Friday Free-for-All

Here are just a few of the numerous things banging around in my head as we charge into the weekend.

1. I am continually amazed at the talent that God has placed here in this church. Anyone who was present last weekend and laid eyes on the "empty tomb" on the pulpit knows what I am talking about. Our own artist-in-residence Patty Thomas created for us a visual effect that left most of us speechless. (Click on the picture to see large version.) Patty is just one of the hundreds of gifted and talented people God uses to bless this church. I am grateful to be a part of a body that is actively exploring ways for people to put their gifts to work to glorify God. You may never notice, but each Sunday morning worship is the net result of tons of volunteers giving their best for God.

2. This Sunday is Home Group Sunday. Home Groups are our way of making a big church small again. It is our strategy to create an environment of authentic community in the lives of our people. Each time Home Groups meet I hear great stories of how our Home Groups are ministering to people and changing lives. If you are not yet in a group just grab a copy of the discussion questions off the website and invite some folks to your home or to meet you at your favorite restaurant. It's that simple.

3. This Sunday morning is also the Sunday that we have invited all of the students enrolled in Western Hills Christian Preschool to worship with us. This ministry has seen some incredible growth over the last couple of years. More than 40 students are enrolled (many without a church home). So this Sunday we will do what we do best and welcome people into our time of worship. It is our prayer each Sunday for God to use our worship service as an avenue to connect with some one's life and introduce them to Jesus.

4. I am more convinced now than ever before that God's greatest dreams for this church lie in the future and not in the past. If we have the courage to hold tightly to His hand there is no telling where this adventure will lead.

Love Ya Much!

Scott

Average Parents

Today we have invited a guest blogger to share some thoughts with us. The essay is by Dave Boivie, one of our members at Western Hills. Dave is a great guy with an amazing story. Dave has a heart for people and a passion for God. May you be blessed today.

Average Parents

Most of you know that I was involved with drugs as a teenager. There always seemed to be some kind of trouble I could get myself or someone else into. As you can expect, I was a difficult person to be around because I was always angry about some trouble I had gotten into.

It is hard to imagine a home occupied by two teenagers being peaceful. Especially when the teenagers are brother and sister who fight about everything. This is not an easy home to bring peace to, and not a nice place for our parents to live either. Somehow our family survived all this confusion. Looking back, I am only now starting to realize why.

My Mother and Father were not perfect. I can remember mistakes they made, but there is one thing I remember even better. In spite of all the trouble I was to them, and the confusion that occurred, my parents loved me and made our home a warm and safe place. I remember my parents, not so much because they fed me and gave me a room to sleep, but because they loved me when I did not return that love. They may be average to some, but they saved my life, and almost certainly my soul as well.

We invite other submissions to be posted on this blog. If you would like to contribute an original article for consideration to be posted simply email it to us in Word Doc form.

Tragedy & Worship

Tucked away in the thousands of stories concerning the tragedy at Virginia Tech I found this blog post on MSNBC.com. I am reposting it here. May it be a blessing to you.

As the thousands drifted away from the candlelight vigil on the Virginia Tech drillfield Tuesday evening, a song rose from a circle of two dozen lights.

"O mothers, let’s go down. Come on down, don't you wanna go down? O mothers, let’s go down. Down in the river to pray..."

A woman in the circle, a generation older than the young men and women, said she had come up from western North Carolina to be with her son, a resident adviser in a dorm, an R.A. just like the first young man killed on Monday. She reached over to give him a hug as they sang on.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound..."

The group grew to 30, singing from the heart, tears on many cheeks. They all knew
the same songs, the same harmonies.

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..."

Was this an organized group, a church choir? No, she said, "just Christians."

"Lean on me, when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on..."

We wanted to know, what was her son's story? Her name? And how had a son's mother gotten through these days? "I don't want to be interviewed," she said gently. "This is worship. This is giving thanks."

Easter Egg Hunt

It never ceases to amaze me the way God uses this church.

This past Sunday afternoon, we went out and had a joint Easter egg hunt with our friends at Wayman Manor. Due to all the snow we got on Easter day, we had to postpone the hunt, but that did not stop God from using us as His hands and feet. Due to the generosity of this church, we had more eggs than we had hiding places. It looked like a sea of Easter eggs. Thank you for your generosity.


We continue to do things with/for Wayman Manor because we believe it is a place Jesus would spend a lot of his time if he were on earth today. The people who live there have been marginalized, are struggling with just getting by, and do not seem to have a strong relationship with Jesus. We go there to love on them and share the good news of Christ. And I think the message is getting across. Praise God!

The Video from Sunday

We showed this video on Easter Sunday. It is an introduction to our current message series that examines the impact of the resurrection on our lives. If you wish to listen to the audio of Sunday's sermon click here.
We will be in this series for the next 4 weeks. This coming Sunday we will explore what the resurrection has to say about our past failures. So if you have any time or event in your life you regret then this message is for you. Hope to see you on Sunday.

Love Ya Much

Scott

Snow Day

This past Sunday was amazing in so many ways. Obviously the snow was both a beautiful blessing and a curse (for those without power for 24 hours). What was more amazing than the weather was the enthusiasm and excitement that everyone had for worship. Considering the outside conditions we had an awesome crowd participating. I met many people that you had invited and many more who were coming back for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th times. God continues to bring people to us, giving us an opportunity to connect with them and connect them to Jesus. Thanks for being so passionate about reaching this community for Christ.

End of the Week Mind-Dump

It's the end of the week and as always there is lots of activity going on at Western Hills. So as we look forward to Sunday, here is my "end-of-the-week-random-mind-dump." Enjoy!

1 - On Sunday We will wrap-up our series on 1 Peter, "Live Different." I hope and pray you have been blessed by the ancient, but extremely relevant words of a man walked with Jesus. I have told many that I was planning on being in 1 Peter for only 4 weeks, but the more I studied the more I had to preach.

