CityLine Women | Volume 26 / Issue 2
Hello, CityLine Women!
Thanks to all of you who helped make our annual electric boat outing a fun time of fellowship out on the river! As we move into fall, we continue to pray that the Lord will grant safe travels and a powerful experience for the CityLine Women’s Guatemala Missions Trip. We look forward to drawing close to God, each other, and the community of El Faro as we offer our hands in service to God’s people.
Please mark your calendars and invite your friends to our fall CityLine Women’s Well Night at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13. It will be a memorable night of creative Biblical narratives, monologues, and worship to help anchor our hearts to live with “Faith over Fear.”
This month, our sister Patty Yang has shared the experience that she and her family had when they traveled to Guatemala in May.
Grace and peace,
Susan Zachariah
CityLine Women’s Interim Coordinator
STOPPING FOR THE ONE
And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar…was sitting by the roadside…began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”…And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
-John 10:46-49, excerpts (emphasis added)
In our fast-paced society of doing and achieving, we rarely make time to just. slow. down. It seems there’s a constant whisper to “hurry up!” lest we miss out on opportunities or drop the ball on something. We see it on the road, with drivers cutting people off, weaving through lanes, accelerating through yellow lights. Maybe we’re one of those drivers. We see it with Amazon Prime delivery, where we can get orders of any amount in just 2 days for an annual fee. We see it with our smartphones – with the internet at our fingertips, we can look up anything we want instantaneously. And gone are the days of agonizingly waiting for next week’s episode of our favorite show that ended on a cliffhanger; hello, binge watching! It seems with each new technological advance, life becomes faster and more harried.
Our family of five was blessed with the opportunity to participate in CityLine’s mission trip to Guatemala this past June working with El Faro and their missionaries.
What a week! It was such a change of pace from the typical bustle of life in Chicagoland. We partnered with El Faro’s missionaries, working alongside them in their everyday ministry of reaching the Guatemalan people with the love and hope of Christ. I was so blessed by witnessing the missionaries’ love and dedication, faithfully serving the Lord in the immense heat and humidity. Wearing jeans. Being flexible on the day’s activities if we needed to pivot due to weather. Delaying soccer camp to 4 p.m. when it was too hot at 3 p.m., or waiting out the rain.
In short, we witnessed and experienced what it was like to slow down. But not so much as it relates to activities, although we did that. One of the things I love about the El Faro ministry is that they prioritize relationship over productivity. We had to slow down to see the people, to see each person. We had to slow down to converse with a child, seeking to understand not only the words they’re speaking in Spanish, but also to see their heart and longing beneath those words. We had to slow down to listen to a woman describe her shoulder pain in order to return days later to inject medication to alleviate that pain. We had to slow down to hear a wife’s pain as she shared about her alcoholic husband while she held a newborn, and then pray for her. For us as a team, we also had to slow down and listen to our bodies if we were overextending ourselves. Slowing down afforded us the opportunity to remember why we were doing things, and not just focus on the “what” of ministry.
Being back home now, I hope to remember and put into practice what missionary Heidi Baker calls “stopping for the one” – something Jesus modeled in his own ministry like He did with blind Bartimaeus. Admittedly, it was easier to do in Guatemala because the culture and weather has this more naturally built in, since some days you really couldn’t do much if it was too hot or pouring rain, or if there was no power. Being on a missions trip also made this easier, since we already set apart this time for ministry and didn’t have to cook any meals or do any laundry (all the moms rejoiced!) We also didn’t have much personal agenda at stake when unexpected things came up so it was easier to pivot. And let’s be honest – we were there for a week, which is much more mentally doable than if we were there for three months! All the more, it will take more intentionality here to see each person as God’s creation, someone whom He loves and wants to know Him. I’m not just talking about strangers, either – I humbly admit that I need to remember this about my own family members! It’s easy for me to be distracted by schedules and to-do lists that I forget to slow down. I forget that it’s more important to partner with God and to follow His lead in transforming them (and me!) more than “getting” them to accomplish something or even to obey what I want them to do. I forget to slow down and see them for who God created them to be.
