The Hillsboro Christian

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THE HILLSBORO CHRISTIAN Volume 63 - May, 2023
HANNA BURTON Hillsboro High School KYAH CHANEY Hillsboro High School

CAMERON SMART

Hillsboro High School

EVAN FENDER Hillsboro High School IAN KARNES Greenfield McClain High School &

In This Issue of The Hillsboro Christian

“I thank God for every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3-6, NIV)

This is a beautiful prayer offered up by the apostle Paul on behalf of the believers in Philippi. Paul writes his letter to the church of Philippi around AD 62-63. This letter is one of four letters Paul wrote during his first imprisonment in Rome – Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon are known as “the Prison Epistles.”

This letter was written about ten years after Paul’s first visit to the city of Philippi. It is clear that these believers held a special place in Paul’s heart. He was encouraged and supported by them in several ways:

These believers were eager to work with Paul in the ministry fo the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Phillipians 1:3-6)

These believers continually prayed for Paul (Phillipians 1:18-20)

These believers took part in proclaiming the truth of Christ in word and deed (Phillipians 1:27-28)

These believers were also willing to also suffer for their faith, experiencing the same struggle as Paul experienced (Phillipians 1:29-30)

These believers financially supported the ministry of Paul (Phillipians 4:14-16)

In this letter, he recognizes this congregation as a gift from God: “I thank my God every time I remember you” (1:3). The believers in Philippi poured themselves into the life of Paul. What a difference their support and encouragement made in his life and ministry. Like Paul, we, too, have been blessed at some point in our lives by people who took the time to pour into us with support and encouragement. It is important that we follow Paul’s example by taking the time to thank God for those individuals. People who take the time to love and care for us, invest in us, and pray for and with us are great blessings from God. If we are able, let us take the time to let those very people know how much we appreciate them.

The theme for this month’s newsletter is POURING INTO OTHERS. In this edition, Adam Micah Our guest contributor is Jim Bush … He shares with us the importance of spiritual formation in the life of believers.

On Sunday mornings, we are currently in a sermon series entitled POURING INTO OTHERS. Each week, we are looking at different relationships in the Bible where we see faithful individuals pouring into others. We are focusing on the following relationships:

Jethro & Moses: Exodus 18:1-27

Moses & Joshua: Numbers 27:12-23

Jesus & the 12: Mark 3:13-19

Barnabas & Paul: Acts 9:20-31

Lois and Eunice & Timothy: II Timothy 1:1-5

May our current series and the content of this newsletter be a genuine blessing to you all!

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.

He is pictured here with his wife, Julie.

WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ONAT HILLSBORO CHURCH OF CHRIST DURING THE MONTH OF MAY?

CHECK THIS OUT!

or go to: hillsborochurch.net/events for more information

5-03-23

5-04-23

Last Back Pack until September

National Day of Prayer

5-05-23 “Run for the Roses “ women’s event sponsored by Faith in Action 6:00 pm in the Cafe

5-07-23

5-12-23

5-13-23

5-14-23

Back Pack Sunday

Little Lamb Graduation

Vacation Bible School work day (starts at 9:00 a.m.)

Mother’s Day

Southern Ohio Pregnancy Center baby bottles will be available for fundraiser

5-18-23

5-18-23

5-19-23

5-21-23

Missions Ministry Team meeting @ 6:30 pm in the Connection Cafe

Butler Springs Christian Camp Women’s Retreat

Butler Springs Christian Camp Women’s Retreat

Graduation Sunday (Congratulations Seniors!)

T.H.E.O. will meet right after 2nd worship service

5-25-23

5-27-23

5-29-23

MomConnect 5:30 p.m. -7:00 p.m. in the Connection Cafe

Vacation Bible School workday (starts at 9:00 a.m.)

Office Closed (Memorial Day weekend)

100 bottles of assorted condiments needed for Butler Springs Christian Camp. If you can pick up a bottle (or two or three), bring them to the church office and we will make sure they get to BSCC. Please have your donations here by May 21, 2023.

AREA 937 is collecting canned fruit for the month of May. You can bring your donations to the church and leave them in the AREA 937 barrel at the South Entrance foyer.

Christ in You

“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.

IF YOU HAVE RAISED CHILDREN, I am certain there have been times when you felt the same concern and frustration as the Apostle Paul in the text above. If you have not had children, you were one once, and your parents felt that exasperation with you at times. In moments of frustration, challenge, and concern, you have said (or said of you), “How old are you? Grow up and act your age!”

