The Hillsboro Christian

THE HILLSBORO CHRISTIAN December 2021 - Volume 61

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son John 3:16

In This Issue of The Christian

By Brad Clouse In the Clouse house, this Christmas season is especially exciting as we are beginning our new ministry with you here at Hillsboro. I just wanted to express my gratitude to you all for the opportunity to be your new minister. It is an honor to be entrusted with the task of proclaiming to you the Word of God. My family looks forward to forging new relationships with you as we serve our Lord together.

Recently, my children sat down to write out their Christmas lists. In their season of life, with Will, 8, Annaleigh, 6, and Samantha, 4, there is a definite excitement about the gifts they may receive on Christmas morning. Julie and I are always equally excited to see their reactions to gifts we have chosen specifically for them.

It is heartwarming to see your child unwrap a package to find the gift that they WANTED all along. But over 2,000 years ago, in a little town called Bethlehem, God gave the entire world the gift that we NEEDED. It was the angel who made the announcement to Joseph: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

This Christmas season, we celebrate that our greatest need has been met in the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

In this newsletter, Micah encourages us to give thought to the words we sing about Jesus during the Christmas season. When we lift our voices in song, we proclaim the truth of Jesus.

Adam also invites us to get plugged into the Bible Basics class as he introduces a special study on the names of Jesus during the month of December.

Jim will be sharing with all of us a personal “Thank You.” As he expresses his thanks, I am reminded of what is written in Hebrews 13:7 – “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” God bless Jim and Jean!

Let me take just a moment to introduce to you our upcoming series for the month of December: UNFILTERED MOMENTS. In this series, we will spend our time in the Gospel of Luke looking at the following:

Luke 1:26-38 – The moment Mary finds out she would conceive and give birth to Jesus.

Luke 2:1-21 – The moment Jesus is born.

Luke 2:22-40 – The moment the newborn Jesus enters the temple for the first time.

Luke 2:41-52 – The moment Joseph and Mary find 12-year-old Jesus in the temple court.

In each of these moments, we get a beautiful glimpse of who Jesus is. So, I ask that you please keep me in your prayers as I prepare these messages to share with you. May you be encouraged by this edition of The Christian. God bless!

In Christian love, Brad

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brad Clouse, a Louisville, Kentucky native, graduated from Louisville Bible College in 2010 with a Master’s Degree in Sacred Literature after earning his former degrees at the same university. Brad served at smaller churches in Adair County Kentucky while in college before being called to Ohio in 2009. Brad ministered to the New Vienna Church of Christ congregation for 12 years before being called to the Hillsboro Church of Christ as the Senior Minister.

Brad and his family, including his wife Julie, son Will, and daughters Annaleigh and Samantha, live just outside of Hillsboro. They spend most of their free time at sporting events for the kids or cheering on the Louisville Cardinals. They view themselves as a ministry family that wants to set an example for others while knowing they need the grace and mercy of Jesus each day!

PLEASE NOTE: The church office will close at noon on December 24th.

Also, we will have limited office hours during the week of December 27th through January 1st.

Please call before coming in.

Join us for our

Christmas (Bible) Basics

by Adam Steele

This past September our church embarked on a new approach to our Sunday morning teaching time. Instead of meeting in several individual classes, we began a new class called Bible Basics that puts all adults together in one large class. The goal was to be able to teach consistent theology and doctrine more directly to our people. This is a big change in the way church operated on a weekly basis but one that the leadership believes will have lasting positive benefits. I want to start by saying, “Thank you” to everyone who has been a part of the Bible Basics series thus far. It has been a joy to teach this first 10-week session and I am so ex-

cited for the future of this class and all the topics that will be discussed in the lessons to come.

Through this class you have the opportunity to grow in your understanding of theology and doctrine as well as your appreciation for the Bible.

We finished the most recent set of ten lessons talking about the names of God. He cares deeply about names, and you can see this in a variety of ways. One way this is demonstrated is in the Ten Commandments. The third commandment is, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Ex 20:7) The Jewish people

took this commandment so seriously that they refused to pronounce God’s name at all for fear of misusing it. We also see moments where God changes someone’s name to draw attention to some sort of major shift that has taken place in their life, Simon to Peter, Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, etc. When God creates man the first task that Adam is given is one of naming: he is to name all the animals.

God takes names very seriously.

Over the Christmas season in the Bible Basics class, we will be looking at a short series, by J. D. Greear, on the names of Jesus ascribed to him around his birth.

This series will consider the

significance of each of these names and what we can learn about Jesus through studying them. The series will cover, Emmanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, and I AM. We hope that this series will heighten your understanding of the meaning of these names and will give you a greater appreciation for them as you encounter them during the Christmas season.

The end of the year is a time where we normally take stock of what we have experienced over the last year and consider how we can improve in the year to come. Would you consider making the Bible Basics class a part of

your weekly routine in 2022? The Bible Basics class will be diving back into Jack Cottrell’s book, The Faith Once for All, on January 2nd. If you have not had the opportunity to be a part of this class in the first set of 10 lessons, this would be a great time to give it a try. This next set of 10 lessons will cover a variety of topics including, Angels & Demons, Sin, and the Nature of Man. This class meets at both 9:00 am and 10:30 am every Sunday morning and we hope that it will help to deepen your understanding of scripture and your relationship with God. Grace and Peace, Adam

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam has served with Hillsboro Church of Christ since 2016 as our Associate minister-Discipleship & Youth and Family Minister.