2 - This Sunday we will end how Peter ends with a look at our elders. We have an amazing group of men who serve as our elders. Please be in prayer for them as they serve God and serve this church. If you do not know all of our elders they are - Rex Baugh, Neil Haney, Lurry Leavelle, Larry Matthews, Ron Scott, Steve Stern, Jim Thigpen.

3 - Next Sunday (April 8) is our Easter Service. I am excited about Easter not because it is the only day we celebrate the Resurrection (we do that EVERY Sunday) but because it is the day that the rest of the world gets in on it. So we are praying hard for all of the people who will be on our campus that day. We have an opportunity to connect each of them to Jesus.

4 - Who will you invite on that Sunday? Who are you building a friendship with that you can now bring them to church with you? I want to encourage you to step out on faith and extend the invitation to someone. You just might be surprised what God will do with your step of faith.

5 - Our Youth Minister search process is moving forward. The Search Team is interviewing candidates. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY for this effort. It is critical that the right man be invited to lead our teens and families. Please pray.

Well that is all for today. See you on Sunday.
Love Ya Much
Scott

Does an Empty Tomb really matter?

This seemingly simple question is the pivotal question to Christian faith. It is a question that can not be avoided. A recent indication to the importance of this question is the recent documentary by film-maker James Cameron, The Lost Tomb of Jesus. The film (which aired March 4, 2007 on the Discovery Channel) makes the claim that the tomb of Jesus has been found. The documentary is quick to point out that this discovery need not challenge any of the Christian doctrines. The suggestion is made that the resurrection of Jesus was a spiritual one if not physical. So again the question has been asked, "Does it really matter whether or not the tomb is empty?"

I believe that EVERYTHING hinges on that question. If the tomb is not empty, and Jesus did not return from the dead then everything else he claimed was either nonsense or a lie. Throughout history many have suggested that Jesus was a kind man and a good teacher, but not divine. The problem with this idea is that you believe the man that tells you how you should live, how much you should love, and how to prioritize your life, but your not going to listen to him when he says I will return from the dead! If Jesus did not rise from the dead then we should dismiss everything else he said, but if he did return from the dead then we can not ignore anything he said.

On Easter Sunday we will wrestle with this issue. We will discover what it means to us if the tomb of Jesus was empty. Make plans to join us as we begin the new message series, "God's Empty Promise.

God Bless

Scott

To read a good article that refutes the claims of the documentary click here.

Who will you invite?

Every Sunday we have an opportunity to do something miraculous. We have an opportunity to invite people who we know and care about to join us and participate in our worship. Why would we do this? Because we are driven to lead as many as possible into a growing relationship with Jesus. Every week God is bringing people onto our campus and into our service to hear how much God loves them. How is he doing this? He is using you to do it. I am meeting lots of people who tell me that they are here because one of you invited them. You are somebody they work with, carpool with, live next door to, or go to school with and because you asked they decided they would come. So as we look toward Easter with high expectations about what God will do...whose face do you see joining us and hearing about the good news of Jesus?

God Bless

Scott

PS - One tool you can use to invite someone is the e-vite on the website. Click here to learn more.

Get Ready for Easter

Easter Sunday is coming April 8 and we need to get ready! Both research and experience shows that more people will give "church a chance" on Easter than any other Sunday of the year. This fact has big implications for us as a church that is on mission to "connect the unconnected." We will have an opportunity to impact someone who may not have stepped inside of a church building for a year. What will we do with our opportunity?

One thing I know will happen is that you will invite people who are in your circle of influence (friends, co-workers, family, etc) to our worship service. I am confident of this because it is already happening. Every week I am meeting more and more people who tell me they are here because one of you invited them. We call this our BUILD and BRING strategy. Simply stated it means you intentionally build an authentic relationship with someone and then bring them to church.

To capitalize on this dynamic I am trying something new. I will be launching a new series on Easter Sunday (instead of concluding one). The series is titled GOD'S EMPTY PROMISE. We will explore the everyday and eternal impact of the empty tomb on our lives. I hope to make this series practical and relevant, with a hope that who you invite just may come back to hear more.

I will be praying for you as you get ready for Easter.
God Bless
Scott

Summer Youth Intern

Western Hills has a long history of training up Godly men and women to serve the church. To continue that tradition, we are bringing in one of our own to help us out this summer: Cole Smith. We are very excited about Cole coming on board and all the leadership he brings.

Click Here to read an exclusive interview with Cole.

Youth Minister Search Team

As I announced Sunday morning, the elders have commissioned a team of people to lead out in our search for a new Youth Minister.

The team is made up of the following people:

• A.C. Blunt
• Sharla Bundy
• Les Maloney
• Jack Mankin
• Erica Meyer
• Randy Pittenger
• Sharon Phillips
• Melissa Prather
• Scott Seela
  

We ask the entire church to lift up this team in prayer. Please pray for them to have wisdom & discernment. Please pray for the next youth minister that God has prepared for Western Hills. And please continue to pray for Matt & Megan as they select a law school and prepare to move.

Western Hills has seen the faithfulness and power of God as we humble ourselves and pray. I am confident that we will see God "do amazing things among us" as we add a new person to the Western Hills staff.

Keep praying!

-Scott Seela

Upward Sunday

What a wonderful day! First of all, I want to say THANK YOU to the Western Hills Church for the warm and loving welcome given to our Upward Basketball players & families. I saw so many of you greeting and talking with our guests. Western Hills truly is a welcoming church!

I had serveral Upward families tell me how much they enjoyed and were blessed by the worship at Western Hills. Of course, the overwhelming comments were about how much they appreciate the way our coaches love their kids. The "backbone" of our Upward Basketball is the willingness of so many volunteers to give of themselves. From the concessions stand to the half-time devotionals to the referees and the coaches, the kids and families are shown the love of Jesus in every touch and word.

