From the Pastor’s Desk:

I have been memorizing John 15 recently, and I came across some challenging words:

John 15:1-2 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

Jesus explains later that we are the branches and we are connected to Jesus, the vine. The only way we truly live is to keep the connection strong every day. One thing that struck me was the phrase that God the Father is the gardener. This is one of my favorite images in the Bible, but it’s been a while since I considered what it meant to call God a gardener. Especially one with pruning shears. Ow.

Pruning shears clip, cut, snip, and trim. That’s OK for branches, but God says He does this to us. He prunes us so that we can have a greater impact in this world. He’s not out to hurt us, but to help us.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no agricultural expert. Actually, I can’t keep weeds alive. But I do know that pruning a fruit tree is important. Here’s something I found online about it: Pruning promotes large, well-flavored fruit. Plants cannot produce high-quality fruit if all of the budding fruit is allowed to mature. When some is pruned off, the tree concentrates nutrients into the fruit that remains, producing the large, juicy products we enjoy. (http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/fruit/pruning.html)

God has a powerful desire to make us highly effective for HIM. That means that He will bring circumstances into our lives to make us improve, grow, and become better than we are now. He will redirect us, change us, and shave off our rough edges.

This explains a very common experience many of us have had. We say yes to God. We start serving, start changing, start pursuing Him, and all of a sudden we have problems. This can be confusing. We think, “God, I’m trying to do the right thing here and you don’t seem to be helping. I’m having more problems now and more pain. What’s up?”

Those experiences make more sense when we remember this passage from John 15. The gardener has begun to prune us to improve our effectiveness. Maybe He’s working on you right now. If not, He promises that He will be in the near future. Let’s keep our hearts open and soft toward God and learn to ask Him to teach us what lessons we need to learn in every difficult circumstance.

In Christ,
Brian Rudesill

30 Days to Live Is Theme for Big Sunday

Dodgeville: October 5
Richland Center: October 12

What if you found out you had one month to live? It happens. 

• What would you never do again?
• What would you start doing right now?
• Would there be major changes to your spending or relationships?
• What does it take to prepare for life after life?
• Who would you want to talk to and what would you say?
• What would people say about you at your funeral?

When you know your life is just about to end, it gives you remarkable clarity. You see, maybe for the first time, what’s really important and what’s just trivia. Jesus said we are supposed to bring that type of focus to our lives every day. Join us in October as we explore how to make those changes.

We will launch this series on Big Sunday: October 5 in Dodgeville, October 12 in Richland Center. This is the day when we encourage everyone to invite at least one unchurched friend to Hidden Valley to hear how God addresses the most important issues in our lives.

School Supply Drive Yields 21 Backpacks Plus

With your recent donations, Hidden Valley was able to provide 21 backpacks full of school supplies for students in the Dodgeville schools. We also received extra backpacks and an additional two large boxes of supplies. These will be given to the schools in January when donated supplies typically run low.

Updates from HV-Richland Center

by Jamie Johnson

Among our August highlights:

•  We accepted four new members and received requests to offer Class 101 again soon.
•  We hosted a men’s night with card games, bean bag toss, and some great stories.
•  Forty-five people came to our family movie night, “College Road Trip.”
•  More than 65 people attended our annual back-to-school/end of summer picnic.

Looking ahead to September is even more exciting:

• We kick off our groups program, which includes several Financial Peace groups, plus First Place, scripture studies, and separate men’s and women’s small groups.
• We begin a new season in our children’s area on September 14. Due to our growing numbers, we will now offer a Pre-K through 1st grade program and a 2nd through 5th grade program, besides our nursery.
• HV-Richland Center will host our first baptismal service September 21, with the final location to be announced. We hope to baptize at least 10 people on that day.
• Ladies’ Night will be at Pizza Hut on September 28 at 5:30 p.m. Many have already signed up, so join the fun and help us to make plans for the coming year.
• On the Middle School front, we will host an auction Saturday night, September 27 to help raise funds for the trip to Costa Rica. Please come to bid on some great items. On October 4 we will have a bake sale during the Family Fun Day for the Color Fiesta Weekend. That same weekend Hidden Valley will enter a float in the parade. To plan or help with the float, contact Jamie Johnson.

Groups to Focus on Shared Interests

Are you looking for a way to connect with the people of Hidden Valley? Would you like to get to know others who enjoy some of the things you do? Affinity groups could be for you! An affinity group is simply an organized opportunity to meet others who enjoy the same stuff. ANYONE can participate – affinity groups are open to friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Among those that currently meet are Scrapbooking the first Tuesday of the month and Bicycling Military Ridge Trail on Saturdays.

Joining any of our Hidden Valley groups is one of the best ways to make friends, learn more about God’s plan for you, and grow in your relationship with Jesus. Take a look online to see a listing of all the groups we are offering for the fall. For more information, contact our Connections Director, Travis Clark, at 930-4822 or tclark@hiddenv.com.

