Download - Wheatland Life - June - August, 2011
AND THE WALLS COME TUMBLING DOWN!
UPDATE: KIGOMA COMMUNITY CENTER
An update on the Oswego expansion
Construction is nearly complete! View the progress and read about the impact it has in the community.
WHAT JESUS PROMISEDWeeding the garden of the soul
THE GROWING SEASON
general
the devoted life
life in community
the generous life
In this issue:
Worship InfoP5
Who We Are /About WLP4
What Jesus Promised
P6-8
Growing in Student
MinistriesP10
And The WallsCome Tum-bling down!
P12-13
Growing in Children’s
MinistryP14-15
Come Be a Star at WSCA
P15
If You Build itP13
Moms By FaithP16
Update: Kigoma
Community Center P20-21
Growing in God’s Love
P18
3
Worship Information
Welcome to Wheatland Salem Church. We are a community of Chr istian believers captivated by a simple and profound mission:
Love God. Love Others . Change the wor ld.
If you’ve been around churches before that seems pretty basic . It is . But we‘re ser ious about it.
Whatever we devote our-
selves to – another per-
son, a job, some sor t of
lifestyle, some goal or personal achieve-
ment – changes us. Sometimes that is
amazingly good and sometimes it is
highly destructive. We become what we
worship. Getting the center of things
right is critically impor tant. The foun-
dation of our mission is making and
maintaining the connection with God
through Jesus Christ.
Those with whom we share life change
us, too. Community is one of God’s
amazing gifts. Wheatland Salem Church
values not only authentic personal faith,
but genuine relationships. This isn’t al-
ways easy, but we want to stay within
arms’ length of others so we can love
and be loved, forgive and be forgiven,
encourage and be encouraged, pray for
others and be prayed for ourselves. We
aren’t interested in love as a theological
concept or a theory, but as a practical
choice, a daily way of life .
And then, because we are changed
by God and changed by the people
with whom we share life, we influence
change in the par t of the world where
we live: our families, neighborhood,
school, spor ts teams, work, fr iendships
– you name it. When we are centered
on Christ and connected with others of
a similar hear t and mind, a lot of world-
changing happens. We seek to be the
good we want the world to become.
Our congregation lives out this mis-
sion through our values of authentic
faith, genuine relationships, vibrant wor-
ship, local and global missions, and an
unwavering focus on the next genera-
tions. Our logo seeks to communicate
visually that, among other things, every-
one is welcome to enter this commu-
nity of believers just where they are,
to explore the variety of ways in which
they can become par t of this mission,
imagine where the path of faith might
lead them, and find their center in Jesus
Christ.
If you are just beginning to explore
your spiritual journey, are reconnecting
with your faith, or are entering a new
season of your life , welcome to Wheat-
land Life.
Who We Are
About Wheatland LifeWheatland Life is a quar terly publication which is writ-
ten, designed, edited, and printed by members and staff
at Wheatland Salem Church. We do our best to ensure
that all content is accurate and error free, but we’re only
human. Email [email protected] with
typos or corrections.
Help OutIf you would like to volunteer your time or resources to assist with the
creation of Wheatland Life, contact the Communications Team:
Shawn Hubbard - [email protected]
Eric Stepien - graphic_ar [email protected]
Grace Toledo - [email protected]
4
Worship Information
Worship Info
Sunday Morning8:30 a.m. Traditional service in the Sanctuary9:45 and 11 a.m. Contemporary services in the Contemporary Worship Center
Healing ServiceFour th Saturday of each month at 5 p.m. in the Sanctuary
Weekly Prayer MeetingTuesdays, 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. in the Prayer Room
1852 W. 95th St, Naperville IL.
Naperville Campus
Oswego Campus1217 Wolf Road, Oswego, IL.
For information about our loca-
tions or driving directions, visit
wheatlandsalem.org/our-location
Scan these QR codes with your
smar tphone for a map of each of
our locations.
Naperville Oswego
Find Us Online
Use Your Phone
We begin regular Sunday morning worship at our Oswego campus on September 11th.Visit wheatlandsalem.org/oswego to learn more about our other Oswego campus events and how you can help with the September 11th launch.
Sermon SeriesJune - August, 2011Bible stories we thought we knew: fresh pickings from God’s word.
Have a hazy recollection of Bible stories? This summer we’ll explore Old & New Testament characters in a way they didn’t talk about when you were a child in Sunday School.
Get Connected / Stay ConnectedWant to keep “in the loop” about what’s going on? Be sure to.. .
