Update from Jorge Quijano

"The good news over here is taking place in Blanca Flor, even though it has been raining almost 3 of 7 days every week. The foundation of the new [church] building is almost done. Brother Pedro and the men are taking this project very seriously. The brothers from Chetumal are considering the possibility of helping with labor, along with 2 or 3 from Sac Xan. I have been blessed beyond my own understanding being with these people.

"The churches [in the region] have been keeping up the good work and remaining faithful to the Lord. It has been difficult due to Hurricane Wilma, as the amount of damage has been enormous, but thankfully few lives have been lost. At church in Bacalar, I tried to have the church to consider other losses beside the material ones. We are so focused on material things, even myself, that we are able to number them so quickly and easily. But the church is totally ignorant about spiritual wealth. When the church cannot value it's relationship with God, any inconvenience makes it easy to leave and not come back. We are trying to make a list of our spiritual wealth, qualities found only in the church.

"This coming month (November) is the Ladies Meeting and then a big fellowship at the end of the year. This would have been a good time to have had the Medical Mission Campaign due to Wilma causing a lot of people to get sick. We pray for Western Hills; may God bless you and all there".

Jorge Quijano

What a Party!!

It happened again! God took the simple event of a "Jesus Party" at Meadow Village and turned it into something incredible.

Those of you who were out at Meadow Village experienced the excitement and energy first hand. Kids and families were everywhere having a great time at the creative activities that were sponsored in love.

Lots of love, candy, prizes, candy, hugs, candy, hotdogs, candy, cookies, candy, balloon animals, candy, donuts (and did I mention candy?) were distributed to the Meadow Village community.

Thank you to all who helped make this happen. Thanks for the mass amounts of candy donated and for the excitement you brought to each and every activity.

The Light of Jesus truly shined at Meadow Village! Praise God for His working through His people.

God Bless.

-Scott Seela

Get Ready to Party!

WOW! The response to the Carnival @ Meadow Village is amazing. This church is going crazy to put on the best Jesus party ever. Here is just a small sampling of the creative booths and events we will be hosting...

Fire Truck
Pig Races (don't ask I don't know either)
Fire Safety House
Hanging Donuts
Photo Booth
Barrel Train Ride
Face Painting
and much, much, much, more!

Remember...All of the booths need to be set up and running by 3pm on Sunday. We will have the limited edition Western Hills T-Shirts available Sunday morning in the foyer for $5. Buy one to wear during carnival. The weather forecast is for a great day.

See you on Sunday!

Scott M.

Fellowship Cafe Filling Up Fast

Already more than 70 of you have purchased your tickets for Fellowship Cafe. I consider this a tremendous response for the first trial run. If you have not bought your tickets yet, you can still buy them until Wednesday night. Just find Patty T. or Dianne H. and they will be happy to get you set.

See you on Sunday!
Scott M.

Fellowship Cafe

Tired of having to decide where
to eat after church on Sunday?

Do long waits and poor
service at a restaurant bug you?

Do you wish you didn't have to end
your conversation in the foyer just
to "beat the crowds" to eat?

If the answer to any of these questions is YES -
then have we got a deal for you!

Following morning worship, we will all have an opportunity to experience Sunday lunch the way it was meant to be. We are calling it FELLOWSHIP CAFE. Make plans for this special fellowship time by purchasing a ticket in advance from any of the office staff or at the Welcome Center in the Foyer. The cost is $8 for adults and $4 for kids. The menu is: roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, crescent rolls & dessert. The deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, October 26th.

A Jesus Party!

If Jesus were to throw a party in Temple, whom would he throw it for? Jesus' list would probably include a lot of people… but we're thinking that right at the top of Jesus' list would be the people in our city who are often overlooked or forgotten people who don't usually get parties thrown for them. We believe that those who don't have parties thrown for them would be the very people that Jesus would make the honored guests at his party.

Join us for a “Jesus Party” as we enjoy a Fall Carnival with the kids and families of Meadow Village Apartments here in Temple on Sunday, October 30th.

The carnival will take place at Meadow Village from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Several of our 20/20 Groups are sponsoring booths/activities.

Here's just a few of the booths/activities planned at this time:

• Candy Fishing
• Pig Races (I have no idea!)
• Face Painting
• Antique Fire Truck
• Cup Knock Down
• Hot Dogs
• Bean Bag Toss
• And much, much more!
  

It's going to be a great party. Don't miss this opportunity to be Jesus to someone.

If you have any questions, would like to sponsor a booth/activity or need help in developing your booth, please contact Scott Seela.

Funeral Service for Andy Anderson

Andy's service will take place at Western Hills Church of Christ on Wednesday, October 12 at 2:00 p.m.. A military burial ceremony will follow at Hillcrest Cemetary.

