"Whom Are You Helping Up the H.I.L.L.?”

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Diane and I had been dating a year by the time we were high school seniors. That was the year a young and newly-married couple became our Sunday School teachers. They taught us a lot about ministering together.

Kirby Hill was a friend I met in college, studying in the same ministry program. He was so far beyond me when it came to theological reflection. His questions, comments, objections and insights were as much a part of my academic training as were my professors’ assignments.

Cecil Taylor was the first pastor I got to see “up close and personal.” I was a Baylor student in an internship, and he was my supervisor. I learned so much in our brief time together, and we still keep in touch (he leads the religion program at the University of Mobile).

This is a small sampling of people who have helped me up the H.I.L.L.

Who’s helped you up the H.I.L.L.? God made us to honor him, invite others to him, love each other, and live his Word--at our church we call that our “H.I.L.L.” to climb. These four actions are the “life purposes” we must fulfill as human beings.

Across the last several weeks in LeaderLines, I’ve pointed out that people are at one of four stages when it comes to these life purposes. If you’re a Hillcrest leader, you should be able to name some people you’re influencing at each stage.

Do you have someone at Stage One? Someone at Stage One is being exposed to the H.I.L.L. we’re meant to climb: She catches a vision of the way life could be as she spends time with believers--in structured Hillcrest activities as well as informal social occasions.

Do you have someone at Stage Two? Someone at Stage Two agrees with the life purposes: She accepts Christ’s offer of forgiveness, commits to the path he wants her to walk, and she formally connects with the Hillcrest community through membership.

Do you have someone at Stage Three? At Stage Three, she grows in her ability to honor God, invite her world to the new life she’s found, love others, and live the Word. She’s climbing the H.I.L.L.

Do you have someone at Stage Four? At Stage Four we move her into a position of influence or leadership where she can advance the life purposes in others.

You and I have benefited from the friendship and direction of others, and we need to offer that friendship and direction to others.

As a Hillcrest leader, can you name people you’re influencing?

This edition of LeaderLines is part of a series:

Week One; Finding and Following Jesus Together
Week Two: Can People Find and Follow Jesus Together?
Week Three: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.
Week Four: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage One
Week Five: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage Two
Week Six: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage Three
Week Seven: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage Four