August 26, 2021
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Leadership
This part-time position is ideal for those individuals who are considering full-time vocational ministry. The position requires an individual to be musically gifted, able to lead and develop worship teams, do administrative and social media work, and be a theological thinker who can work out his/her reformed theology in real-life kind of ways. The individual should expect ...
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May 13, 2021
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Leadership
On Monday, April 19, the Session met from 6:00-11 PM to deliberate on a wide variety of matters pertaining to our church. ...
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May 13, 2021
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Leadership
| Tags: Session, PCA, Elders
On Wednesday, May 12, the Session met from 6:00-10:30 PM to deliberate on a wide variety of matters pertaining to our church. Here is a synopsis of what took place!...
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March 30, 2021
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Hospitality
| Tags: Easter, neighbors
How can we be focusing special attention on exceptional hospitality and purposeful welcome? We want people to be able to find their home here and ultimately, to find their home in Jesus. Here are some ideas!...
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February 22, 2021
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Leadership
| Tags: Elders, prayer, Session, Presbyterian, PCA
According to our Book of Church Order, an elder is called an overseer of the flock and household of God. This means that the elders are required to govern and rule over all the affairs of the church. “It belongs to the office of elder, both severally and jointly, to watch diligently over the flock committed to their charge, that no corruption of doctrine or of morals ent...
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February 4, 2021
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
Scripture and the Book of Church Order charge the Elders of Missio Dei Church "to watch diligently over the flock." This is a daunting task, but it is for your good, the good of the whole church, and for God's glory....
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December 22, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
After careful and prayerful consideration for the safety and well-being of our church family, those that we love, and those we do not yet know, the Session has decided that in-person public worship will be suspended for one Sunday: December 27....
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December 18, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
After taking a brief, one-week pause on in-person worship, the Session of Missio Dei Church has decided that we will be cautiously be gathering in-person this upcoming Sunday, December 6.
...
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December 18, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
Pastor Paul is doing some reading for our next mini-series on shame which will start on Sunday, January 3. He is reading the book The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves. You can check out the book for yourself!...
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December 17, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
| Tags: Pastor Appreciation, Gratitude, 2020, covid, Thank You
Each time I think of you, I experience a profound sense of gratitude. Your determination to honor the Lord keeps me going in my own call to serve Missio Dei Church. Ministry is an amazing call, full of great joys and significant moments in people’s lives: officiating weddings, presiding over funerals, seeing first-hand how lives are changed for Christ. But it’s also fu...
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December 15, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
Yesterday morning I spent some extended time in our sanctuary praying for each of you by name. As your pastor and as a fellow human walking through this strange and extremely disruptive and exhaustive season, I want you to know that am concerned for each of you. I know the condition of my own heart (see this Facebook post) and I think I can safely assume it maybe be true o...
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December 10, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
This Sunday we will be singing a new song together. Way Maker was originally written by a Nigerian songwriter/artist Sinach (her full name is Osinachi Okoro) and has become an anthem for many during the COVID-19 pandemic has also been sung by demonstrators marching for racial justice, calling out for God as a “way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkn...
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November 19, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
Lord's Day Worship
November 29, 2020
Before You Start
Pick a time and place. We know that disruptions may come up, but do your best to preserve this time. It is powerful when we slow down, take time to worship, and pay attention to the way God is moving. Put phones and other distractions away.
Designate a leader to transition through the elements of the liturgy. Port...
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November 11, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
With the increases of COVID-19 transmission that we are seeing in our region and our local high schools having 100 confirmed covid cases, 600 in quarantine, and returning to blended learning, the Session wants to encourage all those who attend in-person gathered worship to exercise extreme care. We do not want any of our church family, those what we love, nor our community...
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September 11, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Pastoral Musings
Admittedly, there are many moments in my pastoral life where I feel like I have to take the reins and take control. I need to orchestrate something "powerful" or meaningful. I need to bring things that are or feel like they are in chaos to some semblance of order. I need to make sure that I put all the right people in the right places.
What is at the core of these momen...
