something is missing. You know you’re a book person when you’ve missed book characters as much as if they were real people. But there’s something about the tail end of the holiday season that leaves one on an emotional high and a physical low.
along with it comes a compulsion to “do better.” The problem is, I find that I’m never more worn out than the first week of January.
I’m exhausted. The anticipation—of Thanksgiving, of Christmas, of a new year with endless possibilities—it’s all exhausting. Completely worth the energy and time we put into the things associated with it, but, draining all the same. It’s strange how the things we look forward to most are the ones that
How is one to map out grand plans for the months to follow when it’s a struggle just to get back into normal routine? I re-entered my work routine with a body that had become accustomed to too much sleep and too much caffeine. I started each day groggy and frustrated. The cynic in me looks at the concept of making New Year’s resolutions as a peerpressured self-betterment which, as someone who deeply dislikes being told what to do, sounds completely odious. There’s also a sense that the new year has to be different in some way, and that there must be change and visible progress towards so-called leveling up as a person. However, rather than resolutions, I think this goal-setting mentality should be rebranded as a renaissance. After all, many resolutions are recycled from the year before, though often slightly modified. Thus, it would seem the new year is more about
an attitude of renewed commitment (a rebirth, if you will) to achieving one’s goals rather than a “new year, new me” resolution mentality.
Ambition to achieve one’s goals is an excellent thing, and it is certainly a part of a healthy, growth mindset. But sometimes the importance of the goals overshadows the growth and leaves us feeling like we could have done more. There’s an element of shame in putting a repeat resolution on your list and it can feel exhausting when it makes an appearance a few years in a row. We so badly want to make that change but something always ends up disrupting it. So rather than resolving yet again to do it, I think we could be much kinder to ourselves if we view it as a “rebirth” of the goal. If we leave out our perceived shortcomings from the past, we stand a better chance of truly wiping the slate clean and leaving room for growth.
I’ll admit, it’s the middle of January as I’m writing this and many of my goals have yet to be started. I made a little prayer jar that’s sitting on my bureau with nothing in it yet. I downloaded a meal planning app that is still unused. I bought pens for my new planner and then a case to hold the pens, but I still haven’t gotten in the habit of looking at
In the midst of all the planning and goal setting, January tends to speed by and then we’re left in February. I’ve often heard it described as dull, cold and depressing with Valentine’s Day randomly thrown into the middle of it. But there’s a relief in reaching the other side of the New Year’s planning process, whatever it looks like, and actually settling into a routine. It’s comforting to regain stability and feel like you have your feet under you again. The pressure to dream big and plan has dissipated and pragmatism has taken over. In the best cases, the goals have developed into habits and routines by this point, and with it comes the first thrill of success.
If we were to adopt the renaissance mentality to goalsetting, rather than resolutions, it would allow us to recognize that restarting a goal is a slow process and will not yield immediate results. The desire for immediate gratification in our current culture can bring on a lot of discouragement to resolution-ers if progress is not immediately visible. When goals are viewed with a growth mindset, however, February becomes an exciting time where we begin to see the fruits of our labor. Our commitment to getting up early is not only becoming routine, but our body has now adjusted. The desire to spend more time in morning devos has gone through its troubleshooting phase and now is starting to feel normal. The first blush of accomplishment is something to be celebrated and enjoyed, even if it feels like it took too long to get there.
it regularly. It’s frustrating and amusing at the same time, but I try to remind myself that sometimes change takes time. Reinstituting goals and habits is a process and it’s easy to get discouraged when results don’t happen when or how you want them to. But I think it’s important to take heart in the little victories and not undervalue the calmness of routine.
“It’s comforting to regain stability and feel like you have your feet under you again.”
In February 1991, I visited my relatives in Dundee, Scotland. I left Toronto on a Saturday evening and landed in Scotland on a Sunday morning. My uncle picked me up and we made our way to Dundee. I visited and chatted with aunts, uncles and my granny on Sunday afternoon. On Sunday night, the cousins planned to go to a pub that my cousin Karen’s husband managed. I was visiting for several weeks so I had a lot of cash in my pocket. Like £300 in cash. As we left my cousin’s flat on a dark Sunday evening, I wondered to myself if I should be carrying that much money. Perhaps I should have left some behind in the flat?
We walked up the hill from the flat and towards the pub. My mind was on the cash in my pocket as we walked by an alley. A car came to a screeching halt on the cobblestone street. Two guys jumped out of the car and grabbed me and pushed me into an alley. I thought, This is it. I’m dead and the cash is gone. One guy pushed me against the rock wall and held my hands behind my back while the other kept my two female cousins at bay. The guy who held me started firing questions at me. “What’s your name?”