1. Subscribe to our weekly e-news (go to wheatlandsalem.org/im-new)
2. Visit wheatlandsalem.org frequently
3. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter (@wheatlandsalem)
4. Join us for worship on Sundays
5
What Jesus Promised
By: Scott Field - Senior Pastor
B ecause in the way God has designed life,
growth is simply, and amazingly, normal.
We all know the secret: put a seed in the
right conditions and it will grow. There is no holding
it back. No matter if it’s a dandelion or a sunflower, a
silver maple or a sequoia – in the simple conditions
of appropriate soil, water, and sunlight, the seed will
sprout and grow and become mature. It is almost
a foregone conclusion. Fruit and vegetables don’t
worr y about tr ying harder so they grow faster or
better or bigger.
Most of us, however, worr y about tr ying harder a
whole lot. We labor under the assumption that if
we just work at something harder and longer, we’ll
get the results we have been seeking. We transfer
this perspective to our spirituality and put ourselves
under the burden of doing more, doing better, and
tr ying harder. Many of us end up, as Garrison Keillor
observed, worshiping at the shrine of Our Lady of
Perpetual Responsibility.
Is this what Jesus promised?
No wonder so many of us come to the conclusion
that really, actively following Jesus is for moral ath-
letes. We just don’t have the determination, strength,
and persistence to always do more and do better at
everything in our lives.
What Jesus Promised
Have you ever seen an apple break a sweat?
a tomato straining to ripen?
a cucumber fretting about wHat to be wHen sHe grows up?
of course not.
6
More than “Silly Love Songs”?Maybe we’re just trying too hard.
If we’re continually on over load, perhaps we’ve
actually missed the main point. The main point, at
least as we have it from the Bible, is not that we live
busy lives or, God forbid, driven lives, but holy lives.
This is shocking, unwelcome, even repulsive to hear
since our culture has done a ver y good job of hijack-
ing the image of holy living. It has become a carica-
ture of dull, lifeless, repressed, moral score-keeping
painted in just a few shades of gray. Nothing could
be far ther from the truth.
Here’s the gospel truth:
- God’s salvation frees us; it does not imprison us.
- Jesus brings our deliverance, not our
condemnation.
- The role of the Holy Spirit is not to remind
us to tr y harder, but to fill us with love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
- God is still in the redemption business. God
specializes in turning the tables, confounding the
conventional wisdom, upending the anxious, and
generally bringing something very, ver y good
out of some very bad situations.
This IS what Jesus promised:
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus
stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who
is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes
in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures
declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from
his hear t.’ ” (John 7:37-38)
Get it?
God’s way is the way we’ve been looking for all
along. Freedom. Grace. Truth. Peace. Joy. All the big-
gies we say money can’t buy, but we’re desperate to
attain anyway.
We can have a river of life flowing through the
center of our soul? Absolutely!
But we cannot experience it by trying harder.
In fact, we can only experience it by what pastor
and author John Or tberg has called, “tr ying softer.”
This is why apples don’t break a sweat and cucum-
bers don’t fret. When seeds and rain and soil and
sunlight get together, God has designed it so
those seeds grow up to what God intended
in the first place.
The same is true for the human soul.
We can be deeply relieved to know that it is God’s
Spirit that shapes and grows our soul. Our primary
task is simply to put ourselves in the place where
we shall meet the Holy Spirit. This isn’t creepy or
mysterious. It is pretty straightforward. At Wheatland
Salem we describe this ages-old spiritual strategy
as the Devoted Life, the Life in Community, and the
Generous Life. The “putting ourselves in the place
where the Holy Spirit has access to us” is simple, too.
Engaging the Scriptures•
Praying•
Worshiping•
Sharing life within a smaller group of other be-•
lievers on a regular basis
Living generously by investing our faith, our time, •
our abilities, and our financial resources for the
benefit of others in Jesus’ name.
What Jesus Promised
7
What Jesus Promised
These simple practices clear away the clutter and
allow space and time for the Holy Spirit to pour
God’s life-giving work into our fret-filled, over-
whelmed lives.
This summer, like all summers, will fly by.
Already we may have the calendar packed with
events, vacations, tasks, camps, spor ts, and the like
that we’ve designed to make it a “wonderful sum-
mer.” But we will likely come to the end of the
summer having had a good enough time but still
faced with the persistent question of “is this what it’s
really all about? We’ve been busy. We’ve tried hard to
make sure we all had a good time. But we still seem
to be missing something.”
With all of the reminders that God has woven
growth into creation from beginning to end, clear a
small patch in your soul. Give the Holy Spirit a little
room to work. Experience, maybe again or maybe for
the first time, the wonderful difference between the
burden of a hassled life and the joy of holy living. Tr y
a little softer and see what happens.