The Upward families who were able to attend on Sunday were once again shown that Western Hills is on a mission to connect them with the love and power of Jesus Christ and His Church. Please be in prayer for the many kids and families involved in Upward Basketball. For many, this is their first positive experience with church and our prayer is that they will want to continue that experience beyond Upward.

Thank you again for being Jesus to our guests. Continue to be on the lookout for newcomers at Western Hills because your attentiveness to them makes all the difference!

Have a great week.

-Scott Seela

Camp Koinonia Staff

Adults:

Are you looking for a way to impact others lives for Jesus?

Does the idea of working with teenagers excite you?

Do you have a week or two open in the summer?

Then we have a deal for you!

Every summer our teenagers spend two weeks at Camp Koinonia. The first week of camp (June 24-29) is Senior Week (for students 9-Grads) and the second week (July 1-6) is Junior Week (for students 5-8 grade). Camp K helps train our students to be disciples of Christ.
This year, we would love to have some more adult sponsors. We are looking for counselors, Dining Hall, Kitchen Staff, and Medical trained adults. If you are interested in serving and training up students you can get the 2007 Camp Koinonia First Time Staff Application HERE or if you have questions please talk to Matt Peacock or Randy Pittenger.
See you this summer!

Announcement From Matt

I would like to announce to you that after lots of prayer, Megan and I have decided that this August I will be going to law school to pursue a law degree. We have considered all the choices before us and feel God is calling us not only to a new vocation but to new ministry opportunities. The unfortunate part is that we will be leaving this great church. I want you all to know that Megan and I love you and these teenagers very much. This career choice is not due to a bad situation here. This is a decision based upon the future of our family as I get the higher education I desire.
I will always be proud to be associated with Western Hills. This family has loved on Megan and me and helped train me up, and for that I will always be grateful. I have been a part of this church through different ministry positions for almost five years now, and leaving this place is by far the most difficult part of this transition. After talking with the elders, they have decided that it is both beneficial for the church and Megan and me if I stay on as the full time youth minister until the end of May. That means we are not gone yet and today is not good-bye. We will continue to train, teach, and provide opportunities for our students to learn what it means to live as the hands and feet of Jesus.
My petition is that you please pray for Megan and me as we make several tough decisions about schools and the future of our family. As excited as Megan and I are about the prospect of going to law school, it still saddens us to be leaving such a great church. Again, we love you and have no doubt that God will continue to work in this place. He always does. Thank you.
Matt Peacock

I Love My Home Group

Last night was our Home Group/Small meeting. I love my group! I'm in the Neighbors/Leavelle group. We have quite a diverse group. There are young and old. Singles and marrieds. Parents and grandparents. Well... you get the idea.

Even though we are a diverse group, we love being together. It was great to see all the connections and coversations taking place last night. We always eat well when we're together, but more importantly, we always connect and care well. Prayer needs are shared. God's blessings are shared. In general, life is shared.

I am always thankful after a group meeting. I'm thankful for reconnecting with valued relationships and I am thankful for the new and growing relationships. I'm thankful that my kids have friends in our group and I'm especially thankful that my kids have adults that love them in our group.

I could go on for a long time about my group. As I said before, "I love my Home Group!"

I hope you love your group too. And if you aren't in a group, I hope you decide to start the process of getting into one. If you would like assistance in finding a group, go to the Western Hills website (www.westernhillsonline.org) and click the link- Home Group Assistance.

Have a great week!

-Scott Seela

A Word from our Elders

I am extremely excited to make the following announcement.

During the month of September, all budgeted ministries were contacted regarding budget requests for 2007. On October 2 the Stewardship Committee began preparing the 2007 Budget by compiling those requests and individually reviewing them. Several meetings were held in the months of October and November to complete this process.

During that time it was decided that we, as a congregation, needed to exercise sound financial management by constructing a Budget that reflected our giving level.

On November 19 Scott Meyer announced that the Elders were calling each member to a time of prayer to consider their individual contribution to the corporate Budget. Then on December 17 you completed purpose cards and submitted them to the Elders. They were totaled. It was found that amount purposed totaled $517,876.

Please allow me to digress one moment. The reason we asked for the stewardship cards was to budget so we would live within our means. The use of those cards has been accomplished and they have been shredded. You will never receive a bill even if you are not able to fulfill your purpose. Your giving is not to man but to God and He is the sole one to whom you must give an account.

The Stewardship Committee was given the purposed amount and charged with the task of reconciling it to the amount requested by the budgeted committees. The total of the “Dream List” submitted by the individual ministries was $19,665 over the amount that was purposed.

The Stewardship Committee met this past Monday night to reconcile the difference. That task was accomplished with the cooperation of all. This meant that part or all of the funds for Guest Speakers this summer, Leadership Training for Christ, Children’s Ministry, Youth ministry, Van Rental, Vehicle Expense, Church Expense, Equipment Repair and maintenance, Advertising, Financial Peace University, Tuesday- Thursday School, A Mexico Expenditure, Missions Travel, Love of Christ Center, and Children’s Homes had to be reduced. Very few of the listed programs were actually cut but all the listed programs had to remove certain items from their desired program of work for 2007.

This Budget was presented and approved by the Elders this past Wednesday night. A Copy of the approved 2007 Budget is available on the Table in the Foyer as you leave if you would like a copy.

I would like to convey on behalf of the Eldership their gratitude for your prayerful consideration of your financial support of the 2007 program of work at this place. We have observed and given thanks to God for your generosity in supporting the 2006 Budget as well as the Auditorium Remodeling project. God has blessed you richly and we believe that you have shown yourselves to be faithful stewards.

