Traditional Service - 9:00 a.m.

Contemporary Service 10:30 a.m.

“We sense God calling Hillcrest into a season of service,” said head deacon Rob Wagner in explaining the reason for announcing a time change for both Hillcrest’s traditional and contemporary worship services. As another part of implementing the church’s vision of providing hope through authentic life change in Christ, Wagner and church chairman John Watkins outlined how pushing the first service back to 9:00 AM and pulling the second service forward to 10:30 AM will provide opportunities for people to take the step of serving Christ. Recounting the process Hillcrest has committed to in producing life change in Christ, of “connect, grow, serve and share” while the worship services strive to connect people to God,members and regular attendees alike are encouraged to join a Connect Group.  This will enable them to connect with others in the church and provide a place to grow their faith in a more intimate small group setting.  The men said the leadership team has sought ways to encourage people to serve Christ, by serving others.

One way this has happened was through an event held this past January as a “Service Sunday”. Piggy backing on Hillcrest’s offering the community the opportunity to Step into Africa last summer at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena, the congregation worked together to tangibly follow up on the World Vision exhibit.  Given the chance to walk through a life size replica of an African village devastated by HIV/AIDS, many were motivated to help relieve the suffering and contributed to purchasing the items necessary to produce “Caregiver kits”.  Described in the exhibit, the kits contain items like peroxide, cotton balls, antiseptic creams, skin lotions, bandages, wash cloths, and are used by local volunteers recruited and trained by World Vision who give of their time to meet the physical and often, spiritual needs of those in their own villages.  Trimming Hillcrest’s worship schedule the first weekend in January, provided people the opening to work with others in the congregation in assembling 150 HIV/AIDS caregiver kits. Plus, involving the children, a significant number of “School Tools” kits containing the school supplies students in Malawi must supply for themselves in order to attend school were also put together. “These items were shipped directly from Hillcrest to World Vision in Malawi, so we know they got where they were supposed to go with the message of Jesus’ love,” said Bill Waite, one of the project leaders.

“The ‘Service Sunday’ was an overwhelming success” reported Wagner, “We had a very favorable response with people asking how we could do something like this again. This has served as our inspiration for moving the service times.” “Saying this is going to make it easy or convenient for people to serve isn’t the purpose. But this move in service times should provide an opening for those who have busy schedules  to use the gifts and talents God has given them to serve him,” added Watkins. By moving the service times closer together, and offering a variety of places where people can serve, the opportunity is created for people to worship at the service of their choice, and then serve in some capacity during the other Sunday morning worship service (Attend one/Serve one).

The new service times will begin June 28 and continue into the fall. By then, leadership will have enough experience to gauge how people are responding to the change and getting involved in the different areas of service, and a decision regarding  the new schedule or other forward adjustments will be made.

One area where volunteers will be needed is in Hillcrest’s expanding children’s program being held Sunday mornings in the Youth Center. Beginning with what’s called “Home Base”, a large group activity in which parents will participate with their children for a lesson time during the first worship service, a number of people will be needed to work with the kids in various capacities. Then the children will gather in organized small groups (Dug Out time) during the second service time. This is where kids will be led through an age appropriate discussion time that reinforces the lesson taught in the large group time earlier. Sized to promote friendships among the students, the group will encourage the asking of questions, and will give kids the chance to build a relationship with a high school student or adult who hopefully will become a spiritual mentor for them.