Youth worship: God’s limitless love expands the limits of human love 

7.6. 2017  Written By: Erika Byler, for The Mennonite 
Erika Byler is a senior communication major at Bluffton (Ohio) University.

www.themennonite.org <http://www.themennonite.org>

At morning worship, youth were asked to open themselves to God’s limitless love and to allow that love to heal their hearts and expand their own limited human love.

Jon Heinly, youth worship leader, and Andrea Guyton, who works with the convention’s social media, introduced the idea of limitless love by asking the youth to fill out an online survey about what they love. The survey included things like Apple or Android, favorite basketball player, favorite pizza topping and favorite superhero.

Guyton said the word “love” is thrown around so much we forget what the word really means.

Kim Litwiller speaks. Photo by Vada Snider.

Kim Litwiller, pastor at East Peoria Mennonite Church and Illinois Mennonite Conference associate conference minister, asked the youth to consider what love means to them.

“Love means Jesus and security and so much more,” said Litwiller, before reading 1 Corinthians 13.

She said Paul wanted the church to know what love is because the world will know that we are Christians by our love, but that we must be honest about what human love can do.

“If we are to be real as a church, we need to be honest that…human love fails,” said Litwiller. “Our love has strings attached, which causes us to fail to love unconditionally.”

Litwiller described how the limits of human love can cause pain and hurt within us, and that pain causes our own love to be limited as well. She encouraged the youth to let the Holy Spirit open their hearts to the hurts and pains they try to ignore, so that God’s limitless love can heal those hurts.

She shared about her own healing experience 12 years ago at a convention youth


“As I responded to the Lord knocking at the door of my pain, I experienced a healing that words cannot truly explain,” she said.worship session when she was attending as a sponsor.

Litwiller said that throughout the rest of that week, “I began to realize that my ability to love those around me was expanding in amazing ways.”

“[God’s love] not only heals us and heals the pain that is created through the limits of human love, but it expands our ability to love those around us in ways that human words cannot explain.”

The youth were invited to be anointed, as a way of inviting healing for the pain and the hurt that exists within and also as a sign of being empowered to love more fully.

“May the limitless love of God heal each one of us whole,” said Litwiller.

The anointing was a meaningful experience for youth.

“Being one on one with a person is very powerful, and them offering that anointing and healing is very special,” said Thalia Neufeld of Seattle.

“It kind of makes it feel like God is present,” said Jacob Smith Derksen of Seattle.

Vida Abundante, Cicero, IL

Tu Identidad verdadera NO depende de lo que HACES, sino de quien ERES”. Eres un hijo de Dios!
EVIDENCIAS, Pastor Jonathan Gallardo

Your true identity does not depend on what you do, but who you are “. You are a son of God!
Evidence, Pastor jonathan Gallardo

Two Important Outcomes from Orlando 2017

Click here to read the Future Church Summit Outcome Report Click here to read the Israel-Palestine resolution

There are two important outcomes from the 2017 MC USA Convention in Orlando, FL.

First, the delegate body passed a resolution on Israel-Palestine. As a conference, we agree to live into the discernments and resolutions passed by the delegate body of MC USA. Please read the summary articles and the resolution. We’ll be talking more about this in IMC.

Second, the Future Church Summit yielded a good picture of where the participants would like to see MC USA head in the future. Illinois Mennonite Conference Conference Executive Minister, Michael Daner, said, “It was a privilege to participate in the Future Church Summit. The process was creative and accomplished its purpose.”  What remains to be seen, according to Danner, is what church leadership will do with the feedback provided by FCS participants. Danner said, “It took a lot of courage for the FCS participants to share their hopes and dreams for the church going forward. The question is, will leadership – including conferences – have the courage to move the church in those directions.”  The hope present in the FCS report is the hope of an energized Anabaptist witness for today.

You can read a daily summary of convention happenings at The Orlando Squeeze (button above) and The Mennonite (click here).

 

Position Announcement at Mennonite Church of Normal

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT!

Where: Mennonite Church of Normal, 711 S. Cottage Ave, Normal, IL 61761

What: Administrative Assistant Position. The main goals for this position are to perform general administrative duties in church office, working with three pastoral staff, committee chairpersons and office manager, as well as coordinating activities in the building. This is a part time position: 6 hr/day for 4 days for a total of 24 hr/wk..

When: The beginning date is negotiable but needs to be in August 2017.

Application process: A job description and application form are on both the Mennonite Church of Normal website, www.normalmennonite.org, and available at the church office, Ph: 309-452-6622. Also available is a detailed listing of the tasks performed by the current occupant of this position. Applications are due by August 1, 2017 with the review process beginning shortly thereafter.

For additional information contact either Lynn Reha at the church office, 309-452-6622 or Lotus Hershberger, Selection Committee Chairperson at 309-310-5994.

POSITION AVAILABLE!

The Mennonite Church of Normal, 711 S. Cottage Ave, Normal, IL 61761 is seeking a part time (24 hr/wk) Administrative Assistant to perform general administrative duties in a church office, working with three pastoral staff, committee chairpersons and office manager as well as coordinating activities in the building. A job description and application form are on both the Mennonite Church of Normal website, www.normalmennonite.org, and at the church office, Ph: 309-452-6622. Applications are due by August 1, 2017.

Click here for job description

Church Spotlight: Arthur Mennonite Church

The following is a snapshot of congregational life at Arthur Mennonite Church of Arthur, IL  provided by Melissa Schrock. If you would like more information on news shared here, please contact the congregation directly. We’re sure they’d love to hear from you.

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In April, Lead Pastor Glen Rhodes and Youth Pastor Ashley Litwiller attended the Illinois Mennonite Conference Annual Assembly at Menno Haven Camp and Retreat Center. For Easter the Youth group served pancakes and sausage for breakfast and the funds that were raised went to support youth group member Regina Miller and her trip upcoming trip to Ireland with Youth Venture. Also in April, The Gospelaires music group from the Hopedale, IL area joined us for special music during worship.

We began a four week sermon series in May titled “There is No B.C.” The series reminds us of the truth found in Hebrews 13:8 proclaiming, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever” and that there is no “Before Christ” (B.C.) because Christ has always been.

Also in May the Ministry Team/Congregational Relationship Committee administered an evaluation that is conducted every three years. This evaluation allows the congregation to provide feedback to the ministry team so that a healthy relationship can be maintained and the church body can continue to thrive as a whole.

In June AMC has its annual Worship in the Park out at Brad-O-Clen, a local park. Everyone is encouraged to bring lawn chairs and a dish to share as we worship and fellowship outdoors enjoying God’s creation. Also in June, AMC hosts Arthur Community Bible school along with four other community churches to serve all the children of the Arthur area. This year’s theme: Hero Central with kids learning that God’s heroes have heart, courage, wisdom, hope, and power.

 

Important Events:

Deaths: Katie Ann Yoder, 90, Feb. 17, Ada Yoder, 79, Mar. 21

Birthdays: Ervin Yoder, 81, Apr. 2; Liz Diener, 83, Apr. 7; Duane Oye, 84, Apr. 13; Josephine Marner, 86, Jun. 14

Anniversary: Bill and Donna Moreland, 65 years, Jun. 15