“The Wheaton Revival was a failure for me or, alternatively, I failed the Wheaton Revival.”
Read “My Wheaton Revival” by Wallace Alcorn on page 10.
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May Highlights
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Opportunities for Prayer
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From the Editor
WIL TRIGGS
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Two Days Away from Goodbye
CHERYL WARNER
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Artist Spotlight— Meagan Shuptar
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My Wheaton Revival WALLACE ALCORN
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A Cranky Heart STEPHEN RIGBY
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The In-Between Years SHERRY KWAN
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Annual Meeting 2023
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Missions & Community Outreach
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New Members
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Till Wheelchairs and Beyond
ADRIENNE CASSEL
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Milestones
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Sanctity of Human Life Updates
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At the Bookstall
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Our Vision
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Serving Opportunities
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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 | Ann Karow, human resources director | Howard Kern, facilities director | Bruce Main, pastor of visitation | Josh Maurer, pastor of discipleship | Curt Miller, missions pastor Josh Moody, senior pastor | 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
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 June issue: May 9
332 E. Seminary, Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 668-0878 | www.college-church.org
For the July issue: June 9 | For the August issue: July 9
WALLACE ALCORN
With his wife, Ann, Wallace returned to Wheaton ten years ago and joined College Church. It was the second time she moved here and the fourth for him. They visited nine churches as “learning experiences” even though this had been their foregone conclusion. On their daughter’s first visit to the church, she exclaimed, “Why would you ever even consider any other church?” They are part of Logos Adult Community, and Wallace has taught it as well as Forum Fifteen. In June, they will observe their sixtyfifth wedding anniversary.
ADRIENNE CASSEL
and her husband, Kevin, have been members of College Church for more than 20 years. Adrienne currently serves on the board of deaconesses. Her favorite hangout place is anywhere in the mountains, and if not there, her backyard swing. She and Kevin have three adult children.
SHERRY KWAN
and her husband, John, are temporary residents of Wheaton as they head to a sensitive country as cross-cultural workers. They are also proud parents of their collegeaged children, Sarah and Samuel. Sherry is a writer at heart who loves Wheaton, and its inviting church bells and train whistles that are good for her imagination.
MEAGAN SHUPTAR
is a commercial and editorial photographer. She shoots out of her Chicago studio and also travels for assignments. She’s been attending College Church since she was four years old! Meagan has three kids with her husband, Jon, and she loves thrifting, collecting art and fashion.
STEPHEN RIGBY
and his wife, Karis, have been missionaries with College Church in Nairobi, Kenya, since 2007. They have four young children— two boys and two girls. Stephen and Karis serve as Team Leaders with Serge in Nairobi, and Stephen is also an African director for Ambassadors Football.
CHERYL WARNER
serves with her husband, Charley, in Ukraine with Barnabas International. They teach missions students and help churches mobilize and care for Ukrainian missionaries. They plan to return to their home in Irpin in July, Lord willing.
COVER IMAGE: Pink Oyster Mushroom by featured artist Meagan Shuptar
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
Ephesians: The Heavenly Places
Pastor Josh Moody preaching
MAY 7: The New Self, Ephesians 4:17-32
MAY 14: Your Walk, Ephesians 5:1-21
MAY 21: VISION SUNDAY
MAY 28: Wives and Husbands, Ephesians 5:22-33
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: JESUS NOW: Where is he? What is he doing?
• DESCRIPTION: Major events of Jesus earthly life and what he is doing after his ascension to heaven.
GREEK CLASS Sundays 9:30 a.m. in the Board Room
• TEACHER: Jon Laansma
• STUDY: 1 John
Everyone welcome.
In Crossings at 5 p.m.
MAY 7: CHILDREN’S CHOIR CONCERT in the Sanctuary
MAY 14: Psalm 133, Pastor Dan Hiben preaching
MAY 21: ANNUAL MEETING in the Sanctuary
MAY 28: No Evening Service
• 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
• 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: Dan Block “Hearing Galatians with Moses.”
• STUDY: Book of Galatians—All ages 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.
Since the Wednesday club programs are finished for the season, check out what’s coming for kids this summer:
ADVENTURE DAYS
JUNE 6: Hello Adventure
JUNE 12: International Adventure
JULY 5: Water Adventure Day
JULY 6: Water Adventure Day
JULY 15: Farewell Adventure
FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE HANGOUTS
JUNE 11 AND 25, JULY 9 and 23 from 2 to 3 p.m. For more information, email kidsharbor@collegechurch.org
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
May 28, no in-person classes (recorded lesson available)
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 9:30-10:30 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 7 p.m. Bible Study, 322 E. Union Ave
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, MAY 13: 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.
MOMS NIGHT OUT—Monday, May 8, 7:30-9 p.m. in Commons Hall
PLAYDATE—Monday, May 22, location: TBD, 9:3011:30 a.m.
continued on next page
Ready to participate fully in the life and ministries of College Church? Come find out about College Church’s history, core beliefs, ministries and what it means for you to be a member. This one-day only membership opportunity will be Saturday, May 6, from 8 a.m.- noon; registration is requested. For more info, contact Christy at membership@ college-church.org, or call (630) 668-0878, ext. 175.
Tuesday, May 9, at 7 p.m. in Crossings. Our once-a-month fellowship centers around building a creative community where we discuss the insights and ideas of others and share our creative efforts. This month we are Discussing the short video Upside Down from Moving Works (visit college-church.org/artspace for the link). We will also consider the OneWord Journal word for May “Toil” For more information email artspace@collegechurch.org or visit college-church.org/artspace
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.
MAY 3: Janet, MK education worldwide with Services in Asia for Family Education (SAFE)
MAY 10: Rob and Laurie N., serving with OMF in campus ministry with international students
MAY 17 : Chad and Leanna Wiebe, ministering in Ukraine with SEND.
MAY 24: Nate and Laura Amodio, evangelists with InterVarsity.
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
planned for summer 2023
This summer we are planning an exhibition that will combine “Art & Story.” We will be teaming up an artist with a writer to produce one art piece to be displayed in the gallery. For the writer, it can be a short story, poem, or an insightful quote. For the visual artist, it can be a painting, illustration, graphic art, photography, or any type of visual artwork. We can have as many teams as we have artists/writers.
Don’t put off signing up. Register today. This is our firstever collaborative exhibition, and we need to hear from you. Please sign up at college-church.org/artspace. If you already have a partner, sign up separately. There will be a space to add your partner’s name. If not, please sign up and we will partner you with someone. More details will come as the specifics are finalized.
Aaron-Hur Fellowship will meet on Thursday, May 11, at 7 p.m. at the home of Marr and Mary Miller, 1607 Stoddard Avenue in Wheaton (630) 668-8828. Our guests will be Jamie and Kim Viands, serving in Kenya.