A little fun fact about Adam: addicted to Star Wars

he is

We are Christmas Caroling Sunday evening December 12th 5:00 PM If you would like to join us, let us know by going to our website: hillsborochurch.net/christmas-caroling (you do not have to sign-up in order to attend, we just want to get a count of how many will be caroling))

COME JOIN US! After caroling, we will have hot chocolate and cookies at the church

by Micah Herrick

My kids have all been in the Christmas spirit since early November. Thanks to my wife for that. In the midst of that excitement and joy, they have been singing various versions of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” on repeat for a few weeks now. It strikes me that there are some important lessons that we can learn from this seasonal song.

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN, OVER THE HILLS AND EVERYWHERE. GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN THAT JESUS CHRIST IS BORN! There is such a great encouragement written into the fabric of this great Christmas hymn. So often, we feel like there is some kind of special knowledge that we need to have to be able to share our faith. While there is plenty to study to shore up our understanding of God and His Kingdom, the fundamental truth that Jesus saves is something that can be shared by every believer everywhere. As a matter of fact, the Apostle Peter teaches us this specifically when he says, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the

reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV).

THE SHEPHERDS FEARED AND TREMBLED, WHEN LO ABOVE THE EARTH, RANG OUT THE ANGEL CHORUS THAT HAILED OUR SAVIOR’S BIRTH.

When God moves, incredible things happen. When Jesus spoke with authority, it marveled all who were present. When he confronted Saul on the road to Damascus, Saul was blinded. When Jesus makes a bold move, many come to him. When he came to earth, heaven burst at the seams, and glory seeped into creation with angel song. We, as the church, have the blessing and opportunity to be a part of that.

God is on the move in our community. So the question here is will you fear and tremble, or will you proclaim the good news like the angels singing glory?

DOWN IN A LOWLY MANGER, THE HUMBLE CHRIST WAS BORN, AND GOD SENT US SALVATION THAT BLESSED CHRISTMAS MORN. God never does things in the ways that we expect. Paul writes,

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV). When Jesus came to earth, people were expecting a mighty king to declare the greatness of the arrival of the Kingdom, but God chose to arrive as a helpless infant in a stable lying in a manger. We don’t know how God will move next in our community, but we need to trust that His glory shines brightest in our weakness. We may not always feel like we are the most capable in our own strength, but we will overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11).

THE LORD MADE ME A WATCHMAN UPON THE CITY WALL, AND IF I AM A CHRISTIAN, I AM THE LEAST OF ALL. We humble ourselves as part of the community of believers. Jesus teaches us that “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest” (Luke 9:48 NIV). We each have an assignment as members of the Kingdom of heaven. Nothing about who we are is for our own uplifting or glory. All that we have and all that we are is for the Glory of Jesus. It is our job, each of us, to serve those that Jesus loves and submit ourselves to the Father. That is our worship. And when we worship in that way, we share God’s glory and goodness, and more and more people come to know him.

There is so much we can learn from the songs that we sing. Will we be challenged this holiday season to shout the truth of Jesus from every rooftop and corner we find ourselves in? We have a job to do. All for God’s glory!

go to: hillsborochurch.net/events to see what is happening at Hillsboro Church of Christ!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Micah is our worship minister and is passionate about finding ways for people to serve the body of Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven in whatever way God has gifted them for Kingdom service. If you ever have questions about getting involved he would love to chat with you either during normal office hours or after a service (in between wrangling any one of his crazy, lovable little ones)

We are still collecting for the Building Fund. If you would like to donate, you can do so through our website, or you can mail in your donation.

Our current balance is $102,133.98.

Brad & Julie

Jan & Chuck

Mike & Wava

Jim & Jean

Larry & Susie

Richard & Debbie

Adam & April

Rob & Jeanette

Roger & Janet

Micah & Rebecca

Charles & Darlene

Steve & Linda

Megan & Aaron

Dan & Katina

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

There have been a couple of new additions to our congregation over the past few weeks.

On October 26th, Ryker Cox made the decision to give his life to Christ through baptism. For Ryker this decision was one that the Lord had been working him through for several weeks. Ryker was baptized by Andrew Zink and we are all so excited to welcome him into the Christian family.

Sara Zugg chose to place her membership with the Hillsboro Church of Christ on November 14th.

She is a sister to Rebecca Herrick. Sara has been attending our church for some time and even giving of her talents on the worship team.

If you see Ryker or Sara, welcome them to the family and encourage them in the decisions they have made. To God be the Glory!

If you would like to participate in our Christmas Extravaganza, please fill in the form on our website:

hillsborochurch.net/christmas-extravaganza

If you are not participating, be sure to join us that evening, it’s always a great time!