Upcoming Worship Themes
Summer Series: Bible Stories We
Thought We Knew
6/12 Bible stories for 100 Pastor Bob preaching
6/19 Ruth: The outsider welcomed in Pastor Carol preaching
6/26 Lydia: spiritual but not religious Pastor Scott preaching
7/3 Abram: This is the best God could do? Pastor Scott preaching Holy Communion at all worship hours
7/10 Moses: falling forward Pastor Scott preaching
7/17 He said what?! Pastor Bob preaching
7/24 NoahandGod’sfloodrecoveryplan Pastor Scott preaching
7/31 Zacchaeus: wee man - BIG change! Pastor Carol preaching
8/7 Prophets run marathons Pastor Bob preaching Holy Communion at all worship hours
8/14 John the Baptist and the good news Pastor Scott preaching
8/21 You are here...where is God? Pastor Carol preaching
8/28 Friends at Bethany: Mary, Martha & Lazarus Pastor Scott preaching
9/4 David: Love for a renegade child Pastor Scott preaching Holy Communion at all worship hours
8
We’re launching Sunday morning worship on September 11th, 2011
Are you interested in helping us launch?
Join us at our Oswego Campus every Sunday morning for worship starting on September 11th, 2011. For more infor-mation about our Oswego Campus, please visit wheatland-salem.org/oswego.
WSC’s Oswego Campus is located at 1217 Wolf Rd.
View a list of serving opportunities and signup information on wheatlandsalem.org/oswego, under the ‘volunteer’ tab.
Contact Pastor Bob Butler for more information.
For more information, visit wheatlandsalem.org/oswego, or contact Pastor Bob Butler : email: [email protected]; phone: 630.904.1035 ext. 134
Wheatland Salem is extending to Oswego...
Join the growth
Growing in Student Ministries
Growing in Student MinistriesBy: Shay Cranmer
10
The connective tissue of this issue of Wheatland
life is “the growing season”—and we’re in a re-
ally unique position of being both in a growing
and shaping season with our ministr y and ministering to
kids while they’re in their growing and shaping season.
However, a lot of potential volunteers get a little nervous
about kids and they can’t imagine getting past that first
step and actually showing up in a room full of teenagers.
I can still remember walking upstairs to the high school
room on the very first night that Colin and I were be-
ing introduced as the new Youth Pastor and his pregnant,
puffy wife. Let me tell you, even after working with kids
and teenagers for about ten years before that—there is
still a feeling of your stomach dropping out of your body
when being introduced to an entirely new group of stu-
dents. It’s nerve-wracking! So, what does it take to be a
killer youth leader? Can you really get past that awkward
first meeting, or will you always feel like you’re just “not
cut out to be around kids?” Here’s my in-the-trenches
tips on connecting with students.
Approach them. Students are funny. While you’ll get a
few super-extraver ts (maybe one per group) that might
come and talk to you, most are shy around new people.
I’ve seen lots of adults sit away from students and then
wonder why they didn’t have a good time. Choose a
student that’s a little disengaged from the group and in-
troduce yourself.
Ask questions! I used to play an improvisation game
where two people had to go as long as they possibly
could while only asking each other questions. It’s easier
in real life because the other person is actually giving
you answers that ser ve as bridges to more questions and
conversation. Questions are like gifts, giving the person
an oppor tunity to talk without having to wrack their
brain for what to say. The more questions you can ask,
the more gifts you have to offer to them.
Be yourself. Contrar y to popular opinion, the best youth
leaders are not spor t guys in their middle 20’s. Our goal
is truly to build a family around our students, and families
need grandparents and aunts and uncles and extra moms
and siblings. People in general, but especially youth, are
constantly assessing where they stand in regards to be-
ing well-liked and accepted. The most effective leaders I
have ever seen have all had something in common. They
were just fine being their quirky, boring, goofy, normal
old selves—which lends itself towards students feeling
comfor table being their quirky, boring, goofy, normal old
selves. They are just as worried about being liked by you
as you are worried about being liked by them. Like bears
and spiders. If you are genuinely interested in who they
are, they’ll pick up on that and feel comfor table.
An oft-quoted verse is Matthew 9:37—“the harvest is
many, but the workers are few.” However, verse 36, im-
mediately before that may be more telling. (36)“When
he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because
they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a
shepherd. (37)And he said to his disciples, “The harvest
is vast, but the workers are few.” Compassion was what
moved Christ’s hear t and adolescence is a time that needs
great compassion and understanding, but also when they
are close to the message of Christ like no other time. It
is difficult to get over the nervousness of approaching
any harvest, but that same nervousness speaks to the fact
that it is impor tant that we do.
11
“And the walls come tumbling down!”By: Pastor Bob Butler
And The Walls Come Tumbling Down!