Family visitation will take place Tuesday evening, October 11, from 6:00 to 8:00 at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home, 3110 Airport Road in Temple.

Our thoughts and prayers are with this precious family.

Update on the Scott Family

Jeff, Jennifer and the kids are now situated in north Texas. Jeff has traveled to spend time at the retreat location in New Mexico. You can follow their updates by reading the blog Jeff has begun. The address is www.jffsct.blogspot.com. Keep them in your prayers as God continues to bless them and the new chapter in their life

In Him
Scott M.

Upward Basketball

What's Upward Basketball? This is an evangelistic sports ministry designed to promote community outreach, develop volunteer leadership, and share the love of Christ with children and their families, using something as simple as a basketball! Specifically designed for kindergarten through sixth grade boys and girls, Upward promotes Bible teaching, character, and self-esteem in every child.

Our 1st Game of the season will be Saturday, January 14, 2006.

Just a few ways you can be involved in this wonderful ministry:

• Be a Prayer Partner
• Be a Coach
• Be an Assistant Coach
• Be a Referee
• Help with the Concession Stand
• Help with Set-Up on Game Days
• Serve as needed on Game Days
• Tell Others about Upward

If you are interested in getting involved in Upward, please pick up one of the interest forms, fill it out and return it to the church office or Scott Seela. (Applications for Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Referees are also available.)

Upward Basketball- another great way to reach our community for Jesus!

Mission Sunday this Sunday

Western Hills has been called a hands and feet ministry congregation, and this is no better illustrated than in our MISSIONS. In order to raise awareness of our variety of missions involvement, we are conducting a Mission Fair Sunday, September 25. After our morning worship service, with our missionary Dave Meadows, we will have a potluck luncheon with displays provided to illustrate all of the ways Western Hills is involved in the mission of God.

Here's a brief summary of what will be on display:

Dave and Sarah Meadows have been doing outstanding work in greater Sao Paulo, Brazil for well over 30 years. They have been instrumental in establishing a thriving congregation in Guarulhos, as well as neighboring communities, and have developed an "after-school school" for the poorer children of their area.

Denville and Nicolette Willie have begun and developed numerous "house-churches" throughout Cape Town, South Africa. The response has been overwhelming. The church is growing faster here than in any other part of the world.

Jorge and Josephina Quijano, who live in Belize, Central America, but center their efforts in the Yucatan region of Mexico, conduct Men's and Women's Seminars, VBS, preach and teach in several villages, and are the local coordinators for the Medical Mission Program.

Speaking of the Medical Mission, Western Hills has been sending teams of 20+ people to the Yucatan Peninsula for over 15 years to treat and minister to upwards of 2000 mostly Mayan Indian poor during the 5 day clinics. Not only does this effort directly touch lives in the villages we visit, demonstrating Christ's compassion to others, but it energizes the local churches as well.

World Bible School, headed up by our own Jack Williams, brings Bible knowledge and instruction to countless individuals (mostly in Africa), who otherwise wouldn't have access to such information.

Our Youth Group is very mission oriented, not only with trips to Monte Crystal, Mexico to assist building a church clinic, along with a nightly VBS, but also to mission fields in the US, such as the Four Corners area, large metropolitan inner cities like Atlanta, and right here in Temple. Scott Meyer and Matt Peacock lead this incredible mission.

Upward Basketball, coordinated by Scott Seela and our Children's Crew, brings the mission field right to us in our own FLC, and is generating a lot of excitement and enthusiasm among the younger folks (as well as their parents).

A Whole Lotta Fun!

Last Sunday evening, we kicked off a new format for our 4 year olds through 5th Grade. This new format is called CREW TIME.

It was a blast!

We began with praise time. We are learning some great new songs during this time. They are really fun and have a great message for kids and adults alike.

We are in a series called "Stories Jesus Told." Everyone helped tell our parable for the evening, The Sower. All the kids were "Seeds" while our teen leaders were the different "Soils." Of course, I got to play the role of "The Farmer."

After our story, everyone made a book about the parable. The covers of the books were awesome! (See the picture above.)

This coming Sunday, September 18th we will start Crew Time again at 6:00 pm in the gym.

Kids, be sure to get your parents to bring you so you can take part in the story of The Lost Sheep.

See you there!

- Scott S.

Katrina Relief Fund

On Sunday, this church held a special collection specifically for aid and relief to the victims of hurricane Katrina. I am excited to announce that $5,592.80 has been collected so far. Praise God. This is simply one more sign (among many) God is active in this place and working through this church.

The money collected will be used to create a resource fund, right here at Western Hills. We are dedicated to meeting the vast needs of this disaster both immediate and future. So this fund will place us in the "at-the-ready" position to meet the needs God brings to our attention. This may include:

• purchasing immediate food/water/diapers etc
• covering cost of medications
• providing transportation for evacuees
• sponsoring a family who was displaced by Katrina

We are not sure exactly which opportunities of ministry God will bring to us. We do know He will bring some opportunity and this fund is just the beginning of His providing the means to answer the call.

