The McAfee Family shortly after adopting Claire

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Nora Bates
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The McAfees adopted Claire from South Korea and Keith shares a little bit about what they learned through the process. Adoption is a word that has two extreme connotations.

1 H ixson Presbyterian Church Hilltopper Vol 46 Issue 3 March 2017 The McAfee Family shortly after adopting Claire Not all are called... Hope for Little Feet brings you the third installment of our series highlighting adoption and orphan care among our congregation. The McAfees adopted Claire from South Korea and Keith shares a little bit about what they learned through the process. Adoption is a word that has two extreme connotations. Those who are called to adopt embrace it, almost obnoxiously and to a point that people may try to avoid them. Then, there are those who are not called and seem uneasy when talking to someone who is adopting. As one who has worked in orphan care ministry and also adopted, I have experienced both of these extremes. However, I would like to take this time to share with you one important aspect of Claire s adoption that showed me how to bring the two sides to the middle. As I share with all of you these thoughts, please read James chapter 1, verses For this moment, pretend that verse 27 does not exist. Yes, you read that right. As is often the case, this verse is a catalyst to either extreme. It was during Claire s adoption that I began to understand how polarizing verse 27 can be. As with many others before and after me, it became my mantra and I needed to make sure everyone understood that adoption is central to the gospel and, as such, everyone needs to consider it. As I became so focused on that one verse, I lost sight of what God was calling others to do. You see, the call my family received, to adopt Claire, was not just our own, it was to others as well. I forgot that there were 26 other verses in James chapter 1. Redeemed Masculinity by Greg Baney Many societies and cultures throughout the world have a masculine rite of passage: a young man must accomplish a series of predetermined tasks before being acknowledged as a man. Not so long ago, our own society imposed the requirement of registering for selective service. All boys on or around their eighteenth birthday were required to appear at the local armory or recruitment office and sign up. As a teenager, I can remember feeling like I was a man after signing the card and declaring my eligibility to fight for my country, at least temporarily. Today, with the growing pressure exerted by popular culture to redefine gender as fluid, the definition of what true manhood (or womanhood) is, has become more complex. Daily, men are inundated with a plethora of messages addressing what makes a real man a man. Formerly, one learned to be a man by observing one s father. Manhood was both caught as well as taught. Strength of character, chivalry, selfsacrificial love, a calm and steady devotion, these are all characteristics that seem to define a by-gone era, perhaps Continued on page 2 Continued on page 3

It has been said many times by many people that not everyone is called to adopt, but, truthfully, in the back of the minds of those who have adopted, we think all Christians are supposed to.

2 It has been said many times by many people that not everyone is called to adopt, but, truthfully, in the back of the minds of those who have adopted, we think all Christians are supposed to. As I read those verses preceding verse 27, I realized that, in fact, everyone IS NOT called to adopt but everyone is called to care for orphans and widows. As a result, I began to pray about how I could encourage others to be involved in the journey to which God had called my family. Although there were many miracles and God moments during Claire s adoption, one thing sticks out in my mind as the most important. Once I truly embraced the concept that not everyone is called to adopt, I was able to share what God was doing in the life of our family and invite people to be a part of it. All it took was a quiet reminder from God that there were 26 other verses. Instead of working to get others to adopt, people God had not called, I was able to show an example of steadfastness, even in the face the many trials and hopelessness that were felt during the adoption process. It was through friends that God fulfilled his promise to give wisdom generously. It was through friends that God sent gentle reminders that we were on His course. You see, although our friends were not called to adopt a child they were called to adopt us. As I took God at His word, my friends and family already knew we were going through trials. God often revealed to them that we needed a word of encouragement or a hearty hug. This was their call, to hear our need, to speak slowly when we needed love and, finally, to be doers. Although not called to adopt, many people, even those we did not know, helped to take up the yoke. When it came time to raise the monies needed to pay for the cost of the adoption, not one person asked, How are you going to pay for it? They asked, How much do we need to raise? They became doers. Some of our friends sent out the call via social media. We received funds from all over the country from people we did not know. God was being faithful to our steadfastness; he had called others to adopt us. We still, to this day, cannot account for all those who helped to bring Claire home, but it was they who God used to show us Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Consider this: if you are not called to adopt (and there is NO shame in that), pray about how you should be applying the true meaning of Religion. Do you know, or have heard, of a family that is in the process of adopting? What if you are the one God uses to give that final $50, even if you do not know them. Do you have thousands of points on a credit card or air miles that can be used to ease the burden of travel cost or accommodations in the country of adoption? Do you have a connection in the country of adoption, or layover city, who can help navigate the terrain or intercede as a translator? All of these, in addition to many others, are ways that you can be a hearer of the need and a doer of the blessing.

