June 25, 2010

Dear Friends,

Summer has finally arrived in Wheaton, and it’s hard to believe that it has already been over three months since the 2010 Spring Missions Festival in late February and early March.  For those of you who were able to attend that Festival, we trust it was an enjoyable time of meeting with one another, sharing with the congregation and being encouraged from the Word about the importance of every believer using his or her unique gifts to advance the gospel everywhere there is need by all possible means.

As a new Ministry Associate for Missions here at College Church, I wanted to briefly introduce myself.  I am currently studying at Wheaton Graduate School in the Intercultural Studies Department.  My family lived in Saudi Arabia for a short time when I was child and then later I taught English at a university in China and I hope to return overseas one day.  Most recently I worked with World Relief, here in Wheaton, in the initial resettlement of refuges to DuPage County.  God has given me a heart for the nations and I am thrilled to see the gospel being proclaimed and disciples being made of all nations through your hard work and commitment. I am very excited to get a chance know and work with you.

My primary role at College Church is to coordinate our twice yearly missions festivals.  We encourage all of you to attend either our upcoming Fall or Spring Missions Festival—October 8-10, 2010 or February 24- March 1, 2011.

Our theme for the Fall Mission Festival will be “Love the Sojourner” (Deut 10:18-19). As one of four key mission initiatives at College Church, we will be focusing our Fall Missions Festival on outreach to immigrants, refugees, and international students.  Globalization has resulted in changing demographics both around the world and here in DuPage County as we increasingly have opportunity to come into contact with immigrants, refugees, and international students.  Please join us as we explore the Biblical mandate to strategically reach out in love to the foreigner living in our midst.  We would love to have as many missionaries as possible in attendance at each of our upcoming festivals!

If you are planning to join us, please return your completed registration form. You may complete the attached registration form or download a registration form from www.college-church.org/missions and send it as an email attachment to missions@college-church.org.

Please take note of our future festival dates, listed below.  It’s not too early to enter these into your calendars!

Future Missions Festival dates include:

• Fall Missions Festival: October 8-10, 2010
• Spring Missions Festival: February 24 – March 1, 2011

• Fall Missions Festival: October 7-9, 2011
• Spring Missions Festival: February 23 – 28, 2012

Although you’re required to participate in a Fall or Spring Missions Festival only once every four years, we would love to have each one of you attend one or both of the festivals this year. Whether you live locally or internationally, please come! We look forward to hearing from you.

In Christ,

Suekoilya Shelly

Ministry Associate for Missions