District Ministry Center
September 20, 2019 - Issue 127
District Superintendent
Assistant District Superintendent
District Office Manager
District Connections Director
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If there is any way we can serve you better, please let us know!
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| Our Mission: "Multiplying Leaders, Ministries and Healthy Churches" |
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WE CAN LEARN BETTER HOW TO LOVE
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"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)
On the Damascus road, Saul began a new journey in his understanding of the church. Before he met Jesus, he didn't know who Jesus was. He didn't love Jesus, love outsiders or love the church that Jesus gave himself up for (Ephesians 5:25). He was yet to understand what fueled the movement that began in the Upper Room. Jesus told his disciples the night before he died, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this
everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"
(John 13:34-35). Saul didn't know how to lead with love. He was a hard driving apostle. Love was something he had to learn. Just like us, it took some time.
After Saul met Jesus, he knew Jesus was raised from the dead and was the long-awaited Messiah. So, this once zealous persecutor immediately became a zealous preacher, someone willing to openly debate about Jesus even in Jerusalem. Saul's hard-driving ways stirred up Jews to want to kill Christians even more (Acts 9:29). That led the Jerusalem church to send Saul back to his home in Tarsus and only then did the church enjoy a time of peace! (Acts 9:31)
The Jerusalem church heard about the spiritual movement breaking out in Antioch, it needed someone to lead this work and they trusted Barnabas (Acts 11:22). When he arrived, "full of the Holy Spirit and faith...a great number of people were brought to the Lord" (Acts 11:24). Barnabas saw the spiritual potential for Kingdom growth and knew he could not lead alone. He needed help.
Barnabas had seen latent talent in Saul when others didn't (Acts 9:27). He had seen Saul speak and thought he had potential to be a great leader for the Nazarene movement. So, Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul and convinced him there was a place for him in the church. Some scholars think Saul may have been on the spiritual sidelines for eight years, left by a Jerusalem church who thought his personality was too "visionary" and confrontational (Acts 9:29-30). It was Barnabas who rescued Saul to the church by bringing him to Antioch, mentoring him and giving him a place to serve (Acts 11:25-26). Just like us, over time Saul changed. He learned how to love. Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a look at this theme together.
The above paragraphs are part of a chapter entitled, "The Greatest of These - Is Love," from the book entitled, "Fueling the Nazarene Movement with Love." It is being submitted to the Nazarene book committee this month and should be published this fall. Thanks to
each of you
for being Christ in Action on our district, in the community where God has placed you. Great days are ahead on the CCD team - you are loved.
Dr. Larry McKain, Superintendent
Chicago Central District
Church of the Nazarene
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Jeff and Wanda Murray with their grandkids who live in Wheaton, IL |
CHICAGO NORTHSIDE INSTALLATION
We are excited to announce the arrival of Pastor Jeff and Wanda Murray to the Chicago Central District and the United States! Pastor Jeff comes to us from Dublin, Ireland.
He has accepted the call to pastor our Chicago Northside church. We will be having an installation service on Sunday, September 29 at 2:30p at Chicago Northside locate
d at
1900 W Leland Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.
We hope you can join us for this special day, all are invited to attend!
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MICHAEL PARENTI - NEW LOMBARD PASTOR
This past Sunday, Pastor Michael Parenti accepted the call to serve as Pastor of our Lombard Chu
rch! They will be joining the congregation at the beginning of November.
The Parenti family consists of Pastor Michael, his wife, Kiana, and their 5 children. Michael and Kiana have been serving with the Church of the Nazarene for over 20 years and are dedicated to proclaiming the gospel.
Michael currently pastors the New Beginnings Asheboro Church of the Nazarene (formerly Asheboro First) and pastors the church plant, New Beginnings Winston-Salem, NC. The family services together using their various gifts including speaking
music and art.
Over the past 20 years, Pastor Michael has served as a youth pastor, associate pastor, senior pastor, evangelist and church planter.
We are excited to have them join our district team, please be in praying for them in these days of transition.
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PRETEEN MISSION TRIP - DEADLINE APPROACHING!
The preteens on the Chicago Central District are invited to on our Preteen Mission Trip, October 11-13, 2019, at the Salvation Army Church in Kankakee. All fifth and sixth graders are eligible to participate. The trip will begin on Friday evening at 7p and finish after lunch on Sunday afternoon. The cost is $40 per person and registration is due by
September 25.
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PRIME TIME THANKSGIVING DINNER
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e are looking forward to our annual district Prime Time Thanksgiving Dinner! Senior adults from across the district are invited to join us on Tuesday, November 19th at Kankakee First Church from 11am - 1pm for food, fellowship and entertainment. Tickets are $14 per person.
