Welcome to Hillside!

Today, we are beginning a new sermon series on the book of James. Our previous two series, Romans and 1 John, focused primarily on our Christian beliefs. This next series will focus primarily on putting those beliefs into action.

James is a very practical book, filled with instructions for living as a follower of Christ. In many ways, it is a manual for Christian living. The book was very relevant for its original audience, and it is still very relevant for us today.

I encourage you to read the book of James repeatedly over the next several months as we proceed through this series. As you’re reading, keep in mind our theme for the series: “Faith in Action – The Decisions that Determine Maturity.“ And please pray that we will witness the Holy Spirit moving in our congregation as we seek to live out our faith together.

Thank you for joining us today!
Pastor Shawn

Please scroll down for our virtual bulletin, which includes a sermon outline and announcements about upcoming church activities.

Important Questions to Consider:

- Who wrote the book of James?

- When was the book/letter written?

- To whom was the letter written?

- Why was the book written to this audience?

- What is the theme or “big idea” of the book?

What are some of the “decisions that determine maturity” that we will be talking about?

- The decision to find joy in the midst of trials.

- The decision not to just hear the Word of God, but to do what it says.

- The decision not to show favoritism.

- The decision to control our tongue.

- The decision to draw closer to God, while distancing ourselves from the world.

- The decision to depend on God in the present, instead of focusing too much on the future.

- The decision to be consistent in prayer.

Application:

When you pursue spiritual maturity, you can expect opposition.

- Our flesh

- The world around us

- The enemy

Pursuing spiritual maturity won’t be easy, but it will be worth it!

Ministry Calendar

Aug 24: Young Adults Dinner, 4:00pm
Aug 24: Youth Group, 4:00pm
Aug 26: Women's Ministry TableTop Gathering, 7:00pm
Aug 31: Missional Morning, 8:15am
Aug 31: Youth Group, 4:00pm
Sep 07: Potluck, following the service
Sep 13: Women's Bible Study, 9:00am
Sep 15: Prayer Night, 7:00pm

Scroll down for details.

Women's Ministry TableTop Kick Off - August 26

Sisters! Join us at 7:00pm on Tuesday, August 26 for an evening of hanging out and celebrating as we anticipate jumping back into our chapter-a-day Bible reading in September. Food and Drinks and Fun provided. Hope to see you there!

Potluck - September 7

Please join us for a potluck right after the service on Sunday, September 7.

- If your last name begins with A-J, bring a main dish.
- If your last name begins with K-Z, bring a side dish or salad.

Beverages and dessert will be provided.

Women of Hope Bible Study - September 13

On Saturday, September 13th, at 9:00 a.m., the Women of Hope Bible study will resume regular biweekly Bible studies, picking up at chapter 15 in the Gospel of Luke. We are using a study guide entitled "Shepherd's Notes - Luke," which is available to order at Amazon.com. Dates for the fall term include these Saturdays: September 13 and 27, October 8 and 22, November 8 and 22, and there will be a holiday brunch on December 6. If you are interested in attending, please contact Andrea Flack or Jane Banzhaf.

MINISTRY CONNECTION POINTS
(see website and weekly email for more details)

Stephen Ministry
Stephen Ministers offer one-to-one, Christ-centered, emotional and spiritual care for people in the congregation going through difficult times such as job loss, financial struggles, medical issues, or death of a loved one.

Care Team Ministry
The Care Team Ministry provides transportation for those in need in our Hillside Family.

Prayer Ministry
The Prayer Team hosts a monthly prayer night on the third Monday of the month at 7:00pm. Everyone is welcome! You can also receive prayer in person from 9:30-10:00am Sunday mornings in the cry room adjacent to the church lobby.

Meals Ministry
The Meals Ministry is a practical way to meet the needs of others in the congregation who are welcoming a new baby or experiencing challenging circumstances.

Women's Ministry
Women's Ministry is encouraging the women of the church to read the Bible, just a chapter a day, and join the TableTop gathering for discussion the last Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm.

The women's Saturday morning Bible study will resume on September 13. See details above. For more information about the group, contact Andrea Flack or Jane Banzhaf.

Men's Ministry
The Thursday morning men's Bible study is taking a break for the summer. For more information, contact Elliot Makuh.

Young Adults
The Young Adults group is taking a break from their Sunday morning meetings and will resume in the fall. There will still be occasional events throughout the summer. For more information, contact Daniel Ayers.

Youth Group
Youth Group meets Sunday mornings during the service on all but the first Sunday of the month. Stay tuned for announcements about special summer events.

Upcoming Youth Group Events:
July 20: Paintball, after the service. RSVP to Val by July 18.

Golden MomCo (formerly MOPS)
MomCo is taking a break for the summer and will resume in the fall. For more information about the group, email goldenmomco@gmailcom.

For more ministry information, please visit www.hillsidecommunity.org.

RightNow Media

Hillside has unlimited access to RightNow Media—the world’s largest streaming library of video Bible study resources with over 20,000 videos. The library includes studies on every book of the Bible as well as topics such as marriage, parenting, finances, and mental health. There’s even a library just for kids with over 2,000 safe, entertaining videos. To get started, simply click on the link below, create your free account, and start browsing more than 20,000 inspiring videos.

https://app.rightnowmedia.org/join/hillsidecommunityc

Giving Update

General Fund Giving (Budget: $44,550)
YTD avg $44,274
January $35,614
February $29,504
March $57,997
April $48,910
May $40,667
June $40,266
July $57,413

Nicaragua Giving (Budget: $4,800)
YTD avg $3,624
January $2,910
February $3,308
March $3,845
April $2,675
May $2,890
June $6,590
July $3,150

Praise God for His provision and thank you for your generous support!