Celebrating Something Old – Our Past
I serve an amazing church filled with amazing people (Ok, I’m biased). The Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago is celebrating her 50th year in ministry. On February 24, 2013, we celebrated “Something Old” by taking a trip down memory lane. We paid tribute to our founding Pastor & 1st Lady, Rev. Dr. Clarence E. Stowers, Sr., & Margaret Stowers along with our founding members. Together, we laughed, cried, and learned about our glorious past.
Our 17 Founding Members
Celebrating Something New – Our Present
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
On Saturday, April 20, 2013, we opened “The Gallery.” Ylandus Roundy came up with the concept of “The Gallery.” On display were various pictures, artifacts, clothing, and other items depicting my life. The idea was to showcase the man behind the message and show that I’m more than a pastor, teacher, and leader. Many members came and were pleasantly surprised by the many facets of my life. I want to thank our staff, Ylandus Roundy, and Bert Parker for representing Mars Hill well.
Snapshot from “The Gallery”
On Sunday, April 21, 2013, we continued our celebration with “Something New/Real and Relevant Worship.” The majority of our congregation wore their “Together We Can” t-shirts (our theme for 2013) while our Worship & Fine Arts Team set the table with yoke-breaking worship.
Next, my sisters, Shawinette Steward and Sharron Stowers gave a hilarious presentation of my life as their brother. Trust me, they gave EXPLICIT details about my life as a prankster and their curfew-breaking brother. The congregation laughed hard and so did I!
After the presentation, I preached, “Grace In a Dark Place.” This message is from my current series, “Who is Jesus?” Jesus made seven “I Am” statements and they serve as the foundation of this series. To the dead man, Jesus was life. To the woman caught in adultery, He was a second chance. To those searching, He was the long-awaited answer. Who is Jesus to you? It was a powerful & thought-provoking word and many connected and joined our church.
Celebrating Our Youth With “Something U” – Our Future
In addition to celebrating Something Old and Something New, I’m most excited about our next celebration, “Something U.” On behalf of Mars Hill’s Youth Ministry, I am excited to introduce to some and present to others Mars Hill’s first Youth Empowerment Weekend entitled, “Identity Crisis: Do You Know Who You Are?” 1st Peter 2:9. This empowerment weekend is scheduled for June 28-30, 2013.
The purpose of this conference is as follows:
- Educate, Empower, Equip youth both spiritual and natural for life on their own
- Help the youth understand who they are in God
- Help the youth understand worship in relation to what the adult church currently have in place
In short, the weekend will flow as such:
- Friday night – “Stop the Violence” rally type event
- Saturday morning – empowerment workshops
- Saturday evening – youth concert
- Sunday – climax and our youth’s contribution to the churches 50th
More details to come very soon…
I love my church!