S o, how’s it going in Oswego?” is the most
asked question by those I come across these
days. For some, it seems we have been talking
about Oswego forever and for others, they act
surprised and then inquisitive. Of course, the natural
flow of questions follows which then invariably leads
to them offering a suggestion that we should offer a
few ministries over there. It’s at this point I instantly
recall the story of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a proph-
et who for twenty years commuted between Babylon
and Jerusalem to encourage God’s people to renew or
begin anew a faithful covenant with God by rebuilding
their war torn city. The covenant suggested required
faithfulness, laying hold of God’s forgiveness and learn-
ing to practice a more holy life . The task that most
symbolized the community’s commitment to God was
the rebuilding of the wall that surrounded the city.
This was a project so large it forced everyone to work
together while placing faith in God’s bigger vision for
His kingdom. Can you imagine how amazing it must
have been to live and be involved in that event? Rarely
in this life do we get the chance to be involved in
projects bigger than ourselves. Sure, we have all been
involved in a prayer, a conversa-
tion, a worship song or a sacrament
that has left us feeling God’s Spirit
profoundly. This sense of his pres-
ence serves as confirmation of our
walk with Him. More impor tantly,
it begins a journey of discovery. A
journey that can be troubling at first,
empowering after a shor t while, and
later strengthening as persistence
becomes more impor tant than strat-
egy. Have you ever connected to a
project so large, you knew He was
carr ying you, directing you and refus-
ing to let you quit?
This is how I describe our adventure
in Oswego. Everyday has had its
victories and challenges. The Oswego Youth Leadership
group is going well on Wednesday nights but we need
to connect with more kids. The Thursday night recov-
er y ministr y has been growing and lives are changing
but we need a musician or two to make the night
more worshipful. We’ve had some amazing Sunday
evenings in which those wanting to build the founda-
tion of the second campus have been transformed.
The Sunday teachings and testimonies have been
inspiring; sometimes to the point of tears and other
times the testimonies have kept us snickering for days.
It’s no wonder the group wants to do more together!
We are adding a woman’s study on Friday mornings
led by Kim Bockay and a Men’s group on Saturday
If you’d like to be involved in the efforts
to launch the Oswego Campus please
contact Pastor Bob Butler at
or 630.904.1035 x134
12
mornings led by Kevin Blocker (both study groups
are in the latest Wheatland Salem ministr y catalog).
In addition to the on-going ministries, we’ve been out
meeting our neighbors, collecting goods for the local
food pantr y and suppor ting a local medical clinic. We
also have held a couple of preview services so people
can come and see who we are and how we worship.
In our first preview service in March, we had around
130 in attendance. The second service on Palm Sunday
continued our building process as we connected serv-
ing, fellowship and worship. As we move toward our
official first day of weekly worship the second week of
September, we will continue to offer children, youth,
and adult activities to cement our commitment to the
community and to each other. This summer we will be
offering Wheatland Café, Kids’ Club, Spor ts Camp and
two separate outdoor worship services. Our plan, like
Nehemiah’s, is to utilize all those in the community of
Wheatland Salem Church as well as all those we come
in contact with to build a community to “Love God.
Love others. and Change the world.”
Nehemiah had a mission to rebuild a city and change
the world of His people. We have a similar one. We
too, are called to build a community of believers that
are willing to be faithful and share Christ’s grace while
daily practicing what it means to be a Christ follower.
And The Walls Come Tumbling Down! / If You Build It...
Last Fall, after discussions spanning several months, the Wheatland Salem Church
Board entered into an agreement with Wheatland Athletic Associa-tion (WAA) for the use of church proper ty to develop a top quality youth baseball field. Many Wheat-land Salem families are familiar with spor ts programs for their own children. Many of our parents have coached WAA teams. WAA made a large financial investment in kind by paying for the construction of the field and will continue to pay for
its maintenance during the ten year length of the agreement. The field at Wheatland Salem will be used pri-marily by WAA teams whose mem-bers live in close proximity. These are our neighbors who will be playing ball at Wheatland Salem.
This multi-year agreement gives exclusive use to WAA teams for practice and games during baseball season. Essentially that means those children have use on weekdays from 3:30 pm until dusk, on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until dusk, and on Sun-days from 1 p.m. until dusk.
This par tnership between Wheat-land Salem Church and the Wheat-land Athletic Association is another way we seek to bless and serve the community by providing space to play for some of the 221 teams and 3500 kids involved in baseball, T-Ball, and softball.
So – please be aware of lots of kids on the church proper ty when you are driving into the parking lots and, if you have a lawn chair with you, stop by to watch a game or two!