Family Movie Night Is Sept. 19 at HVCC

On Friday, September 19, at 6:00 p.m., we will meet at HVCC in Dodgeville to watch “Surf’s Up” on the big screen. Bring something soft to sit on. We will provide the popcorn. Join us for a fun family movie!

Tailgate Party Sept. 28

Hidden Valley – Dodgeville will host a tailgate party for the Packer game against Tampa Bay on the big screen September 28, following the second service. Everyone is welcome. Bring something to grill, snack, and drink.

Upcoming Women’s Events

All women are invited to join us for our next two events:

Trail Ride/Walk

On Saturday, September 13,  take an autumn bike ride or walk together on the Military Ridge Trail. We’ll cap our outing with tasty root beer floats at the Dodgeville A&W! Please join us when you can; here is the schedule:

• 10:00 a.m.: Meet at Sherry Van Haren’s home, 6150 Hwy 18/151, with your bike for the 7-mile ride into town.
• 10:30 a.m.: Meet us at the DNR office parking lot across from Pizza Hut for a walk on the Military Ridge Trail.
• 11:30 a.m.: Join us at the DNR office parking lot for a short walk to A&W for refreshing root beer floats.
• After the refreshments, bikers will take the 7-mile ride back to Sherry Van Haren’s home.

Horseback Riding

On September 20 at 3:00 p.m., saddle up and hit the trails for a 45-minute trail ride at Doby Stables, then join us for a BBQ and horseshoe pitching at Centennial Park in Dodgeville. Reservations are needed for the trail ride, so please RSVP to Sherry Van Haren at 924-2412 by September 13. There will be a small fee for the trail ride, but the BBQ will be provided. Meet at the Doby Stables by 2:30 for the trail ride or join us at Centennial Park after 4:00 for the BBQ.

Kids Will Have a Ball This Fall in Kids Church at HVCC!!

Kids!! There’s never been a better time to check out what HVCC has for kids on Sunday mornings, with programs for everyone from infants through grade 5.

Sunday, Sept 7 marks the beginning of the fall semester for kids at HVCC. We’re starting a brand-new lesson series about Getting to Know God, with new games and activities associated with each lesson.

We’ve recently added new talents in Drama, Puppets, and AV/Tech, which means more cool, creative ways to help kids get excited about God’s love and promises for them. Over the course of the next month, you’ll also see changes to our kids’ space that we’re excited to unveil between now and October 5.

If you’re a volunteer looking for a super fun place to serve, contact one of the following Dodgeville kids church leaders. Grades 1-5: Hilary Kleese, thkleese@mhtc.net. Ages 3 through kindergarten: Lisa Leeman, willowbrookinc@msn.com. Infants to age 3: Dena Matteson, momswaychildcare@hotmail.com. Or contact the church office at hvcc@hiddenv.com (930-4822).

Check out HVCC kids church this Sunday. Our nursery is for ages 0-3. We also have kids church in two different rooms for ages 3-kindergarten and for school-aged children in grades 1-5.

Fall Launch for Middle School Club 678 Is Sept. 14

Everyone in grades 6 through 8 is invited to join us at 12:30 on Sunday, September 14, at HVCC in Dodgeville as we launch a new season for our middle school group, Club 678. We will start with lunch, then we will play some fun and energetic games. We will also be talking about some exciting things we have planned for the year. You will not want to miss it! Plan to join us and bring your friends! We’ll finish at 2:00.

Parents: We will have an important meeting for you at 12:30 to share information and give you some dates to be aware of. This meeting will last about a half hour. Please plan to attend.

HVCC Classes Scheduled

Class 101: Discover Life in the Valley. Tuesday, September 9 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Supper will be provided.
This class, taught by Pastor Brian, covers the basics: exploring your salvation; discussing the beliefs, values, and vision of Hidden Valley; learning about our strategy and what it means to be a member. To sign up, write “Class 101” on your welcome card on Sunday.

Class 201: Experiencing God in Life. Tuesday, September 16 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Supper will be provided.
You will learn how to get something out of the Bible, pray and connect with God, and develop other habits to keep your adventure with God white hot. This class will help you develop a richer relationship with God by starting and maintaining the habits required for a healthy soul. To sign up for this class, write “Class 201” on the comment portion of your welcome card on Sunday.

How We’re Doing – August 2008

Following are some numbers that we track on a regular basis to help us to gauge our church’s health and progress.

First-time visitors: Dodgeville 15, Richland Center 3
Second-time visitors: Dodgeville 4, Richland Center 2
Third-time visitors: Dodgeville 4, Richland Center 1

Asked Jesus to forgive me: 2
Recommitted my life to Jesus: 3

Monthly Giving
Tithe $30,544.75 (budgeted $30,276)
2nd Mile (building) $2772.10 (budgeted $4,000)
Benevolence $210.17 (not budgeted)
Other income, fees, and reimbursements $ 0 (budgeted $500)
Total $33,527.02 (budgeted $34,776)