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September 11, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Men
I worry. And when I say worry, I mean I can be absolutely anxiety ridden with the best of them. I get sweaty pits, increased heart rate, and mental and emotional gymnastics that can keep me up at night. There are times where I want to crawl down into a bunker and just hide it out. Those moments feel like storms, and I just want them to magically blow away. I want them to b...
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September 9, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
We live in a day today where hope seems to be slowly fading away. It is in those moments that we need to be reminded that there is a light and high beauty that forever exists beyond the reach of darkness. This is why we started a message series titled "Christ in You: The Hope of Judges." The book of Judges is a collection of stories stitched together to showcase God's reso...
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July 10, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Racial Reconciliation
We as a church and as a denomination are all hungry for a church that looks more like Revelation 7:
"A great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'" (Revelation 7:...
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July 10, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
Tuesday, June 16
Good morning, friends and family!
Missio Dei Church is cautiously and excitedly moving towards a return to gathered worship on Sunday, July 5. I cannot express to you how excited I am about this. I hope you are too! Our fellowship promises to be sweet with one another and the Lord. What a delight it will be to greet friends again, hear familiar voices li...
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July 10, 2020
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
Friends,
I want to thank all of you who responded to the survey from the Elders. Your feedback was very helpful.
Here are the results from your brothers and sisters regarding when they feel comfortable returning to a modified form of gathered worship at our normal location (some answered as a household and some answered individually):
Now: 51.7%
Mid-June: 13.8%
Mid ...
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January 22, 2019
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Leadership
This Nomination Ballot is one of the first of many steps in the selection of Elders and Deacons to serve Missio Dei Church. We ask that you, after praying, reflecting thoughtfully, meditating over Scripture, and observing the behavior of the potential people, nominate up to four biblically qualified male individuals for elder and four biblically qualified men for deacon, a...
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November 6, 2018
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Men
I pray that Missio Dei Church - PCA becomes a family where deep, authentic, gospel-centered friendships are fostered. You know, the kind where we are willing to risk our temporary discomfort for long-term joy.
God, would You make us good friends...
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October 31, 2018
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
For the past couple of years, I have had the personal privilege of serving as the chairman of the Shepherding Committee for the Chicago Metro Presbytery.The committee has a plethora of administrative duties (transferring pastors in and out, making recommendations to the presbytery regarding calls, providing advice to churches, etc.). Ultimately, the committee is challenged...
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August 30, 2018
by Missio Dei Church
| Tags: catechism, youth, students, spiritual growth
We are excited to start up this fall on Sunday, September 9, 2018. On that particular Sunday, we will not expect anything from the students but to bring notes from the sermon. We will spend some time talking about class expectations (study, memorization, sermon note taking, etc.)....
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August 8, 2018
by Missio Dei Church
| Tags: amos, Sermon
Through Amos we hear God speaking to a people that closed their ears to his word, who had forgotten their God, so the Lord rises up and roars over his people. God’s message, spoken through Amos, is equally uncomfortable, but vitally relevant, for the Church today.
Does Missio Dei Church - PCA need the book of Amos? Absolutely! Does the Village of Manhattan need the bo...
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July 21, 2017
by Missio Dei Church
| Tags: sabbatical, rest, pastoral life, Church, rejuvenation, play
Last year, I asked the elders of our church for a sabbatical for the 2017 calendar year, and they graciously granted my request. So from August 13 through September 10 of this year, I will be on sabbatical. That means I will be disengaged from life and ministry of Missio Dei Church, and my regular work here at the church will be handled by others. Upfront I want to say tha...
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March 9, 2017
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
I think we can officially say, "Happy 10th Anniversary!" This weekend, nearly 10 years ago, after fifteen months of learning together and training, we started Missio Dei Church....
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January 11, 2017
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
I will never forget my first encounters with Todd Paben. He was a squirrelly teenager with Jimmy Neutron styled hair who was dating a girl who attended my youth ministry at Peace Community Church. I'll never forget how God grasped his heart one particular evening during a series on relationships. I won't forget the countless hours poured into discipling a young man who rav...