Barnabas Prayer Fellowship anticipates hearing from Karen Bradley about the work she now does with Wycliffe Bible Translators from here in the States. The prayer group meets in the Creative Arts Room at Windsor Park at 1:30 on Wednesday, May 17. The meeting includes prayer for our group of cross-cultural workers.
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.
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalms 90:12
It’s no accident that I’m working on the Annual Report and the May issue of Connections at the same time. They collide with each other every year.
Annual Reports and Annual Meetings are ways that we as a church number our days. What have we done? Who is doing what? What has God done in the last year? Answers to these questions swirl about us at this time of year and manifest themselves for me with these publications, as I said, each year.
The centerpiece of this month’s Connections is content related to our Annual Meeting. I have to admit that this is not my favorite content to include in the pages of Connections. I’ve never been a fan of “whereas”-es and the language we use to frame our meetings when we perceive them to be of weighty significance. I know. Shame on me. This is, after all, how we do church business. And it only happens once a year.
This year’s content in that section of Connections is better than usual. And that’s because of the inclusion of Jim Johanik’s story of faith and calling. Jim is our candidate for pastor of evangelism. A College Church husband and father, Jim is hopefully on course to guide us in our evangelism efforts in the months and years ahead. Be sure to give that a good read before you move on. And please do plan on attending the congregational meeting if you are a regular member. This is also the month for Mother’s Day, I can’t help but think of that holiday as I read the articles by Cheryl Warner and Sherry Kwan. These are two mothers and people of deep faith. Another mother, Adrienne Cassell, shares her journey of faith in this issue as well. Mother’s Day wouldn’t be Mother’s Day at College Church without the Coins for Caring Network Baby Bottle project, which we highlight this month.
It’s not Father’s Day yet, but Stephen Rigby’s article resonates with me as both a dad and as a son of our heavenly Father. It’s been a while since my son was as young as Eoin, but I so appreciate the spiritual insight Stephen brings.
We pray for revival often and with the news of revival breaking out this winter at Asbury, I appreciate the candor of Wallace Alcorn writing about his own personal experience with revival and his questions about the events we associate with that word. Before he was a father or a grandfather or a great-grandfather, Wallace was a college student, and his recollections of his experience run deep.
Whereas, be it resolved, that May Connections expresses its gra titude to the aforementioned contributors.
Our family has had many goodbyes in the past, having served in missions in Europe for 35 years, and now we begin a new kind of parting as our daughter Melissa goes to Thailand as a missionary herself. There is joy in seeing family members fulfill their calling, mixed with the pain of missing them in those vacant spaces. As I write we’re two days away from an O’Hare farewell. Reflecting on past events and key Scriptures gives me some anchors to hold onto as I seek to trust God in this moment and going forward.
On Mother’s Day in 1990, Charley and I dedicated Melissa to the Lord at College Church (which at the time met
in Edman Chapel while the Sanctuary was being built). The Scripture used in infant dedications was Hannah’s declaration in 1 Samuel 1:27-28: “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” We didn’t know what that would look like for Melissa, but we meant it. Years later on that same stage in Edman she received her MA in clinical mental health counseling and a missions award.
Melissa gave her life to Christ as a child at home in Odesa, Ukraine. About half her childhood was in Ukraine and half was in Austria, with a bit in the UK at
the beginning. She became a member of College Church during her junior year of high school while we were on furlough. After college and working in Minnesota, she came back to Wheaton as a graduate student. On a STAMP trip to Thailand, she solidified a vision to work at the Cornerstone Counseling Foundation in Chiang Mai as a counselor for children of missionaries.
Missionary families often experience tremendous challenges as their kids return to study or work in their passport country. In the summer of 2008, I spent some time at Penhurst Retreat Centre in the UK, asking God to show me how to be a long-distance mom to Melissa, who was leaving our home in Austria and going to college in Minnesota. Jesus’ words to his disciples in Matthew bowled me over: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39).
God’s clear word to me was this: Love your daughters. Love me more. Give them to me with your whole heart. You can trust me.
The manor house at Penhurst once belonged to Paul and Rosalind Broomhall, born in China and India respectively. Paul was the great nephew of Hudson Taylor, founder of China Inland Mission, now called OMF International—the organization Melissa is serving with. The house contains artifacts associated with the history of mission and China Inland Mission. Little did I know 15 years ago that the daughter I prayed for in that place and struggled to release as a young adult going to university would join the mission agency Hudson Taylor founded. Shortly before beginning her work in Thailand this summer, she will go on her own retreat at Penhurst, a quiet, prayerful place to hear God’s voice.
The theme of moms entrusting their daughters to the Lord begins with my own mother, Dotti Anthony. We had a key conversation when I was in grad school and had met this interesting guy, Charley. “But he’s going to the Soviet Union and I’m not,” I told her. Mom replied, “You don’t know that you’re not.” She was right. God led Charley and me to marry and go into ministry in the USSR. Melissa’s first trip to Moscow was a couple months before she was born, during that odd year when we spent large chunks of time in the UK, Austria, Russia and the U.S. Melissa was born in Vienna in February, then dedicated in Wheaton in May. (I know. The things you do when you’re young.)
You might think the goodbyes get easier over time, but they actually get harder. Years ago I wrestled with saying goodbye to my parents after a furlough, worried I might not see my dad again in this lifetime because of his declining health. God encouraged me with words from Psalm 112 about the character of the righteous: “they will not fear bad news.” That was the crux of it: I was fearing bad news. God was inviting me instead to fear the Lord and trust him with the timing of my dad’s homegoing. I repented of that fear of bad news, and God took it away. As it turned out, God gave my dad many more years and the two of us shared a tender, grace-filled goodbye before he left this life and went to be with the Lord three years ago.
That brings me to another father-daughter moment, this time with Charley and Melissa. Right now, they are two days away from flying together to Vienna, her birthplace and home from when she was nine to age 18. She will go on to a ministry event in another country and some other travel culminating in orientation with OMF and language school in Thailand. Charley will travel from Vienna to Armenia and then Ukraine. What a sweet gift that they can go together on this first leg of Melissa’s own missionary journey.
At Melissa’s farewell open house, I chatted with a friend whose son is soon going to a hard place overseas with his family. It’s weighty, she said. Yes, it is. We feel the weight of the coming separation, the heaviness that comes with knowing people you love dearly are going into spiritual battle and will experience hardships and opposition. These matters are weighty. There will be days when we keenly feel the ache of separation. And God will meet us there. Nothing can separate us or them from God’s love. He is enough—for our adult missionary children and for those of us who send them.
During our last year of displacement from Ukraine, by God’s grace we have lived near all four of our daughters— continued on next page
a precious gift. All four are in caregiving roles—counseling, childcare, teaching, animal care. I learn new things from them all the time. Together we have grieved losses, celebrated gains, and felt the countdown on the calendar toward Melissa’s departure. At her commissioning service in November, we were all present to cheer her on. What a joy to hear Pastor Curt Miller’s profound charge and Dr. Jim Tebbe’s insightful prayer, and to witness the support of our church family for our daughter.
