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Hillcrest Church Office
April 21, 2004
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Here is this week's WINNING
“The Renovation of Our Program”
by Tom Goodman
Most of us think of renovation as something done to a physical structure, but at Hillcrest we’re focusing on three areas targeted for renovation. I introduced you to these three in last week’s Winning Ways:
The Renovation of Our Congregation’s Heart
The Renovation of Our Congregation’s Program
The Renovation of Our Congregation’s Look
As I stated last week, everything starts with the heart (Luke 6:45). Once our heart is renovated so that we’re passionately committed to God’s priorities (H.I.L.L.), it’s easier to know what—and why—renovation should take place in our
program and our look.
The renovation of the heart does not make the other two renovations unnecessary; it makes them possible!
So, once the renovation of the heart is underway, the renovation of the congregation’s program should begin.
When I speak of our “program,” I’m talking about what we do and when we do it—our
We renovate what we do for the same two reasons we renovate a building: to meet the changing needs of a family, and to increase the value for those considering it. For example, I have friends in Lakeway whose growing family has
prompted them to move walls and turn their attic into an extra room. I have other friends whose house is for sale, and they have made their house more valuable to prospective buyers with new carpet and fresh colors on the walls.
Those two motivations should be behind any review of our church’s program, too: to meet the changing needs of our church family, and to increase the value for those considering it. I have no interest in Hillcrest being known as a
“cutting-edge” church, nor do I care to be known as a “traditional” church. God must shake his head at the importance people place on those labels. When it comes to what we do, forget the labels. Let’s just find out what our church
family needs and what our prospects value.
The renovation of our heart, our program, and our look didn’t begin with my arrival. When I began a year ago, I became God’s foreman for a project that had already begun. I hope you’ll continue to pray and work with me as we make a
faith-full renovation of our program.
Tom
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