Where do you put 3500 kids who want to play T-Ball, baseball, and softball? Some of them will be playing at Wheatland Salem this summer!
Partnership between WSC and the WAA hits a home run!
If you build it… By: Scott Field - Senior Pastor
13
Growing in Children’s MinistryBy: Linda Young - Coordinator of Children’s Ministry
As I star ted writing this ar ticle, I was looking outside
my front window and saw the daffodils and tulips
coming up. The whole yard seems to be coming
alive, and is changing from brown to green. The buds are
all over my trees and you can actually smell spring in the
air. I’ve even star ted growing some seeds in the house to
plant in my garden later on in May. I love this time of year
when we see such dramatic change in our scenery and the
growing that is taking place.
As we entered the spring, we held our first spring break
camp in Oswego. It was called Camp Break Out and we
had 20 children attend from the area. We traveled with Paul
through the week, and learned of his unfailing love for God.
We learned that we can “Live Out Loud” just like Paul did,
and share our faith and love of God with others. We did
woodworking projects, and even created our own miniature
golf course for golfing at the end of the week. We had 16
willing hear ts come along side of the kids to make this week
happen. We were all blessed by our time together.
Children’s Ministr y in the summer is much like my yard
and garden; it just keeps growing and going. June 13th -16th
we will be having Kids’ Club, our VBS. This year we are
anticipating 300 children with the addition of the Oswego
area children. The kids from the Oswego area will be taking
a bus from the Oswego Campus and joining us here at the
Naperville Campus for Kids’ Club each day. This year our
theme is Mission: Possible; we will be secret agents. Look
around the Naperville Campus for clues to this summer’s
Kids’ Club.
How do we keep growing and going in Sunday School
this summer? Well, that’s easy! We will be learning about
Bible Heroes and their stories. Each week at 9:45 a.m.
we will travel from Bible Time to Game Time to Craft /
Activity Time. Be prepared for fun
each week! This is not our normal
Sunday School routine so join us for
something different this summer.
Brook Cherith Camp closed its doors at the conclusion
of camp last summer which left many children and me with
a heavy hear t. But, when one door is closed another door
opens. The door that has opened for us is Reynoldswood
Camp in Dixon, Illinois. We have 20 children registered
to attend this camp, and we will be there the week of July
10th-15th. We are all called to go and to serve, and God
has called me to attend camp with our kids from Wheat-
land Salem. I went to Brook Cherith for the last 6 years,
and I am off to Reynoldswood with our kids this summer.
There is still time to sign up so don’t miss out on this
oppor tunity.
“What is the value of going to camp?” you may ask. Camp
is an amazing experience for children from the moment
they are dropped off. They learn how to be independent,
make new friends, spend time outside and away from
electronics and do so many new activities. It’s a great envi-
ronment to grow in their faith, and I have seen so many kids
at camp accept Jesus as their personal Savior and friend.
I know each year that I go to camp my faith is renewed and
my time with the Lord in a nature setting is like nothing
else. Summer Camp is a fun, faith filled week that all kids
will enjoy.
Spor ts are a big par t of summer, and an American past
time. We are proud to be hosting our 8th annual Spor ts
Camp. We par tner with Unchar ted Waters Spor ts Ministr y
out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. This year our theme
is Breaking Free, and we will be offering soccer, basketball,
cheer leading, and volleyball at the Naperville Campus.
Growing in Children’s Ministr y
14
If you’re not interested in spor ts we also offer a drama
component. The last day of camp we have a time for par-
ents to come and see the cheer leaders and drama kids per-
form, and the coaches will play against the soccer, volleyball,
and basketball players. Spor ts Camp runs the week of July
18th-22nd. We will run the camp in the morning in Naper-
ville and in the evening in Oswego. At the Oswego camp
we will be offering soccer, basketball and cheer leading.
Spor ts Camp is a fun week of learning and playing the spor t
you choose, and it is also a time to learn of spor ts heroes and
how they relate to people from the Bible. UW Spor ts Ministr y
always brings the best coaches to lead
us in spor ts and the word through our
week together. We need about 25-
30 people to help to make this happen.
Our greatest number of volunteers is youth, and to watch
them grow, lead and share is always a wonderful bonus to
the week.
As you can see, Children’s Ministr y does not slow down
in the summer ; in fact, this is our busiest time of the year.
This is the perfect “Growing Season”. We have so much to
offer the kids of WSC and their fr iends this summer. I know
I will be at these events and I hope to see your kids and their
fr iends too. God has big plans for us this summer. Come
and join us.