If things go as we hope, Charley will be in Ukraine for two weeks this month and then he and I will return to live there in July, Lord willing. We were displaced from our home in Irpin just weeks before the war came to our doorstep, and we’ve been based in the U.S. for the last year. Things are fairly quiet in Irpin now, far from the front lines of the war. Our landlady has repaired damage to our house that occurred during the fighting early in the war, and she is waiting for our return. Newcomers to church are being baptized. We are ready to go back.
The risk and security team at Barnabas International is a key part of the process of getting us back to Ukraine, helping us make contingency plans and establish protocols for all the what-ifs. Considering worst-case scenarios is necessary, but it can fan the flames of fear. Safety can become an idol that we stumble over.
At College Church we believe in missions and in sending our own. I recall Pastor Kent Hughes saying that we should be sending our brightest and our best. I remember that every time I have a chance to talk about missions in Kids’ Harbor. Every week Pastor Josh Moody prays a blessing over us and reminds us not to keep it to ourselves: “May the Lord bless you and keep you, make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you and give you peace, so that the whole earth might see his salvation, and all nations his glory.” ******
The night I said goodbye to 18-year-old Melissa in her dorm room in Minnesota, we held each other tight, and I prayed for her. “I’m gonna miss you so much,” she said through tears. “And I’m so excited.” We’re at that place again. I’m going to miss her so much. And I’m so excited for what is ahead for her.
Thank you, Lord, for your blessing and your grace and peace. Thank you for sending us to proclaim your glory among the nations. Thank you that you will help Melissa help missionary families whose needs are great. Thank you that she can share Christ in a place where many people have not yet heard of him. Thank you for reminding me that the treasure is Christ himself, and he will be her rock and her comfort and her joy, as he is mine.
Again, Psalm 112 helps me with this: “their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear.” Security in the language of the Bible doesn’t mean a lack of danger. It’s about a heart that is secure, trusting in God, come what may. We take security concerns seriously, but we will go wherever he sends us, especially now when the harvest in Ukraine is plentiful and the workers are few. The church is flourishing, and this seems to be the best time ever to be there.
As a professional commercial and editorial photographer, I am blessed to have a career that lets me explore and use my creativity. Whether I’m hired by a national brand or a small business, for personal portraits or celebrity editorials, I strive to be a light among everyone I come across. Being a photographer puts me in a unique position where I can use my God-given talent and creativity to bring out beauty in our world while also maintaining a humble, kind and collaborative way of treating people on set. This is part of my Christian witness; to love one another.
Opening May 14
Come see the many sides of Marge Gieser, whose art graced College Church for many years. With help from her family, visitors can see works of art that demonstrate Gieser’s great depth, breadth and faith.
Exhibition planned for summer 2023
This summer we are planning an exhibition that will combine “Art & Story.” We will be teaming up an artist with a writer to produce one art piece to be displayed in the gallery. For the writer, it can be a short story, poem or an insightful quote. For the visual artist, it can be a painting, illustration, graphic art, photography or any type of visual artwork.
Don’t put off signing up. Register today. This is our firstever collaborative exhibition, and we need to hear from you. Please sign up at www.college-church.org/artspace.
www.meaganshuptar.com
If you already have a partner, sign up separately. There will be a space to indicate your partner’s name. If not, please sign up and we will partner you with someone. More details will come as the specifics are finalized.
A monthly coming together, where discuss our personal projects and the many facets of creativity and God.
Tuesday, May 9, at 7 p.m. in Crossings
Discussing the short video Upside Down from Moving Works
Creativity word for the month: Toil
If able, bring something creative along that theme.
Tuesday, June 13, at 7 p.m. in Crossings
We will be discussing the CT Article: “In Times of Tragedy, I Find Solace in Scriptural Art” by A. Trevor Sutton.
Creativity word for the month: Balm
If able, bring something creative along that theme.
I rode my bike to campus that winter night to learn why my housemates hadn’t returned from the evangelistic meeting I had skipped. I found no one had left Pierce Chapel and students were lined up confessing personal sins. We could not have imagined this would become famous as the 1950 Wheaton Revival. It continued for 42 hours when the college president announced this is enough.
We had heard of something like this down there in Kentucky at Asbury. But, then, that’s Asbury, and this is Wheaton. (This is my story and only mine, reflecting neither on Asbury nor Wheaton. I do not equate my subjective experience with the revival as a whole. It isn’t as much testimony as confession— one I failed to make 73 years ago, although I came to it long before now.)
The Wheaton Revival was a failure for me or, alternatively, I failed the Wheaton Revival. I supposed some of the confessions to be ritualistic, even silly. One that did impress me floored me. My Greek professor, one of the most godly, kind and gentle persons I have ever known, confessed he had spoken unkindly of another professor.
Some of us came to feel we also should go to the platform and confess a sin. It seemed to be the thing to do in the present situation. One would do, but it had to be just culpable enough to qualify as a confession but not so consequential it would embarrass us later. (This is how I put it now, but I would never be so transparent then.) What I came up with was a silly thing. I can’t even identify it now without going into a lot of explaining historical and cultural context. I’ll let it go with just the fact it was not the sin I should have confessed.
That sin, especially in this academic environment, is the immediately serious and also far-reaching sin of unfaithfulness to the reason I was even in college. I just was not taking my studies seriously and or making the best of the opportunity. Rather, I was having the sort of fun of trying to be funny (only occasionally succeeding). I was wasting my parents’ money. My mother had gone to work specifically to put me through college. I accepted the
praise of my church that I was called to preach the gospel, and I was working at cross-purposes with it.
I don’t recall another student confessing to this sin of spiritual unfaithfulness and moral irresponsibility, although I wasn’t alone. I suppose it didn’t seem the sort of sin one confesses in a public revival. I still don’t hear this.
I have never since been much excited about revivals. Arguably, those days in 1950 may have spoiled them for me. If so, it was largely my failure to be revived. But I think it more than this. As I matured spiritually and morally, I have become more concerned about survival than “revival.” I don’t mean to be cute and am serious. Revival, yes. When and where revival is necessary and successful, but from then on it ought to be survival of what was achieved and never again needed for the same people. When it again becomes needed, we confess that the previous really wasn’t a revival.
The taxonomy of terms used for and in regard to “revival” troubles from the start. There is no Hebrew or Greek noun that any version renders revival. There is no New Testament translation for a verb revive. The references to revival are entirely in the Old Testament, and one gets the impression that revival might not be a gospel concept.
The English word is not a synonym for evangelism because to revive means to bring back to life something now dead. A spiritually dead person can be regenerated but not be revived. The earnest plea that “America needs a revival” is well meant but it cannot be a political triumph. The revival America needs is of believers across the nation that lasts and transforms the public behavior of those revived. Annual revival meetings make no sense because the action of the Holy Spirit cannot be scheduled. I hear friends pray for “a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit” when it is we who must move into the path of the Spirit who has been on the move right along.