Paul’s concern, however, was not with the physical raising of children from infancy to adulthood. It was with the raising of spiritual children from new birth to maturity when Christ would be fully formed in them. This is a daunting task requiring patience, diligence, time, prayer, love, correction, encouragement, instruction, demonstration, and intentionality.

We are shaping the next generation for good or for ill, and I contend that it takes both demonstration and verbal instruction to train our children (biological and spiritual) properly. We are to consistently model a life of godliness, revealing Christ in us. We must also back up our behavior with careful instruction and reason. If our behavior at times is unbecoming as a servant of Jesus, we must back it up with repentance while asking for forgiveness. In this way, God will use even our failures and weaknesses to grow the next generation, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6). It was a sad day, in many ways, when our culture and society abandoned the training model of apprenticeship for that of classroom-dominant teaching. What was lost was hands-on, personal, relationship-based mentoring. But that may be changing. There seems to be the beginning of a movement to recover this lost art of instruction. Nowhere is this more important than in the Christian home and in the Church. Parents must take the time to intentionally teach and model Christian maturity to their

children in deed and word until Christ is fully formed in them. Men and women, preachers, teachers, elders, and servant leaders must take seriously their responsibility to nurture and train the next generation. Men should train younger men how to be godly men, husbands, and fathers. Women should train younger women how to be godly women, wives, and mothers.

So, what should we do? First of all, and let me say this loudly and clearly, if you are a parent, your primary responsibility is to train and mentor your own children. Don’t leave that responsibility to preachers and youth group leaders. Certainly, don’t leave it to public education that has, on the whole, rejected a biblical worldview.

There is clearly a danger for fathers and mothers to prioritize careers and dreams over children. There is an ever-present ache in my heart for time squandered when my children were young. I was busy chasing “ministry dreams” to the neglect of my wife and kids. Another danger is the failure to teach practical ‘how to’ skills because “if you want it done right, of course, you’ll have to do it yourself.”

To change this pattern means carving out intentional time for your kids, not just for baseball, soccer, cheerleading, and music lessons but for heart-to-heart conversations and demonstration of biblical truth, justice, grace, forgiveness, and Christian service. In the words of Voddie Baucham, “If I teach my son to keep his eyes on the ball but fail to teach him to keep his eyes on Christ, I have failed as a father.” Let us not fail in this sacred trust.

As we have opportunity, we should seek to pour our lives into those beyond our biological family. Paul had Timothy and Titus. Barnabas had John Mark. I have had godly

men pour into me, and God, in His grace, has given me four young men I have the privilege of pouring into. Somebody needs you to pour into them, and you still need somebody to pour into you. It doesn’t happen by accident.

How exciting it is to see the number of baptisms in the HCC family this year! This is fantastic! But this is not where their story or their journey ends. Our newborn Christian children, brothers and sisters must not be left

on the doorstep for someone else to feed and nurture or figure it out for themselves. They must not be left alone. Who will teach them? Who will protect them? Who will show Christ to them? Who will pick them up when they fall? Who will correct them lovingly? Who will help them understand the Scriptures? Who will help them make sense of life’s conundrums? Who will walk with them through valleys? Who will celebrate their victories? Why not YOU?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jim Bush grew up in a ministry family and following in his father’s footsteps became a minister of the Gospel also. It was just one year ago that Jim recently concluded a 33-year ministry with the Hillsboro Church of Christ where he served in multiple capacities through the years. The last eight of those years he served as the lead minister with the Hillsboro Church. Jim now serves the Russell School of Ministry, located in Florence, Kentucky, as the Regional Director of Recruiting.

Jim and his wife (of 47 years) Jean continue to reside in Hillsboro.

Come join us anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. in the Connection Café for National Day of Prayer. Stations will be set up with different suggested topics to pray on. This will be a family friendly event.

ALL LADIES INVITED

The Faith in Action ministry is sponsoring an event “Run for the Roses”, Friday, May 5th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Connection Café.

The special guest speaker for the evening is Kris Stoops from the Marshall Church of Christ.

The Bible verse for the evening is 1 Corinthians 9:24

“Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

All ladies are invited and asked to dress in derby attire and wear big hats (of course,this is optional,but suresounds like fun!) There will be a prize for the best derby hat!

Finger foods will be served.

One Bible reading plan I have put into practice at different times through the years is to read through Proverbs every month for a few months in a row. The book of Proverbs has thirty-one chapters, and this makes it very easy to read one chapter a day and finish it in a month. I have also noticed that when you read through Proverbs multiple times in a few months, the principles it contains are easier to remember as they are reinforced with each read-through.

