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

If you were not with us in worship today you missed out. God continues to do AMAZING things among the Western Hills church! Today was our "DARE TO MOVE" Sunday. We collected the gifts and pledges for our auditorium remodel effort. After all of the cards were counted, Neil Haney announced, more than $100,000 dollars had been pledged! The second amazing announcement is that a member (who wishes to remain anonymous) will finance the remainder of the project at 0% interest. This kind of response to the project will allow us to bring the needed updates to the auditorium without incurring great debt or reduce any funding to current ministries. God has once again delivered on His promise to do amazing things! As I said in the sermon I have never been more excited to be at Western Hills than I am right now.

Scott

Back from Trek!

Last week I joined Matt Peacock and the youth group on a trip called Wilderness Trek. This is one awesome experience! Wilderness Trek is a 5 day backpacking adventure in the mountains of Colorado. Using the challenges of rappelling, hiking, and climbing to teach spiritual lessons about following Jesus. As I hiked along it occurred to me how many lessons of Trek fit our church right now. Here are a few...

Lesson #1 - Travel Light
When you have to carry everything on your back for 5 days you start to really evaluate how much you need each item. In church the temptation (at least for us minister types) is to always want to load down the church with program after program. Programs are not bad, but they can be deceptive. Staying busy with program after program does not automatically equal the mission of God. We need to carefully and prayerfully evaluate everything we do to ensure that it is keeping us on target with our mission.

Lesson #2 - Not everybody goes at the same pace
I am not going to lie...It is frustrating on the trail to be patient with those struggling to keep up. God uses such opportunities to teach me patience. He also teaches me that as Western Hills moves forward we must be patient and all move together. However, as we are patient there is a difference between encouraging those who struggle and stopping the forward movement. We must be sensitive to all who are a part of this great church but we can not stop just because the journey is too tough. Which brings us to lesson #3...

Lesson #3 - The best journeys are not easy journeys
Through the adventure of Trek we climbed and stood on top of Mt. Shavano (one of Colorado's 14,000ft.+ peaks.) The climb was NOT easy. Let me say again...The climb was NOT easy. Every part of my body hurt. BUT it was worth it. To stand on the top and look for miles in every direction made every step pay off. As this church goes where Jesus would go it will not be easy. At times it will simply be uncomfortable, other times it will be great sacrifice, either way the destination is worth it.

More reflections later...
It is good to be back home.

See you on Sunday,
Scott

Interview with Shelby Garmon

God continues to bless Western Hills with new people and families. We believe that each person who comes to Western Hills is a gift from God. Each person brings both talents we need as well as opportunities to minister. Shelby and Emily Garmon are among the many new faces here at Western Hills. We thought it would be fun to sit down with them and learn more about how God is shaping their lives. We also get to see Western Hills through fresh eyes as we work to become a church that is CONNECTING the unconnected, CARING for our people, and CHANGING LIVES for God.


WHBlog: Tell us just a little bit about your family and why God brought you to Temple?

Shelby: Emily and I grew up in Corpus Christi and met at Church of Christ South. We attended Lipscomb University in Nashville for two years before moving back to Corpus Christi to lead the college ministry at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi. We were married in 1995. Emily worked as a paralegal while I completed college. After graduation, I worked for 7 years as a commercial lender for Frost Bank while Emily finished her degree in chemistry. Emily was then accepted to medical school at UTMB-Galveston and we moved to the Houston / Galveston area in 2002. Our first daughter, Kendra was born in May of 2002. Our second daughter, Camryn, was born in August of 2005.

A number of things led us to Temple. Being that we had 2 small children, we wanted to find a good place to raise our kids. Scott & White seemed to have the best program for Emily's residency as far as quality of training and a family friendly program and atmosphere. Most importantly, we wanted to be in a place where there was an active church and group of Christians who were ready to reach out to each other and the community. God answered our prayer in bringing us here.

How did you first hear about WH?

Shelby: We heard about Western Hills through Chris and Jennifer Burnett. They were very enthusiastic about Western Hills and assured us that it was the kind of church home that we desired.

What were your first impressions of Western Hills?

Shelby: The first Sunday we walked in the door at Western Hills, we knew this would be our Church home. Donna Leavelle was the first person we met and made us feel right at home. She introduced us to lots of people, took us on a tour of the children's area, and just showed us the ropes. It's obvious the people at Western Hills know how important even the first few minutes are for people who are visiting and searching for a church family. We felt the warm, friendly, and loving atmosphere God has blessed this family with and knew we wanted to be a part of it.

What factors influenced your decision to become part of the Western Hills family?

Shelby: We were drawn to WH for a number of reasons. The people were obviously a major factor - there is a genuine atmosphere of love and acceptance and seems to be a strong commitment to drawing new families into WH. We also liked the fact that there is a good 'mix' of age groups at WH. We were happy to find that WH was deeply committed to a strong children's ministry. Last of all we were excited to see that WH was involved in building closer relationships through its small group efforts.

How can WH help your family to grow closer to God and look more like Jesus?

Shelby: The way we feel that we will grow as a Christian family most is just through being involved. It's amazing how much one can grow when they are reaching out and ministering to others. We know our children will also grow from the efforts at WH to make children a high priority. One of the areas Emily and I have grown the most over our years of involvement at churches is through a strong commitment to be involved and grow through small groups ministry.

What ways do you hope to minister/serve/get involved here at WH?

Shelby: In the past we have helped out in areas ranging from children's classes to sponsoring youth activities to leading a college ministry effort. As I mentioned above, one area where Emily and I have really enjoyed serving in the past is in small group ministry. It's amazing how people tend to flourish and grow and get to know each other on a deeper level through this ministry tool. We are excited about getting to know more people and find the various areas where we feel that God can use us best at WH.

