December 2015 Newsletter
Vol.1 Issue 5
HILL CITY NEWS
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Letter from the Editor P.2 Welcome to Hill City P.3 Get to Know Hill City P.4 Film Festival...........P.5 Testimony.......P.6
Welcome to Hill City
Letter from the
Editor Hi Hill City! Wow, I can’t believe that the holiday season is among us. Whew, time has definitely flown by this year, wouldn’t you say? Whenever, I think about Christmas I feel excitement racing through my veins…well, not really of course, but figuratively speaking. In my family, Christmas is the holiday where everyone travels from all over the U.S. to be together. Sharing those special moments during Christmas with my family, is what I look forward to all year long. Oops, I almost forgot to mention how I can’t wait to eat my momma’s good cooking, and I’m sure that you can’t wait either. Although I’m excited and ready to celebrate Christmas, I still want to remind myself about the wonderful gift that God has given to me through His son Jesus. I have to say that God is the epitome of a “great” gift giver, He gave his only son so that I could be in a right relationship with him. This is so beautiful and sacrificial, God gave His best when He gave Jesus. I know that it’s so easy to get all caught up in the Christmas craze,
P.2
and wanting Christmas to be about your traditions, shopping, and celebrating. But let’s not forget about God’s greatest gift, and that is His son Jesus.
Tyler Smith & Jihyun Jung Hill City wants to extend a warm welcome to Tyler Smith and Jihyun Jung. We’re so happy to have you here. Tyler and Jihyun found Hill City by attending a service at New Light church. After attending their first service at New Light, Deacon Yo quickly introduced Tyler and Jihyun to Pastor Han and Jacob. Since then, they have been attending Hill City. Tyler and Jihyun have been actively attending weekly small group and UFC activities, and they have helped out with other church activities. “ I love the people at Hill City Church,” Smith said. “ I can tell that Hill City’s members serve the Lord, and they really want to welcome new people into the ministry.” In their spare time, Tyler enjoys wake boarding and Jihyun likes to go paragliding.
One of the ways that I like to remember what Christmas is truly about, is by reading Luke 2:4-7, which says “ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her first born, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manager, because there was no room for them in the inn.” I hope that you will take a few minutes out of your busy holiday schedule, to think about God’s special gift to you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Nikeya
Photos By: Nikeya Williams
P.3
Get to Know Hill City Hill City, what are your top 3 Bucket list things to do? Pastor Han Oh
Photo By: Sophan Theam
Do ministry in over 50 countries Release a country and western album Visit Antartica
Pastor Julius An Hike the Appalachian Trail Visit Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Jump off a plane
Photo By: Sophan Theam
Christmas Film Festival brings in the holidays
By: Nikeya Williams HCN Editor
H
ill City’s multi-media ministry Everlasting Productions (EP) will host the Christmas Film Festival on Saturday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. The film festival is variation of different independent films that have been casted, directed and recorded by EP members. This granular idea of having a film festival to celebrate Christmas at Hill City, came up during an insightful discussion that EP leader David Yang had with Pastor Han Oh. “ I was talking to Pastor Han about last year’s Christmas event, ”Yang said. “ I mentioned jokingly, that we could do a film festival for this year’s Christmas event.”
Sorhee Cho Be a mother Visit Turkey Go on a hot air balloon
P.4
Photo By: Sophan Theam
Thrilled with the idea of having a film festival event to bring in the holidays, Pastor Han supported David’s idea. Since then, EP members have been working weekly on producing films for the festival. One of the films that will be shown during the festival is Olivia MacDonald’s “Fairy Godmother,” which is a parody about being on time. The inspiration for this film came from Yang’s idea to talk about the importance of being on time. During the process of Yang developing his idea for the film, MacDonald thought that the best way to convey the message of being on time without sounding rude or condescending, was to make a film that’s light hearted, funny and witty.
The idea of the Fairy Godmother came after MacDonald did some searching and thought about how differently most fairly tells would have been if the Fairy Godmother wasn’t there. “ When we were throwing ideas around, the idea of Alice and Wonder Land came up,” MacDonald said. Another place where MacDonald drew her inspiration for the “Fairy Godmother” film was from her family and herself. “ I’m half Portuguese, and it’s apart of the culture to be late, and that’s where I got some of my inspiration too,” MacDonald said. MacDonald along with several other EP volunteers made this year’s film festival possible and creative. One of EP’s newest members Jorge Uy quickly helped out with the “Fairy Godmother” film. Uy, who plays Rumpelstiltskin in the film, decided to that he wanted to learn a little more about acting. “ Getting into character was definitely a whole different experience,” Uy said. “Overall it was an enjoyable experience, and I would do it again.” EP members are hoping that the people that come to the Christmas film festival will be encourage by each film. “ I hope that they take away the message that each film brings,” Yang said. “Some of the films are modern, so it’s not going to tell you here’s a verse so follow it. I hope that people can remember what the message is in each film, and they use it in P.5 their lives.”