The book of Proverbs begins with a section built around the concept of a parent giving wise advice to their child. Proverbs 1:8-9 reads, “Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head, and pendants for your neck.” Throughout the first nine chapters, the parent gives advice on a variety of topics, including how to avoid temptation, the importance of choosing good friends, how to handle money, the importance of a good work ethic, etc. The parent is trying to prepare their child for adulthood by giving them wise counsel. This section of Proverbs provides a wonderful example of the type of relationship parents are to have with their children and children with their parents.

But what if you grow up in a home where one or even

both of your parents are not around? Who is there to provide this godly wisdom for you? Unfortunately, this is the situation that many young people find themselves in today. For some, it may be that they are being raised by a single mother, or their parents cannot care for them, so they grow up with a grandparent or other family member. There are so many students, even in our community, that come from broken homes. As someone who works with students on a daily basis, I hear more of those heartbreaking stories than most.

So, what can be done about this issue? The breakdown of family dynamics is not a problem that is unique to Hillsboro, Ohio. Some say that we need to create social programs that can help provide the basic necessities to these families to relieve some of the pressure they feel. Many seem to think that the solution is to vent about the downfall of the country and the lack of moral foundation that we find ourselves in culturally. (This is an oversimplification). It is very easy to see this issue as unsolvable and one that you and I, as individuals, have almost no control over. Let me present a practical way that we, as the body of Christ, can work to provide wisdom to these students who so desperately need it.

Our church has said that “We value the next

generation,” and I believe that, as a whole, our congregation has made great strides in recent history. Some of the most numerically successful ministries we operate are our youth programs. For example, we have over a hundred elementary students in our church building every Wednesday for Backpack Club. These kids come from all over our community from a variety of backgrounds and family situations. Many of them are in need of caring adults who are willing to speak wisdom into their lives. They don’t live in an environment that provides them with godly, biblical advice. We, as the Hillsboro Church of Christ, have been given the opportunity to pour into their lives every week. It may be in a conversation about how that student’s week has been. It could be in answering a question that the student thought of during the Bible lesson. Every week we have a chance to be like those parents in the book of Proverbs and to provide these students with sound biblical wisdom.

Backpack Club is full of students who need godly adults pouring into their lives, but what Backpack Club lacks the most is adults to do the pouring. We are always looking for volunteers who are willing to take a couple of hours out of their week to invest in these students. When we minister to kids through Backpack Club, we also have opportunities to minister to their families as well. Parents notice when we intentionally invest time and energy to love their kids. So, what about you? Would you be willing to pour into the next generation? The need is great, and the kingdom’s impact is huge. (If you would like to volunteer for our Backpack Club program, please visit the volunteer signup page on our website at https:// hillsborochurch.net/iaminterested.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Steele is originally from western Pennsylvania. When he was eleven his parents moved to West Virginia where he lived through his time in high school. Adam attended Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, MO.

While in college he met his lovely wife April. Adam and April have two children Silas and Sadie. Adam has a passion for ministry and for God’s word and has served as Youth and Families Minister at HCC since 2016.

Grace and Peace, Adam

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 5:18-20 (ESV)

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:15-17 (ESV)

As we continue to look at all the angles of what it means to “pour into others,” I’d like us to take a second to wrestle with how we do this when we gather as a body of believers. You may have heard other believers in the past say that they worship “only for an audience of One.” While that is certainly a romantic notion of worship, scripture teaches us that while the object of our worship is one (God), the audience (those who hear and witness) is a broader reality. Not once but twice, Paul instructs churches that they are supposed to address one another in songs, hymns, and spiritual songs. If this is the instruction from the apostle, let’s unpack a few ways it might impact our community for the better if we choose to think this way.

Be Filled with the Spirit: When we gather or walk through life at all, any number of things might want to fill us and distract us from the purpose that God has set in front of us. And so, we choose to be filled with the Spirit instead of any other spirits. But the beautiful thing that happens when we are filled with the Spirit is that we are filled with His care for His people. One Another: In both circumstances, the emphasis for song is placed on the impact singing has on the brothers and sisters in the body. We meet together for the glory of God, but in doing so, we create a network of support systems within the body. Gathering to sing and learn allows us to devote ourselves to prayer, breaking bread, the disciple’s teaching, and fellowship.

All of this happens when we are together and devoted to one another.

