Father Daughter Survey
DNOW 2012 Registration
2011 Christmas Chaos Registration
Online registration has been closed. Please call Jessica in the Church Office to sign up or for more information, 850.476.2233.
DNow 2011
2011 is off to an awesome start in the student ministry at Hillcrest. We have launched our new schedule and students are turning out in a big way to take part in this ever-growing community of disciples. Between our new FUSION gatherings and Life Groups we have had more first-time guests in the last two weeks than any single two-week period in all of 2010. We’ve also scheduled our first two baptisms of the year! There were nearly 100 middle school students in Life Groups this past Wednesday night and our high school students have already far exceeded our initial expectations for their Life Group involvement. Multiple mission and service projects are underway and more than 50 high school students are actively serving in various ministry settings around the church.
This momentum could be a great opportunity for us to back off the gas pedal and relax for a while, but I believe that now – more than ever – God is calling us to run head-long into the vision that He has led us into. We are in the process of hiring new student staff, making much-needed updates to our Pier student center, and penetrating deeper into school campuses than God has ever allowed us. Jace is popping up on campuses all over the area and our students are being empowered to take the gospel to everyone they interact with in their schools. Our prayer is that God would continue to pour out His favor over our church and our teenagers, and that we would remember what a privilege it is to be a part of His work.
One of the things that we are working hardest on right now is our preparation for DNow 2011, taking place February 25-27. Last year’s DNow weekend saw nearly 200 students make a LOT of noise for Jesus. There were multiple salvations, baptisms, commitments, and callings. We know that this year will not only bring the same harvest, but that it is going to be NEXT LEVEL stuff. Our friend John Mark Harrison will be joining us to bring God’s Word in a big way and Ben Kimsal is fronting the best band in town to lead us in our worship music all weekend.
If you haven’t registered yet there’s still time. The cost is only $50 for the entire weekend and that includes everything (food, lodging, and fun) from 5:00 Friday to Noon on Sunday. All we need from you is a $10 deposit and a completed registration form to get you signed up today. Forms are available all over the church OR you can click here and download one yourself. For that matter, why don’t you print 4 or 5 and sign up some friends to bring with you. They can be turned in to Joyce, David, or Jace in the church office.
Our 2nd annual DNow Dodgeball Tournament is going to be worth the price of admission alone! Not only that, but on Thursday, February 17, at 6:30 we are having a BLOWOUT party in the Pier to get as many people as possible signed up at the last minute. We’ll be giving away some awesome prizes and there will be a few special guests joining us as we get pumped up for the next weekend.
We will be holding a DNow Parent/Student Meeting in the Pier on Sunday, February 13 at 5:00. At this meeting we’ll be giving you all of the final details of the event. In the meantime, if you have questions you can call or email us and we’ll help however we can.
We are looking forward to 2011 being the greatest year in the history of our church. JOIN US!!!
LEAP Into 2011
Hey.
If you’re reading this post, it’s probably because you’re looking for information on all of the changes going on in the student ministry. Well, you’re in the right place.
Things are changing. We believe that these changes are the very thing that, God willing, will propel our student ministry to new heights of growth and discipleship. I am going to talk in great detail about the vision behind these changes at a public meeting being held for students and parents on Sunday, December 5 at 4:00 in the Pier. A letter has already been sent to your home but consider this an invitation to join us at that meeting. It’s there that you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions and address concerns about our plans.
In the meantime, let’s clarify exactly what our new weekly meeting schedule is going to look like starting January 9, 2011:
Sunday Morning
FUSION – Fusion is the process by which two things are joined together as one. We will be offering a gathering for students on Sunday mornings that will offer the best of what they have come to expect in our current Wednesday setup – live worship music, interactive fun, and a biblical teaching time – and combine it with an opportunity to connect with other students and a leader as they discuss that days message. This gathering is a great place for students to bring their unchurched friends to hear the good news of the gospel in an exciting and relevant environment.
Fusion will be offered at both the 9:30 and 11:00 worship hours. One of the major changes is that both hours will be open to ALL grades, 6-12. As a family you can choose which hour you would like to worship together and your teenager can attend Fusion at the other hour.
Sunday Night
High School Life Groups – All students grades 9-12 are invited to join us at 6:00 every Sunday night in the Pier for a time of fellowship, community, prayer, accountability, and Bible study. We will spend time in fellowship together as a high school group and then each grade will have a coed time of prayer and encouragement before breaking out into gender based Bible study groups. We will dismiss at 8:00.
These Life Groups will be the backbone of our ministry. It is out of this community that we will send students into mission and service opportunities and that we expect to see the deepest level of growth in Christ as they are led and invested in by a caring adult leader.
Wednesday Night
Middle School Life Groups – All students grades 6-8 are invited to join us at 6:30 every Wednesday night in the Pier for a time of fellowship, community, prayer, accountability, and Bible study. We will spend time in fellowship together as a middle school group and then each grade will break out into gender based Bible study groups. We will dismiss at 8:00.
These Life Groups will be the backbone of our ministry. It is out of this community that we will send students into mission and service opportunities and that we expect to see the deepest level of growth in Christ as they are led and invested in by a caring adult leader.
High School Serve – Currently at Hillcrest if a student wants to serve in ministry somewhere in the church, they must choose between that and taking part in student ministry activities taking place at that same time. We believe that serving others should be not only a part OF the activity of our ministry, but an EXPECTATION for those seeking growth.
High school students will have the opportunity on Wednesday nights to be trained and to volunteer for one of the various service opportunities on our campus. Sign ups are currently taking place on the bulletin board in the student suite. Students serving are expected to be an active participant in their respective Life Group on Sunday night.
Discover Hillcrest Students – This running, four-week class will be offered at 6:30 on Wednesday nights in the Pier. It will cover the foundational beliefs of our faith and outline our basic practices and expectations as a church family.
This class is required for baptism and church membership candidates but is open to any 6-12 graders interested in attending. “Discover Hillcrest Students” serves as an acceptable alternative for teenagers to the adult “Discover Hillcrest” classes offered on Sunday afternoons.
Well, there it is folks. That’s a pretty broad look at everything that we are doing in 2011 to strengthen our base of disciples and extend the reach of the gospel even further into our schools, homes, and jobs.
While this is a lot of information, I am sure that you have questions. Feel free to comment away on this post and we will address those issues as they present themselves. In addition, we have created a text-only line for you to send in your questions. That number is (850) 366-2745. The best way to get your questions out, however, is by joining us on the 5th at 4:00.
We’re excited for the future and, as always, we give God the glory in all things!!
