News & Updates

Christmas Production Tickets Available

Jeff Wilson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:20:16 GMT

Lost or Found is the title of this year’s Christmas production that is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights December 9th–11th at 7 p.m.

Free tickets are now available online at LostOrFound.me. Invite a friend to come hear the great message of Christmas: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10.

Send Christmas to Our Troops!

Jeff Wilson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:19:26 GMT

Time is short for preparing gifts to send to our valiant men and women. Donate items for care boxes (list of items at the end of this article).

Adopt a military man or woman.
Write Christmas cards or make ornaments.
Pack care boxes.
Provide names and addresses of those you love who are serving us so courageously.

Contact Sherri Woodham if you have any questions.

Signed Christmas Cards & Letters of support
7”-9” tall Homemade Christmas Stockings
Christmas Ornaments (small, homemade are great)
Ceramic Coffee Mugs
DVDs, CDs (used are OK)
Socks, SOCKS, SOCKS
Black wool knit hats
Black wool fingerless gloves
Black wool neck warmers
LED Flashlights
Imodium AD (generic is fine)
Cough drops
Vitamins
Toothpaste
Dental Floss
Empty pill bottles w/child-proof caps
Ramen Noodles (small, square packs)
Chicken Vienna Sausages
Tuna Packets
Beef Jerky, Venison Jerky, Turkey Jerky
Non-refrigerated Microwave Meals, Soups
Hard Candy, Mints
Gum
Nuts (all kinds)
Dried Fruit
Coffee
Instant soup
Tea bags
Hot chocolate packets
Peanut Butter
Old cell phone*
Used printer cartridges*

*to recycle for postage money and supplies

Evangelism for Dummies

Dennis Newkirk — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:48:48 GMT

When people are asked why they don’t share their faith, the number one answer has something to do with fear. It seems that we have placed so much pressure on the “rules” around sharing our faith that we have lost the joy and blessing that comes from it. This weekend one of our Elders, Allan Rice will be teaching a new approach to do what God has clearly called us to do, to do the work of an Evangelist. Allan has developed a creative and compelling message that God will use to challenge this area of our lives. We look forward to seeing you this weekend as we worship together.

I love being your pastor,
Dennis Newkirk

Deacon Candidates

Jeff Wilson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:05:59 GMT

Last December the members of our church were asked to recommend men to be considered as candidates for the office of Deacon. Today you are provided this guide to introduce the 15 men who have completed more than eight months of training and examination. Each of them believes he has been called to serve Henderson Hills as a Deacon and each is being recommended by the Elder Council.

The qualifications of a Deacon are outlined in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. We encourage you to review these qualifications. Your input as a member of this church body is both necessary and appreciated as we vote on each of these candidates. This vote will take place this weekend, October 17th & 18th, 2009. If you have concerns regarding the qualifications of any of these men, please contact Joe Williams.

Idol Factories

Dennis Newkirk — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:16:11 GMT

As John Calvin wrote during the Middle Ages, the human heart is a forge for the production of idols. We are able to make idols of everything. In fact, one of the primary warnings of both the Old and New Testaments is that we must guard our hearts from idolatry. In “Idol Factories” we will explore what idolatry is, how to recognize it in our own lives, what it does to us, and how to be freed from it. Our Father has commanded us to have no god, but God. Let’s discover how to obey Him, live in freedom from idols, and experience the great joy of serving the one, true, eternal God.

I love being your pastor,
Dennis Newkirk

Apologetics Links

Dennis Newkirk — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:49:29 GMT

Apologetics is a discipline of theology interested in the defense of the divine origin and authority of Christianity.

Last weekend, October 3, 4, 2009 I spoke on our priority of “ENGAGE.” During the message I mentioned that there are many good resources that can help you prepare to make a logical presentation and defense of your faith. Here are a few good ones:

http://www.apologetics.com
http://www.aomin.org
Craig Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the Gospels (IVP)
Philip Johnson, Darwin on Trial (IVP)
Philip Johnson, Objections Sustained (IVP)
Philip Johnson, Reason in the Balance (IVP)
Francis Shaeffer, Escape from Reason (IVP)

I hope you find these resources helpful as you prepare to share you faith.

I love being your pastor,

Dennis

ENGAGE

Dennis Newkirk — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:59:15 GMT

We're going to wrap up this message series, "I'm a Believer…Now What?" by taking a closer look at what it means to Engage. Our church body defines it as "Engaging the lost with the purpose of leading them to Christ." Basically we’re talking about having spiritual conversations. The Bible says in Colossians 4:5-6 "Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone."

So how do we do that?

One of the easiest ways that I’ve found is to go on a mission trip. Stepping out of your comfort zone physically, often times makes it easier to step out of your comfort zone conversationally. When you travel to a place with intentionality and purpose to serve others, opportunities to share about your relationship with Christ miraculously seem to pop up left and right. If you are thinking you may be interested in going on a mission trip click here.

Another great way to facilitate more "Engage" in your life is to adopt a family over the holidays. Every year there are a great number of families who are hurting due to an incarcerated loved one, a family member deployed overseas, or those who have lost their jobs and have no way to provide food or gifts for their children at Christmas time. By serving these families, we are showing them the love of Christ. And as you meet their physical needs, pray that God would use you to meet any spiritual needs they may have as well.

