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Stewardship Planning Team

The Stewardship Planning Team (SPT) is the local visioning committee of the Chicago AC church. The committee that is tasked with keeping the whole church informed and engaged and to ensure that all aspects are being addressed according to the Word and to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

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When shall I come and appear before God?

noreply@blogger.com (Chicago SPT)

In the previous post, we discussed the widow in 2 Kings 4 who asked for, and received, help from her community. In our culture, why is asking for help so hard sometimes? Maybe we want to be independent and do it all, or maybe we don't want to be a bother to our "busy" loved ones (both deceptions that Satan relishes). Going into first-person mode here for a minute: Sometimes I feel that it is the responsibility of others-- my family, church, even God-- to be aware of my needs and support me, without me communicating what those needs are. In Psalm 42 the musician writes, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" (v. 1-2, emphasis mine). The language choice here is interesting. He doesn't say, "When will God help me?" the author places the onus of action on his own person, "When shall I come?"Similarly, see the

noreply@blogger.com (Chicago SPT)

In 2 Kings 4:1-7, we read of a woman who had two sons, a deceased husband, and a mountain of bills to pay. What did she not have? Money to assuage the creditor who was threatening to sell her children into slavery. The woman approached the prophet Elisha for assistance. Elisha's solution? Go to your community. God will use your neighbors to work a miracle. It is likely that the community was not wealthy, but they were willing to give what they had - simple, empty jars that could be used to store oil. God did work a miracle in this widow's life. He provided fine oil that she could sell to pay her debts and provide for her family. However, the plan for this miracle required community involvement, and it also required the widow to be open with her struggles and seek out support. Had she not asked her neighbors for assistance, and had they not provided, the widow's sons would have been taken from her. While this woman initially lacked the necessary finances to pay her c

Joyfully Reflecting Jesus' Peaceful Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Chicago SPT)

Once again, our country finds itself in a historic, tumultuous time, with tensions poised to escalate this week in the nation's capital. As we have conversations in our community this week or interact with others on social media, let's keep Scripture hidden (or not so hidden) in our hearts, as well as our church's Guiding Principle F: "We see God’s value in each individual and joyfully reflect Jesus’ peaceful spirit." May we recall the counsel of the early church fathers,1 Thes 5:15- "See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men."Take comfort in the Word of the LORD,Isaiah 9:6 KJV — "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."And hold fast to the promises of Christ.John 14:27 KJV

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Chicago SPT)

Warmest wishes for a blessed Christmas week as we remember the birth of our Savior. Some things change, but the greatest story ever told never will!"For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." (Hebrews 2:16-17)Blessings,The SPT

Call to Action and Local Initiatives

noreply@blogger.com (Chicago SPT)

Greetings!We have an update to share with you that we hope will alleviate more confusion than it causes!As you are aware, over the past few years, our international brotherhood has developed Vision and Purpose statements, as well as a set of Guiding Principles. Shortly before those statements were released, we developed our own Vision and Guiding Principles here in Chicago. We recognize that it is tricky to distinguish between two Visions and two different sets of Guiding Principles; however, we do feel that all of these statements are useful and have their place. Therefore, we have decided to change the title of Chicago's Vision and Guiding Principles to avoid some confusion. Our local Vision statement will now be known as "Chicago's Call to Action", and our local Guiding Principles will be called "Local Initiatives".To summarize...Chicago's Call to Action (formerly known as local Vision statement): "Renew, Equip, Connect, and Serve for Go

Prayerful selection

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I exhort therefore that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge or the truth. --1 Tim 2:1-4We thank God for our church's prayer warriors, especially as we consider the selection of a future minister (or ministers) and as our nation elects the future leader of our government. We trust that all is in God's hands (Proverbs 21:1). May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15), and may we exemplify that peace to all we associate with!Press on, Chicago,The SPT

Committee Spotlight: Bible Distribution

noreply@blogger.com (Chicago SPT)

Greetings!The Bible Distribution Committee is an important behind-the-scenes group that has been active during the pandemic. The committee currently includes Bro. Norm S., Sis. Kathy S., and Sis. Rachel M.What is the driving force behind the distribution process? Do people/organizations request Bibles?The distribution process is typically initiated by our committee, which periodically checks in with a handful of organizations to see if they need additional Bibles. That is not to say we never receive requests, but they are relatively few.What has you committee been doing lately?Sis. Kathy shared that she has distributed some "25 Bible Stories" books around her neighborhood. She said we have a good number of these Bible Story books in stock, if anyone else would be interested in giving them to some neighbors!Sis. Kathy also shared that she has been seeing some positive trends happening in a laundromat near her home. The committee has a set of pocket Bibles stationed

noreply@blogger.com (Chicago SPT)

I am a commodity that no one wants but everyone is seemingly pushing. While no one really wants me, throngs gravitate toward me and latch onto me. I am a powerful tool used by public figures, but dwelling in me leads to weakness and division. What am I?Fear. Fear thou not; for I am with thee:Be not dismayed; for I am thy God:I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. -Isaiah 41:10Fear is pushed at us from all sides. Fear sells. And there is a whole lot of scary stuff happening right now. We're not here to tell you how to handle the complex and uncertain situations you are facing today. Just know that God is. He promises to strengthen you, help you, and uphold you. A couple of chapters before this verse, Isaiah told King Hezekiah that everything he had including his sons, would be carried away by Babylonians. Hezekiah responded "Good is the Word of the Lord which thou hast spoken."

VBS 2020: The Path of the Prodigal

noreply@blogger.com (Chicago SPT)

VBS went virtual this past week as the kids heard the story of the Prodigal Son with a State Fair twist! Boxes of crafts and snacks were distributed beforehand and stories/activities were brought to you by Zoom. Some fantastic participants are pictured below. Costumed volunteers were spared this post. :) While the children's portion of VBS is over, we still have two more Wednesday nights of VBS for Bible Class and adults, at 7pm on Zoom. Thankful for the technology to make Virtual VBS possible! See you Wednesday. Blessings, The SPT

noreply@blogger.com (Chicago SPT)

"What man is there of you, if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" -Matthew 7:9-11 What encouragement these words bring! Firstly, for fathers-- It seems that it is pretty easy to meet the criteria for "good gifts unto your children"... Don't give rocks or snakes to your hungry kids! Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves when simply doing our best to meet the needs of our children is enough? Then, of course, for all of us-- Whether or not our Earthly father met/meets our needs (for whatever reason), we have a Heavenly Father who promises to give good things to his children, far beyond what we can comprehend. Praise God for his graciousness and goodness! Happy (Belated) Father's Day. We look forward to the good gift of returning t

Apostolic Christian Church

Chicago

Location

1401 S. Wolf Road
Hillside, IL 60162

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