“Keith Bodger.”
“What are you coming from?”
“My cousin’s flat, down the hill.”
“How long have you been there?”
“An hour or so.”
“Where else have you been?”
“At my Granny’s house. And I just flew in from Canada this morning.” He started to notice my accent.
“You just flew in?”
“Yeah, I landed at Glasgow this morning. I left Toronto yesterday. I’m here to visit my relatives.”
He said, “Where were you born?”
I replied, “Thetford Mines, Quebec.”
He said, “Well, you can’t make that up” and he began to relax a bit.
He then explained that he was with the police, and I resembled someone they were looking for. I think he said there had been break-ins. I said I was with my relatives all day.
At this point my cousin Karen interrupted, “Do you know Roddy McLeod? He’s my husband.” Roddy used to work for the Dundee police.
The officer replied, “Oh aye. How’s Roddy then?”
Karen said, “He’s doing fine. We’re just on our way to see him at the pub.” The police started talking on their
radios to update others as to what they were doing and who was being held. They let my hands go and I showed them my passport.
The police were chatting with my cousins and explained more of what was going on. They got a call on the radio that other officers had apprehended the guilty party. We started saying our farewells to the officers when another police car drove by. One officer said, “There’s the guy they got.” There was a guy in the back seat of the cruiser and his hands were clearly cuffed behind his back as he leaned forward. The streetlights illuminated the back seat enough for us to see how he looked. He was Caucasian like me, but he had a full head of jet-black curly hair. He was wearing a black leather jacket. I was blond and clearly on my way to going bald (where I’ve long since arrived). Light wispy hair would be a good description of me, certainly not thick, black and curly. I looked nothing at all like the guy in the car. I didn’t own anything black, plus I was wearing a dress shirt. We questioned the police about their ability to identify their culprits and they kind of shrugged and went on their way. So did we.
Have you ever been mistaken for Jesus? Not in physical appearance but in temperament, action, love, grace and compassion? Have you ever met someone and thought, “They would make a good Christian.” I have a friend in Canada that we said about, “If Jesus wore flannel plaid, he’d be just like Mark.” That was a compliment. I was at a Bible study years ago and met someone from work who I knew more by reputation than interaction with him. I was excited to see him and exclaimed, “I didn’t know you were a Christian.” He laughed a bit but, in hindsight, that was not a complimentary statement. Oops.
As we read and study the Bible, we are to become more like Christ. There are numerous Scriptures that speak to this. The ones that hit me the hardest are:
Ephesians 4:15 – Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.
1 John 2:6 – Whoever abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Ephesians 3:17-19 – So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
And if this discourages you a little, as it does me, we have this hope in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
God wants us to be like his Son, Jesus Christ. It’s a strange irony, though. The closer we become like Jesus, the further away we realize we are. Regardless, we keep moving in that direction, knowing that we can be more like Jesus as we keep reading Scripture, keep confessing our sins to God, and keep praying that he will change us to be more like Christ.
In the meantime, I’m also going to keep praying for thick, black, curly hair.
FEBRUARY 5
Some winter days sit claggy and grey, looming oppressively in their gloom. Emily Dickinson caught the feeling well in her poem:
There’s a certain slant of light, winter afternoons — that oppresses like the Heft of cathedral tunes—
So aptly she describes the heaviness that creeps in and overtakes if allowed to simmer and brood within ourselves. This is when one affirms that God spoke the world into being in the most delightful ways. He pulled light out of darkness when he created the world. He pulled a dry blanket of soil out of the wet blanket of ocean, layered the soil, and planted the whole earth as a garden. And what a grand design we enjoy.
Enviable lines and towering mountain ranges shoot up into focal points and unfathomable trenches in the unexplored, unmapped deep. Lakes glassy as mirrors reflect the heavens. Dry sand and lush terrain, myriad textures, colors and variety. The grace of the Lord’s sustenance harvested from the gardens and fields of the world blesses us, his design and order therein.
Winter brings seed catalogs as February valentines to the gardener and love abounds. Brightly colored photos of flowers, fruits and vegetables full of sunshine and descriptions so lovely one may happily cast off cold weather blues because, surprise! It is planning season and time to dream in a flurry of Post It notes holding places in the catalogs and a marker gleefully circling plants and seeds. What to order? I’ll have this one, one of these, those and those. Online, the same dream shopping occurs as selections are put into mini garden wheelbarrow shopping carts. Oh, to grow such spectacular flowers, scrumptious vegetables and succulent fruits. Lush gardens may be grown by anyone according to winsome captions in the catalogs such as Easy to grow! Trending Blooms! Favorites of the Master Gardener!
