City Of Light Anglican Churchaurora, Illinois

We believe we can lead ourselves, but everyone of us is being led. Who is leading us? In John 10, Jesus invites us to follow him because he knows his sheep when other leaders don't, he lays down his life for his sheep when other leaders run, and he leads his sheep to life when others leaders lead to destruction. We follow Jesus by experiencing the comfort of his staff and rod through his word and his body.

Luke 24:13-35 ​"Jesus draws near to all who have left to help them to return. He walks the streets looking for those ​who will invite him in so that he can reveal himself to them." — Deacon Margie Fawcett

Acts 3:12 - 26 (NIV) Psalm 118:19-24 (NIV) John 20:19-31 (NIV)

We search for meaning in happiness and pleasure, but what we are really looking for is joy. More than just wanting to feel good, we long to be part of something that is good. More than just wanting to be happy, we long to be healed. In the resurrection we find the source of joy; because Jesus is alive we can be made alive and our whole world can come alive! The sign and symbol of joy is dancing—believing in our bodies that the resurrection is real in the midst of death.

Genesis 22:1-18, Psalm 22:1-11, Hebrews 10:19-25, John 19:1-37 On the cross, when the world stood in crisis, when each of our lives hung in the balance, God showed up. He gave his life. He saved us. The cross is his testimony of trustworthiness. It’s the proof that he can be trusted. God delivered Abraham. God delivered Isaac. God delivered his son to suffering and death and then delivered him from death so that he deliver us. We can trust God by renouncing other authorities where we've misplaced our trust, by mistrusting our mistrust, and by trusting one another. Where have you given authority to someone or something other than God? Where have you trusted your mistrust more than God's trustworthiness? Where is God inviting you to trust the church in a deeper way?

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus taught us what it means to serve. This Maundy Thursday we worshipped with our sending church and cathedral, Church of the Resurrection, and Bishop Stewart preached on Jesus' ministry as the servant of all. Scripture: Exodus 12:1-14 Psalm 78:14-20, 23-25 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

​"Note the new Hosanna in Revelation 7:9-10's picture of eternity. It is not a request to save us, but a celebration that he did save us. This is the hope for all who leave the jeering crowd and enter the great multitude waving palms in worship." — Casey Solgos

Scripture: Mt 9:35 - 10:1, 7-8; 1 Timothy, Psalm 78 Key idea: Following Jesus means inviting others to follow Jesus. A disciple of Jesus is someone who makes disciples. At City of Light, we want to know who our partner is, who we are praying for, and how we are planting Gospel invitations to come and see, come and follow, and come and die. Practices: Disciple-making -Pray: give me your heart, show me who, pray for them by name, show me how -Make list of who you are praying for

"Jesus is enough for us and Jesus is enough for everyone."

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16 Key idea: Every follower of Jesus is called to be a priest of the kingdom of heaven, to extend the table of the kingdom into our homes and neighborhoods. Conversation: What is your parish? What is your ministry? How is your day job for the glory of God? How are you engaging in the work of the ministry of the saints? How are your financial resources aimed toward kingdom of heaven generosity? Practices: Disciple-making pt2 -Write a mission statement for yourself as a disciple-maker, for your marriage, or for your family -Make a generosity plan to take a step in giving this year

Session 4—Worship Scripture: Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18 Key Idea: Worship, on Sunday and in our households, brings us into the presence of Jesus to transform us to be more like him from one degree of glory to another. Conversation: What is a meaningful part of the service for you, where you encounter the presence of Jesus? How can you take that with you into the week to practice in your household and in your neighborhood? Practices: Household Worship pt 2 Reflect on your household worship plan Practice telling your gospel story

"I am so incredibly grateful for my family here at City of Light. They welcomed me and showed me how to use my God-given gifts for something important, and because of that, I have been able to grow so much closer to my church and to God."