Such terms as awaking, renewal, stirring make more sense.
Then we come to consider the mechanics and logistics of revivals. Why does it seem that revivals must be on college campuses? Why not in local churches or just among friends
or within a family? Why not, for that matter, in nursing homes? Why does it seem revivals must start with the public confession of sins? And why the customary sins? Why is spiritual indifference not a matter of conviction? Or lack of concern for growing the fruit of the Spirit? Why in public meetings and not just private, undemonstrative repentance when an individual is in intimate fellowship with one’s Lord.
I hear more about what we should not do than what we must. The emphasis seems to be on what we should stop doing.
Eoin is an energetic four-year-old boy—which often takes the form of hitting his little brother. So, the other day, I was on another trip to his bedroom for a reset as he chose to use fists instead of words to sort out a disagreement with Zaks involving Hot Wheels. We talked again, for the ten-hundredth time (currently Eoin’s favorite number) about how we respond with words as a way to love on other people.
As our time in the U.S. continues, we are noticing ways this season of travel and seemingly never-ending transition impacts our children. Each of our children has a unique way of expressing their internal angst, and Karis and I are trying to be intentional to listen and graciously journey with them through their emotions. So, there I am actively listening. is this developmental? Is this stress? Is this because of how busy we’ve been?
I quickly start going through these questions in my head, and as I did, God pulled up a mirror to my own heart. How am I responding when thing don’t go my way? Are my responses gentle? How tired am I? How hard am I running? How am I responding to my role as mediator in these Hot Wheels disagreements?
A few days before the Hot Wheels dispute, I stepped in to mediate another conflict with the boys, and my words were short and harsh. Right then, my daughter Abigail, in her beautiful six-year-old insightful way, pointed out, “Daddy has a cranky heart!” Afterward she and Eoin prayed for Daddy’s cranky heart as I prayed for theirs. But her words have stayed with me as a little check-engine light. How cranky am I? Why is that? How is my heart? How is my inner life?
That night in 1950, I should have confessed what was mine to confess and not invent something convenient. As a revived and recovered individual, I could have confessed on the spot with no one hearing but the One whose hearing most matters. And then go to my room and memorized Greek vocabulary, declension of nouns, and conjugation of verbs to the glory of God.
My daily journey is a battle to align myself to the voice of the One who invites me to hear the words of my daughter and slow down. It is good for me to sit in discomfort as I see my sin and weakness and bring it to the Father who loves me and ask him, “Can you heal this? Can you help me?” And time and time again, I hear his words, “You are my son, whom I love, in whom I am well pleased.” I recall two words that a man shouted to me as we passed each other on our morning runs in Nairobi: “Keep going!” That is what I hear my Father calling me do to. Keep going, keep coming to me, keep engaging with the hearts of your kids. I long to be faithful to his voice.
My conversation with Eoin ended as I looked into his eyes, now moist with tears, and longing for the love and affirmation of his father. I was moved with internal joy to do what I could to communicate with him just how much I loved him—so we had a tickle fight. A core-engaging, can’tstop-laughing, joy-filling tickle fight. While I did it for him, I was amazed to realize how desperately I needed it for my own soul, too. I guess my Father knew what I needed in that moment as well.
I am more and more convinced that God is a loving Father, wooing his children to come to him. I am praying that I see him in the small things more and more, that I hear his voice with greater clarity and my feet move quicker in obedience to his Word.
When scrolling through the Monday prayer email, I linger at the announcement section, where significant life events are told. Births, weddings and funerals. The funeral are sad news. I read the obituaries and marvel at lives well-lived and now gone. While feeling heavy and sentimental, the thought of heaven brings me comfort. These dear ones have ceased their labor on earth and are now in glory.
I rejoice for all the births and weddings. I had given birth to two babies. They’ve grown up. Next, my husband and I will celebrate college graduations and weddings. Life is such a journey. It starts with birth and ends with a funeral. Then, I think about the in-between years. I find that in the in-between years, my motherhood continues to unfold. My heart goes out to fellow parents, young and old, and to the children.
Once a week, for the past twelve months, I babysit a three-year-old girl, Eliora, and her younger brother, Elias. These precious children made me ponder over the in-between years as a parent and how the Lord works in our ordinary days.
One day Eliora asked me to sing “Holy, Holy, Holy” before I put her down for her nap. I felt embarrassed that I didn’t memorize the lyrics. I played it on YouTube for her instead.
Eliora listened and watched my laptop’s screen without blinking her beautiful blue eyes. I asked her later why she liked this song so much. I then heard the gospel through a three-year-old—the essential elements of the good news.
“Jesus died for our sins, and then he came back alive.”
Eliora and Eli’s parents have done a great job raising the toddlers and taking them to Sunday School as well as teaching and loving them at home. I have seen both babies flourish from infants to where they are now—with their personalities, curiosity and learning to become who
they are almost every hour. Oh, the hours and hours of late-night feeding, diaper changing, and the countless attending to needs around the clock. But look. Here these two littles ones are! This Scripture came alive in front of my eyes. “…You have taught children and infants to give you praise.” Matthew 21:16 (NLT)
I thank God for many young moms and dads like Eliora and Eli’s parents for their faithful labor of love.
I know young moms who struggle with miscarriages. Some are buried in multiple miscarriages. I pray for those sisters as they lie awake at midnight, asking, “Why, Lord?” As their tears wet the pillow, there will be a whisper from Jesus; there will be an angel’s visit, bringing momentary comfort, and strength to go on, one hour at a time.
Parents with grown children are not immune from pain. Our babies lose their baby fat and grow up. They experience the broken world we live in. Some become broken in different ways. Parents share the ache of seeing their children turn their backs on God. Some children died young. As parents, we live in painful realities. We blame ourselves. We blame our children. Other times we blame God. What happened in their in-between years? What went wrong? We desperately ask.
Our parenting job is the most difficult. Like farmers, we labor and toil without knowing how the crops turn out. My heart aches for all our children. The enemy of this world creeps in and steals from us. The passionate hatred to kill echoes in the air. “Crucify him!”
We follow the One who was crucified (Revelation 12:17) but his story didn’t and will not end there! Hallelujah!
Do we trust that our children are on their journeys with the Lord even when they are granted free will?
So, we pray! We surrender our zeal to control or steer. Our hands are off the children and folded in prayers. We make kneeling our lifestyle. God is at work and is not done with our children.
We pray for ourselves. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” We repent ourselves as we pray for our children to return to God.
