Something BIG Is Happening at Mars Hill. Find Out What Sunday! 🙌🏾

by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 20, 2025 | Empowerment

Happy Thursday, Mars Hill Family,

Some weeks just hit different, don’t they?

Life picks up speed right when we need it to slow down. In all that motion, it’s easy to forget: God is still here. Still working in the ordinary, overlooked moments of your day.

I wanted to remind you that you’re not doing this alone. Whatever this week holds, God is in it with you. In the conversations that matter, in the challenges that feel too big, even in those quiet moments when you’re catching your breath.

Faith grows in the small steps, not just the mountaintop moments. The decision to trust God on a random Thursday. The next step when you can’t see the full path.

That’s my prayer for you this week: renewed strength and a little more clarity. God has already gone ahead of you. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Just take the next faithful step.

You’ve got this. And more importantly, you’ve got Him.

🙌🏾 Welcome to “Super Sunday”

This weekend, Super Sunday returns, and you’re a crucial part, whether you join in person or online!

What Is Super Sunday?
Super Sunday is our monthly in-person gathering where the whole Mars Hill Anywhere family comes together with one purpose: to worship, connect, and move forward together.

Why Only Once a Month?
We’re not shrinking; we’re sharpening.
Meeting monthly lets us:

Maximize our time and resources
Deliver a powerful worship experience
Reach hundreds weekly through digital discipleship
Prevent burnout for our leaders and volunteers

What to Expect on Super Sunday

A relevant, scripture-based message for real life
Powerful worship for all, both in-person and online
Real connection with people on the same journey
Practical next steps for faith and growth

A Hybrid Experience by Design
Whether you join in the room or online, you’re part of Mars Hill Anywhere. Every Super Sunday is live-streamed, so you never miss out.

Here’s How You Can Join

📍 Location: 7941 47th St, McCook, IL
🕥 Time: 10:30 AM CST
📆 Next Super Sunday: November 23, 2025

Can’t attend in-person? Join us from anywhere:

In-Person Perks:

Meet new friends
Safe, welcoming space
Find a life group, serve, and grow!

Online Community Features:

Live chat during the service
Share your prayer needs
Real-time team support and encouragement

This Sunday means a lot to me, and I wanted to personally invite you.

Shauntai and I would be honored to have you with us as Mars Hill Anywhere celebrates our pastoral appreciation.

Your presence has always been a gift to us, and sharing this moment with you would make it even more meaningful.

Join us on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. We’ll gather at 7941 47th Street in McCook, Illinois, for a morning of worship, connection, and gratitude for all God has done through our church family.

It would mean the world to us to celebrate with you there.

When Life Stretches You Thin

If you’ve felt stretched thin or pulled in too many directions lately, this message is for you.

I preached about those moments when life tests your resolve and how God uses pressure to shape who you’re becoming. It’s a word about standing strong when everything feels unsteady and finding strength you didn’t know you had.

There’s clarity here. Comfort. And a steady reminder that God is working even when you feel worn down.

I really want you to hear this for yourself.

video preview

Watch The Replay

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📲 Have You Heard About Our App?

Everything you need to grow spiritually is right on your phone. We call it #ChurchInYourPocket.

Download The Mars Hill App

How to Support Mars Hill

Your generosity fuels everything we do, from in-person gatherings to digital discipleship. If you’ve been encouraged by this ministry, here are a few simple ways to give and get involved:

Give:

Support the mission securely at marshillchicago.org/giving, in our mobile app, or by texting MHGIVE to 33777. You can also mail checks to:

Mars Hill Baptist Church
PO Box 6159
River Forest, IL 60305

Serve:

Use your gifts to make a difference online or in person. Visit our site to see current serving opportunities.

Pray:

Lift up our leaders, our church family, and the people we’re reaching. Prayer is a powerful form of participation.

Invite & Share:

Send this email to a friend, invite someone to service, or repost something that encouraged you. Every share matters.

You’re helping us reach people with hope, truth, and love, whether they’re across town or across the country.

With love and expectation,

Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.

P.S. Don’t forget to “Pull up” or “Log on” with us online this Sunday at 10:30 AM Central for our online service. Set your reminder now! ⏰

This Sunday Is Online Only 🎥 Where was God when it all fell apart… read this. 🙌🏾

by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 12, 2025 | Empowerment

Happy Hump Day Reader,

Let’s be honest.

You prayed. You believed. You did everything you knew to do.

And it still happened. The breakup. The loss. The silence.

That quiet question you’ve been carrying?

“Where was God when it all went wrong?

This week at Mars Hill Anywhere, we didn’t avoid it. We faced it head-on.

Not with polished answers, but with real faith that holds when everything else falls apart.

If you missed the message, this is your moment to catch the replay and start the 5-day devotional that walks with you through the hard questions.

You’re not alone. And God is not absent.

Sermon Overview

Title: Where Was God When It Happened?

Scripture Focus: Hebrews 12:26–28, Matthew 7:24–27, Romans 8:28, Haggai 2:6–7, John 15:2

This week, I preached a message for anyone who has ever looked at the mess around them and asked, “God, where were You?”

The betrayal. The loss. The silence. The prayer you prayed didn’t seem to work.

We do not always say it out loud, but we carry the weight of that question. If God is good, why didn’t He stop it?

Here’s what God showed me. He does not always stop the shaking, not because He is absent, but because He is doing something deeper. He is not breaking you. He is breaking what has been holding you back.

In this sermon, I taught what it looks like to build a faith that holds when everything around you is falling apart. I shared how Jesus told us to build on rock, not emotions. What survives the shaking is what was built on Him.

I also spoke directly to the frustration that comes when you ask God to fix it, and it still falls apart.

This message was not about church clichés. It was about real faith in a real God who is still present, even when He feels silent.

If you’ve ever wrestled with doubt, disappointment, or silence, this message is for you. You are not forgotten. You are being fortified.

Let’s stop trying to hold together what God is trying to shake loose. Let’s build on what cannot be moved.

▶️ Missed it? You can watch it here

video preview

Watch The Replay