by Daniel Martin, Elementary Assistant, Children’s Ministries

This past weekend, January 14-16th, was Fusion Winter Camp for our Middle School and High School students. We went with four other churches up to Jenness Park to spend time in community with each other, to have fun, and to learn how to be people after God’s own heart. This was all beautifully achieved and the sea of students from different churches was a glorious sight, but as always, there was more going on below the surface.

One of the inconveniences of Jenness Park is the bad cell phone service, to be blunt: there is none! No service whatsoever; how terribly ancient of them to not have a cell tower nearby. How was I going to check Facebook? How was I supposed to keep up on the fun reality of the Kings never winning? How would I watch funny cat videos on YouTube? This was the scene that I would be living in for three WHOLE days!! The first night was annoying, the next morning was awkward, but by the afternoon, it was wonderful. Not only was I not constantly checking my phone, but none of the students were either, because we couldn’t. This was the sanctuary I had been longing for. Although there was Middle School girl drama and barf-y students, there was a sense of peace; a peace that only comes when there is no rush, no outside agenda, and no cat videos.

In a few weeks we will be hosting our 4th/5th Grade Indoor Campout. While not quite the same as Jenness Park, it has the potential to be. This is one of those just-for-fun nights. There’s no learning outcome, no objective, just good old fashioned “fake” camping fun, s’mores, and dumb camp songs. But beneath the surface, there is a larger story taking place. When we take time out of homework for a Friday night, and we ditch the Saturday morning soccer or basketball game, we are saying something; we are making an actual decision to admit that we run too fast and too hard and that it is okay to turn “off” sometimes.

February 10th/11th is right around the corner, so start turning those forms and flyers in, and grab a sleeping bag, flashlight, warm clothes, and toiletries to bring. Gaming and fun starts at 7:00 p.m. on the 10^th and pickup is at 8:00 a.m. on the 11^th.

Invite a friend, a neighbor, perhaps someone you’d like to know better. For more information contact me, Daniel Martin, and to sign up, grab a flyer at the Welcome Center or Spotlight Booth. See you at fake-camp!

I have an amazing ministry opportunity set before me right now, one years in the making.  And I’d like to have your support to make this happen.  I’ve been asked by our denomination, the North American Baptist Conference (NAB), to commit to a multi-year ministry to teach worship and the arts at our Bible training center in the Philippines.

Here is what Field Director Gregg Evans has to say about it:

“NAB’s flagship ministry in the Philippines—the Bicol Center for Christian Leadership (BCCL)—has been providing theological, Biblical and pastoral training for pastors, evangelists and church planters in the least-churched non-Muslim region of the Philippines for ten years now.   The students are a mix of full-time Christian workers, active church members and college students from a dozen different churches, most getting their first systematic instruction in theology and Biblical studies.   With a growing reputation for solid Bible teaching, the Center is quickly becoming the hub of Evangelical Christianity in Albay Province, and what it is doing in Albay is spreading to other provinces.  BCCL has the potential to become the single most influential Christian institution in the region in the years ahead, impacting hundreds, and eventually thousands, of pastors, evangelists, church planters and rank-and-file members.   Amid BCCL’s success in the area of theological and Biblical instruction, what has been lacking, and desperately needed, is an arts emphasis—a theology of the arts—and guidance in worship and music.  In 2012, we want to start changing that, and we’d like for Manuel Luz to come out for a couple weeks to get the ball rolling.  Manuel’s passion and expertise are exactly what are needed at BCCL right now.  Please participate in the improvement of BCCL by supporting Manuel in this endeavor.”

I’m obviously excited about this opportunity for a variety of reasons.  One, the Filipinos of the Albay Province are passionate and talented, but are under-resourced and need training.  I have the opportunity to provide theologically-intensive teaching and musical training that has the potential to profoundly influence the tenor of the entire region.  Two, BCCL has been an important catalyst in bringing together the many disparate area churches in an uncharacteristic spirit of cooperation and unity.  I hope to increase this sense of unity through worship (the most moving kind of unity!) and eventually through outreach using the arts.  Third, one of my main goals will be to establish long-term relationships with the many dedicated but under-resourced people there, and provide pastoral direction and personal encouragement to them.

My first trip will be for almost three weeks in February 2012.  And to maximize my ministry potential, I am committed to making this an annual trip if it works out, hopefully bringing teams of people over the next few years.  Oak Hills Church is firmly behind this trip and is the sending organization.

