Alpha
The Alpha Course runs Sunday mornings from 10-11am, in January and September, for 12 weeks.
Alpha - January 2025: In January we began with 22 guests. During our Holy Spirit Sunday (HSS) which is a special morning where guests stay for an extended period to learn about the Holy Spirit and His role the life of every believer, I had the happy privilege of leading a gentleman to the Lord. His heartfelt prayer to the Lord changed everything for this man. He was emboldened to share his faith with family and friends, joined our Monday Night Men’s Group to continue growing in his walk with God and, in October, shared his testimony live in front his church family! Our January course received a 98.3% favourability score from guests and, from what we can tell, at least 8 of them were invited by a friend or relative and 7 became followers of Jesus Christ!
Life Shared - May & August: Once again, we hosted this new course from Alpha Canada comprised of four, 1-hour sessions. Offering Biblical teaching from leading Christian voices with real stories of invitation. Exploring what it means to live out God’s call to share our lives — and our faith — with friends, colleagues and neighbours. We initially offered the course in August 2024 for 8 guests, then in May 2025 for 7 guests, and then a record-setting 22 guests in August 2025! The course is hosted by Rob & Janice Kirchner who are part of our amazing Alpha Team. Moving forward, the goal is to offer Life Shared between our January and September Alpha Courses, in May and August.
Alpha - September 2025: In September, we hosted 16 guests including a table full of young adults. This course receved a 94% favourability score and at least 2 of our guests had not attended church previously, 4 were invited by a friend or relative, 3 experienced a life-changing moment during HSS, and at least 2 had given their lives to Christ! Thankful for our Course Leader, Nicole, and all our wonderful table hosts, helpers and kitchen team for their sacrifice of time and talent. If you’d like to learn more about the Alpha Course, join as a guest or volunteer, or bring a friend to explore Jesus and the Bible in a safe, friendly amosphere, please visit our page on the Hillcrest Church website.
Baptisms & New Members
In 2025 we celebrated 30 baptisms and witnessed some very powerful, personal testimonies shared by those taking this personal step of faith and obedience to Jesus!
One woman shared how at one time, she was a hardened atheist… but had a family that was praying for her and would not give up. Then one day, this same women received a cancer diagnosis which led her to re-examine her life. It was during this season that the LORD graciously guided her from atheist (there is no God) to agnostic (there may be a God, but cannot be known), to personal saving faith in Jesus Christ! Since giving her life to Christ, this mother-grandmother has been touched by the healing power of God! Her cancer has gone into remission and she testified at her baptism to the saving, healing work of Jesus in her life.
Believer’s baptism is very important to God and therefore to us as well. If you have yet to take this next step in your walk with the Lord, you can learn more about it here.
In 2025 we also welcomed 12 new local church members. If you currently attend here and call Hillcrest your church home, perhaps consider the very good and godly reasons for becoming a member.
Community Life
Connecting Newcomers: More than 30 physical Connect Cards were filled out this year, with many more submissions via email. These cards and emails lead to a conversation between myself and the individuals and families making the requests, as I endeavour to connect them to events, programs and groups in the church. For those in the process of moving here, it’s learning about Hillcrest Church, and Medicine Hat, and what God is doing in our city. There are also requests for baptism, for counselling options, for being able to connect with pastors, leaders and ministry departments, or to find opportunities to serve the LORD in and through the church. Many request prayer, and in December, I had the privilege of leading one of these individuals to Christ during the 8:40am service.
Church Library: The Library is an integral part of community life at Hillcrest Church and a veritable hub of activity on Sunday and Wednesday mornings. For the ministry year of 2024-25 starting in September, a total of 1,963 resources were checked out, an increase of 95 resources that were checked out over the previous year. Projects in 2025 included additional shelving in the Library, the purchase of new seating in the children’s area, and the sorting, systematizing and cataloguing of resources in our Resource Room which was a major project. We want to thank and celebrate Jo-Ann for her dedication and labour of love in leading and completing this project in the Resource Room, as well as Lorna Campbell who spearheads this volunteer-led ministry and trains our current as well as all up-and-coming volunteers. This team has an unquenchable passion for God and for books, videos, music and teaching resources that equip followers of Jesus to grow in their faith. Please feel free to drop in during visiting hours and explore all that the Library has to offer individuals and families. You can also search our database of resources online or by using the Library computer.