It is the desire of the Eldership and the Stewardship Committee to reinstate all of the reductions that were made. The way we will know when that time comes is by the level of giving each week. The Stewardship Committee will review the status of the Budget each quarter during 2007 and make recommendations to the Eldership as to amendments to the Budget.

Here is your part in the process. Would you ask God in your daily prayers to provide additional financial resources to this congregation? If he selects to bless this body through you, will you again prove to be a faithful steward?

When the leadership sees a surplus building in the 2007 contribution, an announcement will be made calling you to a season of prayer on behalf of the Elders to know what ministries to add to the 2007 effort.

We bless God for what He has done at Western Hills and what He is going to do before our very eyes. So consecrate yourselves and be prepared for the generous hand of God to lead us to greater ministries in 2007.

Thank you

The Eldership

More Pictures From Last Sunday

Here are some more pictures from this past Sunday. I hope you enjoy them and we will see you on Sunday.

How Great Is Our God!?!

After a ten month process, this past Sunday, we entered our newly remodeled worship center. Not only did we get to move in but we also got to witness the baptism of Jake Dragoo. God is doing amazing things among us. He is great and He is faithful. What a Sunday!

The best part: God is not done with this place. God is ready to use all these things He has blessed us with to impact and spiritually lead Bell County. This week, as we let the excitement of this past Sunday fill our sails, be praying that God will use these blessings to connect the unconnected, care for our people, and institute Godly life change in our church and in Bell County.

Tell Us: What amazing things do you see God doing here at Western Hills?

Christmas @ Wayman Manor

Once again I have been moved by the generosity of the Western Hills Church. On Sunday, December 17th we delivered 150 boxes full of presents to the Wayman Manor Apartments in Temple. As we pulled up, a large group had already gathered. We were warmly welcomed by smiles and excited laughter.

After a few minutes of "organization" we began to distribute the gifts as moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas and what seemed like hundreds of kids came through the line. The joy of seeing the smiles and hearing the small voices say "thank-you" was instant validation that we were doing God's work!

Thank you to all who bought and wrapped gifts, gave money and lifted this ministry up in prayer. Thank you for being His Hands & His Feet at Wayman Manor.

God bless.

-Scott Seela

Spange

Do you know what "spange"/"spanging" is?

Do you know how WHY participated in the "LOST" series?

Check out the Western Hills Youth Blog to read about how our teenagers have helped homeless teenagers in Denver, CO and learned why God gives us extra.

http://westernhillsyouth.blogspot.com

Mark Your Calendars!

The work is almost done! The worship center is almost ready! We have set our "return to the worship center" for the first Sunday of 2007 - January 7. This day will be a special day in the life and mission of this church. We will have a celebration for all that God has done. We will begin with a breakfast in the Family Life Center at 9am. This time will include prayers of thanksgiving and words of blessing from our shepherds. At 10 we will move into the worship center and at 10:15 we will have our first worship of the new year.

Make plans to be a part of this celebration. Invite anyone and everyone you wish, to be with us and join in our season of thanksgiving.

God Bless

Scott

Tree of Light Christmas Gifts

We began our Tree of Light Christmas Gifts this last Sunday. This year we are doing gifts for the kids at Wayman Manor. (We have an ongoing ministry at the Wayman Manor Apartments in which we share Jesus' love with the kids that live there.)

To participate in the Tree of Light, all you have to do is...

1. Select a tag (or tags) from the tree in the FLC & grab a box (or boxes).
2. Sign your name on the list by the corresponding name.
3. Fill the box with simple gifts (clothing items, toys, etc.).
4. Wrap the box, apply the label provided and return it by December 13.

It's that easy!

The response has been great so far, but we still have a few tags left. Come by and pick a name or two.

Thanks for sharing Jesus' love through this project.

-Scott Seela

Some Movie Recommendations this Season...

Two movies out this season are worth taking your family to see. These two movies support faith and family and would make for a great time together this holiday season. The movies are the Nativity Story and Charlotte's Web.

The Nativity Story (rated PG) is a telling of the biblical story of the birth of Jesus with the same attention to detail as in the Passion. Many of the same locations were used to film the movie to give it an authentic sense of time, place and people.

Charlotte's Web (rated G) is a live action remake of the animated classic that anyone over the age of 21 has seen. The story focuses on the power of believing in someone and seeing them through new eyes. The new version will include the talents of Julia Roberts, Dakota Fanning, and Oprah Winfrey.

Either or both of these movies would be a great event for the family this holiday season.

God Bless,
Scott

Stewardship

We, as a church, are actively practicing the value of stewardship. This core value reminds us of several things.

They are...

1. We are not owners, it ALL belongs to God.

2. We are MANAGERS of the resources God has given us to manage.

3. We have a little bit of time and a little bit of opportunity to leverage for the sake of the KINGDOM.

4. We cannot be fully devoted followers of Jesus and remain upside down in our personal finances.

5. We need to order the arena of our money so that we GIVE first, SAVE second, and the LIVE off of the rest.

6. When we have more than we need (extra), it is for someone in need.

The value of stewardship is just as important for the whole church as it is for the individual Christian. To set our operating budget for 2007 we are currently collecting the Stewardship Cards. If you have not yet filled yours out and turned it in to one of our elders please do so. It is important that you participate in this process. Remember, the sum total of all of the cards will become the budget for 2007. We will add or reduce ministries so that the church will practice what we preach, "Live within our means." We believe God will bless us as we learn to be good stewards of all that He has given us.

In Him

Scott

Thankful for...

Of course this time of year it only seems appropriate for everyone to make their lists of what they are thankful . I thought I would create a list of what we as a church have to be thankful for this year.