From a personal standpoint, I feel like I may be uniquely qualified to answer this calling.  I’ve never been to the Philippines, although I’ve wanted to go my entire adult life.  To be able to explore some of my heritage and connect with it would be amazing to me.  Obviously, I will need financial and prayer support for something as big as this.  So if you are interested in supporting me, please email me at manuel.luz@oakhills.org.  Thanks!

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

THANKFUL FOR A VERY DIFFICULT, YET WONDERFUL YEAR

There are times in all of our lives where we are called to hold in tension in our hearts and minds, very conflicting and almost oppostional truths. 2011, in many ways, has been one of those years. On the one hand, this past year has been perhaps the saddest and most grief-filled year in our church’s existence as we have lost several long term Oak Hillians to tragically early deaths. In fact, even as we write this, our church is dealing with another devastating loss in a family who is precious to us. On the other hand, this has been a year of strengthening and maturing as a church. It feels as though this past tumultuous decade of change is behind us and God has smiled upon us and we are in a season of great unity and excitement about the future. Even this time of grief has been responded to with tender love and affection throughout the church family. Our recent Sunday series on “Being Together” was a great encouragement and source of strength and healing for many of us.

As your senior pastors, we want to take this opportunity during this Advent season to express our gratefulness for our church family and to affirm you all for your tender hearts towards God and your rigorous and faithful pursuit of life in the Kingdom of God. Most of us know that these past ten years have been difficult ones here at Oak Hills. We have gone through a lot together. But it truly seems to us that we have closed that chapter of our church’s story and we are now in a new and exciting chapter with many opportunities to reach our community with the wonderful news of life in Christ. And so, as we prepare ourselves and our church this Advent season, for the coming of Christ, we do so with gratefulness and joy. It is good to be together in this local expression of the universal body of Christ. We look forward to many wonderful years to come as we serve our God together.

May the Christ of Christmas continue to shine His light into all of our homes, and may we, as a church family, by His grace, be used by Him to love this world of His.

YEAR-END OFFERING

As many of you know, for a number of years we have been working hard to make sure that our income meets our expenses. Over this past decade we have cut our staff in half and drastically reduced our operating expenses. In addition, we have prayed diligently for God’s provision and He has provided for us in many unexpected ways. All this prayer, and hard work, and God’s faithfulness has brought us to the moment today where our 2012 budget will be very close to the amount we project will come in through our weekly offerings. We are deeply grateful to God for this. And we are also deeply grateful to the staff, our Elder Board and Administrative Council and most especially to all of you for your dedicated support for this ministry. It feels good, in these uncertain economic times, to be moving into a season of financial stability and strength.

In light of all this, we want to ask our church family to sacrificially get behind our 2011 year-end offering. Several years ago, our Elder Board and Administrative Council established our Reserve Fund in order to make sure that we are operating in a financially responsible way. This is essentially an emergency fund that can be drawn upon in lean economic times. The steps we have taken over the past several years to reduce staff and to reduce our expenses has caused us to have to dip into this fund and it is necessary now to replenish it. Therefore our year-end offering for 2011 will go towards our Reserve Fund. Our goal is $100,000 and we believe that if we all sacrifice together, we can meet this goal. The official date of the year-end offering will be December 18, 2011, but you can, of course, give at any time between now and the end of the year. This is an “over-and-above” offering, which means that it is intended to be in addition to our regular giving to our church’s general fund. As usual, 10% of this offering will be given to one of our ministry partners. This year, those funds will go to the Nehemiah Project, which works with HIV/AIDS patients in Manipur, India. Simply indicate on your check that it is for the year-end offering. If you have any questions about this offering, feel free to contact us (Pastors Kent or Mike) or any member of the Elder Board or the Administrative Council.

Your breakfast might look like this.

by Pastor Mike Lueken

There is an interesting story in the life of Joshua where he is praying and seeking God’s help and God says to him, “stand up, what are you doing down on your face?” (Joshua 7:10). Joshua’s confusion over a recent military defeat led him to pray. This makes sense. But God’s response was essentially to quit praying and take action. “Get busy living, or get busy dying” in the words of Andy Dufrane of Stephen King’s Shawshank Redemption. Joshua then learned that one of the Israelites (Achan) had secretly sinned and this was the reason why the Israelites lost the battle.

