He watches over his nest like an eagle and hovers over his young; he spreads his wings, catches him, and carries him on his feathers. (Deuteronomy 32:11)
It’s really no wonder that eagles are a common image in the Bible. Eagles are graceful creatures who seem to majestically soar in the wind, effortlessly catch their prey, and fiercely protect their young. Not long ago, while playing a round of golf, a bald eagle calmly floated above our group. The bird glided through the air in such a way that made our group pause in our tracks to admire God’s creation.
In this Scripture, we are told, God is like the eagle. He watches over his children and catches them when they fall down. Maybe as you read this note, you feel down. Maybe you’ve fallen down on your new years’ resolution, or even fallen into habits of sin. Fear not, repent where needed, and trust the Lord, that He is able to catch you, lift you up, and bring you back to the nest with your family. Praise God for His grace!
Below are a few celebrations from the past week as well as our financials for the week.
Staying Safe:
As always, keeping our church family safe during the pandemic continues to be a major priority as we roll into 2021. You can see some of the basic ways we are doing this at the bottom of this letter or go to hhbc.net/coronavirus for details on all of our guidelines for specific ministries.
A Growing Outreach:
This past week, our Griefshare ministry kicked off its new semester and had 14 people join for the first class. God is using this ministry in some significant ways and it has become a tremendous outreach to those hurting in our community. Please pray for this ministry, for those leading, and for those attending each week. If you would like more information on this ministry or would like to refer someone to this ministry, please contact the office for more information.
Prepare to Advance:
Over the past several weeks, our Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies have walked through a series we’ve called, “Prepare to Advance”. The sessions challenged these groups to advance in knowledge of God’s Word, their faith, and in their boldness in sharing Jesus. The groups were also encouraged to be praying for our speakers for the Winter Bible Conference and for what God wants to do in our church family through these incredible nights of worship. Will you stop now to pray for the conference next week?
An Intro to Advance:
Did you catch our new podcast episode this past week? It featured introduction interviews with two of our Winter Bible Conference speakers, Dr. Jim Henry and Dr. Rob Wilton, as well as an introduction to Tara Dew by Mandy Carter. Check it out at hhbc.net/podcast or on your favorite podcast listening app. Just search for “Hyland Heights Baptist Church” on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Register for the Advance Winter Bible Conference:
There is still time! You can still register for our Winter Bible Conference, January 24-27 (6:30-8:00pm). We have an absolutely incredible line-up of guest speakers that will encourage and challenge you. Please remember that registration is limited. You can register your family or learn more by going to hhbc.net/advance.
HHBC Weekly Financials:
January 17 Offering: $31,591.07
Weekly Budget: $33,228.00
Thank you for your generosity as we start the New Year. We can’t wait to see what God is going to do as His people faithfully give to connect, grow, and impact lives for Him!
Sunday Reminders:
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 will have offering boxes at each entrance to the worship center where you can give as you enter or exit. If you cannot be here in person or prefer to mail a check, the address to the church office is: 11452 Wards Rd. Rustburg, VA. 24588. 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.
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.
Preparing to Advance,
Dr. Josh Carter
Senior Pastor