Of course, all the dreaming wanes a bit when it’s time to truly order. One scales back wild wishes to have one of everything into reasonably ordering a few standbys and a
couple of new plants to try. With 25 to 50 or more seeds per packet, it’s a bountiful amount and it’s not acres being planted, but small spaces tucked here and there.
When the seed packets arrive, a little disappointment bubbles up. Hey, where is the gorgeous flower picture that won me over in the catalog? What’s up with stark seed packets with only a basic black ink sketch or plain word label? Surely suppliers know that hopes are hung upon brightly colored envelopes and beautiful photos, a feast for the eyes. Perhaps similar to the lesson of moving on from milk to solid food as we mature in the faith, seed packet photos matter less the more one practices gardening due to relationships that develop between the gardener and certain plants. One knows the plants one loves. I confess I’d still opt for the breathtaking photo on a seed packet if given a choice.
There is trust for the plants that fulfill their promise to be sturdy and long lasting. Scorn and never again; is noted for the plants that did not do well when earnestly tried. Each of us may tolerate a few garden divas, the plants that take a little work but reward with delightful scent and presence.
We employ shade lovers, dark horse late bloomers and always plant dependable blossoms not favored by rabbits. Many factors are important in growing seeds. Planting time, depth of seed in the soil, the importance of the quality of the soil. Jesus told the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 starting at verse three, to describe how the gospel is sown as seeds. Some is eaten by birds, some grows up quickly and dies in the hot sun, some gets choked by weeds. But the seed that falls into good soil flourishes producing a crop that is a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. “He who has ears to hear let him hear,” Jesus says. A gardener knows a balance of certain nutrients is necessary for plants to thrive. The amount of light, moisture, breeze from a fan if seeds are started indoors is necessary to strengthen tender stems and keep mildew at bay. One wonders how a seed grows at all as small and weightless as some are. It is God’s will that they grow and so they do.
A garden tends to mirror the gardener. It tells the world how attentive one is. That’s what we are sensitive about and why we need to give the tour and explain why it was so lovely two days ago right before your visit. And just like the rest of life one asks Is the garden I have the garden
I grew up in a Christian family and have attended College Church all my life. My parents sang in the choir, ran the print shop, cooked many meals for STARS and wedding receptions, and were always basically doing things for others. I learned early on that I enjoyed working with my hands much more than working at a desk. As a result I worked construction for 10 years, worked for United Airlines for 17 years and now have spent nearly 17 years at College Church. I have been amazed to see how the Lord has used the skills I learned over 30 years ago used here at church.
I want? Have I embraced the fact that a garden requires thought, time and work to flourish? What must I do to make it better? More plants? Less plants? A focal point or trellis? There are elements beyond our control. We don’t give up. We dig in and prune, we soldier on, we fertilize, fester and sometimes start over.
The beautiful plants get our attention in the garden, but there are also unseen things that help or hinder their bloom. Just as the war wages around us for our souls, we recognize the visible and obvious things such as beneficial insects we are thankful for and destructive ones we plot against.
In the soil there are invisible nematodes that are beneficial. They nourish the soil and destroy harmful insects. There are also harmful nematodes that destroy plants at the roots. It isn’t only tares that choke out good plants. This silent war wages beneath our feet right in the soil between good and evil.
There are unseen beings that spare and save us daily. The working of the Holy Spirit in us, the Lord’s ministering angels. Saints who pray. We are blessed when we taste and see that the Lord is good, and from the garden we send a valentine to a good nematode.
BOTTOM
Relaxing in the Rain
ABOVE: St. Louis Arch
SIDE BY SIDE
As a pastoral resident, I have a unique vantage point to see the inside of some of the ministries here at College Church--through meetings and discussions for sure, but also through moments of observation. One of the greatest encouragements I’ve received from my vantage point is that we are a church family dependent on prayer.
Recently, on a mundane everyday trip to the watercooler, I had the sweet experience of hearing a group of our church family praying. Immediately, I thanked God that he brought my family to a church family that prays everywhere. We pray at the beginning of our activities together—before a meal, before Bible studies, or at the start of year-long projects. We pray in the middle of our Sunday services before the preaching of the Word, or we pray in our small groups after someone shares a tremendously heavy burden. We pray we our activities end, for the Lord to apply his truths to our lives and for strength to live for him. As a church body, we can truthfully say that we pray everywhere in our church family’s life story.
