Just Christmas

We get so busy and involved in getting ready for Christmas that sometimes we do not notice those around us. This Chrismas season we have the opportunity to stop and prepare our hearts by engaging in our own community and let Christs love shine through.
You can make a difference this Christmas by doing one or all three of the following.
Buy new coats for kids - 35 local ministries have asked us to collect 17,000 new coats for kids 0-18.
Serve in our community - there are thousands of serving opportunity throughout the Chicagoland area.
Give to the year end fund - this fund provides the resources for initiatives Willow suports both locally and globally.
Don't let this season pass you by without the chance of serving others. Find out how God will shape your life.
Click on each link to find out more.

Willow Creek Christmas 2009 - God With Us
Request your Christmas tickets for one of the 12 services and invite friends and family to celebrate how God has shown up in all our lives.

Congratulations to all who were Baptised!

Baptism for those All In!

If you are All In and ready to proclaim your faith publicly, baptism is happening twice this month for you. Nov. 14/15 and 21/22. You can register by clicking here and celebrate. Let us know if you have registered and we would love to celebrate with you. Please email your area Pastor LaVerne Weber to get connected.

Team World Vision changes lives.

Congratulations to Team World Vision which included our own community member Darren Niesley for running in the Chicago Marathon this past Oct. 11. They ran to raise money for African water projects and change the lives of many.
Also running in the marathon is another community member Sirak Zweede.

Way to go!
From the Chicago Tribune -
Niesley, Darren, South Elgin, 4:01:52, 11621

ALL IN! Oct 10-11

Willow Creek's use of tomatoes might change, but one thing stays the same—Willow's passion to remain an Acts 2 church.Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.—Acts 2:46

Don't miss a chance to share in some free food and fellowship with the entire Willow Creek family. Enjoy pizza after the 5:30 p.m. and 11:30 a.m. service or come early before the 9 a.m. for warm waffles, toppings, and sausage. You'll want to be All In! for this.

October 10/11
South Barrington Campus67 E. Algonquin RoadSouth Barrington, IL 60010Saturday 5:30 p.m.Sunday 9 and 11:30 a.m.

Our own Mike Breen showing his support for the Chicago Bears! We know how to have fun in the Southwest neighborhood.
GO BEARS!

2009 Outdoor Baptism

Southwest Community celebrated outdoor Baptism with over 30 people declaring their faith. Congratulations to all!

Blitz Build 2009

Look what you could do at Riverwoods Biltz Build and make a difference in lives of kids. Click here and register now.

Riverwoods Blitz Build 2009

Blitz Build will be taking place at Riverwoods Christian Center in St. Charles from June 20-28. Join the whole community in building a safe place for children visiting this summer. Click and sign up now.

Willow CARS Site FMSC Update

Last weekend at the Willow Creek CARS building in Elgin, 1,111 of you volunteered and packed meals for children in Zimbabwe. Many served in groups and others invited neighbors. On Saturday, a little league team from Bartlett served with their coaches. It was amazing to watch 293,976 meals packed at our site and know 807 children will be fed for a year. Thanks for stepping up to the challenge!

Fred & Judy Van Iten of Bartlett, served every session recruiting people and managing the operations. THANK YOU!!!

This weekend at Willow, there will be a special offering to help pay for meals we packed. Come with open hearts!

The Son Shines

As the sun shines outside today, I am reminded of how great God is. He hears every prayer I lift for each of the 50 prayer requests on my desk. He knows the blessing 1200 of you who signed up to package food for starving children will be this weekend. He is aware of the challenges we face in unsettled economic times. He responds to our cry from pain and grief.

As the sun shines outside today, it reminds me that God loves each of us beyond earthly understanding. Through faithfully trusting and accepting the gift of grace through his son, Jesus, there is eternal hope that extends beyond the things of this world. Now is a good time to accept God's gift. Let the SON shine through you today and as you serve others this weekend packaging food.

Your Area Pastor

Celebration of Hope "Food Challenge"

Celebration of Hope at Willow Creek Community Church provides many opportunites to focus on and care for others as Jesus taught. This past weekend, we had opportunities to learn about the need for clean drinking water in places around the world right in the lobby of our church. Did you have a conversation?

Next weekend 4/25 & 26 in Elgin, 1200 people will have an opportunity to make a difference by packaging sustainable food packs for starving children. My heart was filled this morning to see that almost 1000 have signed up to serve. If you have not registered, or would like to invite more, there are openings on Saturday and Sunday at 5 PM.

Today begins the 5 day "Food Challenge" at Willow. Many of us are participating. I am using this time to open my heart to God. He has already blessed me. Watching 96 of you register for FMSC last night moved my heart to praise. What is your experience?

Come back to the blog each day this week. There will be regular posts. Before leaving the blog today, post a comment on how God is beginning to speak, what you hope He will do in your heart, or perhaps a blessing already provided. My hope is we can encourage others and lift up "Yeah God" stories. READY for the CHALLENGE? Start now!

Blessings,
Your Area Pastor

Get involved and make a difference.

Celebration of Hope is looking for volunteers to pack 4 million meals for Feed My Starving Children. Our community serve takes place on April 24-26 at the CARS ministry in Elgin. Click now and sign up to take part in this great celebration.

Get Ready For Another Celebration of Hope

Coming soon to a neighborhood near you is this year's Celebration of Hope. See how you can change a life by participating in packing nutritious food for Feed My Starving Children. Community, fellowship and stylish hair nets are free of charge.

Baptism at Willow

A wonderful celebration of proclaming faith in Christ! There is nothing like baptism at Willow. Congratulations to those who are in our Southwest community.

Time to catch up!

We hope everyone had a great Christmas and a great start to the New Year! Now that the holidays are over, let's reflect on the past month and the generosity that runs through the blood of Creekers. Several in our group had a Stock the Storehouse party and they were a great success. The contribution in the Elgin location is over 600 items and the total for the church is over 56,000 items. Wow! The hope was to get 50,000 but again, the people proved generosity and compasion starts with us. Yey God!
Get yourself ready for another challenge coming down the pipe. Remember Celebration of Hope? Think Spring and hope we will be thawed out by then.