Christmas Presents for Meadow Village

What a blessing this church has been to the kids in Meadow Village!

Western Hills, along with Canyon Creek, took on the challenge to help the kids living there have a good Christmas by providing gifts to 164 kids. On Saturday, December 17th we had the opportunity to pass out presents in the Meadow Village Apartment Complex in Temple. It was a great time! Some people were expecting us. Some were not. As each door opened and gifts were handed off, the Love of Jesus was truly shared. Everyone was extremely grateful. The smiles and thank yous were heartfelt.

I want to say Thank You to this church for taking on the challenge to share the love of Jesus through this ministry project. The generosity of Western Hills continues to impress me!

For those who took a name or two, I encourage you to keep those kids in your prayers. The ministry at Meadow Village continues to make an impact. Pray for our teens and others who regularly go there to minister to kids.

Thanks again for being living examples of what it means to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus.

God's Blessings.
-Scott Seela

Sweet Week Grand Openings!

This could possibly one of the best weeks ever. WHY? Because of the grand openings...First The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe opened. I have not seen it yet (and with twins it is doubtful I will see it anytime soon) but the early reviews are telling me it is INCREDIBLE. I am most encouraged by many telling me the Christian elements and themes are not diminished at all. Second grand opening this week: KING KONG. This is the movie that Peter Jackson (director of the Lord of the Rings) has wanted to make all of his life. And again the early reviews tell me it is an amazing movie. (Again with the twins not sure when I will see it, but I can hope). And finally the last grand opening is today. The Chick-fil-a across from our church building is open for business! I may not make it to Chronicles or Kong as fast as I would like but I will be feasting on the perfection that is a Chick-fil-a sandwich. In honor of the new store I wanted to share this post with you from another minister, Perry Noble. He writes about some of the lessons a church can learn from Chick-fil-a.

Enjoy!

Scott M.

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Lessons the Church can learn from a Chick-fil-a

#1 - They Keep Things Simple What is Chic-fil-a known for? Uh, one guess...think about it...did you say CHICKEN? Ding ding ding--we have a winner! You can't go to Chic-fil-a if you want a hot dog...well, I guess technically you COULD...but you would leave disappointed. They don't have a very large menu selection, which enables them to do a few things well instead of trying to be "everything to everyone." The church should apply the same. I believe there are many churches trying to maintain programs that at one time WERE very affective--many lives WERE changed--BUT what may have worked 30 years ago may not work today. However, the mistake that many of us make as church leaders is that instead of getting rid of things we add to our plate--and our "ministry menu" looks so large--and we are doing a lot of things--but really doing none of them well. One of the things we are striving for here at NewSpring is the simplicity of ministry. We KNOW that we cannot do everything well--and so we say no a lot more than we say yes to certain programs and/or ideas...and not because we don't care--but because we do care and it is our desire to honor Jesus Christ in the best way possible by providing an excellent ministry environment.

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#2 - They Stick To Their Convictions You know what I love...AND HATE...about Chic-fil-a? They are not open on Sunday! (Just being honest!) There are Sunday's when I long for a chicken sandwich from there--but I can't get one, not until Monday. I remember hearing the story of when Chic-fil-a was negotiating with shopping malls to open up within the mall and one of the stipulations was that they had to be open on Sunday. The leadership didn't really have a decision to make--they had convictions...and were willing to walk away from the opportunity that the malls were giving them because it would have meant going against what they felt was right. The malls realized they needed Chic-fil-a and backed down...and so we can now shop till we drop and refresh ourselves at the little sample stand outside of the restaurant. (Come on, you know you've snatched a nugget or two!) If a church is going to be able to maintain ministry in today's society then the leadership is going to have to have a clear vision of what the church will and will not do--and be able to stick by that vision--no matter what. It is my conviction that God's word never changes...and I have an incredible high view of Scripture...but the methods used to communicate His word often change. We will never compromise Scripture here--that is one of our core values--but we will always be willing to use whatever methods it takes to reach people. One note on this before moving on...Chic-fil-a has often received criticism about this aspect of the way they operate--but it has not deterred them at all. You cannot let criticism derail your vision--ask God to light your heart on fire--to fill you with His vision...and stick to it no matter what.