Another way I get to see into the prayer life of our church is when the pastors, directors and pastoral residents divide into groups after the weekly staff meeting to pray for the requests that have come in from the connect cards, emails or messages. Every request we receive is prayed for. That’s wonderful in and of itself, but there’s an extra component that compounds this privilege: The requests we receive are windows into the church family’s hearts and minds as they seek the Lord about their concerns. We see the consistent concerns for spiritual fruit in the lives of family and friends. Sometimes we see the same request about the same issue, and we join in on the longing for God to move and show his mercy. We see what God is doing in someone’s life as their requests change over time. It’s like we are reading a chapter in a person’s story. Whether a brief observation of a praying group at the watercooler or the weekly prayer of pastors and directors, it is a privilege to join in prayer with God’s people.
We can honestly and joyously remind our hearts that our church family prays. We can rejoice in thanksgiving to our Lord that our church family prays. We can unashamedly
say to everyone that we are dependent upon the activity of God for our fruitfulness, for our joy, for our lives. In our church family, we pray in the beginnings, the middles and the endings, and we make sure that our family is covered in prayer. What a blessing!
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Together using our creative gifts for the Glory of God.
ArtSpace is a new element of College Church—check out Crossings and you’ll see the latest gallery show, “Around the World,” with curated photographs from College Church photographers in all walks and stages of life. It’s a great show to see in February, as we grow a little weary of winter. Let the photographs take you to see the people, cultures, animal and natural wonders all over the world.
College Church has always affirmed the creative arts, and ArtSpace helps all of us affirm and grow in creative pursuits and share our efforts and talents with one another. We seek to find a space for art in church, and time in our lives, to explore and grow in creative pursuits.
ArtSpace is just beginning. We will be bringing workshops, guest speakers, artistic outings, gallery shows, a yearly arts festival and more. It is our hope that the entire church and nearby community will participate in these events. Our inaugural workshop will be “Writing and Singing—inspiration from the Book of Psalms.” Families, small groups and individuals are all welcome. Wil Triggs and Kevin Casey will lead and no registration is needed. It will be held on Thursday, February 16, in the Crossings at 7 p.m. This workshop will help anyone with their devotional life through prayer, writing or song.
If you aspire to any element of creative expression, come to our monthly meeting. You are welcome to bring with you something you are working on and would like to share with the group. Or just bring yourself and meet some other people from church. The next meeting will be Thursday, February 9 at 5:30 p.m.
More is coming. We are planning a new gallery opening around Easter. Watch for the “Call for Entries” to show your art in the gallery space in Crossings, as well as the details of the new show’s opening. To find out more, email artspace@college-church.org with questions or ideas.
Levi was born in Temple, Texas, but has lived all over the country. Elliana is from North Carolina where her parents worked with the military ministry branch of The Navigators. Her father’s work took them to Germany and then to Colorado Springs. Elliana later worked on the Africa Mercy with Mercy Ships in the Canary Islands and Cameroon. Levi is working on a master’s of arts degree in disability and ministry, with a goal to work in disability ministries. The Andersons moved from Chicago to Wheaton to begin working for STARS Family Services. Levi connected with former pastoral resident Mike Solis, who helped Elliana and him get involved in a small group. Elliana now works at College Church as the ministry associate for Inclusion.
Birjan grew up in Wheaton and attending College Church. His parents are College Church members Jim and Kim Crispin. Though the years Birjan has been involved with Upward Basketball (his dad ran the league for 20 years), as well as many other ministries at church. Birjan plays violin with the DuPage Symphony of Chicago, and volunteers with Caring Network. He enjoys running, listening to classical music and learning about politics and theology.
Joseph and Natalie have been married almost 10 years and have two little boys and a little girl. They come from our daughter church, New Covenant Church in Naperville. Joseph is the nephew of Tony and Diane DiLeonardi and John and Deb Lorentsen, who are all members at College Church. Joseph enjoys being outdoors in all seasons. Natalie attends Women’s Bible Study, and enjoys hiking, reading and cooking, while soaking up time with their children.
Paul and Liita have been married over 30 years and have two children. Paul works as a permanent substitute teacher at Bower Elementary School in District 200. He enjoys repairing and restoring cars, camping, cycling and running. He is learning about welding and milling his own lumber! Liita is an art teacher and owns a business called The Little Bits Workshop in River Forest. She enjoys all creative things from painting to fiber to pottery, gardening and more! The Forsyths are in a small group, and Liita is involved with ArtSpace.
Jim and Denise have been married for more than 40 years and have four adult children and four grandchildren. They are part of the Logos Adult Community and Jim attends Men’s Bible Study. Denise attends Women’s Bible Study and has been a Grace Group facilitator when it first started. The Gritsonis family is very involved in the STARS ministry where they have served and been served. Denise works as a social worker at Loyola Hospital.
Maria is very involved in the STARS ministry and enjoys Praise and Action and the STARS choir.