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD SHOEBOXES This year our congregation filled over 563 boxes to be given to a child some where around the world. As the box goes to the child they receive a booklet in their language telling about God’s greatest gift, Jesus. These gifts bless the whole family as parents will be reading the booklets with the child, thus opening many hearts to hear the good news. Thanks to all who gave monetary gifts or who spent hours helping to pack the boxes.

To God be the Glory!

Marsha Williams

Praying over the boxes before shipment

Boxes loaded and ready to head to the processing center in North Carolina

Intercessory

Prayer requests

12/01/21

Health and Other: Sue Bryan Vicki Butler Denver Conley Bert Kelley Ohio Mission Bible Training Center Janet Pence Wayne Wiedenbein Tammy Wilson

Shut Ins: Barbara Boris Jewel Calmes Marvin Gotherman John Porter Angela Ruble Carol Setty Ruby Wallingford

Cancer: Jeffery Aurigema Luke Bihl Jim Cook Kari Crafton Bob Fisher Diann Hensley Judy Roush Mark Sears

Family Loss: The family of Diane Hensley

Missions: The Brittons, The Millers, The Newmans,

HCC Leadership: Steve Allen Brad Clouse Roger Epley Dan Fauber Mike Labig Richard VanZant

Military: Tyler & Cindy Amos Chad Blankenship Justin Brandt Ryan Burns Mark Conover Thadeus Conover Corey Hughes Kyle Kessinger Taylor Sweeney

Average attendance for the month of November was: 428 Average weekly giving for the month of November was: 10,417.00 Our weekly need is: $11,229.13

ANNOUNCEMENTS Faith in Action ministry will be meeting Thursday, December 2nd, at 6:00 pm in the Connection Café to wrap Angel Tree presents.

There will be no youth groups on the 19th and also the 26th

No Back Pack Club on the 15th, 22nd, or 29th. They will resume the first of the year.

Area 937 is collecting canned pasta for the month of December. You can put your donations in the Area 937 barrel at the South entrance lobby.

LOST AND FOUND

If you are missing an item, please check the coat rack near the nursery. We currently have several items.

(Someone is going to be cold!)

With Grateful Hearts We Say THANK YOU!

o

verwhelmed with gratitude,” is the best way to express our feelings about your outpouring of love this past Lord’s day through your words of kindness and your extreme generosity in the love offering you gave. Your magnanimous gift was . . . well . . . “overwhelming." Jean and I are humbled and blessed.

My feelings toward you are much like the apostle Paul’s to the Philippian Christians. You have walked by our side for nearly our entire ministry. Our children were born and reared here, but for a handful of years away. You have loved us, cared for us, labored with us, laughed, and cried with us. Together we’ve trudged through dark valleys and summitted mountains. Together we’ve weathered brutal storms and basked in the joy of God’s marvelous grace and sunshine. Your gift to us is received with grateful hearts for your expression of love and the Lord's abundant provision.

I’ve never thought of Einstein as a philosopher, but he apparently was, in conjunction with his other areas of brilliance. He expresses the things God continues to teach me with these words:

"From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of each other - above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose [destiny] we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received." ~ Albert Einstein It was my privilege for a number of years here at HCC to sing in a quartet (Jim Butler, Bob Wilson, Greg West, and myself). We named the quartet after what truly is one of my favorite songs and what my heart longs to express to Almighty God, knowing that it is YOU He used to provide much of what we are so grateful for.

GRATEFUL HEARTS

by: Walt Harrah

Every good and perfect gift Every promise that is true Every blessing that we have comes from You. You're the giver of it all And for that we send it awe And we lift out praises up with grateful hearts.

With grateful hearts we say thank you For all things great and small With grateful hearts, we say thank you, Thank you for it all

You're the Light that lights our way You're the Bread we need each day You've provided everything we'll ever need So with faith we look to You With our future now in view And we praise You Lord of all with grateful hearts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLCVStdN17A

From both Jean and myself, from the bottom of our hearts . . . “Thank You,"

Jim & Jean Bush

26

19

12

Christmas Extravaganza 6:00 PM

27

20

All church Christmas Caroling 5:00 PM

T.H.E.O.

13

6

5

Youth Groups: Elementary—5-6 PM Jr High—5-7 PM Sr High—7 PM

Mon

28

21

14

7

Tue

29

22

No Back Pack Club thru end of year

15

8

30

23

16

9

2

1 Backpack Club 3:45-5:30

Thu

Wed

Little Lamb Christmas Program

Faith In Action Meeting 6 PM Café

Office closes at noon

31

Office closes at noon

Christmas Eve Service 6:00 PM

24

17

10

3

Fri

25

18

11

4

Sat

Men’s Healthy Sexuality Meeting 8 AM

December 2021

Light office hours this week, please call before coming in

 1st Worship Service  Bible Basics Class  Children’s Classes (Nursery—5th Grade)  MS/HS SS Classes  Connections Café  2nd Worship Service  Bible Basics Class  Children’s Worship (Nursery—5th Grade)

Sun

10—10:30 10:30—11:30

9—10 AM

SUNDAY SCHEDULE