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#3 - Things Are Always Very Clean I never NEVER been into a nasty Chic-fil-a--EVER. The restrooms are always nice--the floors always look like they have just been mopped--despite the tons of traffic they get...they manage to keep things nice and neat. We can REALLY use this lesson! I have this deal on Sunday's that when I am walking into the building we are renting and I see a piece of paper on the ground--I pick it up. When I go to the restroom and I see a paper towel on the floor--I pick it up. People, especially the unchurched, want to come into a clean environment. At NewSpring we have an incredible team of people who show up early each and every Sunday to sweep, to mop, to vacuum--to make sure that the worship environment is as clean as possible...and it does make a difference. And let me say this before moving on...at Chic-fil-a I have NEVER seen a dirty area for kids--it's always clean--and that matters. It breaks my heart when I hear of churches who place their children in some damp, dirty room with people who are there because someone made them feel guilty about not working with kids (and we wonder why many kids hate church.)If a church is serious about reaching the lost and unchurched--one of the BEST things they can do is make sure the children's area is both clean and safe. The only people who will tolerate less than perfect conditions for their children are parents who grew up in those same conditions and are completely unaware that other options exist.

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#4 - The People Are Always Friendly Maybe you have had a different experience...but I don't think I have ever met a rude person at Chic-fil-a. From what I have seen--they always have a smile on their face--and say "thank you." I always tell churches that one of the best things you can have for your church is have a team of people who great others on Sunday's. Who stand outside--even when it is cold and rainy--and say things like, "good morning," and, "good to see you!" Trust me--this makes a difference. I remember visiting a church once and this little old dude sort of shoving a worship guide in my hands and not smiling at me...I actually said "good morning" to him...and he gave me a dirty look! I thought, "if I were unchurched--THAT would be the ONLY excuse I needed to not come back here." And those who are interested in reaching the unchurched--you know that is the way they think.

Mexican Food and Evangelism

Ok! I thought I knew about every hole-in-the-wall-dive-Mexican-food restaurant in Temple/Belton. One of the reasons I love living here is there is an abundance of GREAT Mexican food places -- and I have dined at all of them...or so I thought. On Sunday afternoon, our own Lurry Leavelle (doctor extraordinaire!) and his wonderful wife Donna invited Erica and me to join them for lunch at a Mexican food place. It was one I had never been to nor even heard about. The name: "Fruteria Ruby Tacos del Sur y Pollos del Norte." I am NOT making that up. (I will just refer to it as Tacos del Sur for short.) Immediately I was intrigued. Could there possibly be a decent Mexican place in Temple I have not heard of?

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Tacos del Sur is located on East Ave. G. It is actually one of three places of business owned by a family (restaurant, store, and nursery). What we experienced there was nothing short of south-of-the-border nirvana. I am high on the place for these reasons...The salsa was great (always important when sizing up a Mexican food place), the food was authentic, the portions where large, the prices small, and the place was spotlessly clean! If you are are a Mexican food lover...And who isn't? Then you have got to try Tacos del Sur.
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So what does all of this have to to with evangelism? Simply this...I heard about Tacos del Sur because Lurry cared enough to invite us. Because of his invitation I had a tremendous experience and now I am telling YOU about it. The advertising world for years has said there is no better advertising than "word of mouth." So why not for the church? You tell a couple of friends about Western Hills and then invite them. It's that simple. For too long the church has said that evangelism is the best done by setting up Bible studies with people you hardly know. While studying the Bible will always be a good thing, most people I know are not gifted to lead a Bible study. But everyone can invite friends and neighbors. Right?! To expect everyone to do evangelism by leading a Bible study would be like expecting Lurry to have cooked the Mexican food himself. He didn't do that, instead he took us to where the great feast awaited.

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So what is holding you back? Be praying now for the people in your circle of influence you need to invite to Western Hills. When you do that, congratulations you have just become an evangelist. I will see you (and your invitee) on Sunday.

Want to meet for lunch afterward? Dare you to try the salsa verde!

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Adios Amigos

Scott M.

Sharing God's Story

In our current sermon series titled "Coming Home for Christmas," Scott Meyer has led us in re-examining the account of the first Christmas as told in the Gospel of Luke to prepare us for Christmas. We believe we must prepare our lives, not just our houses, for Christmas. That is to say we need to prepare our lives for the coming of the Christ.