Care & Community Ministry: In 2025, I had the honour of ministering to 38 patients and their family members in hospital or hospice; helping to relocate a single mom; dedicating a new restaurant in our city to the glory of God; encouraging an Israeli couple who have ministered to Hillcrest in the past and presently run a coffee house in Tel Aviv, sharing the love of Jesus with Jews & Arabs; touring our facility with a family from Germany who dropped by because their daughter had boarded with a church member and had grown in her walk with Jesus attending Hillcrest Alpha; representing Hillcrest at the annual EA Civic Leaders Christmas Lunch to honour our leaders including MP Glen Motz, Mayors of Medicine Hat and Redcliff, school principals and members of our fire, police and rescue services; and countless one-on-one conversations and mentoring moments that have helped others pursue God, growth, community, calling and generosity, in Jesus’ name.
Activity-Based Events, Programs & Groups
Date Night: In February 2025 we hosted a night of comedy for couples. More than 400 tickets were sold and this event which was partly sponsored by Missions Aviation Fellowship (https://maf.ca/). During the evening, MAF received 11 new monthly sponsorships and 25 one-time donations. The Date Night Team commented afterwards that our Medicine Hat audience was "electric” and that DN celebrities felt warmly welcomed and supported by our staff and volunteers. Numerous individuals from Hillcrest Church and beyond brought family and friends, and at least one couple with no church affiliation found a place to call their church home at Hillcrest the following Sunday. It was a great community connector and, for some, a warmhearted introduction to the Gospel.
Gather25: We also hosted this gathering of the global church for 25 hours (https://www.gather25.com). An invitation to worship, pray, repent, and discover how the love of Jesus is transforming the world through everyday people. Hillcrest served as a host site for the first 4 hours of the live broadcast on February 28th. Many took part online, with more than 60 attending in person, including young families, teens and young adults. Participants were encouraged to continue online beyond the 4 hours or watch on-demand.
Guest Service Teams: This year, half of our teams (Ushers, Coffee) added volunteers, for which we are thankful! This included adding a third Ushers Team co-led by Melissa & Deborah. We are deeply grateful for all of our amazing Sunday morning volunteer teams (Ushers, Coffee, Greeters, Info Hub Hosts) and their leaders. We love how each goes out of their way to make others in the church feel welcomed and encouraged.
Bible-Based Events, Programs & Groups
Bible Studies: In 2025, Hillcrest was blessed to offer 7 healthy, long-running Bible-based groups for men and women. We are thankful for our group facliitators and their commitment to helping others experience: A) A relationship with God, B) Bible-based fellowship and C) Christ-centred community. We are currently exceeding numbers from the previous year with more than 240 individuals accessing groups in 2025.
Since re-igniting small groups in October and inviting people to attend Community 101 classes in November, we went from 8 small groups at the start of 2025 to 14 by year’s end. One of the new groups is a gathering of men in their early 20s who all have an interest in mechanics. They are all new Christians and are choosing to meet on one of the family properties in a workshop, so they can do Bible study and prayer follow it up with some food and shop talk. They are going through “The Purple Book” which takes participants through 54 lessons covering 12 major themes and that take them through the entire Bible, from Sin & Salvation to Resurrection & Judgment. It’s encouraging to see even young men, who are newly married with busy lives, choosing to start out on the right foot in their walk with God.
Community Life 101: Over the summer months I developed a class for those interested in learning about, being part of or starting their own Hillcrest Small Group. It was offered in November in conjunction with an introductory Sunday message in October that I delivered to the church. Both the message and course dates included testimonies by Steve & Caz, one of our Small Group Host couples. They have seen firsthand what the Lord can do when we surrender ourselves and our busy families and schedules to Him. Together we co-led the classes, providing the tools and encouragement needed to begin a Small Group adventure. Steve & Caz have become our first Small Group Ambassadors in the church and continue to assist me with walking alongside others in their quest fo find meaningful connection in a new or existing Small Group.