1. The grace of Jesus Christ.
2. The sustaining presence of God that has seen us through some rough times.
3. Godly leadership from our elders. (They are not perfect by they love God and love this church!)
4. A generous church that is willing to give sacrificially.
5. One of the best youth ministries and children's ministries I have ever seen.
6. Ministry/mission opportunities in our community. (Wayman Manor, Upward Basketball, Love of Christ Center)
7. The Elder's vision to be a church that connects the unconnected, cares for our people, and changes lives for God.
8. The numerous volunteers who serve in a variety of ways each and every week.
9. The beautiful new worship center that will be ready in 2007.
10. So many of our senior saints who love on my kids and make them think that church is the best place on Earth.

That's my list. What would you add?

Happy Thanksgiving

Scott

Rock-n-Roll

The stone is going up and the beams are being painted. In the picture masons are working on the section that is up front, below our baptistery. The work on our worship center is moving forward quickly.

It won't be long before we experience our first worship experience in the new worship center.

Thanks for Giving!

Thank you for your response to our food drive for the Love of Christ Center.

Doug Wheeler estimates that with your food and money donations combined, we will have over 1 TON of food!

This will make a big difference as the Love of Christ Center services the people of Bell County. As Matt Peacock shared a week ago, the Love of Christ will serve approximately 28,000 people in 2006. Your generous contributions make this all possible.

Thanks again for being the Hands and Feet of Jesus.

-Scott Seela

Auditorium Update

The worship center is really moving along now. Everyday we are one more step to being completed. The room is being prepared for the painters to come in and work their magic. We will be moving in before we know it. Of course the worship center is only one of several exciting things occurring right now. Remember to bring your CASES of food for the Love of Christ Food Drive. And our annual Stewardship Sunday is coming Nov. 19. Be praying for your financial commitment in 2007.

Food Drive for the Love of Christ Center

Our annual food drive for the Love of Christ Center is set for this coming Sunday, November 12th.

The Love of Christ Center is a ministry where the basic needs of food and clothing are met every week due to your generosity. As Matt Peacock shared during our contribution time, the Love of Christ Center is on track to serve 28,000 people in the Bell County area in 2006. Your giving and donations make that possible.

The challenge for this year's drive is to make a MAJOR STACK with cases of food items. (Of course, all food items will be gratefully accepted!) A section of the Family Life Center has been taped off so we can make our stack "Case High." If you weren't here last Sunday, this means that we are trying to fill the taped off area to the height of Case H. (a teen in our student ministry).

The area is approximately 4 feet by 13 feet. Case is 5 foot 7 inches. For you math people, that means our goal is basically 290 Cubic Feet.

So bring a case (or 2 or 3 or more) to the Southwest corner of the FLC on Sunday, November 12th. For a list of the needed food items, CLICK HERE or contact the church office (254-778-4246).

I'm looking forward to seeing what God does through His people.

-Scott Seela

Sound Sytem Being Installed

The new sound system is being installed. The new system will provide quality clear sound throughout the auditorium. This will be a great tool as we present the message of Jesus with creativity and passion.

Keep Checking In,

Scott

We Love Wayman Manor!

Wow! What an awesome experience! The Western Hills Church went to the Wayman Manor apartments and lived out the love of Jesus.

For those who don't know, the Wayman Manor apartments is a place where the teens and others regularly minister (Once a week in the summer and once a month during the school year). The teens come together with the Wayman Manor kids to play games, draw, apply fingernail polish, play with play-doh, sing songs, learn about Jesus and share a snack.
Yesterday, the 20/20 Groups (and a few other groups) put on an incredible Fall Carnival for the kids and families at Wayman Manor. Faces were painted, wet sponges were thrown, candle flames were squirted out, rides were taken on an antique fire truck, hot dogs were eaten, kids bounced on air, mass amounts of candy were passed out (I could go on & on) and FUN was had by all.

Western Hills wasn't just the Hands and Feet of Jesus yesterday, they were also His Arms. I saw the loving Arms of Jesus wrapped around the kids and families of Wayman Manor through everything you did!

This church continues to go above and beyond to live out the love of Jesus. The people aren't satisfied to be "the church in the pews." Our people continually seek out ways to be the church in the community and in the lives of others.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for making the Fall Carnival a blessing. Thanks for the mass amounts of donated candy, for sponsoring fun booths and for genuine smiles and love displayed.

- Scott Seela

Rock-n-Roll

The stone, that will decorate the front of our worship center, has arrived! The front/pulpit area is almost ready for the stone to be added. Soon the masons will go to work to fix the rock to the waiting wall. Things continue to move along smoothly and quickly. Keep praying for God to place a sense of mission on our hearts to utilize this beautiful worship center as a tool to proclaim the love of Jesus.

Keep Checking In,

Scott

It Keeps Going...

The work continues! This week the walls were sheetrocked and a MASSIVE amount of electrical work was done. As you can see in the pic the walls are no longer the dark paneling and the sockets for the wall sconces are in place. Everything is really starting to come together. My prayer for us is that as the worship center gets ready we get ourselves ready to worship. It is not the decoration of the room that makes it holy, it is the presence of God in the lives of the worshippers. May we be ready to worship God in this place.

Keep Checking In,

Scott

How can you tell? Part 2

It seems to me in the theological/religious world we are more interested in being right than being like Jesus. Most of our discussions spiral downward into debate then simply into arguing. Often we (me included) are more caught up in our "position" on certain theological issues than we are consumed with the nature and character of Christ. So often have I been so wrapped up in the debate that when an example of Christ comes into my view, it hits me like a bucket of cold water, shocking back to clear vision, even if only for a brief while.

Consider the nature of Jesus that is being exemplified in the tragic Amish school shooting. Following the shooting donations from all over the country have poured into the community. They now exceed more than $1million. When asked how the money will be spent the leaders stated that a portion of the money will go to the KILLER'S family! The Amish consider the family of the killer to also be victims of this horrendous crime.

