Wilderness Wonderings...

This is a unique time in the life of Western Hills. I have heard many ask "What are the elders planning to do about the preaching position?" Others have asked, "How long will we go without a preacher?" Still others have asked, "When will we finally know something about the future?" All of these are great questions. Let me now share what I understand to be the current "plan" for the future. The elders have decided to have an intentional interim time. This means the elders want Western Hills to have a span of time to adjust to the new future before we make some knee jerk decisions. The elders have entered into a time of prayer for the future of Western Hills. They are trying to hear God's voice to direct them into the future.

This is an in between time. This is a time of transition. In many ways this is a time of wandering in the wilderness. When God called his children out of slavery in Egypt he could have magically whisked them off and dropped them down into the promise land. He did not do that. Instead he led them on a journey through the wilderness, a journey that lasted for more than 40 years. WHY? Because God needed time to transform his children from slaves into a nation ready to posses the land. God used the time in the wilderness to shape and form his people. God has a track record of calling his people into the wilderness.

Consider these examples...

• Moses spends 40 years herding sheep before God calls him in a burning bush
• Israel wanders for 40 years before crossing the Jordan
• Joseph and Mary are commanded to flee into Egypt
• Jesus fasts for 40 days in the wilderness before beginning his ministry

God calls his people to spend time in the wilderness. It seems in the wilderness we are formed and shaped in new ways to listen to God. Following each wilderness, God calls his children into a new reality and future- one that could not even be conceived of before the wandering and wondering time.

So, take advantage of our "wilderness time." Let God shape us as individuals and especially as a church. Be in prayer for the elders and Western Hills. Continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we move into the future.

Love Ya Much

Scott

Kum Ba Yah....Koinonia

Well, it's that time of the summer again, time to pack the bug spray, the box fan, and the swimsuit (In case you couldn't tell I was just making sure I had everything). We are going to camp K. I am excited about heading through the hills of FM 1431 and starting a great week of Koinonia. This year's theme is ALIVE. We are going through the book of Ephesians, and learn what it means to be an ALIVE person. Paul writes words to the Ephesians all of us need to hear to understand what Christ did for us, what His sacrifice means for me now, and the implications for me after my physical body gives out.

This is going to be an intense, fun, life-changing two weeks. If you would like to post a prayer or an encouraging message for our kids, counselors, and other volunteers please do so. They will be appreciated. We will see you soon and miss you much.

Matt

The Life Saving Station

Last Sunday night during THE WELL, I shared this modern day parable. I thought it would be appropriate to share it here as a reminder to us and our mission in this world.

On a dangerous sea coast where shipwrecks often occur there was once a crude little live saving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves went out day and night tirelessly searching for the last. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding area, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews trained. The little life saving station grew.

Some of them members of the life saving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. They replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building. Now the life saving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they decorated it beautifully and furnished it exquisitely, because they used it as a sort of club. Fewer members were now interested in going to sea on life saving missions, so they hired life boat crews to do this work. The life saving motif still prevailed in this club’s decoration, and there was liturgical life boat in the room where the club initiations were held. About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet, and half drowned people. They were dirty and sick and some of them had black skin and some had yellow skin. The beautiful new club was in chaos. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting, there was split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s life saving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted upon life saving as their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save lives of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own life saving station down the coast.

As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It evolved into a club, and yet, another life saving station was founded. History continued to repeat itself, and if you visit that sea coast today, you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown!

May God bless Western Hills, as we stay true to our mission in this world.

Love YA Much

Scott M.

A Father's Impact

We (okay, it was really just Qwynn) bought a Father’s Day card for her dad the other day. The text of the card reads: Dad, thanks to your lectures, I never change horses in the middle of a job worth doing, I know the squeaky wheel gets the worm, and I never count my chickens until I’ve walked a mile in their shoes. And you thought I wasn’t listening!

I can very much identify with this card. I’m pretty sure a lot of what my father’s told me over the years has not completely registered. There are a few phrases that have stuck, of course! Phrases such as:

“You can do what you want. You know what your mother and I would prefer you do, but you do what you want.”

And...

“I’m sure you’ve already thought of this, but what if you…”

There are many others, but that’s not my point here. For me, the impact of my father’s words do have power, but the impact of his actions have much more power in my life.

I’ll never forget the hours my dad (usually with me in tow) would spend helping others. Whether it was a home repair need, a computer problem or simply a difficult math problem (he was a math teacher), my dad would do what he could to help others. I also remember many Saturdays at the church building taking care of repair needs there or balancing the church books (he was the finance deacon).

It was those times together that reinforced what I knew my parents believed- “It’s not about us and our needs, it’s about others and their needs.” I guess one of the greatest things that I learned from my father was a heart of service. And for that, I will always be thankful!

-Scott S.

How about you? How has your father, or a special father figure, impacted your life? Share a story or two by clicking on the comments link below.

New Website Features

Exciting stuff is happening online for Western Hills. Our website now has the capacity to present the sermon from the most recent Sunday in streaming audio. To access this feature just go to www.westernhillsonline.org and click on "Hear the Sermon." (This feature works best if you have a high speed connection.) While this feature will never replace you being present with our church family it will allow you to hear the lesson from God's word if you are out of town or working on any given Sunday.

Some of our other features you may be interested in:
1. A link for Bible class teachers to access some great teaching resources available on the Web.
2. A link for resources related to personal spiritual growth.
3. Updated youth ministry website
4. Current prayer requests and hospital list
5. Updated church calendar

Every aspect of our site is designed to help you stay connected to Western Hills and encouraged in your ministry for Jesus.

Love Ya Much,
Scott M.

Home Again!

God is good and faithful! Late last night (12:30am) the Mexico Mission Team returned home to Central Texas. We are glad to report that God blessed the mission in many ways. He provided safe travel, good weather, open hearts, servant spirits, good food, sweet fellowship with our Mexican brethren, times of worship, and a week spent on holy ground. In short the mission was a blessed success. Please ask any team member (young or old) how they saw God at this past week? Also ask them how God worked on them personally during the week?

The mission effort in Monte Cristal continues to move forward. The construction of the medical clinic has advanced far beyond last year. The final shape can already be seen and it is easy to imagine folks from Monte Cristal filling the building to receive medical care.

The VBS effort was one of the best yet. Our mission teens shared the message of God through skits known as "Beyond Words." Like the name implies they dramatically acted out God's love and overcame the language barrier.

Thank you for your prayers. God answered them in dramatic ways.

Love Ya Much

Scott

I want to invite any member of the mission team to click on the comments link and share a story of the ways that you saw Jesus this week.

Join us as we GO-mission our teens!

You will want to be apart of our evening service this coming Sunday, June 5. During our service we call "THE WELL" we will be talking about what it means to be followers of Jesus who "go into all of the world." During the service we will charge our teens to be "go-ers" as they head to Monte Cristal on a mission trip. Following the service EVERYONE is invited to the gym to share in some hotdogs and a Mexico packing party.

If you haven't figured it out yet you soon will - Western Hills is a mission passionate church. We are actively in the business of equipping our young people to live lives of mission. We want them to always see their responsibility as people who "GO".

So be there Sunday night. Be apart of this church sending its own out to be the Hands & Feet of Jesus into the world.

Love Ya Much
Scott M.

Bless our Teens - If YOU want to bless our teens with your prayers click the "comments" link below and leave a prayer/blessing for them. We will print out all the prayers that are posted and share them with the teens on Sunday night during the service. So click the link and be apart of the spiritual prayer cover for our mission team.