Jump into July!

by Tom Goodman

From pancakes to picnics, we’re doing something special every Sunday in July. Bring a friend and enjoy these special events with your Hillcrest Family:

July 5 at 10am: Pancakes and Praise. This Independence Day weekend, our worship service will take place in the Multipurpose Center (MPC). We’ll meet at 10am for a pancake brunch—and the organizers tell me they’re planning patriotic pancakes, so you’ll have to come see what that’s about! We’ll stay in the MPC for the worship service around the fellowship tables. Expect the festivities to end around 11:30am. Our thanks to Pam Dahl and her Common Ground group for hosting this!

July 12 at 5:30pm: Family Movie Night. Bring your lawn chair or comfy quilt for this one, and we’ll turn the MPC into a big living room for the whole Hillcrest Family. We’ll watch Big Hero 6 and visit the free concession stand. We don’t want to run out of goodies at the concession stand, so help us plan by registering for this event at our website.

July 19 at 5:30pm: Game Night. Bring your homemade ice cream, some goodies for the snack table, and come enjoy board games and volleyball. Our thanks to Rebekah Fountain and her Common Ground group for hosting this!

July 26 at 10:00am: Baptism in the Park. An annual tradition! We’ll start off at Hillcrest with our regular 10am worship service. Instead of our small-group hour at 11am, head to Emma Long Park with your lunch. We’ll eat together, celebrate baptisms, and spend a lazy afternoon under the oaks and junipers. To participate in the baptism ceremony, adults need to complete the Discover Hillcrest course. The next one is July 19 and you can contact me to let me know of your interest. Youth should contact Steve Cloud and children should talk with Karen Raulie. There’s a great video explaining the importance of baptism at www.hillcrest.church/baptism.

New Summertime Sermon Series. This Sunday we begin a new series called “The Church You’ve Always Longed For.” It’s an exposition of Matthew 15-18, where Jesus shows us his expectations for those who belong to him. Read ahead and pray in preparation for this important summertime study.