I was one of several last week, who received a request from our Pastor , asking us to write a couple short paragraphs on the impact our church has had on us. Pastor Tom specifically requested we keep it short and not send in any novels as the plan was to use it on our updated church website.
I had such a difficult time keeping it down to less than novel size. How do I explain all the ways Hillcrest Baptist Church Austin has impacted my life? Should I talk about how much I missed Hillcrest when I had a job that kept me far from home? Or perhaps I should write about how I have grown as a follower of Christ, or maybe ...
I did send in the 2 short paragraphs after much whittling, not easy for someone who has so much in her heart for Hillcrest and has been impacted so tremendously.
I took a look at the stories of the other people who had sent in their stories. They are awesome! I learned about people I see everyday in church but didn't know their story. The young man, Marc Lowe who always goes out of his way to smile and say hello to me and everyone else, who lost his wife to cancer, but not his faith in Jesus. The Marshall family who almost lost their daughter to bacterial meningitis and through that trial came back to God and more stories of Gods grace and members faith. I believe that to most of us the over all story is.. Hillcrest is Home and a Family
It got me to thinking about how I came to Hillcrest. I was hooked from the first or 2nd service I attended and Pastor Tom had a film clip of Lord of the Rings to illustrate the sermon. It was just so different from the other churches I had been trying out. At the time, I didn't know he is batty over LOTR!
I found liked the pastors style of teaching in the sermons.
I had always dreaded the usual "Shake Hands and Welcome of Everyone Around You" that Baptist churches do each Sunday and tried to sit in the back of churches to duck most of that. At HCBC I found I didn't hate it like I usually did. People seemed more genuine.. or maybe the Holy Spirit was softening my hard heart.
I had been through a long list of churches in my search for a church home, and I was a pro at finding something wrong with them. Like Goldilocks.. this one is too cold, this one is too warm, this one too hard, this one too soft.
I kept looking for the one thing wrong that would allow me to quit going to Hillcrest, but I didn't find it. Oh I know Hillcrest isn't perfect. After all, sinners attend there. Human Beings, but God closed my eyes to imperfections and again like Goldilocks.. this one was just right!
After a month or so of attending Hillcrest I asked someone where my Sunday School class would meet and she handed me off to Mark Holder who encouraged me to join him and his wife in a small group. When he mentioned they also served really good coffee, I should have known I was a goner!
Mark and the other members were all s so warm and inviting I had to come back. They invited me each week to come again, they made it seem as though they really cared if I did or not. Mark emailed me when I didn't show up. (I learned from this how to lead my own group and call or email them when they miss a Sunday and encourage others in the group to do the same).
The next thing I knew, I was actually looking forward to Sunday when I could hang out with my group.
I found I was moved more often than not by the music and I was growing closer to God with every service Pastor Tom preached, then closer every day.
I was so embarrassed the first time I found tears running down my face as I sang praises to God in the Praise part of the service and when I was moved to raise my hands in praise to Him, I was absolutely appalled at myself, but the Holy Spirit will not be denied and I found I was doing it again then again.. the closer I get to Jesus, the less I worry about what others may think of me
I don't know if Pastor Tom knows how much his actions mean to us, but when he called me after I indicated interest in joining the church, he asked to come to the hospital when he found out I was having surgery, and actually gave me his cell phone # and requested I call and let him know how I was doing, I was touched. wow! The pastor I look up to actually called me? Pastor Tom knows who I am! And when he remembered my name and greeted me and remembered my job situations on Sundays, I was impressed. I know it has to be difficult in a church of that size.
The leaders of any organization set the tone, and I believe my Pastor sets the tone for Hillcrest. I thank God for his leadership and spiritual guidance. I am so glad the God led me to Hillcrest. I am Home
Hillcrest Baptist in Austin
www.hbcaustin.org
