I have been a member of Hillcrest Church of Christ since our arrival in Abilene in 2011. My wife and I are blessed to be where we are, and we are actively involved in our life group. Soon after our arrival, I was asked to serve on the adult education committee. This committee plans Sunday morning adult curriculum and executes it. Most often committee members and other gifted members write the material for all the teachers. There are about a dozen adult Sunday morning classes at Hillcrest, and we use the common material our adult education committee provides. I have been involved in writing curriculum on the Old Testament books. Curriculum I have written include: Six-week series on “Minor Prophets with Major Ramifications” (April 1, 2016); Five-week series on “Holiness of God in the Old Testament and New Testament” with Cliff Barbarick (March 19, 2016); Six-week series curriculum on Judges (March 25, 2015); Curriculum on “Micah 6:8 ” with multiple authors (October 29, 2014); Eight-week series on Genesis (October 16, 2013); Twelve-week series on the Prophets (May 22, 2013). Some of these are almost ready to be published. Neal Coates, for example, was so impressed with the quality of the Genesis material that he told me “Copyright it!” I intend to do it in the near future. You may find a copy of Genesis as a sample curriculum here. Genesis Letter from Perry Reeves_Service to the Church
Since I have been involved in Korea and China missions, I was also asked to serve on Hillcrest’s Missions Committee. I have been blessed with this service because this committee has considerable autonomy in planning, budgeting, and executing mission works. Recently, we decided to help Syrian and other refugees in Europe by partnering with local Christians who have already been serving them. I was very glad to be part of the committee. I’ve been asked to serve as a member of a sub-committee to locate new mission cites as well. Hillcrest has been strong on global mission works, and this mission emphasis was one of the most important elements in our decision to place membership at Hillcrest. I am surrounded by many brothers and sisters, who have had extensive experience and knowledge in various parts of the world, and it is such an honor and blessing for me to work with them and to partner with God in His missions. Letter from Don Pope_Service to the Church
I also serve numerous churches in Korea and China. Churches of Christ in Korea are usually small, and my students and I serve to strengthen these churches by running English Bible Camp. For example, my students and I worked with Mok-Dong Church of Christ in Seoul, Korea for three years. This church has an afterschool daycare center for underprivileged kids in the community. Learning English from native English speakers, especially Americans, is an unbelievable cultural phenomenon in Korea. Parents typically send their kids to English Hak-Won (tutoring place) or hire a private English tutor for their kids. Poor families may not be able to afford that kind of extra money. This church provides tutoring service to poor kids in the community. Whenever I bring my students to that church, my students become human magnets because those kids literally grab on to my students out of excitement. It is really gratifying for me to see little kids glow like that, see my students making a difference in their lives, and their parents’ appreciation of the church’s service for the community, which bring glory and honor to God.
My service to churches in China excites me more. For beginners, it is technically illegal for foreigners to evangelize Chinese nationals, but there are ample opportunities for Americans to evangelize them without breaking Chinese laws, thanks to the world’s English Mania.
My students and I have worked in numerous cities in China like Jinhua, Ningboa, Shanghai, Hangzou, Beijing and Harbin. We typically work with Church of Christ affiliated American missionaries who are teaching English at universities in China. We visit their English classes to introduce who we are and invite them to English Corners in the evenings and to Bible studies. Phil Vardiman_Service to the Church
In Harbin I work with Ark Underground Bible Institute and underground Christians. The students at AUBI start their day at 6 AM and conclude their day at 9 PM, with a couple of hours of private time in between. It is a two-year intensive program. They all live on campus, which actually is a three-bedroom apartment. 16 girls share two bedrooms, each room with 8 bunk beds, and a bathroom with one shower head. The living room is their classroom, and one of their teachers and his wife live in the third bedroom. After two years of living in that environment, they literally become true sisters-in-Christ. Some are college graduates while most are middle school graduates with some Bible school training, which is an equivalent of Christian high school in the States. Teaching at AUBI is mutually beneficial (Cf., Romans 1:12), but I think it is I who is benefited more from their dedication to study, training, and God. Once they finish their intensive training, they (usually groups of two to four graduates) are sent to different cities to start planting multiple churches. It is no wonder churches are exploding in China. As Philip Jenkins’s quotation of Philip Yancey indicates God is on the move and travels wherever he is wanted. God surely is actively at work in China, and Christianity is exploding there. To participate in this divine movement is a great honor and opportunity for my students and me. That is why we go.
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