"I had never spent that much time in the Psalms before and I have found it incredibly enriching...I've just kept going with it...In the Book of Common Prayer they have headings that divide the book into morning psalms and evening psalms for 30 days of the month. I've found that that is just the perfect bite sized amount of scripture for daily consumption in my life right now."

Scripture: Acts 2:41-47 Key Idea: The church is fully Scriptural, fully Sacramental, full of the Holy Spirit, free to sacrifice, and sees the fruit of salvation. The church is a she, not an it; and we can devote ourselves to her. Conversation: Which ‘S’ are you more comfortable with? Which ‘S’ do you think the Lord is inviting you to grow in? How can you practice that? Practices: Unity If there is something holding you back from loving the church, could you talk with the Lord or someone you trust about that? If there is an unreconciled relationship between you and another believer or church? What could you do to begin a process of freely sharing in unity? From last week: practice sharing your story with someone in your group or with your whole group. How would you share your story with someone who doesn’t know the Lord? Study: Acts 2 chiasm diagram Bishop Stewart preaching on the 5 S’s of Acts 2 City of Light Leaders Unity Commitment www.cityoflightanglican.org/connect/membership

Confession is a gift and not a burden. There is freedom and joy that comes from finally acknowledging that we are redeemed sinners who are becoming but who are not yet perfected...We all sin but we hate to admit it, so we go through life burdened by the shame and consequences of our sins...God longs to set us free from our sin and shame.

Session 1—Gospel Message: February 11 Scripture: Acts 2:14a, 22-24, 32-33, 36-39 Key Idea: “The Gospel is the good news of God loving and saving lost mankind through the ministry in word and deed of his Son, Jesus Christ” (from Anglican Catechism, pg 12). It has a shape: Fashioned, Fallen, Forgiven, Formed, Fully Restored. Conversation: What is your faith story? Which part of the gospel story connects the most with you right now? Practices: Spend 5 minutes thinking about how you would write out your story. Share that story with someone in your group or with your whole group. Study: How to share your testimony from CRU. An article on the Anglican movement’s desire to keep the gospel central by being mere Christians. “The Gospel is the good news of God loving and saving lost mankind through the ministry in word and deed of his Son, Jesus Christ” —from Anglican Catechism, pg 12 (Click here) http://www.cityoflightanglican.org/connect/membership

"This was an affirmation from the Lord that he answers prayer, he heard my not-super-persistent prayer and answered it in this amazing way. But the passage itself has become a prayer for me, specifically the words, "Do you see anything?" I've tried to make that background prayer...We don't always see people clearly and sometimes miss those opportunities...We need Jesus to restore our sight again and again and allow him to ask us, "Do you see anything?"

Session 2—Prayer Scripture: John 10:1-18 (Listen here) Key Idea: In prayer, God speaks to us and we speak to God. We can practice his presence with us. In prayer, God speaks to us for others and we speak to God for others. We can practice his presence in our conversations with others. Conversation: How have you experienced the Lord speaking to you in prayer? How do you speak to the Lord in prayer? Practices: Household Worship Make a plan for your household prayer. See the study resources below for different prayer practices. Practice laying hands on one another in prayer as a group. Study: Bcp devotionals for individuals and families (click here) Daily examen (click here) Prayer walking (click here) Prayer for those far from God (click here) Sabbath-keeping (click here) http://www.cityoflightanglican.org/connect/membership

I think my favorite part about City of Light is what’s still to come. I’m excited to become a member of a local church for the first time ever. I am excited to continue to find new ways to serve. I’m excited to host more Super Bowl parties and to join more family dinners. There are more faces to get to know, more family members to meet. I love getting to be part of a church where we all get to dream together about what God might do here next. And I can’t wait to see what that is with this new family.

In the midst of a hard year, Cory shares that he "was reminded about the special community we have here and that we belong to each other and the family that we provide for each other. My discipleship group gave me this target to look forward to every week where we could read the Bible and pray together. While I wanted to hole up in my house, my community here checked in and gave me permission to share struggles and sadness and prayed for me and with me."