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December 16, 2015
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Stewardship
Over the past two years, the church as given over $301,000 towards the Ministry and Operating fund. This number includes $20,000 given towards the Camiola Family and Grace Gardens in Jos, Nigeria. In Matthew 6:21, Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I feel like we’re showing Jesus where our hearts are by how much we’ve increased...
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October 14, 2015
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Discipleship
| Tags: children's ministry, prayer, covenant community, covenant
Last night we had a first... Five of the thirteen in our gathering were covenant youth younger than 12! ...
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October 8, 2015
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Discipleship
| Tags: Colossians, ESV
As you probably discovered last week, I am really excited about our new sermon series through the book of Colossians called "The Core: Living with Jesus at the Center." So that you can get the most out of this series, I am going to provide you with some resources!...
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September 30, 2015
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
So, with Pastor Appreciation Month kicking off October 1, can I encourage you to do something with me? Pave the way for excellence and health in your pastor by shepherding your shepherd. Yep. You can do that....
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March 3, 2015
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
This month is Pastor’s Wife Appreciation Month. Can I encourage you to encourage her? Be creative! Go nuts with how you do it (just dont ask for too much of her time)! Bless her with a simple and yet encouraging text, email or Facebook post, a cup of coffee (Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks), prayer, a date night with her hubby, etc....
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February 19, 2015
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
| Tags: Communion, Lord's Supper
For those of you who have been around for any length of time, you know that we have now for nearly six – seven years been celebrating communion on a weekly basis. The sweet words “The body of Christ broken for you” and “The blood of Christ poured out for you” have been heart-warming words. We have been thankful remembrance of Christ’s ongoing work in our life, ...
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November 25, 2014
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
| Tags: Advent, Christmas, Christ, Jesus
Deep in the heart of every human being, there is a longing for freedom, rest, restoration, and ultimately, a longing for true and lasting joy. We all desire to be caught up in a greater story, one that is not whirling out of control, much like our lives, but is rooted in something, or Someone, that is unshakeable. Someone that understands our longings, our hopes, our desir...
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November 5, 2014
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
| Tags: worship, Sunday, serving, Gospel
You know how it happens. You have every intention of being with the church on Sunday. In your mind it is all planned out. Then, you wake up late. Or, your baby has a last-minute blow out. Or, streets are closed. Maybe you arrive on time, but you’re distracted. She took my seat. Is that guy sleeping? Did I wear this outfit last week too? Where is my pen? Is that a new fam...
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October 31, 2014
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Church Life
| Tags: Gospel, Elders, ESV, PCA
We have been released from the Reformed Church in America to the Presbyterian Church in America! As we looked to the future, our vision and mission, convictions, and consciences drew us to our new denominational home, the Presbyterian Church in America. Knowing that there is no such thing as a perfect denomination, we believe we will find greater unity on issues that we co...
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October 2, 2014
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Leadership
| Tags: pastors, appreciation, friends, friendship
So, here is my confession: There is a group of men that I can honestly stay that I love. They are spread out across the globe. They have encouraged me, prayed for me, challenged me, and have consistently pointed me to Christ. Who are these men? They are a group of pastors. Through the ministry of friendship they have caused me to flourish....
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June 25, 2014
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Uncategorized
For some reason, during the summer months (or around holidays or special functions) I have noticed in some Facebook posts that there is a kind of pride or hype in many Christians’ posts that say, “my church was better than yours” or “Pastor ____ is the best!” or “no one can do ___ like our church!”...
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April 14, 2014
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
| Tags: Good Friday, Lent, Church, worship, Cross, 1 Timothy, Jesus Christ, crucifixion
Since Missio Dei Church’s gathering is at 6:30 PM in the evening, there can be concerns about missed bedtimes and the resultant chaos the following day. Since it’s a Friday, many of us have a rhythm to our week that revolves around time out with friends and family. Those are good and important, but perhaps they need to be interrupted this year. Here are a few reasons w...