Giving thanks: Each time, Paul gives a major emphasis on giving thanks to God in all circumstances. Gratitude is an essential component of discipleship. It helps us realize our position in relation to God and all he has done for his people. Our worship together provides a space for believers to express their thanks and cultivate a heart of gratitude.

Teaching and admonishing: Each song we sing tells a story or proclaims a truth. Each singer in the room has a story and context from which they are coming. When an individual engages with and sings these truths of their story, the two realities become an even more powerful proclamation of the Glory of the work of God. When we sing the truth, it penetrates

the heart of all who hear it all the more deeply. This pours into each brother and sister in Christ and even the non-believers who are all sitting or standing around you. Your story connects to the truth proclaimed in that song and impacts lives.

When we gather, our God has designed a plethora of reasons that it is for our good, the church’s good, and ultimately the Kingdom’s good. When we lift our voices to sing songs, hymns, and spiritual songs, remember that it is not just about what songs you might like to sing best; instead we are proclaiming the truth of Jesus together as one body! Let the peace of Christ dwell in you richly!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Micah Herrick began ministry in 2012 after being commissioned for ministry by his home church, White Oak Christian Church, in Cincinnati, OH. Micah is currently serving HCC as Worship Minister, as well as leading our Evangelism team and coordinating our online presence. He has served in both Youth Ministry and Worship Ministry in Richmond, IN, and Knightstown, IN, before coming back to Ohio to serve in Hillsboro.

He is pictured here with his wife, Rebecca, kids; Rowan, Luci, Kennedy, and Finn, his mother and father; Steve and Valeri Herrick.

Grace and Peace, Adam

On March 5th Luciana Abigail : ”Luci" Herrick was baptized into Christ. For a year leading up to that she had been working through the basic understandings of baptism and life as a believer with her Daddy and she was now ready to commit and say to everyone that "Jesus is my King and Savior!"

On April 9th I had the amazing opportunity to immerse my son Silas into Christ. God has been at work in his soul for quite a while and we are overjoyed to see him make this decision. If you see a Silas shaped blur buzzing about our church in the near future, please congratulate him on his decision (also feel free to remind him to slow down). We love you buddy and we are so excited for you. Love, Adam and April Steele.

Kyra Boyd is a freshman at Hillsboro. She is a great basketball player and played varsity this year. She and her friend group started coming to our Sunday night youth group in November and then on Sunday mornings a few months ago. Kyra knew then she wanted to give her life to Jesus and we are so excited she made that decision! She was baptized on April 9, 2023.

Ian Apgar was baptized Sunday, April 9, 2023, by Larry Burns. He is the son of Aaron & Megan Apgar. Ian has been job shadowing Larry early in the mornings before school starts and has tons of questions about how things work and why. Congratulations Ian! Welcome to the family!

On April 16, 2023, Dave and Dorothy Campbell, along with Heather Campbell, placed their membership with us. While having attended HCC for some time, we are delighted that they made this commitment to be identified with us here. Church family truly is a blessing from God!

Looking for a daily connection to scripture? Grab your Bibles, let’s go through the Word!

We’ve created a daily morning devotional that you can find on YouTube, FaceBook, or our website.

Brad, Adam, Micah, James, and Dave have worked hard putting this together. Each day one of the guys breaks down a few verses of the text for us to connect with in more understandle chuncks. Each one last 3-5 minutes long.

What a great way to start your morning! Check it out!

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 T.H.E.O . meeting BSCA Women ’ s Retreat May 2023 Last Backpack Club Faith In Action Meeting 6 PM MomConnect 5:307:00 Retired Teachers ’ Assoc Luncheon Primary Election Missions Meeting Café 6:30 VBS Workday VBS Workday Little Lamb Graduation Run for the Roses Ladies Program Pick up Baby Bottles for SOPC National Day of Prayer Backpack Club Sunday Last Youth Group Church office closed

MAYBE YOU ARE ASKING . . .

• What is Shalom Christian Orphanage?

• Where is the orphanage located?

• How many children are in the orphanage?

• What is the name of the “mom”?

• How long have we, as a church, been involved with

I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!

Shalom (which means “peace”) is located in Addia Abba, Ethiopia. We, as a church, first became involved when Matt Robinson & T.J. Britton made their first trip to Ethiopia almost 15 years ago.