If an Amish religious leader and I were to sit down together, we would probably have numerous disagreements on how to interpret certain scripture. We would most likely disagree on numerous doctrines. But what I could not deny, is that the nature and character of Jesus is being reflected in a community when it is willing to not only forgive the family, that brought so much grief, it also blesses them. Sounds a lot like what Jesus did for me on the cross.

May the character and nature of Jesus be also alive among those of us who worship with the Western Hills family!

In HIS Grip,

Scott

How can you tell?

"They will know you are my disciples by your _________." This statement found in the Gospel of John is,at the same time, one of the simplest and difficult statements by Jesus. It seems that so often we have tried to fill in the blank with many things Jesus never intended. In my life and experience some of the things we have tried to fill in the blank with are...

• doctrine
• clothes
• church buildings
• sign
• college
• tracts
• political party

Unfortunately none of these are what Jesus said. He said the world will know we are disciples of his by our LOVE. This is the way that Jesus himself tells us we will be recognized, because it is LOVE that most clearly reflects the nature of Jesus. In the end it is more than our belief system but our behavior to others that sets us a part from the world. This is why I am so excited about our Carnival in Wayman Manor. We will go into the community and show the love of Jesus. And if we take Jesus at his word they will recognize who we belong to!

See Ya Sunday,
Scott

Wearing our Hearts on Our Sleeves

Our Fall Carnival is just a little more than 2 weeks away (Sunday, Oct. 29). This event is for our us to go into our community and be a blessing. As a church we not only believe in Jesus, but we go and BE Jesus to our community. We will go to Wayman Manor to show them the love of Jesus. To help us be clear about our message we have designed some T-shirts that say "WE LOVE WAYMAN MANOR." We will wear our hearts on our sleeves. The shirts will be available for pre-sale this Sunday at the Coffee Spot for $5 apiece. Supplies will be limited so if you would like one then bring your money and reserve your shirt asap.

Remember we still need candy and your ideas for a booth. Just contact Scott Seela to let him know how you want to be involved.

I am proud to be a part of church that is willing to go where Jesus would go!

Scott

New Message Series Coming Soon...

Starting on a Sunday, Oct. 29 we will begin a new message series that will explore all that Jesus has to say about our MONEY! It is hard to believe, but Jesus actually said more about money than he did grace, baptism, and salvation combined. You can not be a devoted follower of Jesus and ignore all that he had to say about your finances. Our spiritual lives are not seperate from our financial lives. Jesus teaches that they are intimately interwined.

I want to challenge you to think about someone who you can invite to hear this series. This will be a group of messages that will be relevant and practical for all of us.

See you on Sunday!

Scott

New Bible Seminar Rotation

I've heard many positive comments about our new Bible Seminar format. Neil Haney & Larry Matthews have done a great job kicking off the new format with their two series!

I wanted to let you know about the next two series that begin on Sunday, October 15.

In the Fellowship Room Venue, a series titled Chasing After the Heart of God: A Study of the Life of David will be brought by Jason Bullock. Scripture paints a picture of David as a man who struggled to be a faithful follower of God in a chaotic world. Although clearly a servant of God, David made some very public mistakes. This series will focus on David’s relationship with God through the peaks and valleys of his life. Of all of the heroes of faith, it is David who is referred to in Acts as a man after God’s own heart. What lessons could we learn from the life of David that might one day allow the same thing to be said of us?

In the Family Life Center Venue, a series titled A Legacy of Spiritual Discipline: Guess Who's Watching will be brought by Mike Stirman. When it comes to spiritual disciplines, what we hear and what we see often don’t match up. This series will address the importance of practicing spiritual disciplines as well as some “how-to’s”.

So don't miss out on what's coming. Join us at 9:00 am, grab a cup of coffee at the Coffee Spot and pick a series to join.

Hope to see you there!

-Scott Seela

The remodel effort continues to move forward quickly. Here you can see the work on the pulpit extension, the steps, and the work on the back wall. Things are shaping up quickly. Continue to keep the effort and your prayers.

Keep Checking In,

Scott

The work on our worship center continues. Most of the work so far has focused on the remodel and construction of the front area and pulpit area. Steps have been added, the stage extended, and the walls are being prepared to apply sheetrock and the stone.

The work is on schedule because of your generosity. Neil Haney, one of our elders who is leading this effort, reports that a total of $127,489 has been given and pledged. So many of you have invested in the mission of God in this place. God continues to do amazing things here in this place.

Keep Checking In!

Scott

Party Time

Plans are already being made for our next Jesus party! This year we are going to Wayman Manor and have a good ol' fashioned carnival (or "fall festival", depending on how you were raised) Carnivals this time of year are something numerous churches do, what makes ours different? Ours is unique because instead of hosting the event in our gym, just for us, we ask the question...If Jesus were to host a carnival in Temple, TX, where would he go to host it? When we stop and consider that question, we think Jesus might go to Wayman Manor and throw a party there. Why Wayman Manor? Because no one is throwing parties there.

So now is the time to start cranking up the creativity! ALL Western Hills folks are invited to join in the fun. Groups can get together and come up with ideas for booths and games. (Just let Scott Seela know what you are planning on doing). Families are invited to bring their children to come and enjoy the carnival. Together we will go and have a blast being the hands and feet of Jesus.

Love Ya Much

Scott

New Features and Latest Updates

5 Years

5 years ago I was standing in the living room of my newly purchased, still-moving-into house. Erica, pregnant with Cayden, was already at school teaching her classes. I was getting dressed to come into the office of my job I had been at for 11 days. The TODAY show was on TV when they cut to local news and the local channel six reporter said a plane had just hit one of the towers. When they returned to the TODAY show they were then carrying the story. With all eyes and cameras trained on the towers the second plane hit. It seems that was the moment we all changed. By the time I had arrived in the office the Pentagon was in flames and flight 93 had crashed.

