HVCC E-News May 2007

Upcoming Series: Pimp My Life

A new message series is starting soon called Pimp My Life. HUH??! Now hold on, there....calm down. The word pimp has a new definition these days. It means to restore, give style to or to jazz up.

Here’s an example. Pimp My Ride is a TV show originally shown on MTV. The concept is simple. One takes a car that is old, unfashionable, falling apart, or some combination thereof, and restores it ("pimping" it).

What could use more restoration than relationships?! So….”Pimp My Life!” This series aims to give people practical help on developing and maintaining healthy relationships.

Many people were not raised in homes where they were given these skills, so our world is full of people who struggle in broken or struggling relationships with friends, co-workers, in the home. This series is a brand new twist on an age-old topic that’s near and dear to the heart of the God who created us for relationships, with Him and with one another.

Please consider inviting a friend or neighbor who you think might enjoy this series.

• May 27 - Under the Hood: Raise Your Relational IQ
  
• June 03 - Beyond the Breakdown: Move Past Conflict
  
• June 10 - Bumps in the Road: Take the Path to Forgiveness
• June 17 - Supercharge Your Relationships: Give the Gift of Confrontation
• June 24 - Release the Pressure Valve: Manage Your Anger
  

Easter Sunday Update From Pastor Brian

Friends of HVCC,

I know that many of you are waiting to hear what happened on Easter Sunday. Easter is one of our two key outreach Sundays each year where we invite those in our community to check out Hidden Valley Community Church, using direct mail and other communications efforts.

Well, it was a pretty cool day.

• 5 people told us they were committing their life to Jesus
• 13 people told us they were recommitting their life to Jesus
• 570 people were in attendance here at Dodgeville
• 50 people came to Richland Center
  

That's a grand total of 620 people at HVCC on Easter Sunday. The old record was 526 last Easter. I can't thank you enough for how you served the people in our community!

• So many of you parked across the street that it looked like Harris Park was having a convention!
• I saw so many people saying hi and practicing hospitality. People felt welcomed!
• The building and grounds looked amazing
• The ministries were all staffed well
• You invited so many friends. 17 people said they were here because a friend invited them. Way to go!

I've included an excerpt from one email I received from an 82-year-old man who visited us for the second time. I think you will love it.

As we entered the church, a small girl walked up to me and gave me a smile and a folded piece of paper. On the front in her hand-printed fashion were the words"Happy Easter". On the inside was her hand-drawn Easter basket. This was in a scrawled-like fashion. The gesture and the intent on her part was precious...I had more people smile and speak to me this morning than of all in MY HOME TOWN over who knows how many years. After the service, the drummer spoke to me and told me he remembered me from last October when we were here....The message was an Easter Drama, "Beautiful Jesus, Ugly Christians."...The thing of it is, I have known a few ugly Christians myself. Now hey, I'm not a Saint. It is that I have had a few things done to me by what I would call so-called Christians that I would not do to someone else....As to the several people I talked to, and the silent smiles and nods I received from others, I felt at home.

We are in the middle of a very exciting time in our church's history. God is clearly up to something and we get to ride along with Him. Thank you for all your sacrifices! They are clearly paying off and God is working. I can't wait to see what comes next.

In Christ,
Brian

What is Promisland?

It’s church for kids and a whole lot more! If you’re new to HVCC, you may be like the person who asked a question of us recently, “What is Promiseland, and who’s it for?”

Promiseland is our kids program serving kids grades K-4th during both Sunday morning services. A typical morning in Promiseland Kids Church involves free time where we build relationships with kids through interactive games and play. During large-group and small-group lesson time, we incorporate music, activities, drama and puppets, and often crafts. We meet in the Promiseland Room at the far end of the children’s corridor on west side of the building. We hope to see you soon!

In the room next to Promiseland K-4th, we offer Promiseland Preschool for ages 3-5. Preschoolers are full of energy, smiles and lots of questions. During this wide-eyed stage of childhood, we aim to prayerfully and joyfully bring children and their families together, and help each member to become like Jesus so they can help their family and neighbors, and share God’s love. Children are cared for in a safe, sanitary and stimulating environment where Christian values are taught and modeled. Sunday morning fun during both services includes music, lesson time, free play time, crafts and snacks.

For more info on this and other programs for Kids & Youth, visit the Kids & Youth section of hiddenv.com.

Children's Area Open House

Sun, May 6th: Come Check it Out!

On Sunday, May 6th, the children's area will host a brief 30-minute open house immediately following the second service for anyone who'd like to come learn more about our children's programs for infants through 4th grade. If you've ever considered serving in one of our children's areas, this is your opportunity to learn what opportunities there are.

Did you know that in any given month, it takes nearly 100 volunteer shifts to staff our three children's rooms, with each volunteer serving one service a month? WOW! We sure do need our volunteers. We'd love to have you come serve alongside us. It means the world to the young hearts and minds that we serve.

Do you like to hold babies or read a book to toddlers? One service-a-month opportunities are available in our nursery that serves children ages 0-3. It could be the best hour of your month!

Do you love the wide-eyed wonder of preschoolers? Do you like helping with crafts, song time or free play time? Check out Promiseland Preschool for ages 3-5. We have openings for you to help as little or as much as you'd like. We're planning our summer program right now, which will feature fun summertime crafts and activities for preschoolers.

Are you intrigued by school-aged children and the idea of helping them learn about their relationship with God and others? Promiseland grades K-4th might be for you. We have summer openings for those who like to help with crafts, lead music, teach in small groups. You can serve one time, a couple of times, once per month or as often as you like!

Do you like to help behind the scenes, or on your own schedule? Great! We have volunteers who help during the week at church or from home with lesson materials prep, craft prep, bulletin boards, room decoration and more!

Stop in for a few minutes after church this Sunday, at the Children's Area Open House on May 6th and ask questions, learn about serving opportunities, see our space and find out how you can get involved this summer!

For more information, contact the church office at 930-4822 (HVCC) or use the Contact Us page on our website to send an email to your area of interest.

Please Bug Us!

At HVCC, we’re sensitive to the fact that you may like to take things at your own pace. We’ve heard stories from those who shy away from church because they don’t want to be conspicuous or commit to something before they’re ready.

You may want to explore things on your own, visit the website at hiddenv.com, or attend a few services before taking the next step. That’s A-O-K. Even when we ask you to fill out your welcome card on a Sunday morning, we reassure you that we won’t stalk you, show up on your doorstep or make you feel uncomfortable in any way.

The down side is that we won’t bug YOU, so we may not know how best to serve you unless you bug US. So please do us a favor, and BUG US if you have questions, want to know how to get plugged in or need assistance. Email questions or comments at any time to hvcc@hiddenv.com, call us at (608) 930-4822, or use the Contact Us page of hiddenv.com to send emails about specific topics to the right HVCC contact person.

Information Resources

If you haven’t visited hiddenv.com lately, check it out! We’ve added information sections about everything here at HVCC. On hiddenv.com, you can listen to past messages, share them with a friend, read announcements about upcoming events, explore How To Serve, How To Grow and How to Connect and a lot more! Chances are, if you have a question, you’ll find the answer on our website.

Another great resource for information about upcoming events and programs, or what we’re all about here at HVCC are the brochures in the entryway. Take one (or a handful!) for you, or feel free to take one (or a handful!) for a friend or family member that you think might be interested in the information.