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Now that you know a little about me, I feel I can let you in on 10 things that I have learned since I started here 4 weeks ago…In no particular order, here we go…

10:  Starbucks is a daily necessity for each of us here

9:  DO NOT touch or MOVE anything on David’s desk, or area for that matter.

8: Annoying text message ringtones are a requirement- I’m not naming names…you know who you are

7: Reminiscing on past youth trips in which Matt, Jace, or Ryan made David cry (from laughter or from anger) is a weekly occurrence

 6:  The world of cheese, I am being enlightened to many different varieties thanks to Thad Burkhalter

 5:  Last minute is how we roll-nuff said

 4: Cutting holes in a diaper to fit Jace’s eyes and mouth is part of my job

 3: Pranks are in order when David is out of town

 2: Elevator Music actually has a fan in David Wiggins

 1: Having a good sense of humor is a must

 Thanks for letting me share this with you all…In all seriousiness, i love my job, i love the students, and I love the people i work with. I just couldn’t be happier.

If you are on campus, please come by and see me, I would love to meet you.

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!!

We are putting the pedal to the metal this Summer and challenge the students at Hillcrest to make this time really count!

Life Groups will meet every Sunday morning – Middle School at 9:30 and High School at 11:00 in the student suite. These continue to be at the center of our ministry and if you are not connected to a Life Group then YOU ARE NOT CONNECTED! These small groups provide with an opportunity to grow alongside students your age and gender. In addition, the bulk of the opportunities to serve our community come out of our Life Groups as well. If you are not connected but you want to be, then contact us today!

Wednesday nights are going to look a little different. We will still open the Pier every week at 5:00 for food, games, and hang time. We will still kick off at 6:30 all together. The difference will be that at 6:45 we will bust out into small groups and you will spend your Wednesday nights this summer being trained in the basic spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith. We are calling it “Pier: Boot Camp”. We are having a special kick off at 6:00 out at Hillcrest Park on Wednesday, June 2nd (bring your swim trunks) and then launching into P:BC the next Wednesday, the 9th, in the Pier (do not bring your swim trunks). Bring your Bible, bring a journal or a notebook, and bring a desire to be whipped into shape for the sake of your King!

Sunday nights are going to be INTENSE! If you are a middle school student, then you will be spending your Sunday nights at a local home with a pool and a group of leaders who will be leading you through a time of Bible study (and marco polo). High School students will have the opportunity to participate in our first ever Student Leadership Training course. This is not for the weak of heart (or mind). There is a syllabus, quizzes, a paper, and guest lecturers. The standard will be set very high, but I know you guys are up for it! Both of these groups will be meeting each week (except July 4) from 6 to 8 starting June 13th! High School will be meeting in the Pier and location details for Middle Schoolers are coming really soon so stay tuned!

AND OF COURSE THERE’S THE BEACH! Every Thursday (starting June 10th) we will be meeting at a location out at Pensacola Beach just to throw the frisbee, eat hot dogs, play in the waves, and work on our tan! We will meet at 10 a.m. and be outta there at 3:00 p.m. Transportation will NOT be provided, so you need to arrange a drop off and pick up situation. We will be providing a map to the specific area of the beach in the days leading up to the 10th. We will not meet on June 24th due to VBS.

You can find a full calendar of Summer events here and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

I hope you will join us in STEPPING UP this summer and making your time out of school count for the Kingdom of God!

• Camp is for all graduated 6th-12th graders
• The total cost of camp is $299
• A $50 deposit is REQUIRED in order to secure your spot
• Space is limited so register quickly
• Registration cards are being handed out this Wednesday (April 14) at Pier
• We will not accept registrations and deposits until Sunday morning, April 18th
• A table will be set up in the Pier that morning and will be the only place we will accept registrations that morning
• There will be a required parents’ meeting for all camp attendees at 4:00 on Sunday, June 13th in the Pier
• For information on FUGE camps you can visit www.lifeway.com/fuge
• For more information on Ridgecrest Conference Center you can visit here

If you have any questions, click the contact tab in the navigation bar above or feel free to call Joyce Lewis in the church office at 476-2233.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hillcrest Students have a unique and privileged opportunity to partner with Safe Harbor over the next 5 weeks to help provide the shelter with some needed items in order that they can continue serving the community. We have the honor of welcoming Dion McAlarney, Executive Director of Safe Harbor to the Pier this Wednesday, March 17 at 6:30. Dion will be sharing a little about Safe Harbor and then how we can help.

So that you can be preparing in advance, here is the list of items we will start collecting this week. I would LOVE to be able to provide Safe Harbor with everything that they need so let’s BRING IT Hillcrest!

• New Diaper Bags
• Baby Lotion
• Baby Shampoo
• Baby Wash
• Baby Towels and Washcloths
• Crib Sheets
• Formula
• Baby Wipes
• Pacifiers
• Bibs
• Large Diapers (sizes 3 & 4)
• Premature Clothes
• Thermometers
• Bottles

If you have any other questions then do not hesitate to leave a comment below or contact the student ministry through the contact form at the top of the page.

Save The Date!

We will be attending Centrifuge camp this summer at the Ridgecrest Conference Center right outside Asheville, NC. The dates of camp are July 4 – 9. Set these dates aside now and stay tuned for details and registration opening soon!

Click here to view the embedded video.

BOH is a chance to directly participate in Haiti earthquake relief. Hillcrest Students have already raised over $800 for two orphanages in Port Au Prince, but now we have the chance to join hands with other cooperating churches and continue to support the relief effort on the ground there.

It works like this:

• Pack a five gallon bucket with a designated list of dry food items
• Seal the bucket with a locking lid
• Place a $10 in an envelope and tape it to the lid, this is for shipping
• Once this bucket reaches Haiti, it will be delivered to a family where it has the potential to feed them for over a week

The goal is to ship out 130 Buckets of Hope from Hillcrest. All of the supplies have already been gathered. The buckets, lids, and dry goods have been donated. The $10 bills were raised by the adults in Pastor Jim’s Wednesday night Bible study. We are going to pack and ship them. The students and children will be working on this project this coming Wednesday so be in prayer that God can use this as a Christ-honoring time of sacrifice and service.

If you REALLY wanna be prepared, check out this instructional video below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Love you guys! See you in the Pier on Wednesday at 6:30!