Remember to pray! Our elders have called us once again to a collective season of prayer. The elders are challenging us to be in prayer everyday from now until July 30. On that day we will gathering the gifts/pledges for our DARE TO MOVE campaign. This is our effort to COMPLETELY pay for the remodel of the auditorium. Why are we eager to pay for it with out having to borrow? Because having all the funds in hand allows us to keep all current ministries going and even expand some. I believe this glorifies God!

So as you pray here are some things to remember in your prayers...

• our elders and their leadership
• the numerous new people God has brought to us
• for God to bring numerous more people to us
• for us to be ready to minister to all God brings our way
• for God to use the new auditorium for His glory
• for your part in the Dare to Move campaign

What an exciting time to be a part of Western Hills! So what are you praying for? Post a comment and let us know what you are asking God's blessing on right now.

Praying for you,

Scott

God is GOOD!

What a great morning to be a part of what God is doing with and through the Western Hills Church. Neil Haney (one of our elders) announced the effort to remodel our auditorium to bring it up to date. The new design looks AMAZING! Thanks to Patty for giving us all a peek into the future through her artist rendering seen above.

Many times churches choose to build something when they are stuck and there is no excitement. The belief is that "if we build we can get some folks motivated and get some energy back in the church again." It is an effort to kick start a church when church has become stale or stagnant. I can guarantee you that is NOT the case here. God is blessing WH in some amazing ways. Our elders are leading us into this effort because we need it to keep up with all the blessings God is sending our way. Every week we have new folks walking through the doors for the first time. These people are looking for a place to connect with God. We are going to see that we give that one chance the best possibility.

Be in prayer for the next 20 days asking God to direct our steps as we follow His lead.

Love Ya Much
Scott

Western Hills is on the Move!

So are you still planning to be there this Sunday, July 9? We will be tackling Myth #3: Church Should be Easy. Also there will be a special elders announcement about some exciting plans for the Western Hills Church. I am telling you not to miss. The whole day will be about the amazing things that God is doing to move this church forward. God apparently has some BIG dreams for us. One year ago we entered into 40 days of prayer and fasting. We trusted the verse in Joshua 3:5 that says...

consecrate yourselves because tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.

And amazing things He has done and is doing. Over the last year we paid off the debt on the gym, added Scott Seela and Matt Peacock to staff, sent a group to Mississippi for Katrina relief, started a new ministry in Wayman Manor, hosted a PACKED Upward league, hosted our inaugural Financial Peace University class, AND have been welcoming lots and lots of new people to Western Hills. Now the elders will share with us the next step that God is calling us to take as we move ahead.

See You Sunday
Scott

Success in spite of rain!

Last night's 4th of July celebration was a BLAST! Thanks to Elwood and Ann for opening your home to us. Even the the rain right before dark was not enough to slow us down. One of the coolest things of the evening was watching every young boy play in the rain. The food was great and plentiful, the spirit warm and loving, the fireworks were great and the turnout was tremendous.

In fact as we crammed into the Smith's large living room the thought struck me, "We are NOT a small church." I know it is tempting in church to want to stay small so "you can know everyone." Well it seems we need to get past that thinking because even with the fantastic turnout still 2/3 of the church was not present. We are a big church. So our challenge is not how do we stay small so that we can personally know everybody, our challenge is how do we create opportunities to connect with each other as we continue to grow?

Our elders have called us to be a place that is "connecting the unconnected." As we continue to put that in practice we WILL grow. Growth is what God desires for His church. Growth means more folks are connecting to Jesus and to Jesus' people. Growth comes with some challenges though. We will have to think in some new ways...increased small group opportunities, 2 services, new Bible classes, more prayer groups, new ladies Bible study opportunities...etc, etc. If God continues to bless us with more and more singles/couples/families joining our church then these are some of the things/ideas/issues we will have to think about and move toward.

Isn't being a part of a growing church fun?!

Scott

Celebration Tonight

Today is the day! The yearly Western Hills 4th of July extravaganza. If you have not participated in this event yet then you need to BE THERE tonight. This year will be different in the simple fact that the Beckers, who have hosted the event for years, have moved to Ballinger. Elwood and Ann Smith have stepped up to the plate and opened their home to us this year. So let the celebration begin.

Remember we will gather and celebrate tonight and then there will NOT be a meal or classes tomorrow night (Wed. July 5) at the building.

Have you made you plans to be there on Sunday??
Hope so...

See you tonight,
Scott

Don't Miss Next Sunday

I know it is only Monday but I can't wait till next Sunday...(and usually my Monday's are spent recovering from the Sunday before.) You will not want to miss this coming Sunday! I am serious, make plans now to do what it takes to be in worship on July 9. I won't spoil the surprise but don't miss it. We will be focusing on the future of Western Hills and our mission of "connecting the unconnected" to God.

So how is that for a teaser? Do I have your interest?

See you on Tuesday night @ the Smith's
Scott

PS -Keep checking in to this blog for more updates and clues.

What a Sunday!

WOW! It is Sunday afternoon and I am simply exhausted from the adrenaline rush I have been on today. The worship this morning was an awesome experience. I am not sure what I liked best..the singing was energized, the prayers were heartfelt, the reading of the 23rd Psalm powerful, and to top it all off...3 more families joined our church and our mission. In the last two weeks 5 families have committed to being a part of what God is doing here at Western Hills. It seems He is blessing us in some BIG ways. I have often said it is God's desire to bless His church beyond our wildest imagination. We just have to position ourselves to receive it. So to the Cunninghams, Rainers, Gibsons, Garmons and Frisch's we say WELCOME. We consider you a gift from God to help us be the church He is calling us to be here in Central Texas.

Because of the CROSS
Scott