By: Nancy Brossman - Wheatland Salem Christian Academy Principal
The Growing Season reminds us of the wish that educators and parents have for our
children and students in those lazy days of summer. We look for ways to have a continuum of their develop-ment and learning curve while still
enjoying the less demanding schedules we have for the other nine months! Statistics show that children frequently experience “summer learning loss” and spend the first month in the fall re-learning skills that seemed well established at the close of the school year. Keeping children engaged in interesting and recreational activities help to retain those developed skills. Our S.T.A.R program, Summer Themes for Academic Readiness, is a blend of academics and camp activities combined. Incorporating academics with fun outdoor activities will provide an excellent oppor tunity
to retain the developed skills and continue their learning in many ways. The S.T.A.R. program is offered Monday – Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Children will be grouped by Three year old and Pre-k or Kinder-gar ten and First Grade. Registration is on a weekly basis to allow for other summer activities families may have planned. New themes will be offered each week; themes as well as other additional information can be obtained by going to our website at wheatlandsalem.org and click on the Wheatland Academy link, 2011 Summer Program info.
Come be a S.T.A.R. at WSCA!
15
Moms By Faith
Moms By Faith (MBF) is a group of moms of all
ages, walks of life , and Christian faith,
suppor ting each other through life and
motherhood. The vision of MBF star ted out as a way to get
connected with other moms for suppor t, encouragement
and faith discovery. We have Faith Enrichment Days, activities
with our kids (Meet & Greets), Mom’s Night Outs, Couple’s
Night Outs, playgroups, lunch outings, charity events, librar y
activities, and much more.
At 11 p.m. the night before MBF’s ver y first Meet & Greet,
my mind was racing as I was praying, “Lord will anyone show
up? Was I crazy to star t a mom’s group? Oh Lord, just bring
at least a few moms to the door so I am not standing in
there alone with my son! Are you sure you want me to do
this? I am a mess. I’m just finding my own way on my jour-
ney. What if they ask me questions? What do I know about
star ting a Christian mom’s group? Okay, Lord, you say to
‘…walk by faith, not by sight’. I can’t do this but I know you
can. It’s all yours. Go for it!” By the way, 25 moms, with kids
in tow, attended that day. Lord, how great Thou ar t!
Recently when I was asked to talk about MBF and the
growth MBF has experienced over the past two years, my
mind immediately began swimming with images of the
moms and families with whom I’ve come in contact, the
friendships that have developed, the suppor tive community
that has been built and simply the fun times we have shared
through MBF. The growth of MBF in membership and
number of events just astounds me but I don’t believe
there are any pie char ts, graphs, or growth analyses that
could possibly measure the work that God has done and is
continuing to do through this group.
God has used MBF to bring moms closer to Him. Moms
who didn’t know what they believed are now in growing,
active, life-changing relationships with God. Moms who
were stumped on their journey have been rejuvenated in
spirit. Moms who felt their faith had grown stale have been
refreshed and feel alive in Christ. Moms who were afraid
to use the word Jesus or God outside of church are
sharing God’s love with friends and family. Moms who
only attended church are now par ticipating in church. The
impact this is having on every area of their lives is mind
blowing. God has not only used MBF as a gateway to bring
moms closer to Him but to bring moms closer to a whole
community of faith. When the group first star ted, a good
number of the moms were not connected to a church on
a regular basis, but since that time God has used MBF as a
gateway to bring people into communities of faith, whether
at WSC or other churches and groups in the area.
Friendships are being woven and bonded together with
Christ as the center. Moms are sharing their hear ts and
their lives with one another in community with Christ.
Children who may never have experienced the love of God
are now hearing the name of Jesus spoken aloud in their
homes with honor, and are enjoying fun Bible stories at
events, at home and at Sunday School. Husbands who were
bogged down with life’s burdens and star ting to wonder
if there was more to life have also been affected, whether
directly or indirectly, by their wives’ growing faith. Entire
families are being impacted, and that’s something I can
barely fathom.
To see and personally experience the amazing way God
uses MBF as a tool for His Kingdom has been the privilege
of a lifetime. I know that God doesn’t need my help or MBF
to do His work. He is God and can choose to work in what-
ever ways He chooses, but I am so deeply thankful that He
has allowed us “in” on His work. I am beyond words when
I glimpse God using MBF as His tool. I am grateful that I am
able to be a witness of His awesome plan.
Here we are two+ years later with blessings beyond
measure! Could it possibly get any better? God has
used MBF as a tool to catapult my own faith into a most
astounding relationship with God I never knew possible. My
cup runneth over! I cannot wait to see what He has in store
for MBF next but one thing I know for cer tain, it’s going to
be an amazing ride!
Go to momsbyfaith.org for more information or contact
Allie Hasan at (630) 416-3211.
