The 20 Most Irritating things Christians Say

Hillcrest starts a new series this Sunday called the 20 Most Irritating Things Christians Say. it's similar to a series we did a couple of years ago. We'll have a 'wheel of fortune' type of wheel on the stage and a Hillcrester will come to the front and spin the wheel. Whatever saying it lands on, Pastor Doug will teach on that saying and why it is irritating. We're poking some fun at ourselves, but in all seriousness, it will force us to examine the theology behind the things we say. For instance, if someone suddenly loses their job, one of the things we might say is "well, just pray about it". This well-intentioned advice is ok, and prayer is always a good thing. But prayer won't fill out the job application and it won't answer questions at the job interview. So the saying is incomplete. What the person probably means that in the midst of taking the initative to locate a job, prayer is a good thing as well.

ADHD or a dancer?

Came across TED talks the other day, thanks to an article in Fast Company magazine. This one is a link to one of the talks- there are several- from some of the world's most profound thinkers. The one I listened to was about how sometimes schools try too hard to mainstream children and in the process squelch their creativity. Coming from a family of educators, I know it's not always the school's fault- and education is harder today than it's ever been- but this talk serves as a reminder that some kids need other outlets besides ridalin.

The cool thing about these talks? Each is only about 20 minutes.

Sudan Update

The Argus ran an article that features Pastor Julius, the Sudanese pastor that's accompanying Hillcrest on the trip to Sudan. Good insight into Sudan's past and current political situation and why a farm would do so much good.

Some kind words

A teacher from Cleveland sent Hillcrest these kind words the other day: “I am in my second year at Cleveland and I am overwhelmed by your generosity to the staff and students. In all my 18 years of being in the district I have never felt so appreciated.”

While these words aren't the motivation, they are sure nice reminders of why we do what we do.

Sudan

This past Sunday, Pastor Doug informed Hillcresters of our next endeavor- building a farm in southern Sudan. Pastors Doug and Ben and a few other Hillcresters have been meeting with a local Sudanese pastor named Julius and a couple members from his church about the prospect of building a farm in southern Sudan. The Hillcrest and Sudanese group will fly to Sudan the last two weeks of November to begin building the farm and providing agriculture to a part of the world who recent history has been littered with war and famine. More details to come, but an exciting development nonetheless.

Backpack Buddies

Hillcrest took her offering for backpacks this past Sunday and raised over $7,400 or enough to sponsor 55 backpacks! We're 20 short of our goal of 75 backpacks, but an encouraging number nonetheless.

For more information on the backpack program, click here.

And click here to read about a Hillcrester's (and great friend of Tarina's and mine) perspective on giving to the program.

More links . . .

The Argus Leader cites Pastor Doug here on an interesting article on why our aid and attitude towards the devastating flooding happening in Pakistan might be different than the masive earthquake that hit Haiti. Sidenote- while several of the big Christian organizations like Samaritan's Purse and World Vision are doing god work in Pakistan, I have yet to receive any communication from them, and I got several notices during the Haiti crisis.

Jessi shares a couple cool pics and an update on Powerhouse here.

Finally, we just started using Randy Williamson this month. He creates a piece called "Sermon 4 Kids" that is customized to what we're teaching that Sunday. He's a terrific value, produces high quality work, and keeps kids engaged during the message. He's worth checking out if you want to keep kids engaged during worship and/or have no children's programming during worship.

Random Remodel Thoughts

As I continue to work at rebuilding my basement, some random thoughts:

• How do people do this for a living? I am so sore, tired, and worn out after one day of digging for a new window (who am I kidding- I am worn out after an hour!), that I have new appreciation for those that do jobs like this all of the time. Not sure how my brother-in-law does it, but he works really hard, and I've never loved my office more!
• When you take two truckloads of dirt to the dump over a couple of days, they get to know you. You learn there's a little community and soon guys give you pointers and insider tips. So, if you want to know where to take your tree branches for free, I know a place . . .
• While I am typically against a credit card, I get why people have a Menard's Big Card. 2% rebate on just this first project of ours would add up!

I am sure there are more to come!

Book reviews

Been able to fit in some reading this summer; here's some quick recaps:

• Drive- interesting read on what motivates people. Liked what it had to say about homework, chores and allowances (for instance, should I really have to pay my child every time they perform work? Shouldn't some chores be part of one's character?), and some of the changes that might be coming down the pike in the world of work.
• The Emotionally Healthy Church- really good read, especially for those who lead in churches-either as paid or volunteers. As fired up as I get about what a church does or can do, it's also important to consider who a church is and who people are becoming.
• Wellbeing- I like Gallup books because they are concise, make good arguments, back up findings with data, and give application.

If you've got some other recommendations, let me know!

Modern Family

Our new sermon series begins this Sunday called Modern Family. We're showing clips from this popular and hilarious show on ABC. It's going to be a great series looking at issues such as parenting, marriage, conflcit in relationships, and other relevant topics plus we'll laugh each week as we watch short clips from the show!