Kelsie has been married to Pastor Baxter Helm since the end of 2019. She serves as an adult ministry leader in HYACKs. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor and works at Meier Clinics in Wheaton. She appreciates the opportunities God has given her to use her training to support others within the church, and as she serves high schoolers. Kelsie grew up in Scottsburg, Indiana, and is the oldest of three girls (her younger sisters are identical twins and a year younger than Kelsie).
Joel was born in Berkeley, California, and was raised in Arizona. He is a student at Wheaton College pursuing degrees in piano performance and music composition. He enjoys serving through music and has always been involved in church music, and currently sings with the adult choir.
Art and his wife, Claire, have been married over 40 years and have four adult children. They participate in the Living Word Adult Community. He enjoys studying and teaching the Scriptures. Art works as a private practice attorney in the Chicago area
Maddy is from Wisconsin and is currently a student at Wheaton College. She occasionally plays violin in the orchestra at church and is a part-time music instructor at Notable Notes Music Academy. She enjoys a good cup of tea and meaningful conversations.
Catherine has four adult children. She first attended College Church on Christmas Eve in 2020, and now sings in the adult choir and participates in the Living Word Adult Community. Catherine works as a sales associate in a Hallmark shop. She loves music and loves to sing, as well as gardening and cooking.
Andy is very involved in the STARS ministry and serves the church as an usher on Sunday morning.
Andrew is the oldest child of College Church members of Del and Lea Lamb and grew up at College Church. A student at Wheaton College, Andrew is involved in the College Group, and serves in the AV area helping to run cameras on Sunday mornings. He is also involved in music and worship, playing piano and percussion. His loves are “music, baseball and the Green Bay Packers.”
Chong Zhu and Ying Li have been married over 30 years and have two young adult sons. They both grew up in mainland China. Chong studied computer science and finished his master’s degree at University of British Columbia (Canada) before moving to the Seattle area. Ying Li is an applied scientist, specializing in data science—a field she has worked in for 30 years. She also teaches college classes. They attend the All Nations Adult Community.
Rebecca grew up as a missionary kid in Asia with her parents and four siblings. She moved to Wheaton from Germany where she attended Black Forest Christian Fellowship. She began attending College Church as a freshman at Wheaton College. She loves to play basketball, make music, watercolor and spend time with friends.
Abortion has been a controversial topic my whole life, and for many decades before that. I grew up in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, in the context of a Christian culture though not in a church until my teenage years. Current events and politics were typical topics of conversation at our weekly Sunday dinner with extended family that included a selfproclaimed “card-carrying Libertarian,” some that hosted fundraisers for the local Democratic party & candidates, and some that made arguments aligning with the Republican party of the time on many issues, though, interestingly, not about abortion).
I CAN’T TALK ABOUT ABORTION. IT’S TOO POLITICAL. It wasn’t until I moved here to go to Wheaton College and was surrounded by other believers that I first heard this common response to the beginnings of conversation about abortion: “I don’t want to get into that. It’s too political.” This is a refrain that’s been spoken to me over and over since then, not only among college students but every generation in our church community.
While I wasn’t particularly well-informed or politically inclined as a teenager and didn’t come to know Christ until high school, I have always been pro-life (meaning, I oppose legalized abortion since it takes an innocent human life).
I assumed that at Wheaton College most people around me would both share my pro-life convictions and be interested in talking about how we could partner to defend innocent human life in the womb. Instead, my friends and classmates were weary of political disagreements, identified being pro-life with a political party, and did not see why a Christian ought to involve herself with something in the political realm of laws and policies.
On the one hand, I want to respond that standing for the value of every human life has nothing to do with politics! Abortion has been around much longer in human history than the Roe v Wade decision of 1973 and longer than the current political parties in the U.S. So much of the work to do to defend the lives of unborn humans is done in our conversations with friends, family and coworkers, in praying, in sidewalk counseling without doing anything that even looks like it would be “political”.
On the other hand, there is definitely a sense in which this is political. If the unborn are human lives (and they are), then we cannot stand idly by while these lives are taken legally through abortion. Your conscience will compel you to act, and your actions may be in public. Your defense of innocent human life may come up in conversation, or impact how you vote and what you communicate to those that have been elected to political office (regardless of party affiliations).
Focusing on politics is a distraction from the actual issue. What is the unborn?
I learned through my public school science classes that human life begins at fertilization. Humans have basic rights including the right to life. Since abortion is one human making the choice to end the life of another human, this is an infringement on human rights and ought to be illegal.
You don’t have to be a Christian to come to this conclusion. If you are a Christian, you need to know that you don’t need the Bible to make a pro-life argument. Science has firmly established that a new human life begins at fertilization. A diverse group of people (and some with no religious affiliations at all) have sought to legally protect the human rights of the unborn because of this represented in part by organizations including Secular Pro-Life, Feminists for Life, and Pro-Life Humanists.