Moms By Faith
16
by Allie Hasan
Plan to bring your Reconnect Christmas offering on Sunday, December 19th. Our goal is $50,000.
God’s greatest commandment is to love God and to love others (Matthew 22:37-39). How do we step out of our own comfor t zones to reach
out to others to show this love? Do we grow when we serve others? What does this look like in reality? One of my favorite books is John Or tberg’s If you Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat. This title alone is a definite statement of taking risks, growing in faith and God’s love. When we stay focused on Jesus our lives are transformed, our hear ts are changed, and we grow clos-er to Jesus, even though waves are crashing up against us. Wheatland Salem Church is a phenomenal church with lots of wonderful ministries. So much so, that at times, I see the church as the boat, or a comfor t zone. It can be a safe place protecting us from the waves of the realities of life around us. How can we be like Peter and step out of the boat, or in this case, get out of the four walls of our church building and make an impact for Jesus?
Serve the Community Days are intended to be a catalyst to go out and be the hands and feet of Jesus, giving people an active way to live out our mission, vision, and values of WSC. It gives the oppor tunity to Love God, Love Others, and Change the World through being the body of Christ out in the world. God’s love gives us the capability to out-stretch our arms to others. Loving others stems from God’s love and our trust in God to guide us. The hope is that each one who serves becomes more prepared for everyday service to make a long-term impact for Christ’s Kingdom through the relationships built with God, with one another, and with others outside our church building.
Many people have shared great stories of stepping out of their comfor t zones and taking risks to serve others. Taking this risk can be scar y, but the benefits outweigh the risks and in this case, the risks are healthy ones. Most people I talk to have been impacted by God’s love and they are amazed at what God taught them through their ser vice toward others and are energized to serve others on a more consistent basis. This year, Serve the Community Day was May 7th. My ques-tion is what happens to these people and organizations on May 8th, May 9th, etc. ? Therefore, I challenge every-one to at least one of three “Stepping out of the Boat” experiences to grow.
1. Sign up for a Serve the Community Day if you have never done one (the next one is in October) or contact the place you did serve and see how you may help in the future. 2. Serve someone who is in need that you may know at work, in the neighborhood, or in your family. Listen to God’s nudging on your hear t and act upon it. This may be a meal, a prayer, a hug, etc. Step out in faith, share God’s love, and let God guide you. 3. Prepare “Grace to Go” bags and put them in your car and then encourage others to do the same. A “Grace to Go” bag is a Ziploc bag (or other reusable bag) filled with items that someone who is homeless might need. Keep this bag with you and when you see someone who may need it, strike up a conversation, ask the person’s name, pray with the person, and offer the “Grace to Go” bag. You will be amazed at the blessing you both will receive.
Taking risks for God is an amazing growth experience. As Jesus said, “Whatever you have done for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matt. 25:40) I pray that each one who reads this takes the opportunity to seek God’s guidance in their life and how they may make an impact in the name of Jesus to further God’s Kingdom. The following are some Scriptures to develop deeper into God’s idea of serving and generosity:
Mark 10:35-451. 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:152. Matthew 5:13-163.
Growing in God’s Love Sometimes Means Taking Risks
By: Kim Neace - Coordinator of Outreach
Growing in God’s Love...
toothbrush•toothpaste•deodorant•shampoo•soap•sanitizing wipes•sunscreen •
warm caps •
socks•water bottles•juice drinks•nutrition bars•canned foods• (that don’t require an opener)
McDonalds dollars•
Suggested bag items:
18
Visit wheatlandsalem.org for speci�c times and registration information.
Daily ThemesBreaking Free From:
Blame to Responsibility• Lies to Truth • Weak to Strong Relationships • Fear to Faith • Temporary to eternal•
Join us for a fun-�lled week of basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, soccer, or drama*!
For kids grades 1-6 in the Fall. O�ered in both Naperville and Oswego, July 18-22.
*volleyball and drama will not be o�ered at the Oswego location.
Sports Camp 2011: Breaking Free
Tanzania Community Center Update
For Christmas 2008, the Wheatland Salem congrega-
tion did something we had never done before. We
called it Reconnect Christmas. We had two desires:
So we went boldly where we had not gone before.
We called upon one another to redirect our Christmas
spending; to set aside 25-50% of what we normally spend
on gifts and bring it for one big offering on a Sunday
morning in worship. And the offering, 100% of it, would
go to underwrite the costs of building a community
center in the village of Kigoma, Tanzania. This would
have an enormous benefit for the children as well as the
entire community of that town situated on the shore of
Lake Tanganyika. Our mission par tners there, Lowell and
Claudia Wer tz, had been dreaming of such a facility and it
seemed that Wheatland Salem might, with one large gift,
cover the cost of the entire facility. The goal for our first
Reconnect Christmas offering was $80,000.
