Part of A Complete Sunday
by Tom Goodman
March 28, 2012
If you grew up on Saturday morning cartoons, there's a phrase burned into your memory: "Part of this complete breakfast."
In between episodes of HR Pufnstuf ("He's your friend when things get rough"), cereal companies pushed sugar-coated wonder foods such as Cocoa Puffs and Trix and Capn Crunch. Before the commercials ended, however, a glass of orange
juice, a plate of toast, a pitcher of milk, and some slices of fruit surrounded that glorious cereal. Their product, the commercials told us, was "part of this complete breakfast."
The entire commercial may have focused on the favorite cereal of a cuckoo bird or a silly rabbit or a befuddled captain, but the last line of the spot reminded us that their cereal was not meant to stand alone.
At Hillcrest, we work hard to plan a meaningful worship service every week, but it's not meant to stand alone. In addition to what happens in the auditorium, you need to connect with a small group. It's "part of a complete Sunday."
For an hour after our worship service, people in your age range gather to build friendships around Bible study. At Hillcrest, we have two options for these small group experiences:
- Sunday School is a curriculum-based Bible study. You are given a booklet containing 3 months of lessons, and each week you're encouraged to read a lesson before attending class. In class, a trained teacher will take you through the material.
- Common Ground is a sermon-based Bible study where participants use a written guide to discuss the sermon they just heard.
This April we're turning the spotlight on small groups with a "Step Up Campaign." It's very simple: Whatever your habit has been with a small group, "step up" in April:
If you haven't been attending at all, come one Sunday.
If you tend to come to your small group a couple of Sundays a month, come three in April.
If you're normally here every week, then "step up" by bringing someone with you.
The youth and children will be encouraged to "step up" in April, too. If you're a parent, you'll want to see Steve and Karen's newsletter columns for more information.
We consider our Sunday morning schedule to be one program in two locations: the auditorium, and then your small group. Each element is part of a complete Sunday!
--Tom
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