I would be remiss to stop here without acknowledging a crucial first step before this can happen. In order to stop for the one in our lives, we have to stop for the One who made us. I cannot give what I have not received from the Lord. Jesus also modeled this for us, as we read numerous times in Scripture where He “withdrew to a desolate place to pray.” If I were Jesus, I would be tempted to maintain momentum in ministry, with a “show must go on!” mentality (especially if I was as successful as Jesus!) But He continues to demonstrate for us what it looks like to be truly dependent on the Father.
How is the Lord asking you to slow down? More importantly, for whom is He asking you to slow down? Is it for our Heavenly Father Himself? Is it for the child in your family who seems particularly needy lately? Is it for an aging parent, fellow student, or coworker, or the cashier at the grocery store? If we take the time to slow down, what does God want us to see?
This is not about doing more or being more. The Lord is inviting us to slow down, to see what He wants us to see, and to release to Him the other things that really aren’t as important as we think they are. How will you slow down today?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus always slowed down for the one who sought Him, regardless of whether they were rejected by society, stuck in their own sin and shame, or just struggling and hurting. Thank You for always having open arms to receive us when we come, and for being eager to spend time with us and to have us delight in Your presence. Would You help us to slow down with You, to withdraw from the bustle of this world to drink from Your Living Water and to be renewed? Would You help us to slow down and stop for the one You bring into our lives today, to recognize Your Spirit’s prompting and to trust You with whatever else we let go in the process? Help us to develop and maintain a rhythm of stopping for the One so we can stop for the one. We release our human agendas to You and believe and trust that You have great blessings in store for us when we surrender to Your leading. Thank You for Your faithfulness! In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Patty Yang
ABOUT THE WRITER
Patty was born and raised in Chicagoland. She and her husband Ben have been married for 22 years and have 3 kids: Josiah (19), Abby (18), and Emma (17). Patty enjoys singing & playing piano, crocheting/knitting, baking and making crafts.
MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: THE INTERN’S PERSPECTIVE
For eight weeks, Hannah Nunez, a health science major at Wheaton College, along with four other college students, served as an intern at CityLine this summer. Unlike the other interns, who were assigned to single ministries, Hannah had the opportunity to serve in several areas during here time here. This is her takeaway from that experience.
Students
Pastor Will encouraged students to walk in faith with God. He prepares the Bulletins for student ministry service every Sunday at 9 am. He preaches the Word and baptizes students when they feel called too. He plans fun events outside of church in order to create long lasting friendships. When camp season comes around that’s when students truly reflect on their faith with God as they share in small groups.
Outreach
Pastor Jay truly has a big passion for the ministry and everyone can tell this whenever he plans events. I was intimidated at first at the thought of meeting strangers and sharing the love of God. As I helped Jay with more events, I saw the impact it had on people’s hearts. It was as if they felt seen for the first time. The world is cruel these days but Pastor Jay truly spreads God’s light by making connections with people outside of the church.
Compassion
When working with Pastor Bryan, I learned that compassion ministries are taking care of the people within the church. We help welcome first-time guests to church and make sure they feel seen and taken cared for. Pastor Bryan helps the people at church feel seen as well by spending quality time with them or making weekly phone calls.
Kids
Kids ministry goes above and beyond to engage children with activities that relate to God. They get curriculum and activities ready for every service. Rachel Boone has been working with the kids for many years and understands that kids service is often a time where parents can get quiet time with the Lord. They are also in charge of other kids’ events such as Vacation Bible School which shows God’s creation while exploring the Bible as well. Kids ministry leaders are always hard at work scheduling volunteers as well for every Sunday.
Interested in serving at CityLine? Fill out our Connect Card and let us know where the Lord is leading you to serve!
CONNECT AT CITYLINE!
Serve
- If you feel led to pour into the next generation, Children’s Ministry needs you!
Study
- Join a Women’s Community Group today and enjoy Bible study, fellowship, accountability and fun!
- Come to the Well! Join us for worship, prayer and connection during our next Well Night at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13. The evening’s theme will be “Faith over Fear.”
Socialize
- Do you have young children? Join our CityLine Moms of Littles Group Chat! E-mail susan@cityline.church to be added.
- Join us at Feed My Starving Children in Schaumburg at 7 pm on Thursday, Nov. 7, as we pack wholesome meals for hungry children around the world.
For a full list of upcoming events, please visit our events page.