Eliora and Elias’ parents have sold their home and will move to Asia to serve Jesus. Uprooted to embracing instability, the young parents must believe wholeheartedly in this Holy Lord God, about whom their darling daughter loves to sing! Why not—when we have the gospel truth? On a macro scale, this life is the life of the in-between years—
the cycle of births, weddings and funerals. One day, there will be no more brokenness and funerals but only celebrations in heaven. Jesus will make all things right and new as He answers all our questions there and then.
The gospel is much needed for each family, near and far, for parents and children. Jesus is the answer for parenting. He is with us, hears us and carries us by grace. In the inbetween years, I am reminded to sing “the Eliora Song” and bow down in prayer as a way of life.
To the One who alone saves and is merciful—the ParentFather who has given away his Son in suffering and death; the Son who was slain for our sake; and the Spirit who lives within us:
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. REVELATION 4:8
the teaching ministry of Pastor Josh Moody, features Bible teaching, both online and on the radio. This exciting ministry with a global reach continues to grow in impact. Here in the U.S., 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, 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
One of the motions at the upcoming Annual Meeting on May 21 will be to consider and vote on the Council of Elders’ unanimous recommendation of Pastor Josh Moody’s choice to fill an open position of Pastor of Evangelism: James “Jim” Johanik.
Evangelism means telling the gospel to those who are not yet Christians. It involves building relationships, sharing our own stories of faith, pointing people to the Bible, praying for those who don’t yet have faith in Christ, inviting them into a saving relationship with him, and bringing them into the family of the church. An evangelist is someone who performs a transplant operation: bringing people from the world into the church. An evangelist not only seeks out opportunities to share the gospel but also equips the body of Christ to do the same (“and he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” Eph. 4:11-12).
Our vision is summarized in three words “Proclaiming the Gospel.” We have five initiatives and goals to support our vision:
PATHWAY. We structure our ministries so that you can Discover Jesus, Grow in your faith, and Impact the world. Our goal is to call a pastor of evangelism by June 2023 to lead the Discover portion of this pathway. Pastor Josh Moody and the Council of Elders are seeking to fulfill this goal by bringing Jim to the congregation at this time.
COMMUNITY. We are a community that cultivates care, encouragement and connection. Our goal is to mobilize us all to care for each other, call a community life pastor, and have increased use of counseling with designated space in the Crossings.
DISCIPLESHIP. We will elevate biblically rigorous and practical discipleship. Our goal is to explore more adult communities and a churchwide educational seminar on a matter of current discipleship importance by December 2023.
CAMPUS. We will increasingly activate our campus. Our goal is to utilize the Crossings as a crossover space to reach our community, for student and family space, with phase 2 plan established and capital campaign launched by December 2023.
PLANTING. We will leverage the church’s history of church planting, training programs, and connections across the country and world. Our goal is to plant multiple new churches in partnership with likeminded churches by 2030.
For more than two years, we’ve been committed to filling this role of pastor of evangelism. While the 2022-2023 included dollars for it, the Lord had not revealed the man of his choosing. We believe that God has brought forth Jim Johanik who has a track record of evangelistic effectiveness as reflected in his background in evangelism with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), as well as much of his other activities highlighted in his biographical sketch later in this article.
The pastor of evangelism will report directly to the executive pastor. Jim will lead the discover portion of our pathway to help people around the church discover Jesus and come into fellowship with him and his people in the church. He will also work closely with the Evangelism and Culture Impact Committee in their efforts to spread the gospel. The Crossings building will play a major role in introducing the community to Jesus through the Christ-followers here at College Church in a warm and inviting space. Our missions pastor Curt Miller, who has been overseeing the Evangelism and Cultural Impact committee, will now be able to focus more specifically on global missions, church planting and supporting our missionaries.
What follows is Jim’s biographical sketch, the job description for pastor of evangelism and the Bylawrequired notice of the Annual Meeting and resolution for voting on the calling of Jim for this pastoral position.
To God be the glory.
Jim Johanik grew up just six miles east of College Church in Lombard, IL in an unbelieving, blue collar family. It was through the efforts of a Wheaton College football player who befriended Jim in high school at a church youth group flag football tournament that Jim was introduced to Jesus Christ. This man would disciple Jim throughout his high school years, regularly holding Bible study in Jim’s home with others from Jim’s high school, Willowbrook.
Jim would go on to attend Wheaton College where he played football and met his wife, Heidi, as they studied mathematics together. Jim and Heidi were married shortly after their time at Wheaton, and Jim began a career in the trading industry in the Eurodollar options pit at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Jim eventually worked for the exchange in its rollout of their electronic trading systems and then moved to the London International Financial Futures Exchange (LIFFE) to head up its US Technology division. During this time, Jim completed his Masters of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business.
Over time, Jim heeded God’s call to transition from trading technologies to enter into full time ministry, working part-time as the chief marketing officer in a small technology company, and at the same time co-founding a media-based outreach ministry, OneWay/Prayercast. Jim’s ministry involvement since then has been through leadership roles with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and currently as an Executive Director for Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU), heading up Cru’s marketplace leaders’ ministry called Leaderimpact (leaderimpact.com).
Jim is also the head football coach at Wheaton Academy in West Chicago.
Jim and Heidi have five children: Jake, Derek, Peter, Jeremiah, Ruth and two grandchildren. Jim and Heidi have been attending College Church since 2014 and have been members since 2016.
The Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, May 21, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Sanctuary. All members are expected to attend the meeting and we encourage regular attenders to be present as well. The agenda will include:
• Receiving the 2023 Annual Report which includes reports from all our ministry leaders (copies of the Annual Report will be available at the Information Tables, beginning Sunday, May 14);
• Voting for the approval of minutes to the 5-15-2022 Annual Meeting;
• Electing board and committee members and other elected positions;
• Voting for the members to serve on the 2023-2024 Nominating Committee;
• Voting to approve Mathieson, Moyski & Austin as the independent audit firm for fiscal year 2023-2024.
1. Voting to approve the Church Budget for 2023-2024.
2. Voting to approve the renewal of our line of credit.
3. Voting on a Resolution recommended by the Council of Elders to call James Johanik as Pastor of Evangelism.
The Bylaws of College Church state that when the Regular Members are to vote on any Exceptional Matters at a Congregational Meeting, the text of the resolution upon which the vote is to be taken shall be included in the notice of the meeting.
WHEREAS, the Board of Deacons have submitted to the Council of Elders the 2023-2024 Church Budget;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the 2023-2024 Church Budget approved by the Council of Elders and recommended to the Regular Members be approved.
WHEREAS, Wheaton Bank & Trust extends an operating line of credit to College Church unsecured, interest floating at Prime (interest only on dollars utilized during the year), due 11-4-2023;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the operating line of credit from Wheaton Bank & Trust be renewed at the same terms through 11-4-2024.
continued on next page
WHEREAS, the Bylaws of College Church state that the Senior Pastor shall recommend to the Council for its approval those of his choice to serve as members of the Pastoral Staff;
WHEREAS, persons recommended for such positions, together with their proposed titles, duties, and responsibilities, shall be presented by the Council to the Regular Members for approval if they are to be employed for, or if their employment is to be increased to, more than 20 hours per week and if their employment is expected to last more than two years.