Book Review: One in a Million
My Testimony
By: Charmaine Oliver
P
Greetings Hill City Church, My name is Jonathan Whiteside, and I am current student at the University of South Florida. I have humbly attended Hill City Church for over a year and now have the fortunate opportunity to share my testimony with you. I pray that it might bring encouragement to you. For starters, I have grown up in the Church my entire life. Thus, hearing the Word of God preached every Sunday was a “regular” thing. My curiosity of Jesus overflowed around Christmas time one year (I was about 12), and it was during this time that I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. I was baptized soon after. Unfortunately, the church that I grew up in was struggling in so many ways—to the point where my family knew it was time to leave. We “church hopped” quite a few times, but that’s not to say God wasn’t working in my life. I served on a mission trip to the less fortunate area of my home city, Sarasota. We organized a mini Vacation Bible School for the kids and did some landscaping for a couple of non-profit organizations. My faith was on fire then, but after a while I became stagnant. That all changed when I went to Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters in North Carolina. It was here that I understood the Gospel in an entirely different way. It was the first time that I was challenged to present the Gospel. At that moment, I realized that I had never actually done that before. Though I understood it, I had no idea how to share it. My faith became even stronger. Soon enough, college was right around the corner and I was beyond skeptical. I thought that I would not meet many believers and that my college years would just be full of worldly crap (Sorry, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate
P.6
word). But the Lord was certainly watching over me. I visited the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) and was astonished to find so many other believers. It was at the BCM where I ran into Hill City Church during the annual church fair. I felt immediately welcomed and at ease. I am now praying for the Lord’s guidance in my life and my future. I cannot thank and praise Him enough for His blessings- blessings that I do not deserve. Only through Jesus Christ can I receive such wondrous blessings. Thank you friends for reading. Above all, thank you Jesus for being the perfect sacrifice, a sacrifice that no one else could fulfill, and thank you for your glorious resurrection. In Him, Jonathan 1 Thessalonian 5:17 (NASB) – “pray without ceasing”
romise land living is power, confidence, endurance, thankfulness. It’s spiritual fruit growing right at your fingertips. It’s boldness that can’t be shaken by anything, even when an earthquake is erupting all around you. No matter the noise level and magnitude. It’s forgiveness, freedom, full expectation. It’s strapping on the armor and daring any devil in hell to try defeating what God is accomplishing in you. Promise Land living is both loud and quiet, tough and tender; it’s everything you need it to be. -- Priscilla Shirer, One in a Million Priscilla Shirer’s One in a Million is about faith- if one word could describe her exegesis of the book of Exodus, which details the Israelites trek through the wilderness to the Promise Land- the land of “milk and honey” (pg.8). Faith—we here the word often in sermons and in our bible studies and small groups, and we might even throw it around a time or two while having a meal or coffee with a brother or sister. And while we may undoubtedly believe that Jesus died and rose again so that we might be reconciled with the Father and have eternal life, some of us can live lives void of faith— the type of faith, Shirer posits, where we are daily—by the hour—by the second—tapping into the power Jesus offers us through His death and living out the victory we have been given over sin—over death—over the world and what we experience in life; it’s not enough to know about God; we must know Him personally and trust Him in every season- regardless of how difficult that season may be. Shirer propositions us to compare ourselves to the Israelites and to consider how similar at times our hearts are to the Israelites’ when we experiencing a particularly difficult season. Shirer makes the case that like Israelites, when change is on the horizon, we can be reluctant to let go of what we’ve grown accustomed to—to the point where we can ignore the Holy Spirit’s promptings; or like the Israelites, when we’re in a season of transition, we can romanticize the past or be “fond of certain parts of being enslaved” (pg.29); this was the case for the Israelites when they were in the wilderness and didn’t have the spice-filed delicacies of Egypt to eat but manna—much more simple in taste. In a difficult season- when things aren’t going the way we thought they were going to go, how often do we complain or grumble and gripe about where the Lord has us or is taking us? Or better yet, how often do we give weight to the enormity of a present circumstance and deny the Lord’s ability to bring us through? How often do we doubt God is near and doubt his provision? More often than it’s comfortable for many of us to admit. Shirer acknowledges that the “in between times” (pg.116)—the wilderness--can be be disconcerting, uncomfortable, and- dare she say it- scary, but she encourages us that in our downright difficult seasons we can trust that the Lord is in-
deed with us—that He knows us by name and has not forgotten us—that He is near to us and longs for us to lean into Him and dwell in His presence. As hard as it is to swallow sometimes, the wilderness, she asserts, can be a good thing, for it draws us to His side, teaches us to depend on Him for everything and helps us to learn to follow when another path is preferable because it’s easier (pg.116). In the wilderness-in the difficult seasons, we re-acquaint ourselves with the Lord. We come to know Him in a different way. We come to experience Him in a new way. We cling to Him as we’ve never clung to Him before. We learn to trust Him in a way we’ve never had to in the past. We learn to have faith and to develop our faith muscles. For Shirer then, Promise Land living isn’t about never experiencing hardship. It’s about faith—about believing God is who He says He is and trusting that God will do what He says He will do. It’s intentional. It’s radical. It’s counter-cultural. To quote directly from Shirer, Promise Land living is about faith rooted in “power, confidence, endurance, thankfulness” in Jesus (pg.170).