God apparently had bigger things in
mind. On that Sunday we received
$148,000 and enough joy so that
just telling the story again gets us
smiling and laughing.
The extra funds provided for the
construction of a larger facility
that includes a librar y and a radio
station, as well as the originally
intended space for teaching,
meeting, and community programs.
Construction takes longer in
Kigoma – cement is mixed by
Update: Tanzania Community Center
First, could we do something to help ourselves,
personally, spiritually, as a congregation, get
beyond the cultural celebration and connected
in a ver y practical way with God’s gift of
redemption in Jesus? We wanted the “reason for the
season” to be more than a bumper sticker. We
wanted to do more than remember to go to
church at Christmas.
And second, what sor t of gift could we bring
that would make Jesus smile?
by Pam Moga
20
hand and carried in baskets; skilled labor is available, but
not abundant. The building is near ly complete. It has not
yet been “officially dedicated” but the pictures here show
the building and the first public event there: the gradua-
tion of 87 students from the Joy in the Harvest Computer
School and a crowd of near ly 300 who came to celebrate.
It was a big day in Kigoma – we trust the first of many,
many impor tant days related to that building.
We had planned to have a small delegation from
Wheatland Salem in Kigoma this summer for the
dedication of the building, but other matters have
prevented attendance. We do anticipate getting a
team there as soon as possible to rejoice with our
sisters and brothers in Kigoma as they extend the
work of Christ in that area.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
by Pam Moga
21
WSC Staff Directory
Lead Staff:
Scott Field, Senior Pastor, ext. 227Carol Gr iffith, Assistant Pastor, ext. 226Bob Butler, Assistant Pastor, ext. 134Amy Altenbern, Director of Ministr y, ext. 136Tar i Crema, Church Administrator, ext. 217
Pastors:
Scott Field, Senior Pastor, ext. 227Carol Gr iffith, Assistant Pastor, ext. 226Bob Butler, Assistant Pastor, ext. 134Ann Bergl ind, Admin. Assistant to the Pastor s, ext. 228
Caring Ministries:
Carol Gr iffith, Assistant Pastor, ext. 226Becky Keller, Next Generation Care Coordinator, ext. 114
Worship Arts:
Jen Liskey, Coordinator of Worship Ar ts, ext. 133Teddy Bennett, OrganistVicay Lauderdale , Choir Director
Outreach:
Kim Neace , Coordinator of Outreach, ext. 223
Volunteering/Connecting at Wheatland Salem:
Tar i Crema, Church Administrator, ext. 217
Adult Ministries:
Amy Altenbern, Director of Ministr y, ext. 136
Student Ministries:
Colin Cranmer, Coordinator of Student Ministr ies, ext. 141Pam Fecht, Student Ministr y Program Suppor t, ext. 140
Children’s Ministries:
Linda Young, Coordinator of Children’s Ministr y, ext. 409Vicki Saunder s, Childcare Super visor, ext. 407Deb Lionberger, Sunday School Super visor, ext. 410
Office Administration Team:
Grace Toledo, Office Administrator, ext. 222Kim Bailey, Administrative Assistant, ext. 225
Communications Team:
Shawn Hubbard, Coordinator of Web Ministr y, ext. 230Grace Toledo, Office Administrator, ext. 222Er ic Stepien, Graphic Ar ts, ext. 229Tom Har le , Technical Ar ts Coordinator, tech_ar [email protected]
Technology:
Jeff Mar tin, Systems Administrator, ext. 162
Business Office:
Theresa Stonehocker & Jul ie Cichy, Finance , ext. 220Ann Bergl ind, A.P. and Payroll , ext. 228
Wheatland Salem Christian Academy:
Nancy Brossman, WSCA Pr incipal , ext. 414Val Bi l l ingsley, WSCA Assistant Director, ext. 408Nancy Eble , WSCA Assistant Director, ext. 415Janet Bratta, Administrative Assistant, ext. 413
All staff can be reached at 630.904.1035 and their extension or at [email protected]
22
Check out The Well, a creative student-driven community where students learn how to use their gifts to tell God's story, take care of one another, and learn about their place in God's plan for humanity. Time is split between large group gatherings at the church, and small gatherings at house groups. This year, we'll be working in seven week blocks, each series looking at a new element of the Bible.
Sunday Nights @ Wheatland Salem Church
Visit wheatlandstudentmin.com for more information.
Wheatland Salem United Methodist Church1852 95th St.Naperville, IL 60564
Non-profit Org.U.S. Postage
PAIDPermit 250
West Chicago, IL
�nd The Well on facebook