Current Needs-Based Events, Programs & Groups
Christ-Centred Recovery Group: This year, Carol and her team ran two cycles of CCR, a program which they themselves developed, along with help from myself and church office staff. Through CCR, men and women were set free from various stresses and burdens, as the Lord provided victories over unwanted habits (e.g,. online shopping) and struggles such as codependency. Group were small but meaningful to those who participated.
Hillcrest Adults Social Events: In March we hosted a Gym & Games Night complete with Chinese food, table games and pickleball. We had 30 sign up including several new to the church. In April we hosted “The Thorn,” a powerful theatrical portrayal of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, attracting over 100 people to watch during the Easter Season. In October we hosted a Glow Bowling & DQ Event that brought 21 out, including a new young couple that I was able to connect to a small group. In December we hosted “Christmas With The Chosen” which saw 140 out for this church-wide event followed by coffee, cookies and hot chocolate.
Ladies Spring Brunch: The ladies enjoyed a marvelous time with catering by Karen, guest speaker Elayne Goertzen, music by Kelly and tips on how to declutter a home by Gail of Simpl Decluttering. In 2025, the Jewlery Boutique collected close to $820 for the Hillcrest Furniture Ministry.
Intercessory Prayer in the Community: In May, we gathered a team of believers to pray over a local Christian business. This family-run clinic was experiencing various difficulties and it was felt many of the issues were of a spiritual nature. We prayed over the business as well as the adjoining stores in this Hindu-owned business park, and as a result there were a number breakthroughs experienced that same week. Then, in June I was invited to visit a newly-acquired rental property belonging to one our church families. We prayed together for God’s blessing and cleansed the home, dedicating it to the LORD and His good purposes. Since that time, things have been going well. It’s a reminder that “we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NLT).
Mother’s Day: In 2025, we gifted moms prayer jars that contain colour-coded Scripture promises for daily strengthening, comfort and encouragement. Of the 450 prayer jars given to moms, 370 were hand picked on Sunday, 40 gifted through the WOW Wednesday Women’s Group and another 40 set were aside for use in our Blessing Bags that are given out by the Furniture Ministry. Much thanks to Linda, my administrative assistant, for her creativity and for bringing together volunteer artisans for this project.
Father’s Day: In 2025, we gifted dads with Scripture-engraved key chains. About 250 were given away on the Sunday and another 30 donated to the Blessing Bags.
Courage in the Corners: We saw a tremendous turnout in November for Josie as she honoured her son Christian and shared about the journey the Lord has had her on. Josie gave all the glory to her Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ to a gathering of more than 130 from the surrounding community and 190 signed books were purchased. A very special and hope-filled evening that saw many from Hillcrest participating.
Women’s Christmas Brunch: Welcomed 216 ladies to a “12 out of 10” meal (according to one guest) prepared by Karen and her Kitchen Team. Many volunteered time in other areas too, from our men’s dishwashing crew, to Ivan on coffee, to the Christmas music team of Kyle & Jacinda, and the drama team which featured Grant as Narrator and Trevor as Scrooge. It concluded with an invitation to connect with the church (for those without a church home) and to pray with a leader. Many ladies from Hillcrest brought friends and family. We believe God was glorified and that women were brought closer to Jesus over the Christmas season. Special thanks to Carrie & Val for their vision, creativity, passion and countless hours of prayerful planning. Carrie emceed and Val performed 6 stocking-stuffer demonstrations (2 for children, 2 for seniors and 2 for college students) with the stockings be given away on behalf of Women’s Ministries.
Wedding Bells
Performed a small, backyard wedding in August followed by a large-scale wedding in September. I had the privilege of taking both couples through pre-marriage counselling and confirming their commitment to following Jesus and placing Him at the centre of their individual lives and marriages.
Final Word
Once more, I am grateful to God for the opportunity to serve at Hillcrest Church.
Thankful for all of our amazing and gifted staff, most notably Linda, Christy, Michelle and our Facilities Team who daily assist me in my areas of responsibility.
Blessed and encouraged by the 174 dedicated volunteers I had the privilege of serving alongside in 2025, including my wonderful wife, Carrie.
I am continually humbled and blessed to be part of the wonderful work God is accomplishing through this local church family.
To God Be The Glory, Great Things He Has Done!
Pastor Jamie