May God continue to bless Western Hills with ministry.

Scott M.

Crew Time on Sunday Night

When was the last time your kids dragged YOU to church? We are wholeheartedly committed to making sure church is NEVER boring. Therefore, this coming Sunday evening, September 11th, we will kick off a new format for our 4 year olds through 5th Grade that will hopefully elicit such a response from our kids.

The new format is called Crew Time and it will take place in the FLC Gym on the 2nd & 3rd Sundays of each month during The Well.

Some of the basics of Crew Time:

The Worship
Our focus will be to not just sing “kid songs”, but to help lead our kids into worship that connects them with God. Creative use of hand motions & movements will be employed when appropriate/useful.

The Messages
The messages will be active. Use of the kids, drama, storytelling, etc. will be hallmarks of the message time. Getting the kids to actively engage with the message is our goal.

The Games/Activities/Projects
We will be using several different methods to reinforce the messages. The method (game, activity, project, craft, etc.) will vary depending on the message.

Crew Time promises to be a blast... so don't miss out- Bring your kids to the FLC Gym @ 6:00 pm before you head off to The Well.

-Scott S.

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina is well on her way to being the most costly (in terms of life and economy) natural disaster in our country's history. As a church we will want to respond to the immense need that thousands along the gulf coast now find themselves in. The recovery effort will be a long sustained process, so we too will need to be praying and assisting over the weeks and months to come.

There are 2 ways we can respond immediately. 1) PRAYER - this is always our first and most powerful response to events that are beyond our control but not beyond God's control. Like we prayed for our 40 Days, let's pray for the people in the Gulf without ceasing. 2) HEB Drive - I have confirmed with HEB that tomorrow (Friday Sept. 2) from 8am-6pm at the store on 31st there will be a truck collecting emergency items. These items include...

• bottled water
• peanut butter
• canned tuna
• granola / cereal bars
• diapers

You can purchase the items at the truck, in HEB or bring some from home. The truck will leave Friday night to go to Waco then onto the coast. Let's make this our first of many efforts to be the Hands & Feet of Jesus to our neighbors to the east.

On a personal note...One of our Western Hills own, Kyle C. has headed to the coast as part of the National Guard to assist in the rescue and recovery. Keep Kyle in your prayers as he ministers.

God Bless,

Scott M.

You are invited to click the comment link and post your prayers for the victims of Katrina.

AMAZING SUNDAY!

If you were present during our Sunday morning worship service then I do not need to tell you that we witnessed God do some AMAZING things as we concluded our 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting. For those who could not be with us allow me this chance to recap some of what occurred.

First, a big thanks to Byron and the praise team. The worship on Sunday was powerful and encouraging. Thanks for using your gifts to lead us to God.

Second, an announcement was read by Larry Matthews sharing the GOOD NEWS of Jeff and Jennifer's future plans. They will move to the Dallas area and join the staff at The Colony Church of Christ. This church offers a program specifically designed to help ministers and their families overcome and heal. Follow the link if you wish to support this effort financially.

Third, Philip, who has spent the last 4 years in prison is now released and joined us for worship for the first time.

Finally, if all of that is not amazing enough...Courtney, one of our WHY members, gave her life to Jesus in baptism.

The service ended with all gathering at the front and singing "Holy Ground" together. Only God could have arranged all of the participants.

Remember Joshua 3:5 says

Conscecrate yourselves for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things
among you.

Looks like He meant it!

Love Ya Much
Scott M.

Request Night

Isn't music a powerful tool in our spiritual formation? There are certain songs we sing that bring up all kinds of emotions and memories in me. Of course "Holy Ground" is one of those songs. Every time we sing it the memories of all of the baptisms at Western Hills comes rushing back to my mind.

This Sunday night during our service known as "The Well" we will be worshipping in an "ole fashioned way." We will be singing the songs that you want to sing straight out of our song book. Is there a song that is meaningful in your spiritual journey? Do you have an old favorite that we have not sung in a long while? Is there a song that you have wanted us to learn? In either case bring your request with you to The Well this Sunday night and our worship leaders will lead as many songs as there is time. See you there.

Because of the Cross
Scott Meyer

Back to School Prayer Blessing

Last night, during The Well, we had the wonderful experience of praying for our students, teachers and all those involved in education as they prepare to return to school. From our preschoolers to our college students, each group was lifted up to God. Many of the prayers offered were for protection and strength. Other prayers asked God to empower each student to live as Christ would.

As we prayed for our teachers and administrators, I was moved by how many of our number are working in the field of education. What a wonderful ministry they have! Not only do we have great students living as Spiritual Champions, but we have great leaders in education as living models of what it is to be the hands and feet of Jesus!