Last night, we continued this preparation by looking back over the incredible story of God caring for and leading His people. The story of God can be told either in terms of the main characters of the story, or of pivotal events that helped shape and define the people's journey of faith. To do this, we focused on 5 key characters/events:

• Creation, Adam & Eve, Sin (Genesis 1-4)
• God calling Abraham (Genesis 15)
• The Exodus from Egypt (Exodus)
• God choosing David as King (1 Samuel 16)
• The Angel Gabriel's Announcements (Luke 1)

We gathered as families and friends around tables in the fellowship room to create "ornaments" that symbolized each of these characters/events. The ornaments are to be visual reminders of the Story of God Redeeming His People.

As we made each ornament, each table recounted the story that went with it. From our young children to our adults, the stories of God's working were shared. The young taught the old. The old taught the young. The church was blessed.

I encourage you to continue telling The Story as we prepare for Christmas.

God's Blessings.

-Scott Seela

Coming Home for Christmas

Christmas Season is HERE! I am excited about this season for many reasons.

1. It will be the first Christmas for Cutter & Cooper (our twins).
2. Our Christmas lights are already up!
3. I am grateful for all God is doing through Western Hills right now.

We are in a series I am calling "Coming Home for Christmas." We all spend lots of time preparing ourselves for Christmas: shopping, decorating, cards, lights, cooking, etc...All of this to celebrate the coming of the Christ. Well I believe we must prepare our lives, not just our houses, for Christmas. That is to say we need to prepare our lives for the coming of the Christ. Be sure to invite a friend to join us each Sunday in December as we look at the preparations made for the very first Christmas.

Love Ya Much
Scott M.

Mistakes and Church

This post is from another minister, Perry Noble, who preaches at the NewSpring Church. I found his words to be very insightful. Hope you are challenged and encouraged by them.

#1 - If You Are Not Making Mistakes Then You Are Not Trying!I can say that our mistakes here at NewSpring have came from people who love Jesus, love the church, love people--and are really trying to do what they think is right. In doing that we will drop the ball from time to time. However, that is OK--the church has played it safe for way too long.

#2 - Do Not Try To Hide The Mistake!If you make a mistake then address it. We don't do this many times in the church world, we "pray about it" and expect God to handle it. (Does it seem that at times we over spiritualize everything?) But the best thing to do when making a mistake is to address it!

#3 - Do Not Fear The Outcome When you make a mistake you can count on the fact that your approval rating will drop in the public polls. Our job, however, is not to worship people--but to worship Jesus--to do what is right before doing what is easy...and trusting in a Sovereign God to take control.

#4 - The Only Bad Mistakes Are The Ones You Do Not Learn FromUh, enough said, right? I can't wait to see what the next five years of ministry looks like here at NewSpring. God is blessing us so much...and we are going to continue to strive to be excellent in all that we do--to be creative--to be relevant--and to teach the truth in an uncompromising way. However, we are not perfect--and we will make mistakes--but that's a lot better than playing it safe!

God Bless

Love Ya Much

Scott M.

Thankful for Western Hills

In this season of thanksgiving I want to make it known that I am grateful for what God is doing with and through Western Hills. Every week He is bringing new people through our doors and giving us an opportunity to reach them for Jesus. I am grateful for all of the folks who serve to make the Sunday morning experience a authentic encounter with a living God. Thanks to everyone who serves on the praise team, runs audio/video equipment, cleans the pews, hands out bulletins, greets newcomers, and on the list goes. To each I am thankful.

I want to call each of you to be in prayer for those God will bring our way during this holiday season. Be on your knees in prayer and on you toes to respond to the opportunities God has for us.

Love Ya Much,
Scott M.

Chuck Fortenberry Honored

Chuck Fortneberry's life and sacrifice will be honored through the naming of the new Physical Fitness Center at Fort Rucker after him. Cynthia and the boys will participating in the dedication cermonies scheduled for December 9, 2005.

Chuck was a loving dad, gracious husband, and outstanding Soldier.

Continue to keep the Fortenberry's in your prayers.

Love Ya Much
Scott

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.