We don’t have to frame pro-life views as religious or exclusively for religious people or those who have some sort of faith. God has revealed the truth about human life in the womb and the value of each one in his word, but we can also observe it in the world that he has created through science.
When you’re talking with an abortion advocate or even someone who is wrestling through whether abortion is right or wrong and whether the unborn or abortion should be legally protected, we need to ask questions that help them think through the key issue: what is the unborn?
If you agree with the scientific consensus, then you understand that the unborn is a human life. If the unborn is a human life, then abortion takes an innocent human life. If it is wrong (and otherwise illegal) to take
an innocent human life, then it is also wrong to take an innocent human life through abortion and this also ought to be illegal.
If you engage in this conversation with people, you are going to hear objections. You may even be the one with objections. We plan to address some of these common objections in future Connections and I hope you’ll come along for the ride.
It is tempting to stay silent when abortion is being discussed rather than say something that may make others uncomfortable, defensive, or think differently about you. But we cannot remain silent. We need to learn how to winsomely engage in conversations with people who disagree or even oppose us. We need to learn how to stand up for truth and against injustice against innocent people in the womb.
Our consistent witness that the unborn is a human life may help a mom facing an unplanned pregnancy choose life for her unborn child. Your courage to winsomely, respectfully engage in a conversation on this topic may be the open door to a conversation about Jesus and hope found in him. Remember that the people you are talking to are also human beings, made in the image of God, and precious. People have stories and experiences (some of them traumatic) that have shaped their thinking about abortion. We can have genuine love and compassion while speaking the truth with clarity.
It’s been about 20 years now since I came to know Christ and surrendered my life to him. Growing in knowledge of God and his word has given deeper roots to the convictions that were formed in my jr high science class. Every human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and has inherent worth that has nothing to do with her size, dependency, contributions to society, or anything else! Not only that, but the transforming love of Christ calls us to compassionately care for the most vulnerable in our community, “the least of these” (Matthew 25:31-40), just as the Good Samaritan did for the man on the road to Jericho even though it cost him something.
Let us be like midwives of Egypt who did not follow Pharaoh’s command to kill male children at birth but, at great risk to themselves, let the children live because they feared God.
1 “Although life is a continuous process, fertilization is a critical landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human organism is thereby formed….” [O’Rahilly, Ronan and Muller, Fabiola. Human Embryology & Teratology. 2nd edition. New York: Wiley-Liss, 1996, pp. 8, 29.]
I serve in College Church’s middle school ministry and have a front row seat to all the work that parents, volunteers and pastors have poured into our students; I also have a front row seat to the resulting spiritual fruit. When Sunday Foundations—the morning middle school meeting—has a Fellowship Sunday, we hear testimonies from middle schoolers, middle school adult leaders and missionaries— what an opportunity for our faith to be encouraged. Here’s a glimpse of last month’s Fellowship Sunday, and I hope that your faith will be encouraged as well.
Our first testimony was from an eighth grader who grew up in College Church and was “very fortunate to have known Jesus [her] entire life,” through weekly teaching and growing up in a Christian home. The turning point in her faith was Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” When she considered this verse, she realized that she didn’t want to get to heaven and be unknown by God. This passage encouraged her to trust Christ for salvation.
When asked if she had a verse she would like to share with fellow students, she gave John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” She explained that when we think about this verse, we often think of it as “old news,” but it’s not. From this middle schooler’s perspective John 3:16 is an “amazing verse” that shows us just how much God loves us—God loves us so much that he gave his son to die for us. “Christ loved everyone and so should we,” she concluded.
Like this middle schooler, Katrina—a middle school leader—grew up hearing the gospel often at home and at church. She knew about God, but she struggled with certainty in her faith until, you guessed it, middle school. One day, while reading the Scripture for a homework assignment, she felt the prodding of the Holy Spirit to just keep reading the Word. “I realized that the stories in the Bible weren’t just stories… the words in the Bible were written for me.” She felt like she met a friend who wanted to spend time with her every day.
Katrina encouraged students that God wanted to meet with them through Scripture also, and she read aloud
1 Peter 1:8-9: “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation
of your souls.” In the end, she left us with a question consider: We know that God loves us and wants to spend time with us, but do we feel the same way about him? Do we love him, believe in him, rejoice in him?
soil richly tended to by her parents and her church family. We see a leader who has given herself to encouraging the growth of faith in her students’ lives through the attestation of living faith in her own life. And we see a missionary couple who has given themselves over to God’s will in every part of their lives, leading to big life changes— like moving to Ukraine to preach the gospel—to smaller life choices—like coming to share their testimony to a group of middle school students on a Sunday morning. Parents of students at College Church, I hope you are as encouraged as I am—your kids are in a place where they will hear the gospel and see it lived out countless times throughout their lives. Praise the Lord that God is at work in the hearts and lives of our children.