More details will follow - mark your calendar today!
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LOCAL WORK AND WITNESS OPPORTUNITY
Pastor Debora White and the Sheldon Church request help with the following projects:
1. Scrape and paint the outside of the church (cinder block, Sheldon will provide the paint).
2. Remove pews in the sanctuary to make room for chairs.
3. Remove carpeting in the sanctuary to make room for new flooring.
These are great weekend projects for a men's group, youth group, Sunday School class, etc. and would be an immense blessing to the Sheldon Church.
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DISTRICT WORK AND WITNESS TRIP
Join friends from around our Chicago Central District on this amazing Work & Witness trip to Nairobi, Kenya. We will be working at Africa Nazarene University to help them update all of their classrooms in celebration of their 25
th
Anniversary of the university.
Our trip will be from May 10 - May 20, 2020. The cost is $2,000. All project funds are being supplied by the CCD NMI district council. Please contact Lynne Utter at
[email protected]
or Ralph Goodwin at
[email protected]
for more information.
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AVAILABLE
DEPUTATION SERVICES
Below are some opportunities for upcoming deputation services on the district.
Email Denise Anderson at
[email protected]
or call 815-370-4318 with any questions!
- Dan and Melody Anderson (serving in Uganda)
- Available dates:
- Monday Oct 21
- Tuesday Oct 22
- Saturday Oct 26
- Sunday Oct. 27
- Monday Oct 28
- Tuesday Oct 29
- Tim and Michelle Eby (Africa region) who will be here and available to speak on
- Available dates:
- Monday Sept 23rd
- Tuesday Sept 24th
Check out missionaries available in 2020 on the NMI website. Go to ccdnmi.org and click on Deputation Schedule to see the 4 missionaries and their availability.
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UPCOMING DATES
Mark your calendar!
- Thursday, October 3 | Pastors on Purpose and District Mission Strategy Team
- October 11 - 13 | District Preteen Mission Trip
- Saturday, November 2 | Cultivate at Kankakee First
- Thursday, November 7 | District Mission Strategy Team
- November 15-16 | Board of Ministry Discovery Weekend
- Saturday, November 16 | Children's Bible Quiz, Location TBA
- Thursday, December 5 | Pastors on Purpose and District Mission Strategy Team
- Thursday, January 2 | Pastors on Purpose and District Mission Strategy Team
- Saturday, January 4, 2020 | South/Southwest Mission Area Dinner
- Saturday, January 11, 2020 | Board of Ministry Training Day
- Saturday, January 18, 2020 | North/Northwest Mission Area Breakfast
- Saturday, January 25, 2020 | Central Mission Area Dinner
- Saturday, February 1, 2020 | Ordination Interviews
- Thursday, February 6, 2020 | Pastors on Purpose and District Mission Strategy Team
- Saturday, February 15, 2020 | Southern Mission Area Breakfast
- Saturday, February 22, 2020 | Chicago Mission Area Breakfast
- Saturday, February 22, 2020 | Children's Bible Quiz, Manteno
- Thursday, March 5 | Pastors on Purpose and District Mission Strategy Team
- Saturday, March 7, 2020 | District Advisory Board Meeting
- Saturday, March 7, 2020 | Children's Bible Quiz, Kankakee First
- Saturday, March 28, 2020 | NMI Convention
- Thursday, April 2 | Pastors on Purpose and District Mission Strategy Team
- Saturday, April 4, 2020 | Children's Bible Quiz, Kankakee Westbrook
- April 17 - 18, 2020 | District Assembly
- Thursday, May 7 | Pastors on Purpose and District Mission Strategy Team
- May 10 - 20 | District Work and Witness Trip, Nairobi, Kenya
- July 9-12 | Kids Camp, ONU
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PRAYER REQUESTS AND CELEBRATIONS
Your prayers are appreciated for Robyn Luttrell. Her heart-related epileptic seizures continue and the ocular ones, affecting her eyes, cause much pain.
Please pray for Pastor Andrew Twibell. He is taking a medical leave of absence from Kankakee First as he battles a recurrence of his brain cancer. Please pray for strength as he undergoes treatment.
We would love to hear any prayer requests or celebrations from our district pastors to include in our weekly communications. Please email us so we can lift each other up!
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UPCOMING LEADERSHIP COMMUNITY EVENTS
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October
November
Sun., Nov. 3 - Oak Lawn First 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Mon, Nov 11 - Joliet Crystal Lawns 6:30 - 8:15 pm
December
Please send us dates for your upcoming 2019 Leadership Community gatherings - we would like to promote those in our newsletter!
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If there is any way we can serve you better, please let us know!
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