All humanity chosen in Christ, are in the process of being transformed into the image of Christ. an ideal that was glamourized but never truly existed. However, what if we have it all wrong?

If this is true, then how can one explain what is wrong with humanity as we find ourselves tottering on the precipice of the ever-eroding crest that separates the individual from mass mayhem and

3 All humanity chosen in Christ, are in the process of being transformed into the image of Christ. an ideal that was glamourized but never truly existed. However, what if we have it all wrong? What if the definition of manhood has never changed, and is not determined by the prevailing winds of society, but written into the very fabric of our being? If this is true, then how can one explain what is wrong with humanity as we find ourselves tottering on the precipice of the ever-eroding crest that separates the individual from mass mayhem and confusion in the twentyfirst century? When we quiet the voices of our own minds as well as the steady stream of subliminal messages that bombard our psyche, and look to the Word of God, we see that God has defined for us true manhood. We see a perfect picture of manhood in the garden of Eden dressing it and tending to it, making it a safe sanctuary where he and his bride can communicate with God. We see man as he was created to be and we witness what went wrong. The reason for such confusion, the reason that it is no longer explicit in nature what a man should be, is because of the quintessential event described in Genesis chapter 3. The Fall really happened, and one natural consequence is a loss of identity. We were created to worship God and enjoy Him. The Fall redirected our gaze away from the Creator, and onto ourselves, and like a compass no longer pointing truth north, we are incapable of discovering real, genuine manhood. However, scripture also teaches that a true man, the perfect man, the archetype for all men, lived and died and rose again, and because of His perfect life, unjust death, and divine resurrection, our manhood can be restored. Through Christ, and Christ alone our identity is forged as He awakens our hearts dead in trespasses and consumed with selfish love and reaffixes our gaze upon His perfect substitutionary sacrifice. This transformation does not simply change us into men as we were created, but men who bear a resemblance to Christ, the God-Man. John states in 1 John 3:2, Beloved, we are God s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. All humanity chosen in Christ, are in the process of being transformed into the image of Christ. This is true for both women and men, but it looks differently for each. Join the men of HPC March 31st through April 2nd as we explore together the biblical definition of manhood, and learn how to relate to one another as men and brothers in the faith!

VBS July 24-28 Volunteer recruitment happening NOW! Be sure to include HPC s VBS in your plans this year! This will occur at a time that is key to our introduction into a new community.

Let us know of your interest by using the tear-off in the bulletin or on the VBS table in the foyer. I m praying about how you can fill a need and be the front door of our church!

4 VBS July Volunteer recruitment happening NOW! Be sure to include HPC s VBS in your plans this year! This will occur at a time that is key to our introduction into a new community. Even if you have never helped before consider making this year an exception. We really do have a role for everyone! Let us know of your interest by using the tear-off in the bulletin or on the VBS table in the foyer. I m praying about how you can fill a need and be the front door of our church! Kingdom Kids Does God keep His promises? YES! God is faithful! Join us as we begin our NEW TESTAMENT JOURNEY to see the promise of a Messiah fulfilled! Sunday nights, 5pm We all have ties to this tree. Have you and your child grown up climbing this tree? Well stay tuned because we want to preserve the sentiment of The Tree through a photo project that will take place soon! Once the tree blooms, we will be taking tons of pictures directly after the Sunday service.

