For the Glory of God

THIS PAST SUNDAY AS A GREAT DAY of worship, fellowship and celebration. People continue to return to ‘in person’ worship in increasing numbers and a spirit of joy and celebration is clearly present. God, in His mercy and grace, has sustained us (and continues to) through a most difficult and challenging season.

Sunday marked our annual congregational meeting, which we held in between our two services. It provided a great opportunity for our church family from both services to mingle and fellowship in both the Connection Café and at the gathered meeting. It truly was a sweet experience as the numbers in the café were greater than they have been since the season of COVID.  

Our meeting was brief but pertinent as a number of key things were shared with the congregation by the chairman of our elder team, Mike Labig. Mike took a look at the past year and in anticipation of what is on the near horizon through the lens of our core values, making the following observations:

In an age where biblical knowledge is waning, HCC is launching an initiative to undergird, strengthen and rebuild a solid biblical foundation in the lives, minds and hearts of our church family. It is our desire for every member to be fully grounded in the Scriptures—to know what we believe and why. To accomplish this, beginning in September we will be launching a Bible Basics class for adults that will be a study in the fundamental teachings of the faith—what the Bible teaches about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, humanity, sin, salvation, heaven, hell, etc., etc... This class will be taught as the singular adult class in the Old Fellowship Hall during both worship hours. You are encouraged to participate in gathered worship at either 9:00 or 10:30 and to attend the class in the opposite hour, whichever order you choose. This is a basics class that we will cycle through every two or three years, as review and further study will be always relevant and necessary for all of us. New members and interested individuals will be able to begin participation at any point in the cycle.

In a time and age where fear abounds, it is important to remember that for those who have the matter of eternity settled through surrender and faith in Christ, there is nothing in this world to fear, and that God expects our full trust and obedience. This will cause us to respond to the call of the Lord in any number of ways, such as sharing your faith in meaningful ways, and meeting the needs of others through open generosity and kindness, all of which we have witnessed in this congregation in marvelous ways over the past year.

It has been amazing to watch the growth of our children’s department and our high school youth group through the past year. As a result we are in need of more volunteers, especially with Hilltop Kids. Another exciting thing to celebrate here is the record number of registrations we already have for students at Butler Springs Church Camp this summer.

During a time where we have had a lot of questions as to how the church would be impacted due to environmental and economic issues beyond our control, the HCC family has been so very, very faithful. We exceeded our budgetary needs for 2020 and giving in the month of March, 2021 was 119% of budget. In addition to this the chair project has been fully funded.  

This has also been a season of learning how to do ministry in new and exciting ways. In particular, we were somewhat forced into entering the online streaming world for our services, but have found that the need is such that we have no intention of abandoning it, even after our ‘in person’ presence is in full swing. We are also learning new ways of utilizing and maintaining the facilities and resources God has given us in increasingly excellent ways. In all things may Jesus Christ be praised.

Our annual meeting wrapped up with two other important updates:

1. The Lead Minister Succession Plan. COVID altered a lot of things, including the timetable on the succession plan. We want you to know that Jim will stay in his current position until it is clear the Lord has made other provision.
2. Leadership Affirmations: Overwhelming affirmation (97% or higher) was given for each individual presented—Mike Labig (elder), Rick Hughes (trustee), Rick Kisling (trustee), Pat King (trustee), Todd Wigginton (trustee).

In addition to all of this we ask that you join us in praying for a minimum of 21 baptisms in 2021 and that God give you the opportunity to share your faith with someone in 2021 to the honor and glory of His name and the salvation of souls.