We have begun our countdown to VBS 2013 and as of February 1 we are 143 days away from this life changing week for our children. If you would like to serve in this summer’s VBS, please mark your calendars for our VBS Adult volunteer meeting on Sunday, May 19 in the MPR. For more information about VBS contact the Children’s Ministry office at (469) 575-9801. Check myHillcrest for available VBS serving positions.
We have awesome teachers! Many people would be amazed at the amount of time a teacher spends in preparing to teach each week, or the ministry that goes on behind the scenes. We are recognizing our teachers in the Sunday morning services on February 10. Please take this opportunity to share your appreciation with your teacher. It could be a note of appreciation, a plate of cookies, or a gift card to a favorite restaurant. Don’t let these suggestions limit your appreciation. Say “thank you” so our teachers will know that they are appreciated.
Day 1 – Pray for the salvation of the pregnant women staying at Hope Mansion, for these women to find healing in Christ & family amidst the body of believers, & for the board & staff who minister to these women to find wisdom & strength in the Lord.
Day 2 – Pray for God to raise up prayer partners, financial partners, mentors, Bible teachers, tutors, & relief house parents for Hope Mansion and for these people to be obedient & answer his call.
Day 3 – Pray that the ESL ministry will continue to draw people to a relationship with Christ, help them find a church home, & be able to minister to all age groups. Pray that the Lord will burden hearts to become teachers, tutors, & volunteers.
Day 4 – Pray that those serving in the High Pointe Apartment Ministry will not grow weary in doing good, but will be filled with Christ’s love for this community. Pray that the residents will see God’s love for them through this ministry & will be drawn into a personal relationship him.
Day 5 – Pray for the women & children seeking help that they may feel God’s love for them, come to know him personally, & be equipped with the tools they need to move forward. Pray also for the workers & volunteers who make this ministry possible.
Day 6 – Pray specifically that God will provide means of transportation, classroom space, job training, expansion of Bridges Thrifty Boutique & the safe house, and monthly financial support.
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
- Luke 11:9-10
January is a time of celebrating all that God has done in our lives over the past year. I want to take this time to CELEBRATE the lives of some very special people in our church family.
For over 20 years we have been blessed beyond measure to have Cathe Phipps along with Danny and Sharon Hemphill leading our preschoolers and their families. You cannot know the time that all three have invested to make our preschool ministry what it is today. God has uniquely gifted them in a very special way to care for and teach God’s love to all children from the very youngest of age. Cathe and Sharon are the “Dynamic Duo.” They have been the nuts and bolts of our preschool area for many years. Cathe has provided families with a safe and loving environment for preschoolers, and has trained hundreds of preschool volunteers to effectively teach our preschoolers. She has a special touch that makes everyone feel loved and welcomed. Sharon’s heart has been to provide a well-stocked and organized resource room to allow preschool teachers to have what they need to teach a creative and age appropriate lesson at any given time. She has invested hours to create the amazing resource room that we are blessed to have today. I have nicknamed Mr. Danny the Baby Whisperer. He can quiet and calm any baby who is having a difficult time adjusting to the nursery or who is overly tired.
In Ecclesiastes it tells us that there is a time and a season for everything. God moves people in and out of different ministries in His time to serve His purpose. After many years, the Lord is moving the Cathe, Sharon and Danny to serve in other ministries both within and outside of Hillcrest. Their legacy will forever live in the preschool wing at Hillcrest, and of course they promise to visit often and are always a phone call away if needed. Our Baby Whisperer cannot go too far away!!
Please take time to let Cathe, Sharon and Danny know how much they are loved and appreciated
Glen Jones joined the children’s ministry staff in January of 2010. He felt the Lord leading him to one day serve as a Children’s Minister and wanted to get some first-hand experience. It has been our JOY to have Glen helping to lead our children for the past three years. We celebrated with Glen on December 14 when he graduated from DBU. He will be leaving on January 6th to begin a new adventure in his life. Glen has been accepted to be an intern at a church in England for seven months. We will greatly miss him here at Hillcrest. Please join us in praying for Glen while he is away from us serving overseas.
On Sunday, December 30, during our one morning service at 10:00 AM, Hillcrest Baptist Church will be privileged to have Dr. Mac Brunson preaching during our morning service. What a blessing to have one of God’s choice preachers proclaiming the Word of God as we close out 2012 with the anointed and challenging preaching of Dr. Brunson. This is a wonderful time to invite family and friends to attend with you.
Pastor Mac Brunson has served as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, since 2006. He holds degrees from Furman University (B.A.) and Southwestern Seminary (M.Div., D.Min.), and has pastored churches in South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas (First Baptist of Dallas). A native of Greenwood, SC, Pastor Brunson is married to his childhood sweetheart, Debbie. They are blessed with three children (Courtney, Trey, and Wills) and three grandchildren (Broc, Asa, and Audrey).
Pastor Brunson is a gifted and faithful teacher whose messages combine sound, Biblical preaching and practical, candid application. His extensive historical knowledge provides context, insight, and understanding as he encourages his listeners to join him in becoming a student of God’s Word.
Committed to missions and ministry, Pastor Brunson has led FBC Jacksonville to continue its support of pastors through the annual Jacksonville Pastors’ Conference, increase financial support of missions and missionaries around the world, educate students through the First Baptist Academy of Jacksonville, and serve the community through special projects and a satellite campus in St. John’s County.
Beloved for his candor and sincerity, Pastor Brunson claims the truth of Jeremiah 29:11. “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”
We are excited to welcome Ryan Mason to our church staff. Following a unanimous vote, Ryan accepted the call to become our new Minister of Education. Please be sure to welcome Ryan and his wife, Kilie, and their children, Danielle and Caleb, as they join our Hillcrest Family and pray for a smooth time of transition for them.
Our Angel Tree will be in the foyer beginning Sunday, December 2. This year we will again be helping the families at Mission Midlothian and our ESL class with Christmas gifts for their children. Gifts are due back to the church no later than Wednesday, December 19. Your continued support in helping meet these needs is greatly appreciated.
Our 2012 Fall Festival is coming soon. Join us as we begin to make preparations for this event. Contact Keri Meek at kmeek@hillcrestbc.com if you would like to be a part of this team.
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