It's not easy visiting a church for the first time. Will I stand out? Am I really welcome? Do I have to give money? How should I dress? Do I have to know a lot about the Bible? What about my kids?
We want you to experience God and community at Hillside and we don't want the stress of visiting a new church to get in the way. So here is a brief overview of what to expect at Hillside Community Church.
Children:
If you have kids (ages birth through 5th grade), you will be directed to the Children's Ministry Registration Booth at the southwest entrance of the church. There you may register for our children's programs.
Nursery is available at both the 9:30 and 11:00 services. We also offer children's programming for ages 2 ½ through kindergarten at both morning services. Programming for grades 1 – 5 is at 11:00 a.m. during the school year. Of course, you are welcome to take your kids into the services with you, but we think they will really enjoy the programs designed especially for them. Our security system assures that your children are safe and well cared for. More detailed information about our Sunday morning and Wednesday evening children's programs is available at the Children's Ministry Registration Booth or at the Welcome Center which is located between the double doors that lead into the auditorium.
Worship Service:
Our worship services are an authentic expression of our love for God and our desire to live as He intends. When you enter the auditorium, you will receive a bulletin which has the topic for the day and information about upcoming events and opportunities at Hillside. The ushers will help you find a seat and are available to answer any questions you may have. The service usually begins with some music, followed by a welcome, prayer time, and announcements. Because you are our guest, please don't feel obligated to participate in the offering, although you are welcome to do so if you wish. Then the teaching pastor for the day will give a message that is based on the Bible and relevant to daily life.
Connecting:
There are many ways to get connected at Hillside.
· Connect with someone wearing a name tag on Sunday. They are here to help you.
· Share a cup of coffee with us in the foyer after the service.
· Discover specific ways to connect by checking out our resources at the Welcome Center, located between the double doors that lead to the auditorium.
· Attend Alpha for an introduction to the Christian faith.
· Attend an Exploring Hillside class if you are interested in considering membership or just want to find out more about Hillside. Contact Amy Guikema at aguikema@hillsidech.org
· Join a Care Circle to experience God and enjoy community with others.
· Attend Coffee Break to enjoy time with women and study the Bible (offered Tueday mornings and evenings during the school year).
· Connect through serving. We'd love to help find the best fit for you. Contact Deb Oskam at doskam@hillsidech.org
We hope that you have a great experience worshiping at Hillside. If you have any suggestions or comments on your experience, we welcome your feedback.
Please contact Amy Guikema at aguikema@hillsidech.org
When is it time to consider joining Hillside?
...You head for the same seat every week
...You stop saying "Hillside" and start saying "my church"
...Teachers or nursery workers know your child by name
...You pick up a copy of the monthly News and Notes to see what's going on
...Someone asks you where you attend church and you answer "Hillside"...
EXPLORING HILLSIDE This class is designed for those who would like to know more about Hillside Community Church. In this class Pastor Ron explains our vision of ministry and what our basic beliefs are. He also gives a brief overview of how our church functions. You will be introduced to the various ministries at Hillside and the membership process will be explained. This class does not obligate you to membership but is a great place to ask questions you may have. Offered periodically throughout the year. Please call Amy Guikema at the church office @ 698-0122 ext. 108 or email aguikema@hillsidech.org for further information.
WHAT HAPPENS IN BAPTISM?
One of the first questions we want to think about is the question of what happens in baptism. What's going on? The fact is that Christians have had different understandings of what happens in baptism. In our tradition (the Reformed tradition), we have said that baptism is first and foremost about what God is doing. In baptism, we believe, God reaches out and makes a promise, a promise to the one being baptized. Whether that person is an infant or an adult, God is the main actor in a baptism. The promise that God makes to that person (whether an infant or an adult) is that God will be with them, that He will love them and care for them.
The main thing that happens in baptism is that God makes a promise to the one baptized and to the parents and to the entire community of believers. But baptism also does two other things. First, baptism is a sign that this person is a member of the community of faith. That's not to say that everyone who is baptized is saved, but it is to say that this person is part of the community of believers. Second, baptism is also a time when the community makes a promise to welcome the one being baptized and to help point him or her to Jesus Christ. God is the main promiser, but we make a promise as well.
IS BAPTISM FOR ADULT BELIEVERS ONLY, OR IS IT ALSO FOR INFANTS?
This is a question that sincere Christians have disagreement about. Some churches believe that only adults should be baptized, and that people should be baptized only after they have made a faith commitment. Our practice is that we do baptize adults who become Christians and we also baptize infants who are the children of believing parent(s).
Part of the reason for the disagreement is related to the issue of what is going on in baptism. Those who only baptize adults tend to focus more on baptism as an expression of my faith—baptism is an outward expression of an inward decision to follow Christ. If that is how one understands baptism then it wouldn't make any sense to baptize an infant—that infant can't make a decision.