WHEREAS, the calling of a pastor of evangelism is a goal identified in our PATHWAY initiative, one of the five initiatives supporting our vision of Proclaiming the Gospel:
PATHWAY. We will develop a simple invitational pathway for our gospel ministries: Discover Jesus , Grow in your faith , and Impact the world . We will develop that pathway by calling a pastor of evangelism to lead the Discover portion of that pathway by June 2023.
WHEREAS, a search has been conducted and Pastor Moody and the elders have discerned that God has brought forth a qualified man with a heart for reaching those who have not yet accepted Christ as their Savior and equipping others to do the same;
WHEREAS, Pastor Moody has recommended to the Council and the Council is recommending to the Regular Members that JAMES JOHANIK be called as Pastor of Evangelism ;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that JAMES JOHANIK be called as Pastor of Evangelism , effective immediately.
An information meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 17, at 7 p.m. in the Fireside Area.
Please plan to attend this important meeting in the life of College Church.
Council of Elders
Mark Bradley
Steve Ivester
Glenn Kosirog
Board of Deacons
Joel Barnes
Robb Lemp
Eric Odell
Jeff Sommars
Board of Deaconesses
Julie Busteed
Becky Cook
Barb Nussbaum
Jill Tweeten
Ruth Yousaf
Board of Missions
Grace Bliss
Tom Nussbaum
Mary Odell
Stephanie Robbins
Yousaf Sadiq
Discipleship Committee
Kara Beth Vance
Evangelism & Culture Impact Committee
Kat Haase
Rich Howard III
Sarah Lindquist
Hospitality Committee
Lisa Eckert
Allison Kelley
Tammy Lam (unexpired term ’24)
Yili Le
Morgan Moxley
Bethany Opdyke
Shirley Sheppard
Service & Engagement Committee
Karen Bagge
Michael Thrasher
Disabilities Superintendent (11:00 a.m.)
Nathanael Strauch
Preschool Children’s Church Superintendent
Kristie Smalley
Elementary Bible School Superintendent
Christina Achziger Treasurer
Ken Heulitt
Midweek Evening Boys Superintendent
Terry VanSomeren
Nursery Superintendent
Suzy Yoder
We are committed as ever to the task of proclaiming the gospel locally and globally, and one way we promote gospel proclamation is by partnering with like-minded individuals and organizations. Each year, there are fluctuations among ministry partners. Here is a list of those who have made a transition during the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
EVANGELISM AND CULTURE IMPACT – LOCAL FOCUS
• Mike Hernberg was appointed as an evangelist.
• Tom Johnston, evangelist, went home to be with the Lord on December 13, 2022.
• Decision Point (formerly, National School Project) became a partner organization.
The following were appointed as career missionaries:
• D & J—SE Asia
• D & V—Middle East/North Africa
• J & C—Middle East/North Africa
• J & E—Middle East/North Africa
• Melissa W—SE Asia
• Tim & Carol Avery—Kenya
Transitioned to a new field of service:
• D & M—Europe
• Jane M.—US
Transitioned to a new agency:
• Janet B.
• Judy Blumhofer
• Todd & Sue Kelly
• Tim & Judy Sattler
• Phil & Jessica Smith
Transitioned from being College Church missionaries:
• Jeff and Margreet Dusek
• James and Patricia H.
• David Johnson
• Ed and Joy L
• Bruce and Becky Wilson
Transitioned to missions associate:
• Anita Deyneka
• Scott and Jenny Hawkins
Retired missionaries who are now with the Lord
• David Howard (d. May 9, 2022)
• Don Genheimer (d. January 5, 2023)
• Don Stilwell (d. March 23, 2023)
On behalf of the Evangelism and Culture Impact Committee and the Board of Missions, thank you for your ongoing partnership in the gospel.
The Aloisios attend Life Together Adult Community and are in a small group. Mark serves in Kids’ Harbor and is involved with men’s ministry; Vanessa is involved in women’s ministry. Mark works for JPMorgan in Chicago. He enjoys fly- and spin cast fishing, basketball and golf. He’s also “above average with BBQ pulled pork and sausage!” Vanessa is currently a homemaker at home with their three children. She has worked as a speech pathologist in skilled nursing for most her career. She enjoys time with other women, reading and fishing.
The Anthonys moved to Wheaton from Pennsylvania where Matt was in seminary, when Matt began his pastoral residency here at College Church. He works with student ministries, along with other pastoral duties. Ashley serves in children’s and middle school ministries and is a regular contributor to Connections. She teaches online literature courses for Maryville University and is a student at Westminster Theological Seminary. She enjoys conversations with friends in a cozy coffee shop, writing, reading and exploring the city with her family.
The Bells have been married since 2017 and have one baby girl. Charlie works as a manager at The Hartford insurance company. He enjoys lifting weights, reading, conversations with friends. He has also coached football at Wheaton Warrenville High School. Alyssa works as a planner for Ulta’s eCommerce division. She enjoys cooking and traveling, and time with friends and family.
Matt began attending College Church as a student at Wheaton College. Now he is involved in the 20s ministry and is enjoying growing in his faith as a new believer. He enjoys close relationships with each of his family members. Matt works for a wealth management and private equity company in Chicago.
Felipe and Berni have been married 15 years and have six children. They were born and raised in Santiago, Chile. They previously attended our first church plant, Holy Trinity Church, in Chicago. They are involved in the Living Word Adult Community and a small group. Felipe is a ministry associate in discipleship, a PhD student at Wheaton College and adjunct professor on New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Berni serves in Kids’ Harbor. A homemaker, she loves “to serve unseen, to encourage people, and loves the Word of God.”
Moving to Wheaton from California, the Collings have been married about 10 years and have three young children. They attend Life Together Adult Community and serve in Wonders of Worship. Ben is a sales manager for a software firm. He has plans to complete all six of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. He enjoys listening to audiobooks and podcasts and playing Legos with his kids. Prior to children, Jenelle worked as a marriage and family therapist at a Christian counseling center. She is now a homemaker and homeschools their children. She enjoys reading, decorating and going on walks.
Jordan grew up at College Church until their family moved to Colorado ten years ago. After graduating and after COVID, they decided to come back to and stay at College Church. Jordan works as a software developer at First Trust in Wheaton. Alexa is a medical student at Midwestern University.
ANNA GUNTHER
is the granddaughter of Phil and Carla Stough, longtime members of College Church. Anna has been part of College Church since birth. At the present time she is actively participating in Sunday school and Church, Praise in Action, Choir and Friday Night Fun. When not at work at one of our Resale Shops she enjoys sports, has competed in several Special Olympic events and has earned many gold medals to show for her efforts. Anna loves spending time with friends and bringing many of them to Stars events.