In a strange twist of irony I was heading to a funeral that day. A precious girl, Amber, in my youth group from Southern Hills in Abilene had passed away and her service was that afternoon. It was a day full of tears and terror. The only thing that seemed to make sense to everyone was to pray.

We must continue to pray. We must continue to follow the way of the kingdom and seek the path of the cross.

What do you remember about that day?

Scott

For Our Little Ones

As the work continues on the auditorium I realize that many may not know that the construction/changes go beyond the worship center. Our nursery area is also experiencing a facelift!

We have been blessed with many wonderful babies & toddlers at Western Hills and we want to have a place that is just right for them. Windows are being added to the hallway, the stairwell ceiling is being raised, the nursery bathroom is getting a facelift and all of the walls will get a bright new update.

As the remodel plans took shape, the elders challenged the remodel team to include the upstairs nursery area. It's a wonderful thing that this church has leaders that continue to think about all our people... including the little ones!

-Scott Seela

Change is Happening

The scaffolding is up and the walls are coming down. The transformation of the worship center is underway and on track. Not only is the structural side of things coming along but also the financial side. Western Hills continues to be a generous church as more gifts and pledges from the "Dare To Move" Campaign are received. Your sacrifice and dedication to this effort has allowed us to come far in a short period of time. Thank you.

More pics to come, keep checking in!

Scott

A Look Back

Thought you might like to see the auditorium in its original state. This picture was sent to me by Mike LeFan and shows our worship center circa 1964. While this remodel effort is needed to continue our mission of proclaiming the message of Jesus; this picture reminds me that God has been at work in this church for a long time. It took men and women of vision to see the need for a larger facility and begin to dream of relocating from Ave. G to our present location. It took men and women willing to make great financial sacrifice to build our current structure. We are in some of the most exciting times this church has ever seen, but I do not want us to forget that we stand as heirs to the blessings of faith of countless saints who have gone before us.

Thanks to God for a legacy of faith and vision here at Western Hills,

See You on Sunday,

Scott

Some Personal Thoughts

10 months ago I transitioned from the role of the youth minister to the role of preaching minister for this church. I am not sure how everyone else has experienced this transition but I'd thought I would share some of my reflections.

1st - The most amazing experience has been it seems that I am have many of the same conversations as when I was youth minister...Except now the person talking to me is older. It appears no matter how old we are we are still concerned with "Do people like me?", "Can God forgive my mistakes?", "How can I grow my faith?", "What does the future hold for me?", "Why is life so hard?".

2nd - I no longer have the luxury of being older/more mature than everyone I am speaking to. One guarantee about youth ministry was that I was sure to be older than anyone in the youth group. If nothing else I at least had age and experience on them. Now I find myself week after week speaking to an audience where roughly half has far more experience, expertise, insight and wisdom than I possess. Many of these seasoned saints can provide more Godly answers than I attempt to serve up each Sunday. I am humbled simply by the lives of the faithful that sit before me each week.

So that brings me to number #3

3rd - I covet your prayers and encouragement now more than ever. So many of the congregation have consistently blessed me with encouraging words each week. Many of you tell me you are praying for me. THANK-YOU! I need your prayers now more than ever. I am so grateful for the prayer effort that is behind me each and every week. Your behind the scenes ministry is effective and powerful.

May God continue to bless Western Hills as we journey together.

I am blessed to be a part of this great group of believers.

Thank-you

Scott

Thank-You Unsung Heroes

Each Sunday I am humbled by the numerous volunteers who show up early to make sure the lights are on, AC is blowing, doors are unlocked, coffee is hot, powerpoint is right, sound system is working, communion is prepared, Bible classes are staffed, etc..etc...Each of these elements are critical to our Sunday morning mission of connecting to the unconnected and caring for our people. To an outside spectator these actions may appear small and basically inconsequential. But each of these actions when offered to God becomes the building blocks to life change. Thank you to everyone who serves so willingly. You are making an eternal difference.

If there is an "unsung hero" from our church who is an example of Christ-like service to you, then I encourage you to post a "Thank-You" to them in the comment section.

God Bless

Scott

Going...Going...Gone!

It's official. There are no pews in our worship center. The work is underway. Many volunteers have jumped in to break down, pick-up, and carry out our old seating. The room is now ready for its makeover. One interesting thing to note is that many who have seen the room with pews removed have said it feels smaller. I am excited to think that our new pews with the improved seating plan will actually bring a greater since of intimacy. God will use our new auditorium to help the unconnected find a place to belong.

Keep Checking In

Scott

Welcome!

One of the many cool things that occurred this past Sunday was the grand opening of our new COFFEE SPOT. Patty Thomas and her "First Impressions" team is working hard to see that every person who walks on to our campus is greeted and made to feel welcome. Many people will make a judgment call about us, our church, and God in the first few moments they are in our building.

The question is this, are we willing to do whatever it takes to reach someone for Jesus? If we are serious about connecting the unconnected, then making a positive, welcoming, first impression is key. Each week God is sending new people through our doors. Many are coming to us with little or no church background. Many are coming to us after having been away from God for a long time. Each Sunday God is bringing us people who He wants to reclaim. So we are starting with a cup of hot coffee and a welcoming smile, believing all the time that these simple gestures could be the first steps in someone's relationship with Jesus.

Our First Sunday in the Gym

I don't know about you, but I could feel the energy and excitement in the air yesterday. It was our first Sunday worship in the Gym/FLC and it was great! Scott Meyer kicked off a new series on the Exodus titled "Road Trip: When God Moves His People" and called us to hear and respond to the cry of the oppressed.