It intrigues me to think that there are times when God grows weary of our praying and commands us to get off our knees and do something about the situation.

Recently in our Men’s Ministry we’ve been talking about this principle. We don’t need to hear another message on the kingdom of God. We don’t need to sit through another sermon. We don’t need another worship experience. We don’t need another small group discussion. The vast majority of us have ample knowledge about God and the way of His kingdom. We need, if you will, to stop praying and start doing. The time has come to engage the world in the power of the kingdom of God and see what happens. Perhaps (and I suspect so) the faith required to take concrete action in his name and the dynamic adventure of what follows will school us in the ways of the kingdom far more thoroughly than can be acquired in another “classroom” setting.

I’m excited about this principle turned loose in our Men’s Ministry. As we talk about this in our leadership meetings and at a recent men’s breakfast, my sense is that guys are ready to go out and “do something” for the sake of the kingdom. Obviously we can do this individually and many do so on a regular basis. But there is something fun and invigorating about bonding together with other guys and launching out in service for His sake.

Our Men’s Breakfast on December 3^rd is going to be a different kind of experience, and I want to challenge any man who is reading this to take the risk and show up. We are going to do what we generally do at these breakfasts – eat. But then we are going to venture out in small teams and help some women in our church who live alone or who have lost their husband. In many ways, they are “forgotten” people in our midst even though they may not look like it. We are currently in the process of organizing teams and planning the projects we will complete at each home. Currently, we have about 40 men who have signed up to help. You don’t have to be an effective handy man to contribute. You don’t have to know what a hammer is. You simply have to be willing to carve out a few hours on Saturday, December 3^rd to put your faith in action and serve someone else in the name of Jesus.

If anything in this piques your curiosity, send me an email at mike.lueken@oakhills.org or give me a call, and I will help you become part of one of these teams. I am confident the sense of “doing something” in the name of Jesus will far outweigh the cost of time required.

I’ve always liked the story of the conversion of the Ethiopian official in Acts 8 (he’s called “the eunuch” which is a rather unfortunate moniker to be remembered by). I won’t slog through all the details of what happened, but after hearing the story of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension, something connected for the eunuch, and he became of follower of Jesus. And he followed hard. He followed with purpose. He followed with a usual and almost immediate sense that life was never going to be the same, post-Jesus. This guy had a contagious passion about his new life with Jesus. My favorite scene is described in verse 36, “As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” Who does that? Who asks to be baptized a few minutes after becoming a follower of Christ? There is no hesitation. There is no fear. It is clear from the story that in the course of introducing this fellow to Jesus, Philip explained that this was about a kind of life; a new way of living in the world where baptism was one of the early steps of that new life.

Too often we try and figure out the minimum requirements necessary for maintaining good standing. This kind of language and thinking is utterly foreign to the New Testament version of “the Christian life.” It’s not that everyone in the New Testament were ardent followers of Christ in some sort of idyllic way. To the contrary, one reason there even is a New Testament is because people were fickle about their commitments and petty in their relationships. But we are reminded by this government official, that following Jesus encompasses everything in our lives. We bring it all to His feet.

And I think it’s obvious that in our time, we must find ways of keeping our faith fresh and vibrant. We need to be nudged out of our comfort zones and be constantly reminded that following Jesus encompasses everything.

Baptism is one of those occasions where we step into a public setting and affirm our faith in Jesus and proclaim to all who are present that we belong to Him. It’s a chance to fly our flag and show the world that we are His.

We have a baptism coming up on October 23^rd. If you are a follower of Christ and have not been baptized, perhaps it’s time. Frankly, baptism is not something we decide to do when we are ready. It’s something we do because Jesus told us to. Baptism is a symbol of cleansing and new life, but it is more than a symbol. It is an encounter with the Risen Christ. It is an immersion into the reality of the Trinity. It is a declaration. It is an act of faith. As demonstrated by the eunuch, it is a natural response of those who have heard the Gospel and put their confidence in Jesus.

So if you haven’t been baptized, do it on the 23^rd. “Look here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”

Our next Baptism Class is this Sunday, October 9 at 11 am in the library (M-205). We’ll also have a class at the same time and location on October 16. If you have additional questions or want more information, please contact Lorraine at lorraine.rothenburg@oakhills.org, or 983-0182 x33.

by Colleen Gray, Children’s Ministries Pastor

“The best your children will learn about God will be from watching you try to find out for yourself.  Jesus said, “Seek and ye shall find.”  They will not always do what you tell them to do, but they will be-good and bad- as they see you being.  If your children see you seeking they will seek—the finding part is up to God.” 

