950 Hart Road-Batavia, IL 60510
Church Office-630.879.7163
School Office-630.406.0157 Fax-630-879-7614
info@immanuelbatavia.org
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Ablaze Covenant Congregations I’d like to use my space for this month’s newsletter by writing a sort of primer on Immanuel’s “place” in Synod and the District these days. I believe it is fair to say that prior to our move from Webster Street to Hart Road in 1986, Immanuel was living for quite some time on a statistical and missional plateau. We were a small to medium congregation whose aging members were not being replaced as quickly as they died off or moved on. All that changed when some wonderfully visionary and bold (moving place and space is never easy!) leaders led the charge to relocate to Hart Road where we would have room to grow. Things have never been the same since! As the preschool and then Kindergarten and then elementary school and then middle school grew, so did our church membership. New energy and meaning and purpose were injected into the life of Immanuel. By the Spirit’s grace and power alone, Immanuel has become known as a leading congregation in the Northern Illinois District. I don’t say that to brag. I do say it very much cognizant of Jesus’ words, “Of those to whom much has been given, much will be expected.” Since moving “on the hill” in 1986, our worshipping attendance has grown from 250 to 630 per weekend! While we are now in the top 20 congregations size-wise in District, we are among the top 10 in contributing to the church at large. Our school has earned a sterling reputation for academic and spiritual excellence that is recognized by many. The team of educators that oversaw our National Lutheran Schools accreditation last spring recently nominated Immanuel School for “Exemplary Status” in synod. [See article on page three of the school side of this newsletter.] It would be a great honor if we were selected for that distinction. Last year Immanuel Church was asked by District and Synod leaders to accept nomination as an “Ablaze Covenant Congregation.” That means we have agreed, by God’s grace and power, to do all we can to start up to four new congregations or mission starts by the end of 2017 (the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation). Indeed, in the past year we have been actively engaged with a few sister congregations to investigate starting a new congregation in Sugar Grove. It’s been exciting to be a part of this adventure! The possibility looms brighter for us to do just that in conjunction with an “Open Arms” Child Care ministry in Sugar Grove. In all of the Northern Illinois District, which is composed of some 240 or so congregations, only eight churches have been designated as “Ablaze Covenant Congregations.” Besides us the others are: Cross-Yorkville, Immanuel-Downers Grove, Prince of Peace-Palatine, St. James-Chicago, Trinity-Lisle, Trinity-Roselle, Zion-Chicago (99th and Winston). We are living and serving in distinguished company! The idea behind being an Ablaze Covenant Congregation lies in the simple fact that “New Starts means New Believers.” (District has appropriately adopted that saying as its own mission motto). New missions or congregations have an uncanny way of attracting brand new believers. While gaining new members by transfer is fine and dandy, true kingdom growth (not merely church growth!) occurs when people who are not Christians are led by the power of the Holy Spirit to believe in Jesus as their Savior. That happens best and most in new starts. Helping to provide the financial resources for new “Ablaze” (understand “church missions”) starts is the “Fan-into-Flame” Campaign I have been privileged to lead over the last year in the Northern Illinois District. Across Synod we pray God will bless this effort with $100 million of gifts and pledges that will be used, among many other things, to start 2,000 congregations and reenergize 2,000 existing congregations by 2017. Our District’s goal is to raise $4 million of that amount. In our own Fan-into-Flame Campaign here at Immanuel we raised pledges of $72,000 toward that goal. Fifteen percent of the net proceeds of that total will be given back to us by the Synod in order to help fund our own mission outreach efforts right here in the Fox Valley. Just today our bookkeeper Donna McPherson showed me the first check sent to us by Synod as part of that 15 percent return. The check is in the amount of $1,200. That will be a great first help to us in keeping the Sugar Grove Mission plant on the move! Thank you to all who have helped with this cause, both in terms of financial gifts as well as with their fervent prayers. Please continue to do so! As you recall Immanuel celebrated its 125th anniversary just last year. Many churches that old are on a downward cycle in terms of membership and activity. Not so with Immanuel-Batavia! These are exciting times in an exciting congregation. What does our future hold in store for us? I can’t say. But whatever happens, please pray with me that many people will come to faith in Christ our Lord. And remember with me that He alone gets all the credit for whatever good is happening here. By His mercy, let’s truly do all we can toward... “Igniting Lives for Christ – N.O.W.” |
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