“Are you interested in God’s will for your life?”
So began the testimony of Esther and John Waldrop, two College Church missionaries. John gave us two principles, and the first was based on Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This verse helped encapsulate major personal life events: his conversion, when he finally pronounced, “I want your will not mine,” and his marriage to Esther, as they both wanted God’s will to be done, resulting in a missionally fruitful marriage. John used an almost fatal asthma attack to illustrate his second principle: Sometimes God uses crises to open a door. While the Waldrops struggled to return to the States following their son’s asthma attack, the Lord used this as an opportunity to use them in new ways and to provide their son with the medical care he needed.
Concerning one’s life, “Who knows what’s next?” they concluded. Circling back to Psalm 37:4, John and Esther explained that when we desire the same things God does, and when we desire God himself, only then will we find the best part of life: God himself, the greatest treasure.
In these glimpses of God’s work in the lives of our church family, we see a middle schooler whose faith was grown in
the media ministry of College Church, features the Bible teaching of Pastor Josh, both online and on the radio. This exciting ministry with a global reach continues to grow in impact. Here in the US, the program is heard on the radio in about 70 locations. Globally, the ministry also has a mission impact. The teaching is heard online through the OnePlace and TWR360 platforms, which have extensive listenership outside North America. Imagine! More than 35,000 people have been touched with some form of gospel content through this outreach of our church, either an online audio message, a spiritually encouraging article, or a devotional reading.
You can listen locally on Moody Radio (WMBI) at 10 p.m. M-F and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday and can have daily devotionals delivered right to your inbox.
Your prayers and partnership with this ministry are greatly appreciated.
godcenteredlife.org
To Advocate for Life
Saturday, March 4, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Barrows Auditorium, Bill Graham Center
Keynote speaker for this free event will be Scott Klusendorf, Register now at: https://www.caringnetwork. com/church-summit
For Christian leaders: Equipping pastors, ministry directors, elders, lay leaders who faithfully disciple and lead their churches in praying and working together for life.
Encouraging the church to advocate for life: Chicagoland alone has nearly 30,000 abortions a year. We are surrounded by women and men in our churches, neighborhoods and communities who have been affected by abortion. They need to hear the hope that is in Jesus Christ and to see Christians serving them with practical deeds of love when they feel they have nowhere to turn.
The Need for Discipleship: A Lifeway research study found that more than four in ten women who have had an abortion were churchgoers when they ended a pregnancy and seven out of ten (70%) women who have had an abortion indicate their religious preference is Christian. This is consistent with the women Caring Network sees.
Saturday, February 4, 1-2 p.m. Join the Sanctity of Human Life Task Force at 40 Days for Life’s year-round peaceful prayer vigil. Meet on Waterleaf pregnancy resource center’s property across from the driveway of Planned Parenthood Aurora.
Sign up to receive the SOLH monthly e-newsletter to receive events schedule and life-related news.
https://college-church.org/impact/sohl/
Caring Network shows the love and compassion of Christ, encourages women to turn to Christ, equips abortion-minded women to choose life, and offers access to baby supplies. Caring Network Baby Banks gives baby supplies to women who choose to parent but lack financial resources. Look for the donation crib as we collect diapers (newborn to size 6, partially opened diaper packs also accepted), wipes, baby lotion, shampoo and wash, diaper cream and formula.
• February 5—outside the Sanctuary
• February 12—Kids’ Harbor
• February 19—outside the Sanctuary
Families choosing life in our community need our support. In October, SOHL kicked off a year-round initiative to help stock our local baby bank. Scan the QR Code to order from the Baby Bank Amazon Wish List. Select “Church of the Resurrection’s Gift Registry Address” for where to ship.
Caring Network provides free pregnancy services such as pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, consultations, resources and referrals, gospel witness, as well as support and counseling for post-abortive women and men in our community. Scan the QR code to order on Amazon. Select “Church of the Resurrection’s Gift Registry Address” for where to ship.
Read a biography or two this month. We have an interesting selection at our bookstall.
Becoming C. S. Lewis
3-Volume Set
By Harry Lee PoeExperience C. S. Lewis’s captivating life with the complete biographical trilogy
God’s Secret Listener
By John Butterworth
Living for Jesus in atheistic Albania could cost Berti Dosti everything.
Immeasurably More
By Liz Parker
The adventures of a missionary pilot
Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, Wife of Charles H. Spurgeon
By Ray Rhodes Jr.