Polly Berrien Berends, Gently Lead: How to Teach Your Children about God While Finding Out for Yourself

Parents are children’s primary teachers, and nowhere is that more true, then in spiritual formation.  If only the Bible gave us a scope and sequence to follow: teach this at this time and that at that time, this concept builds on that one, etc.  But the Bible’s instructions to parents are less about structure and more about lifestyle.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”  Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Children’s Ministries at Oak Hills is excited to offer another tool in helping parents create a spiritually forming lifestyle in the home through HomeFront Monthly.  This magazine is filled with articles and activities which are not about “doing more,” but rather about framing the things parents naturally do with some space for God to work. You can get your copy of this month’s HomeFront at the Spotlight Booth this Sunday, September 25th, or you can download it from this link.  Every month or so, watch for a notification that the next HomeFront is available and pick yours up.

We’d love to know what you think of HomeFront as well as what other things we can do to partner with you in your families spiritual journey, so give us your feedback.  colleen.gray@oakhills.org.

The Holcombs

by David Holcomb

How do you say good-bye to people you’ve looked forward to seeing every week for fifteen years?

It was just about a year ago that this process started.  God had made it clear to Carolyn and I through a variety of experiences, conversations and situations, it was time to move.  Leaving Oak Hills would not be easy, it never has been.  But if we really believe that God has done something unique here at Oak Hills, then it must be shared, and it seemed that it would be our job to share it.  Our purpose when we originally came here in 1995 was to learn how to do ministry, for me to learn how to be a pastor.  Fifteen years later it is finally time to see what we’ve learned.

Looking for a ministry position is a goofy process to say the least.  The intersection between the sacred and secular, between God-led and people-controlled is nowhere more evident.  There is the preparation of résumés and careful selection of references, along with fasting and praying and desperately pleading that God point you in the right direction.  That is the process we started last fall.  Twelve short months later it seems God has worked through our efforts.  This past Tuesday, I officially accepted the position of Lead Pastor at HOPE Christian Fellowship in San Gabriel, CA.

Carolyn and I are very excited about this new adventure.  Of all the churches to which we applied, from the beginning, HOPE seemed the best fit.  HOPE shares a lot of the values we learned at Oak Hills: Diversity, missional outreach, spiritual formation, community, a desire for a deeper experience of God.  It is a fourteen year old church with a Sunday attendance of around 250.  A HOPE fun fact is that its building was used in the movie The Father of the Bride.  In every interaction with the church, Carolyn and I and the kids have been able to connect and have enjoyed our interactions with them.  We have every expectation that we will find deep community here and that God will do great things in this church.  The only down side, really, is that we’re far from all of you.

Our family carries a deep sense of gratitude to Oak Hills Church.  Everything I know about being a pastor I learned from you.  You have been patient with me through every shaky step.  You have followed me when I didn’t really know where I was going.  You have cleaned up the messes I made.  You listened, even when I couldn’t complete … You have cared for us in the darkest times of our life.  You have helped raise our children.  When I first mentioned to Stevie that I was looking for another church that needed a pastor he said, “Maybe you could just go to another church.”  You are irreplaceable in our lives.  You are our family.  It has truly been an honor — a privilege — to be one of your pastors.

So, how do you say good-bye to family?  How do you say good-bye to people so close that they are woven into your DNA?  How do you say good-bye to a part of yourself?

You don’t.

God’s speed, dear Oak Hills Church family.  We’ll see you soon.

Love,

The Holcombs

Carolyn’s e-mail:  davidandcarolyn93@gmail.com
David’s e-mail:  david.holcomb@hopechristianfellowship.net

1. How did you hear about Oak Hills?

Dave: Actually we met Pastor Kent when he first came to Folsom to start Oak Hills. He visited with us in our home in Orangevale and shared the vision of Oak Hills.

Sharon: Before moving away from the area in the late eighties, our family attended Community Bible Church. Several dear families we knew from CBC were starting a new church and meeting at a storefront here in Folsom. We met Kent and even attended services a few times before we moved.

2. How long have you been attending Oak Hills?

Dave: We have been attending on regular basis for the past four years after relocating back to Folsom. We did however attend Oak Hills for years when coming back to Folsom to visit.