Gordon was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and lived in rural Virginia. He also lived in Omaha, Nebraska for three years while serving in the Air Force. He works as a problem assistant for the Will County Center for Community Concerns in Joliet. He attends Thrive Adult community and enjoys reading, listening to music, visiting parks and forest preserves and the occasional home improvement project.
The Jeffers have three young sons. Brandon is a content coordinator at Crossway Books. He enjoys playing board games, watching movies and sports and reading. They are involved in the Life Together Adult Community. Brandon has served in Kids’ Harbor. Lizzy is involved in women’s ministries. Also, in addition to being a homemaker, she works part time at Crossway in marketing. Lizzy enjoys walking or biking on the prairie path or getting together with a friend over coffee.
Whenever I am asked to share my testimony, I think, “I sure wish I had a better story—a more dramatic story.” And then I’m reminded of God’s grace in my life that has spared me from that dramatic story.
My brother and I were four years old when my parents trusted Christ and soon after my dad passed away from cancer. In God’s sovereignty, they came to Christ not too long before that, bringing my mom into a church that loved and supported our family during that time.
A neighbor had moved in next door who was a “holy roller” as my mom put it. My mom invited her over for a drink and she said, “No, but I’ll come for coffee.” Over time their friendship grew and through Mary’s witness, my mom wanted to visit her church. She felt at the time that her four-year-old twins needed some kind of “religion.” The Bible was preached, and the love of God shone through the people there and, as a result, my parents came to faith.
While my mom’s friend has long passed, that sweet friendship as sisters in Christ has continued with her daughter and me. Joanne and I have been friends for over 50 years—through all of life’s ups and down, challenges and triumphs. That got me thinking, what is it about Christian friendship, especially among women, that is so special?
In the Bible, Mary and Elizabeth are an example of such a deep friendship. Their story is told in Luke 1. It is a story of genuine friendship. They were from different generations and at different life stages, yet their bond transcended these barriers. Elizabeth was older and barren for many years.
At that time, this was a source of great shame. Mary found herself on the other side of the spectrum—a young, pregnant teenager. Yet, the bond was there. There was no jealousy, no resentment. The Bible says, in Luke 1: 41 “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” She exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear.” They both were keenly aware of the place they held in God’s redemptive plan. They entered into each other’s joy and their response was praise to God.
God has designed friendship, especially among women, to not only bring joy, but also to be an encouragement in hard times. Someone to lift us up when we need it as well as someone to be honest with us when we need it; to reflect Christ and to spur us on. These kinds of friendships are nothing short of a gift from God. We are called to be sisters in Christ and to walk with each other on our way to eternity.
My daughter and her friend have had this saying for many years: “Till wheelchairs and beyond.” That is the kind of friendship that God has designed. Imagine how our friendships would be transformed if we approached each win of the other with joy and praise to God. Where we walk with each other, lifting the other up when needed and praising God for each success when we can. There is no competition or envy, because we are fully aware of the place we all have in God’s plan.
While my friend and I certainly cannot claim much in common with Mary and Elizabeth, we have experienced a deep friendship that only a shared faith and a friendship cultivated over a long period of time can bring about.
Emeline Rose was born to Christian and Christine Hollinger on April 4, joining her big sister, Olive Maria. Emeline’s paternal grandparents are Tim and Debbie Hollinger and her maternal grandparents are Jim and Denise Gritsonis
Birjan Crispin and Brooke Johnson were married at College Church on April 22. Birjan is the son of College Church members Jim and Kim Crispin.
And, just as important as Christian friendship is, so is friendship with those who don’t believe in Jesus. He did not just interact with the disciples. He ate and interacted with strangers, sinners and yes, even his enemies. How many times have I opened my home to those I don’t know well, to those who aren’t in my so-called friend group, to those on the fringes? My space is typically reserved for those with whom I have a close relationship. I wonder how much richer my life would be if I did open the door to my home wider. How would I see God work? What doors for Christian witness would he open if I just opened mine?
We are called to be salt and light. I’m sure my mom’s friend didn’t enter the friendship thinking, “I’m going to lead this woman to Christ.” It came about because she was available and open to God’s leading. God knew how it would play out, but my mom’s friend Mary didn’t. She just obeyed and took advantage of the opportunity to witness that the Lord gave her. The result? My parents came to faith, my brother and I came to faith, and my three children came to faith. Three generations and, hopefully, more as time goes on. All because of a friendship between neighbors.
We don’t always know the reasons certain people come into our lives, but, in God’s sovereignty, there is a divine reason. He has a plan to use us in the every-day if we are open and available. God uses the mundane, even a grilled cheese and tomato soup dinner or just a cup of coffee, to further his kingdom. He can use our homes for kingdom work, Christian witness and ongoing discipleship. May that be our prayer.
Pray for Suzanne Peterson and family as they grieve the loss of Suzanne’s husband, Dick , who passed away on April 20.
Pray for Tom Piety and family as they grieve the loss of Tom’s wife, Jody , who passed away on April 12.
Pray for Faith Haddock and family as they grieve the loss of Faith’s husband, Dr. Gerald “Jerry” Haddock , who passed away on April 1.
Pray for Janet (Roger) Burgess and family as the grieve the loss of Janet’s sister, Norma Geoffrion , who passed away on March 29 in Colorado.
We hope you’ve been filling your bottles with coins, cash or checks, and be sure to return them to the church on Mother’s Day, May 14. In the last year, Caring Network has added a QR code to their inserts and posters so people can give directly using their phones. Please see this link and QR code at the end of this article to give now.
Twenty churches participated in a major bottle drive in January commemorating the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. A smaller drive occurred in the spring. Another major drive associated with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is taking place in area churches next. Caring Network’s Baby Bottle campaigns started around 2005 and have expanded over the years to help meet the need of more and more clients. Caring Network is also introduced to people through the campaign, helping them become aware of Caring Network’s free services such as pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, consultations, resources and referrals, and gospel witness.
All the proceeds go to the general fund to pay for the costs of operating the area centers, paying staff and keeping the lights on, so Caring Network can serve more women and save more lives. Caring Network’s Restore ministry brings healing and restoration to a man or woman who has experienced one or more abortions in their past. Clients are served by well-trained and dedicated volunteers who bring grace and truth to heal fractured lives. All Caring Network’s services are free to clients. Caring Network receives no government funding at all; instead relies on power of God, prayers and the generous support of donors and partnering churches.
Take the opportunity to monetarily support the most vulnerable among us, preborn children and women in crisis. Use the bottle campaign to teach your children and grandchildren about how God created us in his image and the immeasurable value of the unborn and their parents.
volunteer to take neighbors’ trash and recycling bins to to the curb. Around the house, kids could pick up branches in the yard, mow grass, sweep sidewalk/driveway, dust, vacuum, load or unload the dishwasher, put out the trash, help a sibling with a certain task, put away laundry, tidy up play area, etc.