As the previous blog's pictures illustrate, the auditorium remodel has begun with the removal of the old pews. Therefore we have begun our soujourn in the gym for worship! Thank you to the many people who made the move possible. Countless hours of work by several people went into converting the gym into a very usable worship venue. Western Hills is blessed to have so many who quietly serve behind the scenes.

August 20th was also the first Sunday of our new Bible Seminar format. I've heard many good comments about the 2 Seminars taking place. Neil Haney's seminar is covering the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Larry Matthew's seminar is titled "Faith Risks" and is examining how people in the Bible have taken risks of faith to serve God.

I believe yesterday was just the first of many times of excitement, blessing and challenge for the Western Hills Church. Thank you again to all those who made it possible. And thanks and praise to God for all He has done, is doing and will do!

See you next Sunday!

- Scott Seela

The work is under way. Here are the first pictures of the effort. God is doing amazing things. I am excited about our first worship together in the Family Life Center (gym) this coming Sunday. There has been a ton of activity around the building to get ready for it. Numerous people are working behind the scenes to make sure everything is ready to go. What a great time to be a part of Western Hills!

Keep checking in...

Scott

It's Begun!

The worship center remodel has begun! Yesterday morning we hosted our last worship service in the current auditorium and by yesterday afternoon an entire section of pews had been removed. (Thanks to the efforts of Jake and Jim). So at this point there is no turning back. We are headed to the Family Life Center (gym). It will be exciting to see the new worship center take shape over the next 3-4 months. Each week during the remodel I will post pictures of the progress here on the blog.

Lot's of other things are going to happen this Sunday. We launch the Bible Seminar. You will have two choices. Check out the website for all of the details. We will also open the COFFEE SPOT. This is one of our many efforts to welcome people as they come into our building. We want to be a place that CONNECTS people to JESUS.

Youth Ministry Sunday Night-Be There!

Sunday night Matt Peacock will be sharing all of the things God has been doing in the lives of our students this summer. This group has traveled from Mississippi to Colorado in the name of Jesus and have some exciting stories to tell.

You need to be there. I know it is not always easy to be present on Sunday night, but this Sunday night you need to make the effort. It is easy to say, "I don't have any kids in the youth group why should I be there?" Here is the reason...Do we believe in our students or not? Do we want to see them grow to mature disciples in Jesus or not? Are we willing to do what it takes to reach the next generation?

Western Hills is a church with a passion for young people. That is one of the reasons I love this church so much. Many churches have dismissed the "kids" to the backroom or the basement thinking they will just keep them happy, then when they are old enough we will call them to follow Jesus. WRONG! By then it will be too late. Most people make a lifelong commitment to Jesus before the age of 18. If we do not consider our children and teenagers as a priority-one-mission field then we might as well coast into obscurity.

So why do you need to be there? Because our teens need to know that a life of faith is worth it. They need to see people who are living it right now. They desperately want to know it is real. So join us Sunday night, your presence might just be making an eternal difference.

Random Thoughts

This post is some of the random thoughts that are going through my brain...

#1 - Thanks for the encouragement from Sunday - Many of you have come to me to share how much you enjoyed part 1 of AWESOME WONDER. This series has been loads of fun to prepare for and to deliver. Thanks for your encouragement. I am glad you share my complete amazement at how BIG our God is. I can't wait for this coming Sunday. I saved the coolest pictures for this week.

#2 - Only 1 more week in the auditorium - I can't believe this coming Sunday is our LAST Sunday to worship in the auditorium as it currently exists. Starting on August 20 we will be worshipping together in the gym. I am excited because it will cause all of us to break out of our habits. God is going to bless us so much during this time.

#3 - Coffee Spot Opens - Also on August 20 the Coffee Spot will open up. I know you are wondering what is so exciting about coffee? (Especially since I don't even drink coffee.) I am not excited about the Coffee Spot because of the coffee, I am excited because of what it means for this church. Our elders have laid out a vision of CONNECTING the UNCONNECTED. The Coffee Spot is just one of the strategies we will employ to accomplish the mission. How welcoming will it be for a first time guest to walk in our door, be greeted, and receive a hot cup of coffee served from a very warm and welcoming environment? We are simply taking advantage of every opportunity to connect someone to Western Hills and connect them to Jesus. It all starts with a smile.

#4 - Operation Backpack - Once again this church shows its love for this community through the collection of school supplies for Wayman Manor. ALL of the backpacks have been claimed! Thanks for loving on some kids like Jesus would. This is one more reminder that we are a church that sees the mission field in our own backyard. Be sure to return your backpacks this Wednesday night.

That's all for now.

Scott

Pardon our Progress

The remodel of our worship center is about to begin. The construction schedule is coming together and coming quickly. Because it will be happening fast we will begin worshipping in the Family Life Center on August 20. That means only 2 more Sundays (Aug. 6 & 13) will we worship in the auditorium as it currently is. This is an incredibly exciting time for WH. Keep on praying as God keeps blessing us and calling us forward into His future.

See Ya Sunday,

Scott

Don't Miss This Sunday

You will not want to miss this Sunday. I'm not kidding! I will be starting a 2 sermon series called AWESOME WONDER. We will be discovering how BIG our God is (and how small we are). We serve a God who created the universe and everything in it, simply by saying the word. All around us are miracles that shout out His glory. The Psalmist says...

the heavens declare the glory of God.

the skies proclaim the work of His hands

For the next 2 Sundays we will explore the heavens and see what they teach us about the God who spoke them into existence. I have been hanging out on the Hubble Telescope site and the NASA site lately. I have gathered a ton of cool stuff I want to share with you. The next 2 sermons will be image rich and visually stunning. The messages will be great opportunities to invite a friend or co-worker to church. This will be the kind of presentation they can understand, even with little or no church background. So bring them and let them hear how BIG our God is.

See you Sunday

Scott