Sharon: We moved back to Folsom four years ago and have been attending Oak Hills ever since.

3. What was your first experience upon coming?

Dave: I was greatly moved by the authenticity of the people…..I mean people they were (are) just so friendly, warm and real. Great experience!

Sharon: I have four top priorities on my list in choosing a church to be a part of. They are: 1. Is the word of God being preached from the pulpit? 2. Am I and others freely able to worship God through the music ministry? 3. Is the church body passionate about its children and young people? 4. Am I able to serve and use the spiritual gifts God has given me? I found all of these to be true here at Oak Hills, and my expectations have more than been exceeded. I believe one of my Spiritual Gifts is teaching, and I am especially thankful and humbled to be able to teach fourth and fifth grade children during Prime Time. Last year, David and I helped with the Faith Foundations Class, and this year we had nine very special kids in class who have come to mean a lot to us. I have learned so much from teaching and from these children.

4. When/how did you make a decision for Christ?

Dave: Years before I made a decision for Christ Sharon & I converted to Mormonism. We were married in the temple and active in that church. While living in Orangevale in late 1978, a young man who was visiting our neighbors stopped by to talk as I was working in our pasture. Little did I know he had just returned from a six month training program in “how to witness to the cults” We talked over a three day period……from those discussions I committed one year of study to prove or disprove Mormonism and prove or disprove Christianity. My study lead to a decision for Christ in 1980.

Sharon: God has had a hand on my life from a very early age. My grandpa died when I was five, and I still remember how he comforted me through this tremendous loss. It was not until a few years later as a young teen that I made the decision to ask Jesus to be my Savior. My family attended a Methodist church while I was growing up in Orangevale. Our pastor, Reverend Anderson, was also our youth minister with lots of ideas and fun things for us kids to do. He also had a gift of knowing in what areas a person lacked confidence and could see right through any facade that might be used to mask that insecurity. That was true of me and the questions I had about God and where I stood with Him. During a youth meeting, he turned to me and looked straight in my eyes and said, “Sharon, God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for you.” In total disbelief I said, “Even for me?” “Even for you, Christ died.” God spoke through Pastor Anderson, and I made the decision to follow Jesus Christ that day.

5. Where were you born and raised?

Dave:  I was born and raised in Folsom. In fact my family came from Norway in 1874 and settled on a 90 acre ranch in Salmon Falls. My great uncle Karl Thomson was the first shoemaker in Folsom. My great uncle Fred Wales was one of the original Wells Fargo agents in Folsom as well.

Sharon: I was born in Deadwood, South Dakota. When I was three, my parents decided to move to California and leave the cold, snowy winters. We lived in Hawthorne and Anaheim before moving to Orangevale when I was in the third grade. I attended Orangevale School through seventh grade, Pershing for eighth grade, and then Bella Vista High School. After graduation, I earned an AA Degree from, what was then, American River Junior College. It was while I was working at the Folsom A & W during college that I met David. We were married a short time later, and that was over forty-two years ago.

6. Family info……..

Dave: wife Sharon, daughter Trista, son Eric, son-in-law Charles, grandson Cole and granddaughter Lauren. Sharon and I have been married for 42 years.

Sharon: David and I were married in the same church that I attended as a child and where I became a Believer in Christ. We have two adult children, Trista and Eric, a wonderful son-in-law, Chuck, and two special grandchildren. Cole is nine, and Lauren turned four in January. Right now, we do not have any household pets. Both of us really enjoy cycling on the many bike trails we are so fortunate to have here in the area. It is such great exercise, and spending time outside is an added bonus. Traveling, cooking, and working in our yard are other things I love doing.

7. What are you currently reading?

Dave: I am reading “I Heard the Owl Call My Name” by Margaret Craven. The book was written in 1973 and is a story of a young vicar who is sent to a remote Indian village in rural Canada and it is here where he learns the true meaning of serving God and His people. This is powerful book which I highly recommend.

Sharon: Currently, I am reading Dallas Willard’s Renovation of the Heart and Finding Divine Inspiration by J. Scott McElroy. My grandson just gave me a copy of a book he recently read and now wants me to read. It is The Red Pyramid and contains over 5oo pages!

8. If you could be anywhere right now where would it be?

Dave: You would find me living and traveling throughout France.