• Instead of coins, families could put tokens or small Legos in the bottle. Make it a challenge to fill the bottle. Decide what action equals a token for the bottle. For example, a token every time children pick up toys, clothes, their dishes, etc. Ora token in for every time they brush their teeth. Make each token worth a monetary amount and parents write a check for the last day of the drive.
• Place bottle on the kitchen table and at each meal and say “Thank you God for our children and thank you for Caring Network babies. Help us love and help all babies in the womb.”Put a token or money in each time you pray for Caring Network mothers and babies.
• Read and share Caring Network client stories.
• Let your friends know about Caring Network’s ministry.
• Network among your contacts and see if their church would hold a baby bottle campaign, too.
Jacqueline came to Caring Network for a pregnancy test, believing that she and her husband, Jacob, could never afford a baby. She was a student, and finances were very tight. Abortion simply felt like their only option. Jacqueline’s counselor offered practical help by assisting with an insurance application and connecting her to other needed resources in the community. Jacqueline learned that they could receive help with diapers, clothing, baby furniture, and more—and that made all the difference. Immediately, her fears turned to relief and joy. Then she and her husband chose life for their child. Because of Caring Network’s extensive referrals and assistance, Jacqueline and Jacob are excited to welcome their child.
Being Truly Human: The Limits of Our Worth, Freedom, Power and Destiny
By David Gooding and John Lennox
Boasting: When We Boast Right, We Live Right, And We Bear Much Fruit to God’s Honour
By Josh Moody
Creeds. Confessions & Catechisms: A Reader’s Edition
Edited by Chad VanDixhoorn
Friendship with God: A Path to Deeper Fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit
By Mike McKinley
Living Life Backwards: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us To Live in Light of the End
By David Gibson
A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian life
By J. I. Packer
Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible
By John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry
Trusting God in the Darkness: A Guide to Understanding the Book of Job
By Christopher Ash
You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News
By Kelly M. Kapic
The vision of College Church is summarized in three words: “Proclaiming the Gospel.” This higher purpose elevates and focuses all our activities. We have identified five initiatives for the purpose of proclaiming the gospel.
Pathway. We structure our ministries so that you can Discover Jesus, Grow in Your Faith, and Impact the World. Our goal is to call a pastor of evangelism by June 2023 to lead the discover portion of this pathway.
Community. We are a community that cultivates care, encouragement and connection. Our goal is to mobilize us all to care for each other, call a community life pastor, and have increased use of counseling with designated space in the Crossings.
Discipleship. We will elevate biblically rigorous and practical discipleship. Our goal is to explore more adult communities and two churchwide educational seminars on matters of current discipleship importance by December 2023.
Campus. We will increasingly activate our campus. Our goal is to utilize the Crossings as a crossover space to reach our community, for student and family space, with phase 2 plan established and capital campaign launched by December 2023.
Planting. We will leverage the church’s history of church planting, training programs, and connections across the country and world. Our goal is to plant multiple new churches in partnership with likeminded churches by 2030.
1) Our Discipleship Committee continues to work at increasing our personal disciple-making efforts within the life of College Church by casting and modeling a vision for more intensive discipleship within the context of mentorled groups of two or three.
2) Our Adult Communities (AC) are growing. The newest of our Adult Communities are Living Word, Life Together and Thrive. All three meet during the 9:30 hour. Life Together meets in Commons Gym and is geared primarily for people in their mid-20s-40s from all walks of life. Living Word meets in two sections of Commons Hall. The teaching team includes Doug Moo, Felipe Chamy, and Josh Maurer. They recently finished studying 1 and 2 Thessalonians and are now in Philippians. Thrive is our newest class, started to provide biblical community for all people, primarily in their 40s to mid-50s. They meet in the main space of Clapham in the (middle section) of Crossings. This brings our number of ACs to eight, and we continue to explore the creation of more communities at different hours.
3) There are many challenges and issues in our world worthy of special attention. The first of these special workshops/seminars is in the planning stage and will focus on biblical sexuality. Watch for details about this seminar in future issues of Connections.
CURRENT
• Ministry Associate for STARS Respite Care
(10-16 hours per week) See details: https://bit.ly/41b1fQB
• Sales Associate for Stars Resale
(10 hours per week) See details: https://bit.ly/3XFKJoN
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
Looking for ways to serve at College Church that can be flexible with your schedule? Be part of the Go Team! Within our church family, there are frequent requests for help in a variety of ways—taking a meal to someone after a hospitalization, providing transportation to a medical appointment, helping move a piece of furniture, minor maintenance work or handyman help, or even help with a computer problem. Consider being part of the team so that we can show love and serve one another well! Follow the link and Join the Care Team https://college-church. formstack.com/forms/care_team
Eight of our church garden plots still need volunteers to care for them.
Requirements: A servant’s heart/teachable spirit. To find out more, contact Howard Kern at hkern@collegechurch.org or (630) 668-0878 ext. 136
Help staff our church display at Cream of Wheaton.
JUNE 1-4 IN MEMORIAL PARK
Meet neighbors. Give away Bibles. Be the face of College Church.
Sixty-two slots available. Sign up at https://bit.ly/3mYK4ma
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.
With Jeremy Meeks, director of the Chicago Course on Preaching
Wednesday, May 10, 6:30 p.m.
Part of the Workshop on Biblical Exposition, this talk is free and open to the public for anyone who would like to attend.
Explore the fundamentals of our faith in this summer-long forum. Get to know:
• The Creed itself
• the history and development of the creed
• its value in liturgy (and why we say the form we do)
• its value in forming mature Christians as a supplemental summary of biblical truth.
Saturday, May 20 10-11:30 a.m.
DuPage Historical Museum 102 E. Wesley
Begins at Museum Steps $10/adult, $5/child (7 and up) Stroll downtown Wheaton while learning about the events and people who shaped Wheaton’s architecture and history.
Tour covers 1.5 miles and takes a little over an hour. Please dress for the weather.
If weather may cancel the event, staff will notify attendees through Eventbrite system 2 hours before event starting time. If unsure, please call (630) 510-4941 or email dupagemuseum@ wheatonparks.org before leaving home.
Mark your calendar and plan to invite friends to join us for this once-a-month time together this summer.
• June 13 • July 11 • August 8
This I Believe: Meditations on the Apostle’s Creed June 18 -August 27
In the Commons at 9:30 a.m.
Returns this summer. More details coming soon.
A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J. I. Packer
Copies available at the bookstall or on the first night Thursdays at 7 p.m.
Beginning June 8 in the Commons
For elementary students: Twists & Turns VBS, Adventure Days and 4th & 5th Grade Hangouts
For preschoolers: Preschool Adventure Days
All events are $5 and from 1-3 p.m. (except hangouts which are on Sundays 2-3)
