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"April 16"
by Tom Goodman
November 16, 2005
Last Chance! Send an e-mail to jami@hbcaustin.org and sign up for “Turkey-N-Testimonies,” the Hillcrest Thanksgiving Dinner next Tuesday, November 22
at 7:00 p.m. The cost is $5 ($15 for families) and will be collected at the door.
I’ve long believed our church should provide another worship service in addition to the one we have. Now it’s time to act on it. Circle April 16 on your calendar. That’s Easter Sunday in 2006. That’s also the day
we’ll begin a new morning worship service.
At my favorite coffee shop I have a choice of roasts. I can have them pour me a smooth and mild cup of joe, or I can ask for a bold and rich roast. Likewise, on Sunday mornings, in addition to our smooth music format, we need to offer a
bolder format.
This is partly, but not exclusively, a generational thing. I know better than to say that a particular generation prefers a particular format for worship. There are certain people in every generation who like a smoother sound and
certain people in every generation who like a bolder sound. Still, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that generally most in the second half of adulthood (the Adult 4, 5, and 6 Sunday School departments) prefer a “smooth”
style of worship. And it shouldn’t surprise anyone that generally most in the first half of adulthood (the Adult 1, 2, and 3 Sunday School departments) prefer the bolder sounds of a more contemporary Sunday morning
service. In addition, I doubt you’d be at all surprised to discover that nearly any student from Middle School through College prefers the bolder sound of a guitar-driven service.
So, it’s time to offer a “bold blend” as well as our “smooth blend,” and April 16 is the launch. We can work out the details later. At present, I just wanted you to know where my heart was on this matter.
Please pray! Ask God to give us wisdom regarding all the things that have to be done to make this work. Ask God to awaken our church members to fields all around us “ripe for harvest” (John 4:36). Ask God to make us all
sensitive to how different styles of music “connect” with different people, and how this is often a generational thing. Most of all, however, obey Jesus by asking God to hallow his name in our midst. That’s the very first thing Jesus
commanded us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, and we need to lift up that request every time we walk into the Worship Center! See you Sunday!
—Tom
Special Notes:
Service Opportunity with Hill Elementary. Want to make a difference in some kids lives and meet Hillcrest neighbors? See BJ’s article and sign up!
Prayer Partners for Upward Basketball. The Upward season is about to begin and we need prayer captains and partners. Contact Marcos Apodaca at 250-9612, or e-mail apodacama@sbcglobal.net.
Adopt-a-Church. We’re teaming up with Carrolton Avenue Baptist Church to help them rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. You can see damage photos here and here. Information on
their rebuilding needs can be found here. We will fill you in with more information later.
Did You See the Riverbend Article? The Sunday Statesman had an interesting article about all the changes Riverbend’s new pastor is introducing: Read it here.
E-Giving is Here! If you enjoy the convenience of automatic bill-paying, you can extend that convenience to your Hillcrest support. Learn more here, or contact Patty Bailey at
patty@hbcaustin.org or Betty Morgan at betty@hbcaustin.org.
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