Winning Ways - from Hillcrest Baptist Church, Austin, Texas  Contact Tom Goodman, Pastor
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Hillcrest Church Office
May 19, 2004


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Here is this week's WINNING WAYS . . . .



“Year Two”
by Tom Goodman

The timing was perfect.  On Vision Sunday this past weekend, Bob Smith gave me a sandwich bag of small rocks.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“I just got back from Israel,” he said, “and I got you five smooth stones from a stream in the valley of Elah.”

It was a perfect first-anniversary gift.  You see, it was from the stream running through the valley of Elah that a little shepherd boy named David picked up five smooth stones as his weapons against the Philistine giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17:40).  One of those stones made its way from David’s slingshot to Goliath’s forehead, and the giant tumbled down.

We won’t be able to move forward without killing a few giants—the largest are named Fear and Apathy.  You can bet that my gift of “five smooth stones” will be prominently displayed in my office as a reminder that in God we have everything we need to face our giants.  Thanks for the gift, Bob and Sherry, and thanks to all of you who made our Vision Sunday and my first anniversary a great day!

In addition to what God did with us in the morning this past Sunday morning, the Hillcrest Family experienced a wonderful time of sharing Sunday night.  It was our staff’s first time to officially present the Fall Schedule Proposal to the church, and then we broke up into small groups to share comments and prayer requests.  At typical “town hall” meetings, we only have time for about two dozen people at microphones.  Because of the small-group format, instead of two dozen speaking, two hundred people got a chance to share their thoughts with other members of the Body and have prayer together.

I asked the Hillcrest Family to turn in cards with questions and comments, and I’ve prepared a FAQ Sheet (Frequently Asked Questions).  You can pick it up the next time you’re at church, or go online at:

www.HillcrestAustin.org/ScheduleProposalFAQ

Also, don’t forget about my challenge to subscribe to LeaderLines at Click here.  If you prefer a print copy, you can pick them up each week from a tray at my office door.  Remember that I’ve printed selected copies of my first year of LeaderLines and you can pick up a copy the next time you’re at church.

I’m looking forward to Year Two with you!

Tom

Please note:

Discover Hillcrest is this Sunday, May 23, 4:00-6:00 p.m.  The class is for those who want to become members, and for those who just want to learn more about Hillcrest.  Topics include:

     The most important thing you need to know about Jesus
     What we teach about baptism
     Four fundamentals of spiritual growth, using the acronym “H.I.L.L.”
     How to “connect” with others in the church
     How to help us reach others for Christ and church involvement
     How to worship

Our Children’s Minister, B.J. Linam, teaches a “kid-friendly” version of this workshop in her office at the same time.  Preschool care for parents taking the class is also available by appointmentCall 345-3771 for more information.


Baptism has been scheduled for May 30, 10:45 a.m.  If you would like to take this important step in your walk with Christ, call the church office at 345-3771.



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