Hey family,

I want to take a moment to check in with you.

I know life can feel heavy sometimes. Some weeks it is a miracle just to show up, to keep going, and to hold on to faith. If that is where you are, you are not alone. I have been there too.

Last Sunday’s message came from that place between what you have been through and what God is still doing.

Still Standing. Still Called. Still Here.

You have been through storms that should have buried you.

You have faced seasons that stripped your confidence.

But the fact that you are still standing is proof that God is not finished with you.

If you have ever felt stuck, tired, or unsure of what comes next, hear this truth.

When life slows down, God does not stop working.

Even when you feel sidelined or unseen, His calling on your life still stands.

If you are still breathing, God is still building.

If you are still standing, you are still called.

This week is your opportunity to keep standing strong in faith and trust that God is still writing your story.

🔗 Missed it? You can watch it here

▶️ Watch the full message now on YouTube

​

Also Worth Noting: ✍🏽 Latest article on Substack: This one hit a nerve. If you’re always holding it together for everyone else, this is for you. Did You Fail, or Did You Grow? 🎥 Short on Time? I Got You ​Check out my new YouTube Shorts. These are quick, honest, and built for real life. Leaders Are Readers: My Fall Reading List 5 Reasons Helping The Wrong People Is Bad For You Stop Reopening a Door Life Already Closed 📲 Have You Heard About Our App? Everything you need to grow spiritually is right on your phone. We call it #ChurchInYourPocket. Download The App

​

Church was never meant to be a buffet.

🧭 Download your personal M.A.P.

A 4-step rhythm to help you move from listening to growing.

Everything is right here!

Here’s What You Need to Know This Week:

What: Sunday Worship (Online Only)

When: Sunday, October 26, 2025, at 10:30 AM CST

Where: Online at MarsHillChicago.org
​Watch on Facebook: @MarsHillChicago​
Watch on YouTube: ClarenceStowersTV

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.

🔥 Your Move This Weekend

✔️ Watch the sermon

✔️ Download the devotional

✔️ Give to what God is doing at Mars Hill

✔️ Forward this to someone who feels like they don’t have enough

With love and expectation,

Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.

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

Happy Friday Reader!

I wanted to let you know my personal Facebook page has been temporarily suspended.

While we’re still working through that situation, we may continue streaming to the Mars Hill Facebook page if possible.

To make sure you don’t miss a thing, we’re officially moving our livestreams to YouTube starting this Sunday.

📺 Watch here:

youtube.com/@ClarenceStowersTV

Please take a moment to subscribe and turn on notifications. That way, you’ll always know when we’re live.

This shift allows us to create a more stable and distraction-free experience for everyone tuning in.

Whether you’re watching from home, the car, or across the country, YouTube is the best way to stay connected.

Thanks for growing with us.

Here’s What You Need to Know This Week:

What: Sunday Worship (Online Only)

When: Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 10:30 AM CST
​​
​Watch on Facebook: @MarsHillChicago​
Watch on YouTube: ClarenceStowersTV

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.

🔥 Your Move This Weekend

✔️ Watch the sermon

✔️ Download the devotional

✔️ Give to what God is doing at Mars Hill

✔️ Forward this to someone who feels like they don’t have enough

With love and expectation,

Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.

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

Hey friends,

My Facebook page was just temporarily suspended.

Someone reported my latest post for “violating community standards” and called it divisive.

But let’s be real.

Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences, especially when you’re posting on borrowed ground.

Social media is rented space.

At any moment, the rules can shift.

Access can be revoked.

Messages can be silenced.

I saw it coming. My last few posts were already being shadowbanned.

But I’m still here.

✅ You’re already on my email list. That’s the safest way to stay in the loop.

📩 Forward this message to someone who needs to know where I am now.

Here’s where you can always find me:

🌳 All of My Links

https://linktr.ee/clarencestowers

✍🏾 Substack Newsletter

Fresh content, weekly reflections, and real talk

https://substack.com/@clarencestowers

📱 Text Alerts

Text “INSIDER” to 33777

I’ll send updates, reminders, and key links right to your phone.

▶️ YouTube Channel

Messages, leadership talks, and videos to help you grow

https://youtube.com/@ClarenceStowersTV

If the message matters, we find new ways to spread it.

See you soon,

Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
​See All of my Links @ Linktree

Happy Thursday Reader!

Fear doesn’t always show up as panic. Sometimes, it disguises itself as wisdom.

Last week, we opened the question: What will you do when fear tries to keep you stuck? And many of us saw ourselves in the freeze, paralyzed by doubt, uncertainty, or the pressure to play it safe.

But this week, the invitation shifts.

Will you stay frozen, or will you move forward?

What Will You Do: Freeze, Fight, Flight, or Fold

Part 2 of “What Will You Do?” challenges you to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start walking in faith, even when it feels uncertain.

If fear tricked you into calling inaction “discernment,” this message helps you name it for what it is and take the next right step anyway.

You’ll be reminded that courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s movement in the middle of it.

Whether you’re navigating a tough decision, carrying the weight of someone else’s expectations, or simply tired of feeling stuck, this message offers clarity, courage, and direction.

