By now you may have heard the upcoming change that will be occuring at Hill N Dale on September 7th.  I pray that as you hear and begin to digest that news that you are hearing this news with a prayerfully opened mind.  The news simply is that on this day we will begin our shift in the first service to a more Traditional style in our music and delivery.  In the second service we will make the shift to a more contemporary style.

If I might share that I personally am not a big fan of today’s worship service labels.  The labels “Traditional” & “Contemporary” both carry a great deal of personal expectation, confusion and personal emotion for all of us.  For those who enjoy singing choruses and who still want to attend the first service let me just say that the first service will continue to include both hymns and choruses.    The blend will become more balanced with a goal of at least 55% hymns /45 % blend of choruses.  The greatest change in the 1^st service that will be noticed is the total lack of drums and electric guitars which have been a sore subject for many in the 1^st  service.  We will continue to use our praise vocal teams, the choir, violins, piano, acoustic guitars, and now add the goal of bringing back the organ “as soon as we find someone who can play it” in the first service.  In the first service we will continue to use the screens for lyrics but we will have the hymn numbers listed for those that would like to use the hymn book. 

The 2^nd service will continue with at least one hymn but all the songs will be accompanied by the band.  The band will be relocated to the stage to more effectively lead our congregation.   We will continue to use our praise vocal teams, the choir, violins, piano, and acoustic guitars.  But unlike the change in the 1^st service all the band will play including the drums and electric guitars in the 2^nd service. 

As Phil mentioned on Sunday, this decision was reached after much prayer and fasting by the leadership.   Phil also pointed out that we all, including myself will need to come to worship with an open mind and a continued realization that the worship experience at Hill N Dale includes all of the congregation and their involvement.  We further realize that the distance between Contemporary worship and Traditional worship has grown very wide.  So wide that blending of the styles has created for many confusion and disunity.  Through these changes it is my prayer that we all would find an opportunity at Hill N Dale to worship.  As one church member mentioned,  ”we will be at both services.”   Sounds good to me!  I’ll see you there!   

 Choir Spotlight:  

CINDY FAWCETT

 

     Our very first choir “spotlight” article is about Cindy Fawcett,

one of our sopranos. Cindy has been at Hill-n-Dale for 21 years,

and she has served in the choir ministry for about 16 or 17 years.

In fact, the choir was one of the very first areas that Cindy chose

to serve in at the church.

     Cindy truly loves to sing to the Lord. She says “singing with the

choir gives me the opportunity to worship and praise the Lord

when I don’t have the words to say it myself.” She sees our Wed-

nesday practices as a mid-week praise “pick-me-up” that helps

keep her refreshed for the rest of the week.

     The choir has a way of bringing together people of diverse back-

grounds and interests. People who otherwise might not meet can

unite over a shared love of singing, and some great lifelong friend-

ships result. This is part of what keeps Cindy coming back to choir

year after year. As she put it, without the choir she “would never

have enjoyed a wonderful friendship with Vera Judy, witnessed

Doug Diggles propose to Diane, or experience the sweet inner spirit

of Charlene Whitmore. “

     Cindy was born in Paintsville and raised here in Lexington. She and

her husband, Chris, have three children: Rachel, Matthew, and Nathan.

As a family, the Fawcetts love to travel, play games, and enjoy a lot of

laughter together.

     Most of us already know Cindy because she is so active at Hill-n-Dale.

Apart from choir, Cindy serves (or has served at different times) in our

preschool, children’s and youth ministries; women’s ministry; Moms ‘n’

More; Bible studies and prayer groups; and the Downtown Ministry.

She and Chris together teach Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University.”

Cindy also teaches Ramsey’s “Finance for Teens” at her homeschool co-op,

and teaches or tutors writing, literature, grammar and reading.

     After a list like that, you will be happy to know that in her “spare time”

Cindy also really enjoys reading!

     One of Cindy’s favorite Bible passages:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to

prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13

 

You may have noticed a very worth while and “truly local” fundraiser happening now through the end of August all over Lexington.  “Lemonaid Days” is a benefit fundraiser for Lexington’s Salvation Army that is simply raising donations via lemonaid stands.  My own family is hosting an Ashebrook Subdivision Lemonaid stand/Talent Show “showcasing the talents of some of our neighborhood kids” at 7:00 P.M. Saturday July 26th in the court in front of my home. 

Also, you may have noticed Bill Meck, WLEX TV’s weatherman (our local NBC affiliate) plugging the Lemonaid Days Benefit for the Salvation Army at the Fayette Mall on both the 5-6:30 & 11:00 news.  My children actually made it on TV on both the 5:00 - 6:30 slots and again at 11:00.   You can click on the links below to view my cute kids, I mean the “Lemonaid Days” benefit plug on WLEX on the evening of July 23rd.

(Click on the http links below:)  “my son is with the balloon and my daughter is looking over the barrel in first link.  In the second link my daughter is waiving at the camera.”

http://www.lex18archives.com/watch?v=3391

http://lex18archives.com/watch?v=3392

On Sunday July 13th, HND’ Christian Church celebrated the return of our 3rd annual Apache Mission Team.  This special service included testimonies from several mission team members and as the worship minister I found myself saying to various praise team and band members through out the day, “did you notice what just happened?”  At the conclusion of Kathie Regan’s testimony it became incredibly obvious…. “God just moved this congregation.”  As soon as we followed Kathie with the opening chord to “Step By Step/Hallelujah” the congregation just seemed to explode with praise.  Kevin, one of our band members and mission team member was co-leading with me on that song and there were times that I just got caught up in the congregation’s singing and praise.    A special word of thanks to all of our Apache Mission Team Members who not only made an impact on the Indian Reservation in Arizona but in Lexington as well!