Sharon: Here on Earth, I would love to be vacationing in Europe, especially France, Scotland, and Ireland. We just finished watching the Tour de France for three weeks, and it reminded me of how much I would enjoy visiting the familiar, and not so familiar, sites there again. The hills in Scotland are gorgeous, and the Irish countryside and people are amazing.

9. Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you.

Dave: I am a Certified Pro Level Bicycle Mechanic and have recently opened a Bicycle Repair Shop in Folsom. I repair all types of bicycles and gladly accept bicycles which I can service, repair and donated to a variety of ministries and charities.

Sharon: Someday, I would love to write a children’s book and have it published. I have also thoughts at the back of my mind about owning and running a Bed and Breakfast.

10. Thing you are most proud of.

Dave: Most obviously I am proud of my family all of whom are followers of Christ. I am really proud to serve here at Oak Hills by teaching 4/5 grade Sunday School and Faith Foundations along with my wife. It is such a blessing to have an opportunity to work with kids and share Christ with them!

Sharon: That would by my family–my husband, son, daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren. I love them all so much!

11. My 15 Minutes of Fame occurred when…

Dave: I gave a presentation in Washington D.C. to the American Hospital Association on Quality Management Through Integration of Facilities Services Departments in Acute Healthcare.

Sharon: That would have to be during my college graduation ceremony when my husband and son walked with me across the stage, so we all could receive my Bachelor’s Degree and Teaching Credential together. As an older adult returning to school, I wanted to thank them for all of the support, love, and hard work it took for the whole family to help me realize a lifelong dream and goal.

12. Any fears (irrational or otherwise)?

Dave: Riding my bicycle down the Costco hill here in Folsom and having my brakes fade away……..

Sharon: I have great concerns for children today, especially those who do not attend church regularly, and all of the things they are exposed to in our society. It is so important for them to know what and why they believe and to build a solid foundation for their faith early in their lives. That is why I am so excited and passionate about being able to serve in Prime Time, assist in teaching Faith Foundations, and participate in Arts Camp.

13. My favorite verse:

Dave: Romans 5.5: “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Sharon: “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6. Other favorites are Philippians 4:6-7 and Psalm 119:105, which is the Pioneer Girl scripture, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

I was speaking to a large group of college students at a very reputable Bible college earlier this year, and I was trying to convey to them the importance of the arts to the church. I knew that the Word of God was an essential value to them, so I explained it to them in this way:

Imagine the Bible without the book of Psalms, the Song of Solomon, most of the book of Isaiah, Revelation, all of Jesus’ parables, and a bunch of other stuff. The stuff that is poetic and picturesque and metaphorical and beautiful. The stuff that is…art. The remaining Bible would be informative and factual. But it would lack soul. And much more, I think.

Thankfully, the arts have always been a value at Oak Hills. And because of that, we’re excited to once again present Arts Month, promoting the arts throughout the life of our church. Please check out the many things that are happening throughout the month.

Music Between Services :: Throughout the month of July, we’ll have several Oak Hills musical artists perform between services each Sunday:  Hickory Wind playing “not your normal country” (July 3), Teresa Harbert sharing cello duets (July 10), Michaela Nasello on vocals (July 24), Becca Coloma on classical piano (July 31), and others to appear in our lobby.

Art & Soul Gallery :: Visual expressions of the arts are in our Art & Soul Gallery. “Quilts: Color, Comfort, and Worship” ran through July 14 and now the Gallery will display the artwork created by our children from Arts Camp.

Arts Camp :: One of the highlights of our year, Arts Camp is a once a year day camp where children explore the arts through Dance, Drama, Music, Musical Theater, Woodworking, Pysanky (Ukrainian egg art), Photography, Silk Screening, Ceramics, Cartooning, Culinary, and so much more. During this week, children were given an opportunity to express the creativity given to them by their Creator and to experience the arts fully and passionately in a society where many opportunities for this type of expression are being cut.

Summer Mosaic :: Dubbed “An Evening with the Arts,” our Summer Mosaic is an opportunity to see the very best of what the artists of our church can do. Featuring dance, visual arts, drama, music, and other expressions, this concert is free to the entire community. As it is a benefit for the Twin Lakes Food Bank, we encourage everyone to bring canned goods or other non-perishable foods in lieu of admission cost. This Summer Mosaic will be Saturday evening, July 30, beginning at 6:30 PM with a gallery reception and 7:00 PM with the program. We highly encourage you to come out and bring your friends and neighbors to this event.