When Matt & T.J. first went to the orphanage and met Tenagna and her children (about 20 kids), they were living in a three room, Concrete building with one faucet outside the building that furnished water for cooking, bathing, and washing clothes. The kitchen was smaller than some people’s closets (try fixing food for 20+ people in that small space with no running water!) The play area for the kids was about 7’ x 14’. Kids were not allowed to play out in the street. Every house is enclosed with 7’-10’ walls made of concrete blocks or even corrugated metal.

Since then, and with our church’s support, Tenagna and Beza, her son, and her children, which now number close to 50 kids, are living in a four story home, with three bathrooms. No, it is not a luxury home. Sometimes, the plumbing doesn’t work. Sometimes the roof leaks, sometime the electricity is off. It is not a perfect house but it is home to some very special, loving children.

Most of the children Tenagna has brought in the home are street children. Some were begging in the streets as a toddler. Some were abused by family members. One baby she rescued just before his mom was throwing him in the dumpster.

Shalom?

• What changes have occurred since we as a church became involved?

• What do the children do during he day?

• What happens when they get older?

• How can we help?

forms.

Some of the kids that have grown up, now are taxi drivers or work in local shops. One has started a coffee shop (coffee is important in Ethiopia. It’s one of their mail exports).

Some stay to help Tenagna with the small children. Some just disappear into the world. Tenagna does try to keep in touch with all her kids, but it is a struggle.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Pray! The daily struggles of feeding and caring for 50+ children is trying. Not all the children live in the home. Some live with extended family and come to Tenagna a few times a week so they can make sure that their homework is done and some are on medication (most for HIV treatment)

Tenagna has had some health issues and gets tired quickly, so pray for her health. Tenagna’s son, Beza works tirelessly to make sure everything and everyone is taken care of.

The psychological issues that orphans and abandon children deal with are enormous. Pray that Tenagna and Beza will have the wisdom to deal with these issues.

Thank you all, for your continued support of Tenagna and Beza and Shalom Christian Orphanage. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me, Janet Epley, anytime.

With 50+ kids, schooltime can be confusing. The kids attend some eight different schools or trade schools. And they have to find and pay for their own way to school. No school buses. And they have to wear uni-

JUNE 5-9, 2023

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is right around the corner, June 5-9, 2023. If you have not registered your child for VBS, be sure to do so. Registration is open. You can go to hillsborochurch.net/vbs to register.

ALSO, we are collecting juice pouches for VBS, Capri-Sun or Kool-Aid Jammers, any flavor, or mini water bottles, you can drop them off to the church office.

P r a y e r

REQUESTS 05/01/2023

Health and Other:

Chuck Chaney

Denver Conley

Ohio Mission Bible Training Center

Janet Pence

Shalom Orphanage

Don Watson

Sharon Webb

Wayne Wiedenbein

The 25 souls for Christ

Family Loss:

Missions: The Brittons, The Millers, The Newmans

Shut Ins:

Barbara Boris

Jewel Calmes

John Porter

Carol Setty

Cancer:

Jeffery Aurigema

Ken Aurigema

Kari Crafton

Judy Roush

Mark Sears

HCC Leadership:

Steve Allen

Brad Clouse

Roger Epley

Dan Fauber

Micah Herrick

Mike Labig

Adam Steele

Richard VanZant

Military:

Tyler Amos

Ryan Burns

Mark Conover

Thadeus Conover

Corey Hughes

Alex Klein

Phillip Mycroft

Average attendance for the month of April was 392

Average weekly giving for the month of April was $12,750.00

Our weekly need is: $11,229.13

WOMEN’S RETREAT AT BUTLER SPRINGS CHRISTIAN CAMP

GUEST SPEAKER IS CATHY GRIFFITH

FAIRVIEW CHURCH OF CHRIST

4200 us Route 50

Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

April 5, 2023

The Hillsboro Church of Christ

155 W. Walnut St.

Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

Dear Ones at The Hillsboro Church of Christ,

We are very grateful and humbled by your generosity in the amazing gift you sent for the repairs needed to our church building in the aftermath of the tornado that took the roof off on March 3rd.

We have received the adjuster’s report from the insurance company and the men are anxious to get a contractor to begin work as soon as possible. We were blessed that no damage was done to the inside of the auditorium.

With the rain we’ve had the last several weeks, however, there must have been some water that leaked through the tarps because the lighting on the one side of the room, when turned on, kicks the breakers. So water must have leaked through doing some type of damage. This will be of first concern to get This taken care of so as not to cause any problems.

Again, we thank you all very much for your kindness in your very generous gift to the Fairview Church of Christ. We pray that the Lord will bless you as you have blessed our church family.

Sincerely,

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