Big Sunday Report

by Brian Rudesill

Despite Easter coming so early this year, we had a very good day for Big Sunday, March 23. There were 465 people in attendance at our Dodgeville service, our third-highest attendance ever, and 160 at our Richland Center service, the second-highest ever. It was a very high-energy day, and it didn’t snow!!! More important, we had an excellent Sunday the following week with 409 in Dodgeville and 112 in Richland Center. We were able to retain a lot of new visitors.

Let me just give you one cool story I heard:

After the service, I was shaking hands with a couple. They came because of the direct mail card. She was very excited about the service and told me how happy she was to have her husband attend with her. It turns out, it has been 40 years since he attended church. He was really hurt four decades ago and never went back. For some reason, God used this time to bring them back. He shook my hand, looked me in the eye and told me that we would see him again next Sunday.

I don’t know if you realize how rare it is to be a part of a growing church in the United States right now. Ninety percent of churches are not growing. But God is letting us be a part of something very unique and special. He’s using us together to accomplish this, and I see no evidence that God is going to slow down any time soon. In fact, I really believe that our best days are still coming. I think that one year from now, we will be amazed again at all that God has done. I really believe that God is building a movement of churches to change the spiritual situation in southwest Wisconsin and bring many more people to Him. It’s so fun to be a part of that. Thanks for your partnership in this God-given mission. I’ll keep you informed on all of God’s activity!

HV-Richland Center Growth Continues

by Jamie Johnson

March was a great month at Richland Center. We had over 100 people in attendance every Sunday, highlighted by 160 attending our Easter service. The week before Easter, our Promiseland kids used sign language and props to perform the song "In Christ Alone." The seven-minute minidrama was very powerful, and backed by Brian's message that day we saw five people commit their lives to Jesus.

Participation in HV-Richland Center small groups grew from between 15 and 25 at the beginning of March to over 70 by early April.

Among other March highlights, we showed a movie while we celebrated a potluck meal. March 29 was a busy day as we helped out with the postponed Easter Egg Hunt, which is a community-based event. Later that evening we had a men's night at the church after a fun-filled day of dodgeball at HVCC in Dodgeville.

Our two teams in the annual HVCC Dodgeball Tournament were Brian's Going Down and As Long as Brian Doesn't Win. Who knew how fitting that was. We were able to knock Brian's team out of the tourney, for which we received many thanks from RC and Dodgeville people alike. Though Brian's Going Down only took third place, it was a satisifying day to know our mission was accomplished. (It was extra sweet, knowing I caught Brian's ball to take him out of the game.)

News Bytes

News Bytes are a new section of our website under 'What's Going On.' They're full-size articles with (sometimes) images and other fun info, and we include a brief intro of each article with each month's E-News. Here's what's been happening lately!

New Staff Member Hired at Dodgeville Site
In January, we began the process of adding to our Dodgeville staff a Connections Director who would help HVCC to better connect people with God and with each other. We are pleased to announce that the Leadership Team has unanimously approved the hiring of Travis Clark as our new Connections Director, effective Wednesday, April 2.
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2008 Dodgeball Tournament Results
Pastor Brian Rudesill’s dodgeball team couldn’t defend its title from determined attackers, and a new champion was crowned at the second annual Hidden Valley Dodgeball Tournament on Saturday, March 29.
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2008 Annual Meeting
HVCC’s annual meeting for 2008 was held Sunday, March 30 after the second service. About 50 people attended.
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Middle School Youth Group Meetings Set
Middle schoolers will meet April 13 at 12:30 and April 27 at 12:30.  In May, we will be meeting May 11 at 12:30.  There will not be a May 25 meeting due to Memorial Day.  A June Lock-In is in the works for Middle Schoolers!  We are looking forward to inviting friends outside our church to help us stay up all night for fun, movies and friends.  Stay tuned for more details!

Coming Events

Vocal Workshop at HVRC
On April 13, HV-RC will host a vocal workshop open to anyone who wishes to attend. Learn tips and exercises for singing with freedom, strength, expression, and style.  This fun, casual, and free workshop is being facilitated by Russ Frame, Director of Worship for HV-RC. No vocal experience needed.  
The workshop will be held following the Sunday service at the Auditorium from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.  An optional workbook is available for $5, but must be pre-ordered.  For more information, or to RSVP, contact Russ Frame.

CSI Penny Drive
Do you find pennies to be a nuisance? We'll take them off your hands and put them to good use. CSI (Christian Service Ignited) is sponsoring a "Penny Drive". We are collecting those pesky pennies with proceeds going to the Dodgeville Free Clinic. Start saving your pennies!
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How We're Doing