Another great Engage opportunity we have is through or partnership with Destiny Urban Academy. They are a Christian based private school serving the population of students in Oklahoma City that have dropped out or been expelled from the public school system. They help these children learn life skills and create goals for their lives through Christian education. Currently they need volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring for these kids. What a great way to engage a hurting child and point them towards their loving Heavenly Father. If you’d like more information on how you can get involved click here.

Engaging the lost is actually a lot simpler than we make it out to be. You don’t have to have all the answers or be "super spiritual.” You just have to be willing to listen and follow the promptings of the Lord when He asks you to share something with someone or pray over someone who you know is hurting. It’s just about consciously reaching out to those that may not have a relationship with Christ. May I challenge you today to start thinking of ways that you can actively engage others for Christ?

I love being your pastor,
Dennis Newkirk

If you'd like to read more about personal evangelism, I recommend Tell The Truth by Will Metzger.

SERVE

Dennis Newkirk — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:20:02 GMT

We’ve been studying our four priorities as a church body – Connect, Grow, Serve and Engage. This weekend we’ll take a closer look at the Serving aspect. The Bible says we are to “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:10-11

At Henderson Hills we believe that every member is a minister. God has uniquely designed you with spiritual gifts for that ministry. If you would like help discovering what your gifts are, come to a class called Discovering How to Serve the weekend of October 10th and 11th. If you’d like to sign up or learn more, click here. This class will help you get a better idea of not only how God has gifted you, but also where you can plug in and serve here at Henderson Hills.

I’d also like to highlight a few of the serving opportunities we have here at the church. Did you know that our Preschool Ministry averages over 450 preschoolers a weekend? Currently we have 122 fantastic leaders, but we need 130 to fully staff that area.

In our Children’s Ministry we’ve been averaging 470 kids. We need 66 small group leaders to adequately lead these children. We currently have 54 which means we still have 6 classes that need leaders. And in our Student Ministry we are averaging 550 students! (praise God!) We currently have 40 dedicated High School volunteers serving, but we still have two small groups that need leaders. And the Middle School Ministry has 32 volunteers serving, but still has three small groups that need leaders. We need your help.

If you would like to serve in this capacity in the Preschool Area email Julie. For Children's email Wendy. For Middle School email Micah and for High School email Daryl.

I highlight these particular serving opportunities not only because of the need, but because of how important it is that we pour into the next generation of Christ followers. But there are MANY different ways that you can plug in to serve Christ’s church with intentionality. This weekend in your bulletin there will be a comprehensive list of all the different serving opportunities we have at Henderson Hills. Please pray about how God may use you to further His Kingdom.

I love being your pastor,
Dennis Newkirk

Do You Believe in Healing?

Dennis Newkirk — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:29:08 GMT

According to Luke 4, Jesus came to heal us body, soul, and spirit. We often pray for the salvation of family members and friends. But most of our prayer requests are for physical healing. We’ve been taught how to pray for people’s salvation, but how should we pray for physical and emotional healing? We’ve seen God perform miracles through prayer. However, there have been many times that we prayed for healing and didn’t see it happen. How can we understand that disappointment? Dr. Mike Scales and Ron Walborn will be with us during the Wednesday evening service on September 30th to teach us how to pray for the ill. We will also have a prayer time for those who are suffering. You are heartily encouraged to attend this very informative and perhaps life-changing event.

I love being your pastor,
Dennis Newkirk

GROW

Dennis Newkirk — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:21:12 GMT

GROW

Last week we talked about Connecting. This week we will focus on our second priority as a church which is Growing into Christ Likeness. The reasons why we need to grow in our spiritual walk are fairly obvious.

“Grow” refers to making spiritual progress. When we come to Christ, we are “born again.” In other words, we become spiritual infants, we may get stuck in spiritual childishness, grow through spiritual adolescence, and hopefully become spiritually mature believers able to discern truth from error and capable to care for the “younger ones” of the family.

Do you want to know more about this important matter of spiritual growth? Read Romans 10:17; Ephesians 4:11-18; 1 Peter 2:1-3; and Hebrews 5:12-6:1.

So now for the “How do we grow” aspect of it, how can you take your next step?

Well, to begin, we offer a class called Discovering How to Grow. In this class we look at some of the disciplines Jesus practiced while He was on earth like Bible study, prayer, stewardship, service, worship, community and more. By practicing these activities we can be transformed by His spirit. The next Discovering How to Grow classes will be offered the weekend of October 10th and 11th. To sign up click here.

We’re also offering a brand new class called 1st Century Biblical Backgrounds. This class meets on Sunday nights from 5-7 p.m. and is led by Stuart Skelton. A good understanding of the back story of the scriptures can truly transform your understanding and application of Biblical living. It’s free and childcare is available. If you’d like more information click here.

Another great way to grow is through a mentoring relationship. Both the Men’s and Women’s Ministries here at Henderson Hills have great mentoring programs already in place. This kind of relationship can provide a wealth of encouragement and accountability in your spiritual journey. If you’re interested in being a mentor or mentee and would like to learn more click here (for men) and here (for women).

There is also a brand new Grow event that is happening this Thursday, September 17th called the Mom’s Conference – complete with author/speaker Vicki Courtney as the keynote, as well as five different breakout sessions to choose from and lots of books and resources available for purchase to use and apply in your homes. To learn more about this event, click here.

The list of Grow opportunities here at the church could go on and on. I’d like to challenge you to take advantage of them and pursue God with all your heart, soul and mind.

I love being your pastor,
Dennis Newkirk