January 1, 2012, Richard and Terry will step into a new role. Richard is splitting his time with Hillcrest’s new church plant in Waxahachie (www.remedy-church.com) and serving as church plant associate for Ellis Baptist Association (www.ellisbaptist.org). Richard will serve Remedy Church with Lead Pastor Aaron Clayton and fellow associate pastor David Ramer. Richard has served the previous four years on the leadership team for Ellis Baptist Association. During that time he saw the need for additional churches in a growing county. His role as church plant associate is to help churches plant traditional and simple churches. For additional information go to Richard’s webpage at www.ourjourney.co. We will honor the Codys with a farewell reception in the MPR on Sunday, December 18, following the evening service.
December 4-11
National Goal – $174,000,000
Our Goal – $105,000
1.7 billion people (25% of the world population) have little or no access to the gospel. Will YOU pray that THEY will be told? What will YOU give so that THEY can hear?
written by Pastor Mike Simmons, Senior Pastor
Having just celebrated our Thanksgiving service and meal we are now about to be thrust fully into the many wonderful events of Christmas and celebrating Emmanuel, God with us.
Even with all of the many places to go and things to do during the Christmas season I find an incredible peace and joy when I think about “God so loved the world (you and me) that He gave His only Son”. God gave the greatest gift of all because we had the greatest need. We needed a Savior to save us from our sins and restore our relationship with the Heavenly Father.
Yes, Christmas is all about giving. Giving so that others may come to know the Son of God and be forgiven of their sins. We in essence celebrate Christmas everyday, because that is the mission that was assigned to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever we give of our time, talents and money for the purpose of others coming to know the love of God through Jesus, we are living/giving out the very heart of God and the Christmas story.
As we move into these final days of 2011 I want to ask you to earnestly pray about what you will give to our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Our goal for this year is $105,000 and I am praying that we far exceed this amount.
The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goes directly to fund Missionaries and supplies all around the world. HIS HEART, HIS HANDS, HIS VOICE is the theme for this years offering. The question before each of us is will we be HIS HEART, HIS HANDS, and HIS VOICE in the giving of ourselves to His MISSION of proclaiming HIS GLORIOUS MESSAGE OF SALVATION to the world?
Will you join me in praying for missionaries already on the field and for God to make provision for others to GO! Will you join me in praying about giving specifically and sacrificially to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering so that we will be willing to do more than just pray for missions? Will you join me in praying about giving of yourself and going on a mission trip with Hillcrest during 2012 so that we will be doing more than just praying about sending new missionaries to the field and we will be one?
TOUCHING OTHERS OFFERING—I want to thank you for giving above your tithe to our TOUCHING OTHERS OFFERING October 16, 2011. To date we have received $58,882.40. This offering will go to offset the nearly $330,000 cost of resurfacing our temporary parking lot, the new concrete parking spaces and the new educational space that is currently under construction.
To the few hundred of you that are already volunteering and using your gift(s), I would like to say thank you. We could never be what we are without you being in your place(s) of service. To those of you that have yet to use the gift(s) that God has given you, I would like to say that we need you and we will never be all that we can be without you.
written by Keri Meek, Children’s Ministry Director
Our preschoolers and children will once again be hosting the 3rd annual Lottie Moon Christmas Marketplace. We are teaching our children how they can help support missions through giving, praying, and using their gifts and talents. They have been busy making Christmas crafts and ornaments and will also be making yummy pies and candy to sell in the marketplace. All items will be sold for donations to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Last year the marketplace took in over $1,600 for the Lottie Moon offering! The marketplace will be open before and after both morning and evening services on Sunday, December 18. Please join me as, together, we teach our kids what it means to get involved with missions.
The Angel Trees will be in the foyer beginning December 4. This year we will again be helping the families at Mission Midlothian and our ESL class with Christmas gifts for their children. Additionally, Hillcrest now supports the Hope Mansion in Cedar Hill and we have been asked to help them with some items they need. There will be ornaments on the trees showing these items. Please return all the gifts/items to the church by Sunday, December 18. Your continued support in helping meet these needs is greatly appreciated.
We have a large collection of good VHS tapes (mostly children’s Christian videos) in the church library. If you would like any of these or know of an organization that could use the videos, please contact the church librarian.
I am thrilled to inform you that the Hillcrest family collected 352 shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse—Operation Christmas Child. Praise the Lord!!! This is approximately 100 more than we have collected in the past. Thank you for supporting this important ministry that touches the lives of many children around the world.
Once again we will have our Christmas Card Mission mailbox in the foyer. This has been a tradition for many years at Hillcrest. Bring your Christmas cards (for church members only) and place in the mail boxes located in the West foyer hallway outside the children’s wing. Put the money that you would spend for postage in the offering plate and indicate it’s for Lottie Moon. This money will go to our missions. Don’t forget to check each week for cards addressed to you. The mailbox will be up by the first Sunday in December.
Joshua 24:13-21
Pastor Mike Simmons
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