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March 28, 2014
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
| Tags: worship, Jesus, Jesus Christ, love
If we fulfill the first commandment, it will have radical, radical implicaitons on how we love others....
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March 18, 2014
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
Seven years. Yep. It’s been seven years. Seven years ago today. Missio Dei Church had her grand opening at Mokena Elementary School and I am amazed at God’s providential care throughout each and every year....
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January 23, 2014
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
| Tags: Gospel, Salvation, missio dei, Missio Dei Church, serving, worship, God, Scripture, Acts, Good News, Empowering, Evangelism, love, saving, Adventure, Grace Alone
Sometimes there are certain sermons that I preach that continue to “haunt” me. I am still reveling in the implications of last week’s sermon of the only logical response to our glorious God of grace is, “Here am I. Send me.”...
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January 18, 2014
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Discipleship
I had a great theological discussion with my children this morning on the way to school. The question that was asked is "What does God's voice sound like? I mean, how do we hear God's voice?"
How would you answer this question?...
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October 29, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
| Tags: community, Thanksgiving, thanks, pastor, sheep, appreciation
I love pastors. I am a pastor and some of my dearest friends and role models are pastors. October is Pastor Appreciation Month so I thought I would give a shout out to all the pastors who labor so lovingly and sacrificially for the Lord in service to His people....
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August 2, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
| Tags: communication, community, The City, technology
The City team has worked hard to build and deliver a delightful, native iPhone app experience, and they are excited to have our church use it and let them know what we think!...
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May 17, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
We Believe...
It was also in that post where I respectively placed paedo-baptism and being Presbyterian in fourth and fifth place. Here me say this before you jump to any conclusions: I don’t consider Christian baptism insignificant, but I believe the debate between infant-baptists and believer-baptists has been elevated to a position of unhealthy prominence in the Christian community...
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May 16, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
We Believe...
| Tags: baptism, Church, reformed, Calvinist, paedobaptist, Apostles Creed
My first priority is Jesus Christ; He has called me to be His disciple, so I am to pick up my cross, deny myself, follow Him, and encourage others to do the same....
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April 30, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Stewardship
| Tags: generosity, Stewardship, Stewards
God loves a cheerful giver. He delights in receiving the spontaneous offerings that flow from joyful hearts as expressions of trust and gratitude to God for what He has done and in who He is. Our giving is to be purposeful and according to our ability (Acts 11:27-30; 1 Peter 4:10, 11; 2 Corinthians 8:10-14). ...
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March 8, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Discipleship
Our default modus operandi for interaction, particularly when we disagree, is mean-edged sarcasm and cynicism. It’s as if we don’t know how to make a point without it being at the end of an arrow aimed for someone’s heart. ...
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February 20, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
This Sunday we are going to be walking through Luke 19:41-48 where Jesus clears the Court of the Gentiles. Jesus has a red hot zeal for worship. His zeal for worshiping God was to be extended to all the nations! We see Jesus halting the traffic of those who were using the Court of Gentiles as a shortcut - "he “would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple....
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February 15, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
We Believe...
| Tags: language, Theology
Well, as a pastor whose life is found ruminating on theological chunck and tibits, I sometimes quickly forget that not everyone is traveling with me, reading the same books as I am (or understand the context of sentences that I may have pulled out of a paragraph, which is located in a chapter, which is embedded in a book) or even in the same place spiritually or theologica...
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February 12, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Stewardship
Are you a hands-on, action-oriented person? If yes, then your help is needed!...
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January 29, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
Many Christians get riled up about Satan’s attacks on Christmas. Santa, tinsel, and gifts get in the way of seeing the baby in the manger. I get that. However, I get more upset about what our enemy does with Easter. I’m not just talking about fuzzy bunnies and egg hunts, although those do turn our gaze away from the empty tomb. I’m talking about something more insidi...
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January 9, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
Missio Dei Church is here to change the story....