🔗 Missed Part 1? You can watch it here

▶️ Watch the full message (Part 2) now on YouTube

​

Also Worth Noting: ✍🏽 Latest article on Substack: This one hit a nerve. If you’re always holding it together for everyone else, this is for you. The 7 Things I Stopped Doing After 50 (And Why My Life Got Better) 🎥 Short on Time? I Got You ​Check out my new YouTube Shorts. These are quick, honest, and built for real life. Leaders Are Readers: My Fall Reading List America is a Company, Not a Country Who Really Speaks For You? 📲 Have You Heard About Our App? Everything you need to grow spiritually is right on your phone. We call it #ChurchInYourPocket. Download The App

​

Church was never meant to be a buffet.

🧭 Download your personal M.A.P.

A 4-step rhythm to help you move from listening to growing.

Everything is right here!

Here’s What You Need to Know This Week:

What: Sunday Worship (Online Only)

When: Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 10:30 AM CST

Where: Online at MarsHillChicago.org
​Watch on Facebook: @MarsHillChicago​
Watch on YouTube: ClarenceStowersTV

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.

🔥 Your Move This Weekend

✔️ Watch the sermon

✔️ Download the devotional

✔️ Give to what God is doing at Mars Hill

✔️ Forward this to someone who feels like they don’t have enough

With love and expectation,

Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.

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

Happy Thursday Reader!

Here’s what happened this week…

Texas Nat’l Guard Invades Illinois… didn’t have that in my cards.

When I heard “Plenary Authority” at lunch, I almost choked.

Then Stephen Miller froze and CNN covered for him, calling it a “technical issue.”Plenary authority means absolute power.

No limits. No checks. No accountability.

In the United States, no one has plenary authority. That’s the whole point of the Constitution.

And yet, history tells us who claimed it before:

Adolf.

Benito.

Vladimir.

Jong-un.

Whenever someone whispers “complete power,” freedom loses its breath.

What Will You Do: Freeze, Fight, Flight, or Fold

When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” he wasn’t just talking about the 1960s; he was talking to us.

Today, we stand in the same tension. The world is loud, injustice is real, and fear is a familiar presence.

So the question isn’t just “Where do we go from here?” It’s “What will you do from here?”

In this message, I begin breaking down four spiritual responses: Freeze, Fight, Flight, or Fold, and reveal how each one shapes the kind of believer I become when the pressure is on.

You’ll see that God doesn’t just call us to survive moments of crisis; He calls us to respond in faith, courage, and clarity.

▶️ Watch the full message now on YouTube

​

Also Worth Noting: ✍🏽 Latest article on Substack: This one hit a nerve. If you’re always holding it together for everyone else, this is for you. The Four Faces of Fear (And Why You Keep Falling For Them) 🎥 Short on Time? I Got You ​Check out my new YouTube Shorts. These are quick, honest, and built for real life. Leaders Are Readers: My Fall Reading List America is a Company, Not a Country Who Really Speaks For You? 📲 Have You Heard About Our App? Everything you need to grow spiritually is right on your phone. We call it #ChurchInYourPocket. Download The App

​

Church was never meant to be a buffet.

🧭 Download your personal M.A.P.

A 4-step rhythm to help you move from listening to growing.

Everything is right here!

Here’s What You Need to Know This Week:

What: Sunday Worship (Online Only)

When: Sunday, October 12, 2025, at 10:30 AM CST

Where: Online at MarsHillChicago.org
​Watch on Facebook: @MarsHillChicago​
Watch on YouTube: ClarenceStowersTV

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.

🔥 Your Move This Weekend

✔️ Watch the sermon

✔️ Download the devotional

✔️ Give to what God is doing at Mars Hill

✔️ Forward this to someone who feels like they don’t have enough

With love and expectation,

Pastor Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.

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

Happy Tuesday, Mars Hill Family,

Isn’t it incredible how God is working in our Mars Hill Anywhere family? I’d love to share some exciting visions, answer your questions, and invite you to something special.

🙌🏾 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: October 5, 2025

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

• ​Watch on MarsHillChicago.org​
• ​Watch on Facebook​
• ​Watch on YouTube​

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

What if your questions didn’t push God away but pulled Him closer?

Family, Sunday’s word Faith in the Middle of Doubt reminded us that God responds to honesty, not perfection. If you missed it or would like to revisit it, the replay is now live.

✅ Watch the sermon replay

✅ Walk through the 5-Day Devotional

✅ Apply it with your personal M.A.P.

👇🏾 Here’s everything in one place ⤵️

What to Do When Believing Gets Hard – Mars Hill Baptist Church

Who’s committing to 5 days of honest faith?

Also Worth Noting:

✍🏽 Latest article on Substack: America Is a Panic Attack in Slow Motion​

This one hit a nerve. If you’re always holding it together for everyone else, this is for you.

America is a Panic Attack in Slow Motion

🎥 Short on Time? I Got You

​Check out my new YouTube Shorts. These are quick, honest, and built for real life.

When The System Isn’t Working

America Is Not a Country, It’s a Business

5 Reasons The Wrong “YES” Might Destroy You

📲 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! ⏰