Hickory Happenings
Hi all,
The summer seems to be flying by. I can’t believe we are already into August and that school starts in 2 weeks! As we approach the fall, I want to update you on some of the upcoming activities and things to take note of at Hickory Creek Community Church.
Men’s Breakfast – Saturday, August 9th @ 8am
Our next Men’s Breakfast is this Saturday, August 9th @ 8am. All guys are encouraged to come out and enjoy a time of fellowship. Contact Mike Coughlin if you would like to help out or know more.
Connection Lunch – Sunday, August 10th after service
Hickory Creek’s next Connection Lunch is this Sunday, August 10th after our morning worship service. We encourage you to stay after the service and enjoy lunch and getting to know some others here at Hickory Creek. It is a great way to meet some of the people you have been wanting to get to know, but haven’t been able to find the time. This time we have an Italian theme so come and enjoy the culinary delights of Italian food!
Baptism Opportunity – Sunday, August 10th
We have an opportunity to get baptized on Sunday, August 10th during our morning worship service. If you are interested in getting baptized or would like to know more about baptism at Hickory Creek, then talk with Pastor Scott.
Summer in the Gospels – Tuesday, August 12th @ 7pm
Our “Summer in the Gospels” continues next Tuesday evening, August 12th at 7 pm. This is a great way to stay in the word through the summer. This is the last Tuesday for our Summer in the Gospels and we will be finishing up the Gospel of Matthew.
AWANA Volunteers Needed – Volunteer Meeting on Thursday, August 14th
All of our ministries are beginning to actively prepare for the Fall ministry season. With last year being our first year of AWANA, things went much better than expected. We had a number of people begin attending our church through our AWANA program and were able to help many kids begin learning about Jesus and the Bible. This year we expect even more kids and will need more volunteers to be able to minister to these kids through this life changing ministry. Would you like to be used by God to affect the eternity of a child? Would you like your own life affected in a profound way as you allow the Lord to use you? If so, then we invite you to come out to an AWANA volunteer meeting on Thursday, August 14th at 7 pm. We will be going over some of the practical aspects of serving in this awesome ministry. If you would like to volunteer or if you have any questions, contact Jill Kraiss.
Connection Groups kicking off the week of September 7th
Have you had trouble meeting people and getting connected? Are you interested in learning more about the Bible? Would you like to meet others who care about you and the things going on in your life? Then you will definitely want to sign up for a Connection Group this fall. Connection Groups meet in homes of some of those from Hickory Creek. There you will enjoy some great fellowship as you meet others who are connected to Hickory Creek and spend some time studying the Bible. You don’t need to know anything about the Bible before you go. Connection groups are a place where everyone is at a different point in their relationship with the Lord and yet God uses each one of us to help the others grow. Be looking for more information over the next several weeks as to the evenings that connection groups are meeting, the leaders who are facilitating them, the host homes where they will meet and the topics or books of the Bible that they will be studying.
Spiritual Spa Day with Marilyn Moravec, Saturday, September 13th, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m
Ladies, we all know life can be FRANTIC. But Jesus said, "Do not be anxious about anything..." Matthew 6:25. Living in internal peace is your legacy as a believer in Jesus. So plan to join us for a day of spiritual pampering where we will be taking a look at what gets us off course from CALMNESS WITHIN as well as practical help to "returning to rest". "In returning and rest...in quietness and trust is your strength." Isaiah 30:15. The cost is $20 pre-registration or $25 at the door and includes seminar materials, Saturday Continental breakfast, Saturday lunch, and a copy of the Christian classic Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. Brochures and registration forms are available in the lobby and info and registration is also available on the web. For questions or to sign up, please see Karen Coyle or Ingrid LaMonto.
Fall Fest – October 12th
Beginning plans are already being made for our annual Fall Fest at Hickory Creek. The Fall Fest is an awesome time of celebrating and thanking God for all He has been doing in and through our church as well as celebrating the things He is going to do. It is a great event to invite friends and family to with many activities for kids, youth and adults alike. There will be games, crafts, food, a chili cook off, big blow up jump ups, bean bag toss competitions, etc. If you are interested in helping out with this event, we have a spot for you. Toward the end of this month, there will be an opportunity to sign up to help in a particular area. If you have any questions before that, feel free to contact Paula Pinckard.
TBD Sr. High/Impact Jr. High(6th-8th Grade) Youth Groups
Seeing “August” on the calendar tells me that summer break is coming to an end, and the beginning of the school year will be here before we know it. It also means that our youth ministries are wrapping up summer activities and getting ready for an exciting fall. So here’s what’s coming up for our Impact Jr. High group and our TBD Sr. High group:
- § The last summer youth meeting for both groups will be Wednesday, August 13th. We will meet at our normal 7pm time, but will be having a campout at the church, complete with a concert of prayer, night games, campfire, s’mores, breakfast, and more, ending at 10am, Thursday, August 14th. We are still in need of some tents; if you have one to spare, contact Andy or Melissa
- § TBD will have its last book study at Watershed Café this Friday, August 8th. Look for a new book and meeting time this Fall.
- § Both groups will take three weeks off and begin meeting again at their new date and time on Thursday, September 11th, from 6:45-8:30. We will be meeting on Thursdays through the Fall as it seems many of the kids indicated a preference to a weeknight versus a Sunday evening. (AWANA returns to meeting on Wednesdays).
- § The Parents Meeting, originally scheduled for August 9th, has been postponed until further notice (probably September/October).
Impact has been great this summer, and we are excited to see it continue to minister to our Jr. Highers year-round. God has also been providing leadership for these groups, though both Impact and TBD are still in need of adult leaders. Please pray for God’s continued provision in this area, as well as how He might have you take an active role in discipling the youth of our church.
AWANA
AWANA will be kicking off on Wednesday, September 10th. I know many kids who and parents are excited to get their kids back into Awana. We will be having registration beginning by the beginning of September. If you have any additional questions, you can speak with Jill Kraiss.
Audio Sermons on our Website
For those of you who miss a week or would like someone else to hear a particular message, you can now access the audio of the sermons preached at Hickory Creek on our website. You can check it out by clicking here to visit our sermon page. We have uploaded a few of the more popular older messages as well. You can also view the written sermon notes and follow along by going to Scott’s sermon central site where many of his sermons are posted for viewing.
Parking update
Please continue to pray that we will be able to get our parking permit so we can begin working on finishing our parking lot. We are working to come to agreement with the village concerning some landscaping requirements. Please be praying that this can be finalized by the end of the month.
As you can see we have a lot going on at Hickory Creek. There are places to minister and be ministered to. We hope that each of you find both of those here at Hickory Creek. Find that ministry where you will be able to serve and help this church be a part of affecting the eternities of those who are being ministered to and take part in a ministry like a Connection Group that is going to help you to grow in your relationship with the Lord.
I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday as we celebrate and worship the Lord together.
Serving alongside you,
Scott
