Discipleship | Small Groups

Jesus Weekend Sign-ups

The Jesus Weekend site is live and ready to accept registrations, click here for more information and to register!

Jesus Weekend

A weekend of training, encouragement and spiritual nourishment... Whether you are a brand new Christian or a pastor, you will encounter The Person of Jesus like never before.

On Friday evening, as you study the gospels, you’ll discover your heart being captured by the beauty of Jesus. A pastor said, “The interactive study of the life of Jesus made Him come alive in a way I have rarely seen or heard.” A pastor’s wife wrote, “I am embarrassed (and sad) that I’ve overlooked seeing Him as a person.”

On Saturday three different tracks expand your awareness of Jesus. The Person of Jesus track immerses you in what Jesus is like as a person and offers you the opportunity of learning how to teach interactively and reaching out to non-Christians.

A second track, Small Group Leader Training, gives participants hands on training in leading inductive Bible studies as it immerses participants in the Passion of Jesus or one other aspect of Jesus’ life.

Finally, we know how hard it is to sustain a consistent life of prayer. The PrayerLife track is designed for Christians who long to have a rich prayer life, but are frustrated by the busyness of life.

On Facebook click here | More info here

Spring Clean-up!

Saturday, April 18, from 9-noon we are going to have a “Spruce-Up” morning for NPC.  There will teams working outside (weather permitting) and inside to do some deep cleaning and take care of things that the janitorial team just does not have time to get to on a regular basis.

Can you come give a hand to your church home for 3 hours or any part there of? Tasks will include things like:

Outside:    

• Cleaning beds
• Trimming brush
• Cutting down a couple small trees
• Washing windows
• Raking leaves

Inside:

• Washing interior and exterior windows
• washing marks off walls
• Dusting trim and “high places”
• Possibly spot cleaning some carpets
• Etc., etc., etc.,

If you have noticed anything that needs to be done, you are welcome to come at that time and tackle a project of your choice.

We are sorry, but THERE WILL BE NO BABYSITTING OR CHILDCARE PROVIDED.  If your children are old enough to work and you would like them to work BESIDE YOU, they are more than welcome to come.

Please call 630-961-0579 and let us know that you will be here and what your areas of interest are.

Thank you and God Bless,
CarolSue Veach

Theology of Spiritual Formation

Each year Wheaton College offers a theology conference on a particular topic. This year's focus is the theology of spiritual formation. Speakers at the conference include Gordon Fee, Dallas Willard, and Jim Wilhoit among a dozen others.

If you are interested in "spiritual formation", i.e. what it means to be spiritually formed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Jesus, for the benefit and grace of others, I encourage you to consider attending this conference.

The information on the conference is available here:
http://www.wheaton.edu/Theology/theo_conf/index.html

Apologetics Lecture Opportunity

Dinesh D'Souza, widely influential author and public speaker, will deliver a lecture Monday, April 6 at 7:30 PM, at Wheaton College's Edman Chapel entitled "A Christian Response to the New Atheism."

D'Souza, one of today's foremost Christian apologists and the author of What's So Great About Christianity?, is a columnist for Christianity Today and has successfully debated the leaders of the new, aggressive atheism movement including Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Michael Shermer. Come hear one of the foremost defenders of the faith today. The lecture is free and open to the public.

For any questions, please call Jean Bilang at the BGC Institute of Strategic Evangelism office at 630.752.5904 or email ise@wheaton.edu. For more info on Dinesh D'Souza visit www.dineshdsouza.com.

Career Concerns and Networking

Wednesday mornings NPC hosts a Bible Study for those (presently all men) who are currently between jobs. If you, or someone you know is in transition and might interested, please call the church office for more information.

Also, Alleluia Lutheran Church on Book Road in Naperville is hosting a career networking meeting Monday, March 16. If you are interested, or think there is someone in your group who could benefit from a time of connecting with others, please print this PDF and pass along.

Open Alleluia Lutheran PDF.

Preparing for Easter

In the coming weeks you'll see several opportunities to engage with the Lenten season, looking forward to Easter. One of the ways to connect with the season has been provided by the Children's Ministry here at church. This week look for the table just outside the worship center for a packet of information and activities for your family.

Check here for more details on the opportunity to help your children (and those within your small group) engage with this season of preparation and looking forward to Easter.

Click here for the CM website and Lenten activities.

The Library

If you are looking for resources for your small group to study and are not sure about which resources to pick up, try browsing our church's library. The library has recently been moved to rooms 040 and 042 below the worship center.

The library has been maintained to provide good resources to our church's members and friends.If you are looking for resources, they have possibly been removed in order to offer the best, most helpful resources to you congregation.

Visit the library and review the books here on a Sunday, or during the week. It will help you save some money on books that maybe you have heard about, but are not sure you want to go out and buy a copy. Resources include books for small group studies, personal growth, reference, audio and video, and more.

Check this list of recommended books for your personal growth and/or group study.

Juliet: A Dialog About Love

Juliet: A Dialogue about Love" is scheduled to be presented on Friday and Saturday, February 6 and 7, 7:00 pm at NPC. We encourage you to come and bring members of your small group. Drip coffee will be served after the play, no other refreshments will be served.

There will be a 'talk back' with the actress after the show.  She'll change out of her costume and come back to the Worship Center.  She welcomes the opportunity to do this. This is a dramatic presentation of a woman, her children, and the time when they were in a Communist prison.  It is also shows the love she has for her husband, her children and for God.  She asks questions of God such as: Where are you? Why is this happening? 

There may be a need for some people who attend to "decompress" following the show.  Those who experience the play may need some time to regroup, talk it out, and resolve our own feelings. We want to encourage you to take your group off site to a coffee shop or someone's home. There will not be a place at NPC to linger as custodians will be getting the church ready for the next day. If you are compelled to discuss, please be considerate of the tear-down and custodial teams, especially on Saturday evening. Thank you.

 

What to Expect:

• an informational display will be in our lobby which will help explain the political conditions in the Romania/Hungary area during the time of the play (circa 1956 - see timeline below). 
• a documentary video about the author will be running in our lobby (possibly at two locations)
• attendees will be held in our lobby to review the material until showtime.  This will provide for a greater understanding of the play's setting.
• A short introduction/announcement will be made in the lobby prior to letting anyone into the Worship Center
• There will be a "talk back" session following the play with the actress (approximately 20 minutes) concerning the play, the author, the actress, etc.

Historical Context:

Juliet's husband was a Hungarian Reformed pastor, who felt called to minister deeper inside the Communist block after Hungarian revolution of 1956.  He moved his wife Juliet and their seven children further east into Romania, a direction no one was traveling at the time.  Sure enough, he was almost immediately arrested and sentenced to 22 years in prison.  His wife and their seven children were evicted and sent to a prison camp in the Danube delta.  This play is her story, beginning when she wakes up to find herself prematurely placed in a morgue, which is essentially a pile of bodies.

• 1958 - Reverend Ferenc Visky, Andras' father, is sentenced to 22 years in prison.
• 1959 - His mother, Julia, and her seven children are deported to a gulag near the Danube delta, in a place known as Latesti.
• 1964 - Julia and the children are released early in the year;  Ferenc was released in the summer.

Winter Adult Ed Classes

We are excited to offer a number of new classes this term, beginning January 18 through April 5. Please click here for more information on the classes and where they will be located.

Consider sending this link along to your small group members and encouraging them to participate in this term's classes. It is a great opportunity to get to know new people and to foster a deeper understanding of the spiritual life in Christ.

Interested individuals can sign up here.