AUGUST CHOIR PICNIC!!!

 

Our next Choir Picnic is scheduled for Friday August 22^nd at the home of Glenn & Laura Doolittle and we will begin at 6:00 pm.  More information is coming soon.  Please save the date and plan on being there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When was the last time that you lost something of great value? For me it has been a little while, until…. Recently, Hill N Dale Christian Church decided that the ministerial staff would have an emergency pager to share. For most of the past two months, our Senior Minister has had the pager but recently it was my turn. I wore the thing for a week and not one issue. I passed it on to our youth minister before heading out on vacation and when I returned, it was my turn again. Now, in a previous ministry I wore a pager for 3 years straight and never had any issues of misplacing or dropping the thing. Of course, I didn’t have children and my mind wasn’t nearly as cluttered. However, last night I took the pager off and placed it on the floor next to my side of the bed. (If you have ever had a vibrating pager go off in the middle of the night on your night stand you can understand why I keep it on the floor at night) As soon as I put the pager down I became immediately distracted with a pile of junk mail, supper & children. A few hours later it dawned on me… “Where is the pager?” I had remembered placing the pager on the floor next to the bed but when I went to look it was no where to be found. It was now approaching 11:00 pm and I had retraced every step I had taken since coming home. I called the pager to see if I could hear it. I searched the washing machine, the dishwasher, the bathroom, both vehicles, and the yard. Now, the fear began to set in. What if I missed someone’s important call? What if I was the ‘2^nd’ minister to ‘lose’ the pager? So, the thoughts began to race through my head. Earlier that day I was running some cables under the soundboard at church, maybe it fell off. There was no way I could just go to sleep and worry about it in the morning. With the fear racing through me, I get dressed and head out to the church. I immediately turn the lights on in the auditorium, listen, and nothing. I climb down under the sound board and nothing. Long story a little shorter, I spent an hour at the church and found nothing. I searched inside, outside and still nothing. It is now after midnight and when I arrive back home, I walk through the door and decide to give every room a look through once again. And finally, I hear something. Very faintly I can hear the pager vibrating somewhere in the living room. I practically take the couch and recliner apart and still couldn’t find it. Would you believe it took me nearly thirty minutes from the time I first heard the pager vibrating and then listening every 1 minute and 59 seconds to find the thing?

Have you ever truly considered the value and meaning behind the words of Amazing Grace? That you “were once LOST but now am FOUND.” Can you even imagine how much finding you meant to God? Each and every one of us is truly lost until we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. How heart breaking it must be to God when people live their entire lives and die without ever accepting that gift of His grace. It is God’s ultimate wish that all would come to know and accept Him. But as with any gift, it must received and accepted. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:16-17

What a truly incredible search effort!

So where did I finally find the pager? It was in the trash can in the kitchen. Remember all the junk mail? Fortunately for the next minister that wears the pager, Amy had just taken the trash out before I threw the pager away!

 

The day began with a few emails back and forth…… “Where would you like to go for our date?” Amy and I had been talking for over a week after our good friend Laura Doolittle offered to watch our children. The offer sounded really nice because I didn’t have band practice due to the fact that I would be on vacation this weekend. So, my answer was, “we should go to Longhorn…” We loaded up the van and headed over to drop the kids off. Now my plan was simple. We would slow down to about 5 mph and have the kids jump out and we’d be off. Well, we pull up and Amy says, ‘you are coming in aren’t you?’ I replied, ‘well sure.’ I walk in the door and Laura says, ‘hey you should see the new patio.’ So, I walk in the kitchen and I find myself surrounded by a chorus of ’surprise!’ And, I was!

 Amy and Laura had spent the past several weeks planning my surprise birthday party. The entire HND’ praise band and some of my fellow HND’ coworkers joined me for a great night of food, fun and jamming. Yes, jamming…. I was greeted not only by my friends but also all of my gear was setup and ready to go. How fun! Now, the highlight of the evening began with my card…. Imagine if you would a record cover by my favorite band from the 80’s… Journey. But, something was different… the faces of the originally band members were creatively replaced with each face of the HND’ praise band. “see pic below.” A very creative DVD was created for me as well.

You know, everyone should have a moment where you are totally surprised. I mean not one hint or slip up. A total surprise! Well, I have now had two of those moments in my life. Thank you to all of you who made my 35^th birthday a true ‘SURPRISE!’
 

Not at the same time of course!  But if you do enjoy singing, eating and just hanging out together, then you need to join our Hill N Dale Worship Choir for our 1^st of 2 scheduled worship choir picnics this summer.   

 

The first one will be Wednesday July 9^th at 6:45 pm.  at the home of Keith & Judy Rouch.  I have additional info like what will be provided, what to bring and directions for you. Just feel free to contact me at seanrittenberry@hillndale.com or 278-0313 and I’ll get that info to you.

 

The 2^nd Worship Choir picnic will be in August at the Doolittle home.  More info to come soon!