Church of the Beloved launches tonight!

Immanuel was a church plant at one time and has planted one church from its own already (it didn’t make it). And now we get to be a part of the planting of two churches – Pilsen Community Church which launched last fall on 18th Street and Church of the Beloved which launches tonight at 4:00 PM at The Meeting Place. Please pray for these fledgling churches that they would be strengthened in the gospel and used to reach the lost and renew the found.

On April 23, 1865, Charles Spurgeon said to his congregation at the Metropolitan Tabernacle:

We have never sought to hinder the uprising of other Churches from our midst or in our neighborhood. It is with cheerfulness that we dismiss our twelves, our twenties, our fifties, to form other Churches. We encourage our members to leave us to found other Churches; nay, we seek to persuade them to do it. We ask them to scatter throughout the land to become the goodly seed which God shall bless. I believe that so long as we do this we shall prosper. I have marked other Churches that have adopted the other way, and they have not succeeded.

- C.H. Spurgeon, The Waterer Watered

Spurgeon didn’t just say this. While pastoring the Metropolitan Tabernacle, and seeing tremendous growth, he played a vital role in the planting of over 200 churches in and around London. What a beautiful example of Kingdom mindedness, missional focus, and gospel passion. May God grant that we could do the same thing here in Chicago, and from here to the nations!

Outreach this Saturday

On the first and third Saturdays from every month people from three UIC Area churches collaborate to share the love of God in Christ with the neighbors around The Meeting Place. We have been inviting people in for a soup lunch. This Saturday some members of the Near West Vineyard have prepared candy bags to take door to door to hand out and offer prayer to people. They’ve had a good experience doing this before around Valentine’s Day. If you want to be part of it, meet at The Meeting Place at 11:00 AM for prayer before heading out…

Church Planting

In just over a week, a new congregation – The Church of the Beloved – will be planted in the city using The Meeting Place on Saturday nights! Immanuel has been heavily involved with this project at several levels because we want to be part of starting as many churches in Chicago in as many ways as we possibly can!

Maybe the concept of church planting is new to you. Or maybe you’ve looked at it before, but forgotten why it’s such a big deal. Please look over the fabulous article, ‘Why Plant Churches?’

It makes a great case that “a vigorous and continuous approach to church planting is the only way to guarantee an increase in the number of believers, and is one of the best ways to renew the whole body of Christ.”

Also, we could still use about 4 more volunteers to help with Nursery during Church of the Beloved’s first couple services. This would be a great service to them and a tangible way you can be part of church planting! Please email kids for more info.

Table Talk

This Saturday (1/11) is the second Saturday of the month and that means there’s Table Talk – a no-holds-barred, yet civil discussion of some theological topic. This month we’ll dive in to ‘Dispensationalism’ together.

Specifically what is the relationship of Christians and the OT, Christians and Jews, Christians and the millennium?? Is it accurate to say that that a passage of the Hebrew Bible is about Jesus when that doesn’t seem to be what the author had in mind or the original audience understood? Does the church replace Israel? Will there be a rapture? Stuff like that… We’re anticipating that we won’t cover it all in one session J

Note: this month we will push the time up to 11:00 AM and be done by 1:00 PM. Lunch will still be served. At Nathandrea’s.

Soup Lunch This Saturday

Come over to The Meeting Place at 11:00 AM tomorrow (2/4) if you’d like to help serve lunch to and have gospel conversations with our neighbors in the park.

Church of the Beloved

Just a reminder to keep praying for Church of the Beloved as they are gearing up to launch on February 18th. And if anyone wants to come to the launch service to support them, you are welcome.

Also, we would really like to staff their nursery for at least the first two weeks (2/18 and 2/25) so that their whole core group can be present. If you could come and help out that way, please email kids right away.

Soup Lunch

The Soup Lunch has been cancelled today – FYI.

Soup Lunch this Saturday (1/21)

First and third Saturdays! Anybody can come and join people from the Near West Vineyard and Church of the Beloved in serving and talking with our neighbors who hang out in the park.

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at The Meeting Place.

Church of the Beloved is Launching Soon!

One of our Core Values is Church Planting. We want to be part getting more gospel-centered churches started in Chicago however we possibly can!

Dave Choi has spoken at Immanuel a couple of times and is currently a part of the Immanuel Pastoral Apprenticeship Program (IPAP). He is leading a core group to launch a new church called Church of the Beloved. They will be using The Meeting Place on Saturday evenings starting 2/18!!!!

Here are a few ways you can be directly involved in this:

· Please be praying for them as they gear up for their public launch and also after that. Pray for unity, energy, effectiveness, dependence, faithfulness, etc…

· It would be great if a dozen or so of us could come out for their first service to show support. It’s at 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 18th. Email Pastor Nathan if you plan to be there.

· Church of the Beloved has also asked if we could supply nursery workers for their first few services so that their whole core group could be present for that. If you’d be interested in serving this way, please email kids to sign up.

International Missions

A few items related to International Missions:

(1) We raised $300 in December for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This goes directly to IMB! Thanks.

(2) Park Church Community is hosting a ‘Perspectives’ Course starting on the 19th of January studying the world Christian movement over 15 weeks. You can check it out the first night without signing up or paying for the course. For more info go here.

(3) If you are looking to personally support more missionaries and/or have a heart for church planting in Japan, please contact Phil (askforbreakfast) to find out more about an exciting opportunity.

(4) Start training now for the first ever UIC Area 5K for missions coming this spring! More details to come…