Greetings to the Hillcrest Family,
We’re all settling into some new routines and it is no different for the Hillcrest Staff. We’re sending out a newsletter each week. The pastoral staff sends out a letter every two weeks to keep us all updated on what is happening at Hillcrest and Pastor Steve sends out his own letter in the other weeks as an encouragement and exhortation for us all.
On with the updates!
Life Groups
Last week one of our Life Groups took the time to celebrate the birthday of a group member by hosting a “freezing cold cupcake physical distanced birthday party” on his driveway! A reminder that even the smallest, simplest gesture can go a long way in showing God’s love, care and support for each other. That's really what authentic Christian community all about.
As we are reminded in Scripture: “Let us consider how to inspire each other to greater love and to righteous deeds, not forgetting to gather as a community, as some have forgotten, but encouraging each other, especially as the day of His return approaches” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Longing for that kind of community? Starting a Life Group has never been easier or more vital to our walk with Jesus than it is right now. As a church we offer you the tools and support that you and your friends need to begin. Call Pastor Jamie (403-526-4010 ext.262) or email jamiem@hillcrestchurch.net.
Youth Ministry
This past week we hosted our second online youth event. We tried out an online Netflix Party to watch a movie together. It was fun to have a shared experience and be able to chat online with each other while we watched. We continue to be thankful for the creative ways that we are able to connect with our youth!
We continue to host our weekly Youth Life Groups on Tuesday nights at 7pm. This past week we showed a Right Now Media video from the Reckless Love/Next Step series with Mo Isom. She discussed what it looks like to trust God in the midst of tragedy. So often when we face difficult situations we find it’s easier to run from God instead of to Him, but when we choose to walk through these times with Jesus, the hard seasons don’t take us out anymore. Following the video we had fantastic conversation online with our students and leaders about where God is when we face tough times, and around the topic of this season of life being just that – a season. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 remind us that there is a season for everything, and that this season will pass too. We are so thankful for your prayers for the youth ministry!
Children’s Ministry
Over the Easter season, so many families were excited to pick up the Easter Activity Bags we had prepared for them at the Church! It was another new experience in these unusual days. Some of the bags contained egg stickers which were very fitting for us these days.
Glow Girlz continues to meet on Zoom on Wednesday nights, and we have had a few new girls join who have never come before (even when we met at church)! If you know of a girl who would like to join, send me an email cindyd@hillcrestchurch.net and she can join the fun! We have Wacky Hair Night this week, and we’ll be playing Pictionary!
Just boyz and XP56 Friday Nights continue to meet weekly. Just boyz meets every Thursday and XP56 meets every Friday. I love watching the just boyz as they arrive into the zoom meeting with such big smiles so excited to be there! Each week we play games, have a story and have a LEGO build that they work on during the week and then they present it when we meet. With the XP56 boys we are playing an online game together while chatting. I love how even this way of connecting has become something the boys look forward to and depend on each week. If you have a son who would like to join just email Pastor Kristen.
Legacy
The last couple weeks we’ve been sending out cards and letters to show that we care and that we miss you. There are a many emails, texts and phone visiting happening and while we don’t encourage in-person visiting that happens too.
Please remember to be safe and keep your distance. If you would like CDs, bulletins, Our Daily Bread Devotions, etc. please let me know and we will get them to you.
I want to personally thank all of you for your prayers, texts, emails, and calls of support. You are greatly appreciated. If you haven’t been “checked up on” by someone from the Legacy Ministry, please email, text or call me.
If you are self-isolating and need help with getting groceries, medications, or other essentials, call the Church Office at 403-526-4010. If you can help with delivering these items to those who need it, you can call that number as well or contact me, Pastor Mike at 403-526-4010 x261 or michaeld@hillcrestchurch.net.
Executive Pastor
Although there’s nothing great about the Coronavirus crisis, I must say that I am so grateful to the Lord to be working with the staff here at Hilllcrest. As most of you know, I started my role here at the beginning of this year and we were all just beginning to learn what it was for me to be leading this team. But none of us could anticipate how important some of the learning was in preparing us for the lockdown. I am so thankful to the Lord for the level of commitment and integrity demonstrated by the pastors, staff, and church leaders at Hillcrest.
When we first started the lockdown, we wondered what ministering together would look like during the crisis and we were preparing ourselves to serve the Lord in our community in case of a severe outbreak in our region. So far, thankfully, the pressure on our first responders and healthcare workers has been limited. As a result, we’ve spend most of our time improving our online presence. We’ve made significant improvements to our web-casting over the weeks. Please be sure to join us this Sunday.
We’ve also changed to a new web provider that helps us keep our website more current. This means that we have a much better turn around on letters like this, but also that each pastor is able to produce the content and basic design for their ministry area. Be sure to browse through our website to see what is happening in our various ministries. We’d also love for you to pray with us. Check out the Prayer tab to see some opportunities.
We are grateful for the Lord’s provision during this time and for our congregation’s ongoing generosity. We have cut expenses quite a bit and even did some strategic short-term lay-offs. We’ve also been taking up the appropriate government subsidies and watching for more. That being said, we are still running a small deficit that we can handle for a while. We do ask that you would pray and seek the Lord as to how you can continue to support the ministry at Hillcrest. If you need help with online giving, check our website Give Tab. We are open to take offerings during the week from about 8:30am to 4:00pm (closed from 11:00am to 12:00 noon) and on Sundays during the regular worship service hours. You can also stop by for prayer during those hours. A reminder that at all time we are subject to the current lock-down protocols and we ask that people maintain proper physical distance while in the building.
We’ve opened up the library last week as per the current protocols. Give Christy a call if you want to pick up some library books.
In addition to the weekly pastoral letters, we’ve also been arranging for one of our pastors or church leaders to call everyone in the congregation. However, the only way we have of connecting with you is if you are on Realm. If you have not yet signed up for Realm, please do so today by clicking here.
We’re also wondering if there are people out there whom you might know who would benefit from a pastoral call. This is a very lonely time for many and the social isolation presents a different kind of danger mentally and spiritually. If there is anyone in your sphere that would benefit from a call from one of our pastors, please let us know by filling out this call form.
There are so many other ways for us to show the Lord’s care to one another and in our neighborhoods. But we need to be reminded of His care for us. In these days ahead, let us wait upon the Lord for His strength even as we attend to the good work that He has given us to do.
The Lord’s blessings on us all as we continue to practice faith, hope, and love in these trying days.
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Hillcrest Connects https://www.hillcrestchurch.net/hillcrest-connects