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January 9, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
| Tags: missional, missio dei, Missions, Ministry
Every story of influence and impact has a "once upon a time." There has never been a world changing idea that was already happening, there has never been an epic story without a beginning, and there will never be a person of influence without a starting point to the journey. This is the story of creation. This is your story....
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January 9, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Prayer
| Tags: prayer, confession
I have to confess something: all day yesterday there was a deep desire to just cancel Second Tuesday Prayer (our monthly elder-led prayer gathering for Missio Dei Church). I just didn't feel like praying. It has been very busy season of life for the Vroom family and honestly, I just wanted to take the night off, but I pushed forward....
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January 2, 2013
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
| Tags: members, Missio Dei Church, covenant community, Church, family
This morning in my devotions, I read through 1 Corinthians 11:17-28. It was a tremendous reminder of the importance of Christ, and Him alone, remaining central to Missio Dei Church. Normally this section of Scripture is used as instructions about the Lord’s Supper and to prepare oneself for communion, but as I was sitting in Paul’s words something jumped out at me; Pau...
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December 15, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Uncategorized
| Tags: generosity, Stewardship, Stewards
As 2012 comes to a close and you think about year end giving, consider giving to Missio Dei Church. A friend of mine once told me that church planting requires three things: God, people, and cash. It's true. Planting and leading a young church is a big project that requires a lot of help.
...
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December 13, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Hospitality
| Tags: hospitality, parking lot
The parking challenge is as real as our opportunities to serve one another and our guests!...
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December 7, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
People are searching for churches that make them feel welcome and loved, needed, and accepted. I have heard it said of guests coming to check out a church for the first time that “This Sunday is the only Sunday that counts.” The impressions that person makes of a worshiping community are quickly developed within minutes (or dare I say seconds?) of walking into a wors...
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December 6, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Discipleship
| Tags: profession of faith, Missio Dei Church, members, baptism, covenant community
We recognize is that our journey is not over just because she has professed her faith. We know that as her parents we have the ongoing primary responsibility to disciple our children. Each and every day we have the privilege to teach our children the ways of God and his goodness (Deuteronomy 6:4-11)....
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December 1, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Discipleship
| Tags: profession of faith, children's ministry, members
Milestones. Kids’ lives are filled with them: first smile, first tooth, first word, first step, first day of school, first time behind the wheel.... Doting parents record these important milestones in baby books and flood the inboxes of family and friends with emails and Facebook updates. But there are other milestones as well... "the ones we celebrate in the church with...
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October 20, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
Mark Altrogge asks what kind of a statement we make about God in the way we worship. It’s worth thinking about: “If an outsider came into your Sunday meeting and observed you worshiping, what would he conclude you think about God?”...
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October 19, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Discipleship
| Tags: intellectual, devotional, discipleship, discipline, word, Scripture
One question I recently received was this: “How do you engage the mind without losing the heart?”
It seems that everyone I meet has a personal or second-hand horror story about a chipper, well-intentioned believer bouncing off to seminary or a Christian college only to have their once-vibrant relationship with God cool to an ember (at best) or be snuffed out complet...
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October 2, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
What’s missing in this picture? Well, it is you! We have been working hard in getting all those last minute details in place so that we can start worshiping at 123 West Wood Street- THIS SUNDAY!...
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September 26, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
| Tags: Church, members
Every once in awhile I see (personal experience or through social media) or hear about how former attenders or church members poorly leave a church they can no longer commit to for one reason or another. In time, I will write about when and how one should leave a church, but for now, I will let you in on some wise words from Tim Challies (HT)....
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September 20, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
| Tags: worship, gathered worship, corporate worship, covenant community, community
Every week the church, Missio Dei Church gathers to worship. Throughout the North American landscape, we see that there is a growing lack of prioritizing of the gathering of the church. Family birthday celebrations, trips for the zoo with the kids, a day in the city, little league games, lawn mowing, or just a family day at home for tired souls are all vying for the averag...
