Follow Jesus, Love Others, Share Hope |
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"The Called" by Pastor Rob
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A couple of thoughts tease my mind as I sit to write. It’s “Star Wars” day. How did a fun, fresh science fiction movie become the mythic, entertainment behemoth that it is? Fans exchange knowing winks as they proudly say, “May the 4th be with you!” They delight in the ignorance of the uninitiated who don’t understand “the force.”
This is all fantasy, but like a lot of fictional world, Star Wars holds a firm grip on the hearts of many in the world. What do witnesses sharing testimony about Jesus have to say to the voters, lawyers, dishwashers, bus-riders, builders, writers, wannabe-writers, gamers, and influencers inhabiting the Star Wars universe?
The other musing poking around my brain is the movement related to COVID-19: vaccines are up; infection rates are down; restrictions are being lifted. In the U.S., we are inching toward the end of the pandemic. Of course, just as some at the beach — some go charging into the surf, others gradually dip their toes and venture no farther than ankle deep, and others stay completely dry settling for sand and sun, we will see varying levels of social engagement that mark the end of the COVID-19 ordeal.
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Donate Blood - Saturday, May 22
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Donating blood saves lives. We are once again hosting The Blood Connection and its mobile unit in the upper lot on Saturday, May 22nd. Each donor will receive a $20 gift card. Appointments are encouraged. Self-schedule here. Or you can contact the church office to make an appointment.
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Upcoming Food Distributions - May 15 & 29
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Our Food Pantry will be open May 15 & 29 - from 11am to 12pm.
CONSIDER:
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Volunteering one or more Saturdays a month for the drive through food distributions. Bagging begins at 9am and distribution prep begins at 10:30am. Sign up HERE and scroll down to select Chapel Hill Pantry events.
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Donating groceries - we are collecting dry and canned goods, food items, fresh produce, bread and meat (see most needed items here. Drop off at the collection box outside the church entryway
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We have recently received a request from Covenant Place, the senior adult housing community near us, for Hillside to return to help residents with household chores--light housekeeping and organizing. A group of Hillside youth and adults did this once a month prior to the pandemic. It would be best right now for the helpers to be vaccinated adults. We would continue to offer help monthly. The regular day or time for this ministry has not been set yet. If you're interested and want more information or you sense God leading you to serve in this way, please contact Beth (919-967-6674). These folks are our neighbors who are ready for social interaction after months of isolation. Thank you for considering this.
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- Elder Election—Nominations for new Elders are now closed. Potential candidates are being contacted and a list of nominees will be sent out to all members as soon as it is available. Theballot is scheduled to be sent out by email no later than Sunday, May 16th with the voting link active until Friday, May 21st. Watch your in-box for this important email.
- Reopening—the pastoral staff and elders are ready to welcome all of Hillside back to in-person activities. We will continue to wear masks, practice social distancing, and encourage our church family to get vaccinated. We have not had any outbreaks of COVID and with case numbers going down, we feel it is time to be together again. We hope to see you, in-person, very soon.
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Art of Neighboring
New small group starting Monday, May 17 @ 6pm
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Pastor Rob is starting a 6-week small group (on Zoom) that will meet Monday evenings at 6:00PM, May 17- June 26 (no meeting on May 31, Memorial Day). The group will go through the book "The Art of Neighboring". You can learn more about the project here. The idea is to answer two questions. What if we took Jesus' command to love our neighbors as ourselves seriously? Taking it seriously, what will happen, when we apply this command to our relationships with our actual neighbors? These discussions will feed into our church's mission to Follow Jesus, Love Others, and Share Hope. We'll gain ideas related to how we live out the mission God has given us. Email Dina if you are interested. We need at least 4 people for the group.
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Service Seekers—Wed at 7pm. Currently meeting on Zoom and studying the topic of The Holy Spirit. Contact Beth or Susan for more information.
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Tuesday Morning Women—Tue at 9:30am. Meeting in-person in the Conference Room. Currently studying We Over Me by Whitney Capps. Contact Dina.
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Refuge—Sun at 12:30pm. For young adults. Meeting in-person in the church lounge. Contact Pastor Rob for more information.
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Fusion—Sun at 5pm. For youth. Meeting in-person in the church lounge every other Sunday. Contact Pastor Rob for more information.
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What about Sunday Small Groups? |
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Adults—Let Dina or Pastor Rob know if you are interested in joining a Sunday morning Bible study group. We have two classroom spaces available. Small group time is an important part of faith development, so make sure you are in a group. Sunday morning is a great time. Let's get our adult Sunday classes going again!
- Youth Sunday School class will restart June 6 if it has a teacher.
- Children’s Sunday School—TBD please pray about this ministry.
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More detail on the amounts in the Financial Snapshot are in the March 2021 Financial Statement. Hard copies are on the back table in the Worship Center. Electronic copies are available upon request from the church office.
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Your tithes and offerings can be dropped off, mailed, or given electronically. Use the button below or go to our website.
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