Continue to lift up our students, teachers and administrators in prayer throughout the school year. Encourage each one to be a Spiritual Champion that illuminates every place they go.

-In Him,
Scott Seela

Summer Fun USA

Tonight several of the churches in Bell County came together for a great time at Summer Fun USA Waterpark. This is the second year this event has been held. The turnout tonight was terrific and everyone had a great time. Each year this event is hosted by the Bell County Youth Ministries. Hosting churches this year included Ave T, Belton, Canyon Creek, Northside, Salado, and Us! If you did not make it this year you missed out. Hope to see you next year.

Mountain Top Experience

Our Trekkers are back on level ground. The Western Hills Youth Group is home from Wilderness Trek. After enduring 80 degree days and cool nights our group of 11 has come home from a week in God's beautiful creation. The week was spent getting to know ourselves, each other, and God. The trip was both physically challenging and spiritually challenging. On Tuesday of the experience each Trekker was allowed to take their water bottle, Bible and journal and instructed to go "spend 3 hours with God." This was time for prayer, journaling, worship, and simply spending some time with our Father. Below is a poem written during the "Solo Time" by Crystal Hughes. May it be a blessing to you...

God's Creation

Sparkling streams
Ripple beneath a clean crisp breeze.

Mountains majestic
Kiss radiant blue skies.

Cotton-like clouds
Send dancing shadows across rolling green hills.

Fragrant flowers
Adorn soft warm meadows.

Towering trees
Embrace tender creatures of all sorts.

Sumptuous sun rays
Soak into carefully rounded stones.

God's creation,
Heaven's imagination.

We marvel with ease
At His perfect masterpiece.

But we often forget,
Push aside and neglect,

That above all the magnificence He's made out of love,
WE are His treasure, His children, His most prized, his beloved.


Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew 10:28-31

By Crystal Hughes
July 27, 2005

A Word from our Shepherds

On behalf of the elders I would like to provide some information on the status of the replacement process for our pulpit minister.

Very early in the elder’s discussion of the next steps and the process of recruiting and hiring a new preacher it was decided that we would take our time and as much time as necessary to get the right person for the job. We want to be very methodical, intentional and prayerful as we move forward. The decision was made to give ourselves a minimum of six months before we begin the process of actively seeking and recruiting for the position.

We are now three months into that time period. Over the last several weeks the elders have had and continue to have regular formal and informal discussions concerning the vision and direction of this church, the process of recruitment and selection that may be best for Western Hills and the many traits and qualities that the next preacher should possess in order to help insure a good fit and a successful tenure.

During these last few months we, both individually and as a group, have earnestly asked God’s guidance in and through this process. As you are well aware, we have also asked for you to take an active part in this process by participating in the current period of 40 days of prayer and fasting. We firmly believe that God will hear our prayers and that we need to be sensitive to His leading as we move through this process and look to the future.

We are interested in your comments, concerns and questions. Please know that you are welcome to speak with the elders as a group or individually at anytime. We are looking at and considering a way or ways that communication between the leadership and the congregation can be accomplished in the most positive and constructive way possible. We will make every effort to keep you up-to-date as to where we are in the process.

Over the past few weeks and into the future we will be having guest speakers fill the pulpit on Sunday mornings. Some members have asked if any of these men are candidates for the full-time position. They are not. It is understood up front, when the invitation is extended, that they are not looking for a job and that if they preach in the capacity of a guest speaker they will not be considered for the full-time position. We will try to have as much continuity with our guest speakers as possible.

The elders recently asked the ministry staff to take charge of the Sunday evening period of worship and congregational fellowship that we refer to as “The Well.” The staff has taken this assignment very seriously and will be developing meaningful programs and activities for our times together. These periods of worship may be non-traditional in format but will be designed to build our relationships with one another and with the Lord, to help us explore our missional outreach to the world and to deepen our overall spiritual commitment. There will be singing, prayers offered, scriptures contemplated and there will be an opportunity to share the Lord’s Supper with those who were not present during the Sunday morning memorial feast. If you do not already regularly take advantage of “The Well” the elders encourage you to do so. Please take advantage of this great opportunity to worship God and to learn how to become a better disciple.

Finally, Western Hills is blessed to have three wonderful, dedicated ministers on staff. The elders want you to know how very important they have been to keeping things moving during this difficult transition period. We are very grateful to them for going above and beyond what is expected. I don’t have time to list all that they have done but just know that they have done amazing things with wonderful, positive attitudes sometimes on very short notice. Please take time to say thanks to Scott Meyer, Scott Seela and Matt Peacock and please be diligent in praying for them and their families as they serve us and the Lord with great dedication and enthusiasm.

May God bless us all as we strive to serve Him.

James Penland