Hello to our Hillcrest Church Family!
I am so glad that you have taken time out of your day to read and celebrate all of the things that God has been doing among us over the last year!
If I could summarize 2021 in one phrase it would be “So glad that it is over!”
As a church family, we persevered and thrived through a year of many challenges. We weathered Covid lockdowns, frequent changes to health restrictions, an emergency medical sabbatical, six months of transition in the pulpit, mask controversies, vaccine controversies, not to mention all of the many personal challenges that we all faced in our families and workplaces. And… I am so glad it is over!
In the midst of it all, God has taken care of us, both individually and as a body of believers. The Lord provided the resources we needed to pay staff and support our ministries. We saw people come to faith in Jesus. Others were baptized and committed their lives to serving Jesus. Many new little ones were dedicated to the Lord by their parents.
Yet there has been a personal cost for many of our volunteers and staff who worked hard in the trenches to keep online and in-person services going. Many of these folks are tired and weary from months of working to help keep our ministry to Medicine Hat moving forward. Some of them have stepped back for a much needed rest and we are grateful for the new volunteers who have willingly stepped in to fill the gaps.
Finally, I want to say a personal thank you to all of you for your love and care for me and my family as we walked through the season of my heart surgery and recovery. Angela and I are truly grateful that we were at this church, and at this time, when surgery was needed. You all extended love and care and grace and we will be grateful for that for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much for being a blessing to us!
In His Grip,
Pastor Steve Pahl
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