As stated above, however, in our church we see baptism as something that God does—a promise God gives. With that understanding, it is no problem that the infant doesn't understand what is happening. In fact, infant baptism can be a picture of God's grace. God reaches out and makes a promise to this little one before he or she is even aware of it. As parents, then, we are to tell our children that they have been baptized—we tell them that God has already made a promise to them.
DO PEOPLE HAVING A CHILD BAPTIZED NEED TO BE BELIEVERS?
Yes. Both parents do not need to be Christians to have a baby baptized at Hillside, but at least one of them needs to be. As we said above, baptism is not just a promise given by God, it is also a sign that this person is part of the community of faith. At Hillside we believe that it is the faith and commitment of the parent(s) that gives indication that the child is part of the faith community and will be raised in that environment. And since we also believe that in baptism parents make a vow to raise their children to know God, we believe that the parent(s) must be people who know God themselves. We can't give to our children what we don't possess ourselves.
WHAT IF ONE OF THE PARENTS IS A CHRISTIAN AND THE OTHER IS NOT?
In this situation the parent who is not a Christian is more than welcome to be on the platform with the family during the baptism. We ask, however, that only the believing parent answer the questions when they are asked.
IF WE ARE PARENTS HAVING A CHILD BAPTIZED, WHAT QUESTIONS ARE WE GOING TO BE ASKED?
While we are not terribly formal here at Hillside, we do ask basically the same questions of parents when they are having a child baptized.
The first question is a question that affirms the parent's faith:
Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, accept the promises of God and affirm the truth of the Christian faith which is proclaimed in the Bible and confessed in this church of Christ?
The second question is a question that asks the parent(s) if we believe our children should be baptized:
Do you believe that your child, though sinful by nature, is received by God in Christ as a member of His covenant, and therefore ought to be baptized?
In this question we affirm two things. First we affirm that our children are sinful by nature. We recognize that our child is born in sin and that without the grace of God through Jesus Christ, our child is lost. Second, we affirm that even though he or she is sinful, we believe that our child is part of God's covenant—a receiver of God's promises. In the Old Testament, babies were circumcised as a sign that they were part of the community of God's people—they were part of God's covenant. Here we are saying that we still believe that God works through believers and their children.
The third question is a question that looks at the commitment we make as parents:
Do you promise, in reliance on the Holy Spirit and with the help of the Christian community to do all in your power to instruct this child in the Christian faith and to lead him by your example into the life of Christian discipleship.
Here we are saying that it is our desire to raise our children to know the God who has made a promise to them in baptism. We recognize that we can't do this on our own, however. We affirm that we do this with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Christian community.
The answer that most people give to these questions is this: We do, God helping us.
WHY DOES THE CONGREGATION MAKE A VOW IF IT IS NOT ONE OF THEIR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN?
After the parents make a vow, the pastor will turn to the congregation and ask them a question:
Do you, the people of the Lord, promise to receive this child in love, pray for him, help care for his instruction in the faith, and encourage and sustain him in the fellowship of believers?
By this vow, we recognize that we are not simply part of a biological family, but that we are part of a church family as well. That's why we don't do baptisms at family gatherings—this child is not just baptized into our biological family but also into our church family. In the New Testament, we discover that our understanding of family changes a bit as we recognize that the entire church is our family.
DOES BAPTISM GUARANTEE THAT THE CHILD IS GOING TO HEAVEN?
No, that's not the case. The water of baptism is a sign of God's promise to that child and one of the things we talk about at baptism is the fact that this child will have to receive the promise that God has made to him or her. When that happens, we celebrate what we call profession of faith.
IF OUR CHILDREN WERE BAPTIZED AS INFANTS, HOW CAN WE HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS THAT THEY WERE BAPTIZED?
There are several things we can do to help our children "remember" that they were baptized—that God has made a promise to them.
David Rylaarsdam, who spoke at Hillside a while ago, shared about how he and his wife have always celebrated their children's birthdays and their baptism days. As the kids grow older, every year they are reminded of the day of their baptism. They make it a special day somehow—maybe serving that child's favorite meal—and they talk about what baptism means. They tell the child that God loves them and claims them and has marked them as His own. And they encourage the child to think about how they respond to God's promises and what it means to trust God.
Parents might also think of giving the child something to act as a reminder of baptism. The Worship Centers at Hillside recently sent each child home with a blue marble and a little card saying this: Think of this as a drop of clear blue water to remind you of your baptism. Baptism is a sign that means God loves you and you are part of God's Christian family. An object like that can be a great way to remind the child that he or she was baptized and to talk to the child about baptism.
A third thing you might do is to make sure that you bring your child to church when there is a baptism. Let them see the baptism and then tell them about the day that they were baptized.
WHAT IS PROFESSION OF FAITH?
Saying yes to your Savior in a particular church and committing yourself to adult membership there.
HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?
For more information about baptism or Profession of Faith, please contact the church office at 698-0122.