Priscilla Shirer is a wife and a mom first, but put a Bible in her hand and a message in her heart and you’ll see why thousands meet God in powerful, personal ways at her conferences and through her Bible studies.
P.7
Comics...
How We Can Reconcile Our Faith With Science? By: Solomon Kang HCN Columnist
If any of you are currently taking or planning to take any kind of science classes in college, you will probably be in a class where the professor indirectly or directly attacks your faith. When I was an undergraduate student, my chemistry professor often made scoffing remarks that suggested that people who believed in God were less intelligent than those who didn’t. He actually specifically attacked Christianity by saying blasphemous things about Jesus many times. Don’t be surprised if you find that colleges and professors are biased against Christianity or faith in general. I want to encourage you that having faith in no way makes us less intelligent than those who don’t. In fact, I personally think it’s more reasonable to believe in intelligent design than to believe that this universe and our world created itself on it’s own. Newton’s First Law of Physics basically says “an object at rest stays at rest unless an outside force acts upon it.” If this is the case (which it is since this law is unanimously accepted by scientists), then the creation of the universe had to be initiated by an unfathomable amount of intentional force. I’m not an expert, but I feel like the only logical explanation for what or who can possibly cause this is God. Did you know that the same basic principles govern all fields of science? During my engineering curriculum, I studied chemistry, physics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and electrical circuits and noticed that every science has a common theme - balance. Nature always wants everything to return to a balanced equation. Maybe I’m just a huge nerd, but I find it extremely amazing that the concepts of mass balance and energy balance can be applied for every field of science. I feel like this points to a God who demands justice and order in every aspect of the universe. The following scripture comes to mind: “For since the creation of this world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so they are without excuse.” - Romans 1:20
P.8
If you’re a believer and an intellectual (which you are!), then you are in good company. Werner Heisenberg was a German physicist (1901-1976) who was the first to discover the mechanics of quantum physics. He was also a believer and great apologist. Heisenberg developed the uncertainty principle which basically says “the more precisely the position of a particle can be known, the less precisely its momentum can be known, and vice versa.” A well-known example of this principle is the phenomenon of wave-particle duality of light. Light shows behaviors of waves, such as in the case of radiation; however, light also shows behaviors of particles such as in the case of reflection. The characteristics of light as waves and particles seem to contradict each other, but they are both true and unanimously accepted by scientists as a quantum paradox. To me, this points to a God who is sovereign over everything yet still gives us free will. These principles seem to contradict, but they are both simultaneously true. Also, it’s pretty cool that God is often associated with light in the Bible. Coincidence? I think not!
Comics By: Sophan Theam
I’m not claiming to have all the answers when it comes to reconciling faith with science. No one does. I just wanted to share how I’ve reconciled these seemingly contradictory views through challenges and tough questions. Taking science classes in college actually reaffirmed my faith, but it wasn’t without struggle. James 4:6 says “...God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” It’s about our attitude and posture towards God. If you approach God with humility and ask for wisdom and understanding, He is faithful to grant it to you.
P.9
C l l i H
P.10
p a c e R y it
P.11
Hill City News Staff Thanks for reading this issue of Hill City News! We hope that you were blessed by our stories, photos, and updates on Hill City Church.
For more information on how you can join Hill City News, please contact Nikeya Williams at nikeyaw07@gmail.com.
Things to Remember in December.... *Christmas Film Festival Saturday, Dec. 12 @ 7:00 p.m. *TOM Prayer Meeting @ 7pm Every Wednesday Night! *Small Group meeting weekly, please contact small group leaders for meeting times. *If you ever need a ride to church, please contact David Yang at dkyang258@gmail.com.