Call this an "update."
Or a "clarification."
Or a "mea culpa."
A friend e-mailed me about my post, "Meet Your Mission Field." She didn't think much about my observation that "I doubt the Hillcrest community is positioned to make much of an impact with Jennifer, who is Wiccan, and with Lalit and his wife, Sree, who were raised Hindu" but we were in a better position "to reach people like Geno, James, and Lars."
My friend said, "While I never identified as Wiccan (I don't really like candles, haha), I was pretty close to where Jennifer is." She didn't want me to think that we couldn't reach the "Jennifers" in our community.
Good point. And I'm glad we connected with someone like my friend, who identifies with Jennifer in the article! I could also tell you about my Islamic friend from Iran who studied the Gospel of John with me, put his faith in Jesus, and attends our church (when he's not at Hill Country Bible Church, closer to his home). I could tell you about my dear friend Cheryl, a self-described "hippie" who was into alternative religions and substance abuse before she converted in prison and began to attend Hillcrest when she was released: she now runs an ex-offender ministry at Hillcrest.
It's true that other churches in our area are catching the attention of a lot more "Jennifers, Lalits and Srees" than we are. And it's true that the majority of folks that Hillcrest is reaching are among the "James', Lars' and Geno's" of Austin. But I'm glad my friend encouraged me to keep looking through the "wide-angle lens" as we reach out! Thanks!
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