Jacob's Well Church Community

Our Mission

Pastor Mark — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:59:04 +0000

In December 2011, we went through a process to evaluate and reaffirm our mission statement as a church. Here is our updated mission statement:

Our mission is to partner with God and our community to love, serve, and support our neighbors.

We do this through:

Seeking to learn and follow the way of Jesus
Gathering for participative worship services
Using our gifts to serve each other and our neighbors
Growing in friendship and care for one another
Reaching out with acceptance and love

This Sunday at Jacob’s Well

Pastor Mark — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:38:21 +0000

Do you ever wonder why our relationships aren’t working and what the Bible says about how to fix them? Join us on Sundays as we start a new sermon series looking at the Bible’s Teaching on Relationships.

January – February Schedule

Jan 29 - Ephesians 4:1-3 “Setting up your Relationships for Success”

Feb 5 - Ephesians 4:3-6 “How the Church Helps and Hinders”

Feb 12 - Guest speaker Erik Kamp “Learning to Love”

Feb 19 – Ephesians 4:25-32 “Facing Conflict with Hope”

Quote of the week

Pastor Mark — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 19:59:42 +0000

Each Sunday as part of our worship, we invite someone in our community to share a picture, poem, or quote that they have found especially meaningful in their lives. We invite them to bring this quote to our Sunday gathering, and show or read it to us, and then tell us why it is meaningful to them. Here are some recent quotes:

February 5 – From Kim K…

“God does leave us to the consequences of our stupid decisions. But
our pain has a purpose: problems, struggles, heartaches, and hassles
cooperate toward one end–the glory of God. Is there any chance you
have been selected to struggle for God’s glory?”

From It’s Not About ME by Max Lucado.

January 29 – From Erik K…

“We are what we repeatedly do, excellence therefore is not an act but a habit.” ~ Aristotle

January 22 - From Sharon P…

Words and music by Rick Founds
(Verse)
Lord, I lift Your name on high
Lord, I love to sing Your praises
I’m so glad You’re in my life
I’m so glad You came to save us

(Chorus)
You came from heaven to earth
To show the way
From the earth to the cross
My debt to pay
From the cross to the grave
From the grave to the sky
Lord, I lift Your name on high

January 15 - From Gloria K…

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.“ – Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 8- From Jan B…

“Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, ‘Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect’. Whatever did He mean? ….If this is God’s standard of holiness, then I may as well resign from the start…..Jesus did not proclaim the Sermon on the Mount so that we would furrow our brows in despair to achieve perfection. He gave it to impart to us God’s Ideal toward which we should never stop striving, but also to show that none of us will ever reach that Ideal. The Sermon on the Mount forces us to recognize the great distance between God and us, and any attempt to reduce that distance by somehow moderating its demands misses the point altogether.

The worst tragedy would be to turn the Sermon on the Mount into another form of

legalism; it should rather put to an end to all legalism. Legalism like the Pharisees’ will always fail, not because it is too strict but because it is not strict enough. Thunderously, arguably, the Sermon on the Mount proves that before God we all stand on level ground: murderers and temper-throwers, adulterers and lusters, thieves and coveters. We are all desperate, and that is in fact the only state appropriate to a human being who wants to know God. Having fallen from the absolute Ideal, we have nowhere to land but in the safety net of absolute grace.”
The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey

January 1- From Christine W…

“Though still broken hearted, she believes what her mommy tells her about her heavenly Father. That He is at work in her little life in spite of the suffering. That His ultimate plan involves far more than our happiness in this life.”
Source: Heroic Faith by Voice of the Martyrs

December 18 – From Aaron V…

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will be come unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” C.S. Lewis (The Four Loves).

December 4 – From Jack M…

‘I’m not fooling you with my inauthentic prayers, am I God?’ … ‘I don’t want to talk to you about my partying because I already know I want to do it again! I’m afraid if I follow your will, I’ll never have fun again. So if you want me to stop, you’ve got to help me see a better way. I’m willing for you to help me.’ …

Little did I know then about the power of willingness, but when God met me in that willingness, new attitudes began to replace the old.” Challenge for the week: 60-60 Experiment, meaning for 60 days, every 60 minutes reconnect with God. Let God know you are willing.

- From Soul Revolution: How Imperfect People Become All God Intended by John Burke.

November 27 - From Bev W…

“There is no record of Andrew ever preaching a sermon, performing a miracle, or writing a book of Scripture. He is remembered for those whom he brought to Jesus.” Our task is to bring others to Jesus, and he will perform His divine work in their lives.

- Taken from the devotional Experiencing God Day-by-day written by Henry and Richard Blackaby. How are we doing at being an Andrew for others?