Evidence Not Seen
By Darlene Deibler Rose
A Woman’s Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II
Out of the Black Shadows
By Stephen Lungu
From live on the streets and terrorism to faith in Jesus
Amy Carmichael: Beauty for Ashes
By Iain H. Murray
To the Golden Shore
By Courtney Anderson
The Life of Adoniram Judson
Counting the Cost: Kidnapped in the Niger Delta
By David and Shirley Donovan
A London Sparrow
By Phillis ThompsonThe Inspiring and True Story of Gladys Aylward
Join the Gardening Team! There are 42 landscape plots at College Church in need of tender loving care. You can make a difference and help bring to life an exterior area here on the grounds of College Church.
Requirements: A servant’s heart/teachable spirit.
To find out more, contact Howard Kern at hkern@collegechurch.org or (630) 668-0878 ext. 136
There’s an exciting change for this year’s Run for the STARS. In celebration of our 20th anniversary, the Race will be on May 20! In order to keep the race running and viable for the future, we want to expand our leadership team and need help in the following areas:
• Marketing/Race Promotion/Advertising
• Fund Raising
• Logistics
• Race Day Registration
• Social Media
If you are interested in serving on the Run for the STARS leadership team, please email Julie Clemens at jclemens@ college-church.org or call (630) 668-0878. Our first meeting will be in early February.
Have you been thinking about how you can serve, but prefer doing it behind-the-scenes? Consider joining Kitchen Fellowship. We meet every Monday in the Commons Kitchen from 10:30 a.m. to noon. We do light cleaning and organizing to keep the kitchen ready for the next event. Don’t miss out on this fun way to serve. Email Dstephen@college-church.org you’d like to serve.
Serve one another in Fellowship Meals on February 24 or 25. For more information visit www.college-church.org/events.
Zander James was born to Jake and Tiffany Johanik on December 18. Zander’s paternal grandparents are Jim and Heidi Johanik .
Pray for George Nelson and family as they grieve the loss of George’s wife, Rosemary (“Rodey”) , who passed away on January 24 in Ft. Meyers, Florida.
Pray for Vi Deal and family as they grieve the loss of Vi’s daughter, Cathy Seagraves , who passed away recently.
Pray for Stephanie (Dan) Robbins and family as they grieve the loss of Stephanie’s father, Dwane Johnson , who passed away on January 17 in Texas.
Pray for Carol (Mark) Taylor and family as they grieve the loss of Carol’s mother, Betsy Rogers , who passed away on January 16.
Pray for Nikki Hudson and family as they grieve the loss of Nikki’s mother, Martha Jean Hudson , who passed away on January 14 in Galesburg, Illinois.
Pray for Innes Sheridan and family as they grieve the loss of Innes’ husband, Phil, who passed away on January 10.
Pray for Ron (Christy) Chiodras and family as the grieve the loss of Ron’s mother, Evodia , who passed away on January 7.
Pray for the family of retired missionary Don Genheimer , who passed away in Florida on January 5.
Pray for former members Harold and Judy Smith as they grieve the loss of Judy’s mother, Ruth Lapham , who passed away on January 4 in Northbrook.
Pray for Beth Moxley and family as they grieve the loss of Beth’s brother who passed away on January 3.
Pray for Dan (Micah) Lindquist and family as they grieve the loss of Dan’s father, Lynn , who passed away on December 29, 2022.
CURRENT JOB OPENINGS AT COLLEGE CHURCH INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS:
• Ministry Associate for Student Ministries— College/Middle School
(10-16 hours per week) See details: https://bit.ly/3GZ8Icg
• Ministry Associate for Student Ministries—High School (10-16 hours per week) See details: https://bit.ly/3kwXww4
• Ministry Associate for STARS respite care
(10 hours per week) See details: https://bit.ly/3R1AGZK
Stay updated by visiting our job opportunities webpage: www.college-church.org/job-openings/
For more information, please contact Ann Karow at: akarow@college-church.org
It’s no fun to hear about an event after the fact. That’s why we’re Introducing Under the Radar. If you know of a local event that includes College Church members or attenders or may be of interest to them, email connections@college-church.org with the details and we may be able to include your event in this space.
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY JANE AUSTEN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16 TO SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22
TO FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24
JENKS HALL 130 ARENA THEATER
TICKETS/INFO:
HTTPS://BIT.LY/3WB4CUQ
CHICAGO
Saturday
February 25 9-5
SUBURBANwww.cantigny.org/event/ orchid-show-sale/
Are you new to College Church?
If so, you’re invited to our Visitors Lunch on Sunday, March 19 at noon in the lobby outside the Sanctuary. Come and meet pastors and staff, learn about College Church and find out how you can get involved.
Lunch is on us!