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September 13, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
| Tags: hospitality, leadership, members, Missio Dei Church, missio dei, missional, Missional Community, Missionary, Proclamation, Servants, Serve, Service, Stewards, worship
There are several hopes that we as the leadership of Missio Dei have for this next season of ministry as we transition to our Missional Outpost in New Lenox. The church is an identity of God’s “called out†and “gathered people,†whose foundation is God’s revelation and the work of Christ (Matt. 16:13-20). Therefore, we want to be faith...
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September 4, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
| Tags: worship, missio dei, Missio Dei Church, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Redemption
If you know me well enough, you probably know that I don’t really follow baseball, I can’t give you any stats about the players or the teams that they play for, nor do I honestly care, but I do enjoy a good game and all that come with it (beer, hot dogs, friends, etc.) and watching people and their responses to the game....
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August 29, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
| Tags: worship
There is silence. Everyone’s mouths are closed and a single vocalist steps up to the microphone. She takes a deep breath and releases an effortless stream of pure tone. This audio-joy fills the room and the beauty cleans you from the inside out.
This is a picture of what the Church is like. She gets to sing a beautiful message to the world about Jesus. That message is...
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August 28, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
| Tags: worship, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Missio Dei Church
D.A. Carson, Tim Keller, N.T. Wright, Mark Driscoll, etc.: they all say this in one way or another. Why do they all agree? Because the Bible is so clear about this principle. In some ways, the whole story of the Bible’s conflict after Genesis 3, that is the theme of sin, is really the conflict between the worship of idols (created things) and the worship of the true god ...
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August 27, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
| Tags: Missio Dei Church, Jesus Christ, Jesus, worship
The Oxford dictionary will tell you that the English word “worship” is derived from the old English weorthscipe, which means ‘worthiness, acknowledgement of worth’. It denotes anything that is of supreme worth or value. Obviously, that’s not where the Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew word comes from, but that’s another blog post for another day. The point here is that...
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August 26, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Worship
| Tags: worship, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Missio Dei Church, missio dei
Around 2000 years ago this was the type of question the one woman used to sidetrack a conversation she was having with Jesus (John 4). The scene is pure genius on Jesus’s part. This is classic Messiah-stuff. He follows her rabbit trail and brings it back around to the point he wanted to make all along. Love it. It’s funny how Christians in the west still bring up that ...
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August 23, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
| Tags: Church, Serve, Servants, Sending, Gifts, giving, Jesus Christ, Stewards, Stewardship
Some fifty years ago, John F. Kennedy gave his famous Inaugural Speech. The line “ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country” is easily identified. It was a call to sacrifice and service. As an American this is a call that we still need to hear. In a country that is showing an ever-increasing entitlement attitude, it is a needed c...
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August 16, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
Our gospel-centered relationships must reflect this truth. We were once broken and sinful and in need of a Savior (the Fall). Christ has redeemed us by his blood (Redemption). This points us toward how we should now live (New Creation). This is “new creation living.” Our relationships should reflect the way relationships will be in the New Heavens and New Earth....
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August 16, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
Again, living in true community together magnifies our need for a Savior. The beauty of the gospel is that it not only restores our relationship with our creator God but it restores our relationships with one another as well....
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August 16, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
| Tags: community, Church, Fall, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Sin, Total Depravity, Genesis, Eden
A proper understanding of sin also points to the fact that relationships are messy. When people live in community together it is no different. Actually, it magnifies our sin and our need for a Savior. This brings us to the nucleus of Gospel-Centered Relationships....
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August 15, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
| Tags: community, Gospel, messy
Community. It sounds like a really great word, doesn’t it? We all crave it. We are all part of different kinds of communities. We dream of or deeply desire a perfect, almost utopian kind of community. We have all experienced at one time or another a community that has been rich, meaningful, life-altering and something to work towards. But here is the reality: community i...
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August 8, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
| Tags: Church, Missio Dei Church, missional, New Lenox
Because of that starting Sunday, August 19, Missio Dei Church will be gathering for worship at Oster-Oakview Elementary School in at 809 N. Cedar Road in New Lenox and will be meeting there until the building is renovated (approximately through the end of September)! We will still be meeting at our regular worship time of 9:30 AM!...
