Have you ever experienced one of those moments where you lift your head up, look around, and are struck by something breathtaking?
Like, in a way that you didn’t expect because your mind was fixated on something else entirely, but it hits you?
I experienced several of those moments this weekend standing in that corridor outside the Worship Center. I lifted my eyes up and saw pods of people praying together. I saw smiles mixed with tears amongst a crowd of people seeking Jesus and couldn’t help but feel tears well up as I listened to the sound of the prayers and the conversations.
So many people in such a vulnerable moment where they were bold enough to risk taking a step in response to the Gospel at work in their lives. Whether they were new to faith, interested in being baptized, wanting to go deeper, or in need of someone to pray with them, there was something sacred that happened this Easter weekend at Hillside Community Church.
We often say that we want to see God’s hope transform our cities one story at a time. This weekend, we got to see glimpses of that hope. Not just any hope, but the very hope that comes from Christ alone. I feel this, and I am sure many of our staff team do, but we are intentional, we are planners, and we are organized, all with the best of intentions. We also deeply desire to see people experience that hope, and I want to celebrate the moments we experienced this weekend where we saw real people step forward in response to the Good News.
A few stories…
- A man pacing up and down, feeling God stirring his heart…
- A woman lingering at the very end of the 8:30 a.m. gathering, waiting for a Bible and trying to find the courage to talk to someone…
- One of our key volunteer’s waiters who came to faith for the first time…
- A recently divorced woman with kids, who, after 20 years of marriage, was looking for community and identity again…
- …and so many more stories of hope and God at work!
Additionally, we saw 92 adults and kids – in person and online – raise their hands to accept Jesus for the first time! This always makes the Easter celebrations even sweeter as we welcome new believers to the body of Christ.
It was a remarkable weekend getting to see God at work. The story of Jesus is truly breathtaking and I’m grateful for the way He continues to weave our stories into something beautiful and hope-filled. This weekend we plan to baptize close to 60 people, so the celebration continues! We’d love to have you join us on Sunday at 9 or 11 a.m. as we celebrate NEW LIFE in Jesus.
By: Andrew McKeown
Want To Learn More About Journeying With Jesus?
Fresh Start is a group setting, and a great step for people who have recently put their faith in Jesus. It is also a great place for those wanting to explore what it means to follow and journey with Jesus. It consists of a series of conversations around foundations for reading the bible, prayer, and developing spiritual habits. Rather than a longer group setting, this is meant to be a shorter several week “spiritual” sprint.
Registration is open, and we would love to invite you to join us in person at Hillside for 4 weeks, every Tuesday, from 7-8:30 p.m. The first session is Tuesday, May 2, and the last session is May 23.
REGISTER HERE