November 6 – From Kim K …

“Seriously, my life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not

trying to ‘be like Jesus’, it means for your independence to be killed. I came to give you life, real life, my life. We will come and live our life inside of you, so that you begin to see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, and touch with our hands, and think like we do. But we will never force that union on you. If you want to do your thing, have at it. Time is on our side.”
- Jesus speaking in The Shack, by William Paul Young

October 30 – From Becky B …

“Seek me with your whole being. I desire to be found by you, and I orchestrate the events of your life with that purpose in mind. When things go well and you are blessed, you can feel Me smiling on you. When you encounter rough patches along your life-journey, trust that My Light is still shining upon you. My reasons for allowing these adversities may be shrouded in mystery, but My continual Presence with you is an absolute promise. Seek Me in good times; seek Me in hard times. You will find Me watching over you all the time.” – from a devotional book (not sure of source)

October 23 – from Gloria K …

“If you’ve come to help me, you’re wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” – Quote from an Aboriginal woman

October 9 – from Charlene B …

“St. Francis wanted his followers to live in poverty by confidently making known their needs to one another. Francis was not really interested in the poverty of material possessions; rather he was concerned for the type of poverty that would lead to interdependence and the love of brothers and sisters for one another. Thus he advocated that his followers live not without things but without possessing things, for when we possess things we may think that we do not need other people or have a responsibility of love toward them. To live as poor persons, for Francis, is to love one another as family, as a mother loves and cares for her son. The poor person is the brother or sister who lives in dependence on others, following the poor Christ. Poverty is being able to say, ‘I need you,’ that is, ‘I am incomplete without you’.” – Ilia Delio in Franciscan Prayer

Our pastor

Pastor Mark — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:56:07 +0000

Mark Brouwer has recently come to Evergreen Park to serve as the pastor of Jacob’s Well. Mark has been the founding pastor of two churches (in Austin, TX, and Minneapolis, MN). For the past five years he has been the director of Recovery Remixed, which he will continue to lead on a part-time basis. Mark and his wife Charlene have been married for 25 years, and they are the proud parents of Alexander and Jonathan. They are also the owners/parents/servants of a miniature Golden Doodle named Dexter.

New nursery open …

Pastor Mark — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:39:55 +0000

We’ve recently completed the renovation of one of the rooms in our church building, and have opened it up as our new nursery! Thanks to the volunteers who helped create this space. We hope that Jacob’s Well can be a place where children – as well as adults – can experience God’s love.

Sonshine Express Pre-School Program

Pastor Mark — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:35:53 +0000

Sonshine Express is a preschool program that meets at Jacob’s Well. We still have room for more children in our Fall program!

Sonshine Express is a faith-based preschool. Our program is designed to help your child grow intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and creatively. Our classes are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00am to 11:30am.

Our Goals Include:

Providing a secure and loving environment for your child.
Building up your child’s self-image and encouraging cooperation and sensitivity to others.
Strengthening your child’s confidence in facing new situations and experiences.
Developing in your child a sense of wonder and appreciation for the world around them.

Click here to download a pdf brochure with more information about Sonshine Express. For more information, you may call the school at (708) 636-4585.

Pastor Mark — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:30:39 +0000

We are a new church in Evergreen Park, Illinois.
We are seeking to be learners and followers of Jesus Christ.

Our services are informal and participative.
You are welcome to ask questions and make comments …
not simply sit back and be preached at.
You can be yourself, wear what you want,
and bring your doubts as well as your faith.

We are a community of neighbors and friends …
not just a church that holds services.
We’d love to meet you!

Sunday Morning Overview

Pastor Mark — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:20:42 +0000

Here are the basics you need to know about Sunday mornings at Jacob’s Well:

Service Time: 10:00am

Service Length: 70 to 90 minutes

Church Location: click here for location info

Children’s Programs: We have infant and toddler care, and activity packets for children. Our services are informal and interactive – children are welcome to participate.

Worship Style: We are a small and informal group. (You can see this from the pictures below.) Our music is a blend of contemporary and traditional. What sets us apart is that people are encouraged to participate in the service … not just sit and listen. People ask questions and make comments. We believe that this kind of casual and simple atmosphere encourages genuine conversations and relationships with God and others.

Respectful and Welcoming: While we encourage participation in our services, we know that people who are visiting may not be interested in (or ready to) participate. There is no pressure … you will be welcomed and respected.

Renting our facility

Pastor Mark — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:13:58 +0000

The Jacob’s Well campus is open to the neighborhood and public for use…

…conferences
…family gatherings
…showers
…art showings
…birthday parties
…etc.

We have a variety of rooms, and can accomodate groups ranging from five or ten to 300. If you’d like to learn more about using our facility, please contact our Social Events coordinator directly: (Diane 708-650-0393).

Here are some other pictures:

Pastor Mark — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:17:09 +0000

THANKS FOR VISITING OUR SITE!