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July 31, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
| Tags: mission, missional, Missionary, Missions, Missio Dei Church, missio dei, believers, priesthood
Key to our theology of place is that we understand that we are priests. ...
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July 28, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
| Tags: missio dei, Missions, Missionary
Mission is not something we do, it's something we are. The concept of mission is rooted in the Missio Dei....
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July 24, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
Missio Dei Church is on an exciting ride and we would like to include you in it! After five years of being mobile, we are going to be leasing a building that will serve as our Missional Outpost. We want this building to serve us (versus us serving it) by it being a "Re-Salinization Plant." ...
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June 13, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Men
| Tags: gender, men, community, complementarianism, Father, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians, Galatians
Contemporary Christian men, whether they can verbalize it or not, want to know that they are loved right now. They long to be loved, invested in, fathered by men who want to see them reach their full potential in Christ. Legitimate, healthy, and biblical father-son relationships are critical....
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June 6, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Men
| Tags: men, Titus, Bible
What I saw last night was men laboring together over Titus 1:1-3, laughing together, and ultimately taking a step out of their comfort zones and growing together. I know that the more that we meet together to pore over Scripture, the more this will be common place in our church and our families. We will also be personally deeply transformed as our minds are renewed (Romans...
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May 25, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Prayer
| Tags: prayer, Puritan, The Valley of Vision
It amazes me how someone else's words can so speak the longings in my own heart. In large part this prayer is from the perspective of the pastor, but I'm sure there are elements here that would apply to all of us as we seek to serve our Lord. And so I just offer this as my prayer today, for myself and for my brother pastors, as well as for each and everyone who seeks His g...
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May 17, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
Today, we met with the representatives of the Chicago Central District of the Nazarene (CCDN) to hammer out details about the building on Wood Street in New Lenox. Let's just say that I believe that prayer works!...
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May 7, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
| Tags: Church, conflict, ecclesiology, together, Missional Community
Let's face it folks: sometimes it ain't easy going to church. Church can be really messy, sticky, frustrating business sometimes....
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May 3, 2012
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Leadership
How do we honor elders who have spiritual oversight of the church? Carl Trueman has some thoughts!...
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August 3, 2011
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
| Tags: missio dei, Missio Dei Church, missional, serving, together, Transformation, worship
All because we love our community and we love and serve our community our community because Christ instructs us to love our neighbors (John 10:25-36) and served (Philippians 2:1-11) us!...
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October 7, 2009
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
| Tags: missional, Gospel, Ministry
Bread truck Mondays become an essential part of my spiritual journey of relying more fully on Christ and his complete work in my life. They aren't just the crappy parts that you want to discard or forget about, but they become necessary reminders for needing the Gospel in increasing and daily ways. My prayer for myself and Missio Dei Church is that we as broken but redeeme...
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July 15, 2009
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Missional Life
My wife says I need a prayer filter. You see, I pray that God sends us messy people and He always seems to answer and often it is uncomfortable. Sometimes God sends us new people on Sunday mornings whose lives are messy and are looking for hope that the world cannot offer. Sometimes it is from within our church family… we finally are honest with our own mess and we allow...
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October 31, 2008
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
We Believe...
| Tags: Scripture, ESV, Bible
One of the things that brought Luther to the point of posting his 95 thesis was his love for Scripture. This Sunday, you will find in our aisles new English Standard Version Bibles....
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October 31, 2008
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
We Believe...
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Today is Reformation Day, the day we celebrate the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. October 31 stands as the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg. Luther, when he did this, surely had no apprehension of just how significant an event this would be. And yet this act now stands as a defining moment in history...
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October 8, 2008
by Missio Dei Church
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Category:
Community
This word - community - that we throw around (sometimes cavalierly) is, in practice, pretty tough. Part of what Jesus was teaching his twelve disciples by calling them to join an itinerant ministry for three years was that they would have nothing to depend on - stable jobs, comfortable homes, or guaranteed meals - but each other. Collectively, they would have to call on Go...
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