The declaration of the Lord: “I myself will be a wall of fire around it, and I will be the glory within it.”
Zechariah 2:5
This morning I was reading Zechariah during my quiet time and came across the verse from above. In my Bible, the verse was already highlighted, underlined, and notes were scribbled in the margin. I have prayed this verse so many times for the churches I’ve pastored over the years. Yet this morning, the verse was fresh, vibrant, and new again. I read and reread the words, soaking it in like I was being greeted by an old friend. I prayed it over Hyland Heights and smiled, knowing how God has moved in our midst so graciously and vibrantly over the past several months.
I’m left with two thoughts resonating in my soul. First, the clear reminder that God’s Word is alive, relevant, and true (Hebrews 4:12). Sometimes I read in Scripture something I know I’ve read before, and yet God shows me something brand new even though it’s been there all along. Other times, I read something I’ve read one hundred times and by God’s Spirit it is new and fresh all over again. Second, I was renewed in my burden to pray for our church family. "Lord, continue to be our fire of protection, may Jesus' name be great at Hyland Heights, and the glory of God dwell wonderfully in this place." My challenge to you today is to spend time in God’s Word. See what He has to share with you today and spend time praying for our church, that the Lord will continue to protect and move in wondrous ways at Hyland Heights.
Below you will find some celebrations of what Jesus is doing here at HHBC, as well as our weekly financial update.
Life Change Happens Here:
Last week we saw another 2 lives changed by the gospel of Jesus. This Sunday we will also have more baptism celebrations. What an exciting time to be a part of what the Lord is doing in and through Hyland Heights!
Worship Happens Here:
This past Sunday was an amazing time of worship! It was fantastic to have the choir and orchestra back on stage with us. We were also incredibly blessed to have Dr. Greg Wilton, NAMB and Send Relief Director for Internationals and Refugees Ministry, bring a powerful and challenging message. If you missed worship last Sunday, you can view the video at hhbc.net/watch or listen to the audio by subscribing to our HHBC podcast through many of your favorite audio streaming apps.
Missions Happens Here:
This Sunday, October 25th, is our Fall Missions Offering. From this offering, 40% of your gift will go to IMB missionaries, 20% to NAMB missionaries, 20% to HHBC supported missionaries, and 20% to begin a missions scholarship so we can send more HHBC onto the mission field than ever before! We are so grateful for you prayerfully and generously giving to support the work of missions in and through Hyland Heights!
If you would like to give early, you can do so by going to hhbc.net/give, follow the giving link and select "Missions Month" from the drop down menu.
Moving Forward Happens Here:
On Sunday, October 25th at 6pm we will have a special called business meeting. This meeting will be for our church family to be updated and informed on several important issues at HHBC.
1) A team from our lay leadership has asked to report on our current office conditions. Our offices have experienced significant leaks in the roof and this team wants to share their thoughts on what steps should be taken by our church family.
2) Our finance team will update our church on our current loan and present possible refinancing information to the church.
Family Fun Happens Here:
The Fall Fun Night will take place on Friday night October 30 from 5:00 – 8:30 PM. The entire event will take place on our soccer field. The event will feature small carnival games, such as the ring toss, basketball shoot, soccer darts, and many others. At 6:45pm, we will begin a family movie on the lawn, so bring your camping chairs to pull up a seat.
Movie-type concessions are available for you to purchase as well as s’more kits to enjoy at one of our fire pits. You can also participate in our silent auction to win some great items and support our 2021 children’s summer camp in the process.
To make our Fall Fun Night as successful as possible here are a few ways you can help: 1) Pray for clear skies, a safe event, and for us to connect to those new to HHBC. 2) Bring bags of candy, a cake for the cake-walk, sign-up to help run one of the games, and/or donate an item for the silent auction. You can follow the link below to let us know how you can serve: https://hylandheights.churchcenter.com/people/forms/72290
Please email Pastor Mike at msummy@hhbc.net if you have any questions.
HHBC Weekly Financials:
Oct. 18th Weekly Offering: $32,480.30
Weekly Budget: $33,228.00
As of October 18th, we have received 104% of our year-to-date budget.
Please remember that giving in worship will continue to look different as long as Covid-19 persists. We will not pass the plates for your safety, but we have mounted giving boxes at all of the doors on the inside of the worship center where you can give on the way into, or as you exit, the worship service. For many, we know that you have started to give online, and this continues to be an excellent choice to make giving easier/safer for you and to make sure that the ministry and mission of HHBC continues to impact more lives in the weeks to come. If you would like to give to Hyland Heights online, simply go to hhbc.net/give.
Sunday Reminders: HHBC continues to strive to keep our church family safe during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. We continue to encourage everyone to take the precautions you would take when entering into any other building. If doing things like social distancing, washing hands well, and wearing masks can help us love our neighbors better and avoid potential spread in our church family so we can continue worshiping together in person, we should strive to do these things as much as we are able. We also want to remind everyone that the 9:30 service still has plenty of room for you and your family to join us while best maintaining social distancing. Thank you for your help and understanding as we strive to keep the people we love as safe as possible. For additional information on HHBC’s response to Covid-19 go to hhbc.net/coronavirus.
Praying with you and for you,
Dr. Josh Carter
Senior Pastor