5 Youth What Are They Teaching Those Teenagers? One of the main goals of our Youth Ministry is to boldly teach the truth of the Bible. In our teaching, we always want students to hear the Good News of Jesus and understand that the Bible is authoritative. When you picture in your mind what goes on in the youth rooms of HPC, what do you see? Do you imagine that we spend the majority of our time swallowing live goldfish or mercilessly pegging each other in hour-long games of dodge ball? Or maybe you imagine the youth partaking of endless supplies of pizza and Mountain Dew as they sit around playing video games. I d be lying if I said we didn t do any of that, but I do want to be clear that these types of things aren t the focus of Youth Ministry. The focus of our Youth Ministry is students, and in particular, an emphasis on teaching the truth of the Scriptures to students. While teaching is not all we do, it is a centerpiece of our Youth programs. One of the main goals of our Youth Ministry is to boldly teach the truth of the Bible. In our teaching, we always want students to hear the Good News of Jesus and understand that the Bible is authoritative. Yes, we attempt to tailor our teaching to the audience, so if you were to come and sit in on a program you may not understand all the illustrations (or even the language) we use. But I promise you this: we never water down the message, and we never shy away from difficult topics or questions. With that being said, what are we teaching our students right now? On Sunday mornings, our middle schoolers (taught by Bo Wheeler and Will Card) are going through a curriculum called God s Good Design. It is written by Children Desiring God, and it covers biblical manhood and womanhood. What an important topic for our middle school students to wrestle with, especially in this post-truth society. Our high schoolers have joined the adult class, What is the Reformation? We usually have our own class, but we feel it is essential for our high school students to learn about the heritage of our Reformed faith and the implications of Reformed Theology in the 21st century. On Sunday evenings at Underground, our middle school students are going through the book of James. They are learning that it s one thing to say you follow Jesus, but it s another thing entirely to say you follow Jesus and then actually do what he says! As James says, faith without works is dead faith! Our high school students are going through the spiritual gifts. Each week we look at one or two different gifts, and look at stories from the Bible of how people used those gifts to build up the people of God. Our high school students are being challenged to discover their gifts and prayerfully seek how God might be calling them to serve in the youth ministry, the church, the community and the nations. We also do Bible studies on Wednesday nights at D-Groups, and many of our youth are enjoying studies on Romans, Mark, Titus and the Parables of Jesus. It is so exciting to me to see so many wonderful adult volunteers walking through the Scriptures with our Youth. Yes, we play a little dodge ball and eat a little (or a lot) of pizza. And yes, there may come a time when someone even swallows a live goldfish. But that stuff only serves to help our youth feel more at ease and ready to interact and learn as we challenge them with the Gospel and the authoritative message of the Bible, because that s what Youth Ministry is all about!

Bates, pastor of Village Seven Dr. Lloyd Kim Dr.

6 Dr. Kim has graduated from UC Berkeley, Westminster Seminary and his doctorate was earned at Fuller Theological Seminary. He served, along with his wife Eda, as a missionary with MTW since 2004 in the Philippines and then in Cambodia, and became MTW s international director of Asia- Pacific. They have 3 children. Rev. Bates, pastor of Village Seven Dr. Lloyd Kim Dr. Lloyd Kim, the head Coordinator for Mission to the World, is the keynote speaker for the Hixson Presbyterian Church 2017 Fall Missions Conference, weekend of November 5th. Presbyterian, said, Dr. Kim is a proven missionary leader. He displays a rare blend of godliness, humility, academic rigor, and leadership acumen. Not only is Dr. Kim thoroughly committed to the Reformed faith, but he also understands the challenges of taking the gospel to other cultures. Loren Watson Do you know that Loren has a pastors heart? It shows in so many ways: he has authored the Hilltopper article, Beyond Our Walls, for 20 years. Rev. Watson has served on the Global Outreach Committee 13 out of 15 years. He joined Hixson Presbyterian Church in Loren also has a praying heart as he faithfully intercedes for the congregation and the GO Committee. Loren, thank you for your encouragement by seeing a man walk faithfully with his God. Prayer for Missionaries Darlene Johnson March 4-8 in Knoxville; March in the Atlanta area. Pray! The plan is to pack up in Knoxville and leave 3/24 for a week with family in Indianapolis. Then I leave for Japan! John & Penny Freeman March 5 week webinar Shattered Dreams/New Hope New grandbaby Andy & Kathy Napier Footsteps at 85 stations in US, Kathy s work going great. Still looking for good fit for boys for school & church, friends for John Edward Bob & Ann Henriques He just returned from Cuba where Bibles taken by customs. Pray they will end up in the hands of those who need them. Daughter Teresa had surgery Feb. 14

Save the Dates! September 22 - October 1 Our next short term mission trip opportunity will be to serve in Uganda this fall. Please prayerfully consider joining our team.

Beyond Our Walls by Loren Watson Sometimes it is hard for us to realize that we Christians are a distinct minority, not only in the world as a whole, but in our own country as well.

7 Save the Dates! September 22 - October 1 Our next short term mission trip opportunity will be to serve in Uganda this fall. Please prayerfully consider joining our team. Saturday, April 8 The church has left the building! Be looking for more information and sign ups starting in March. Beyond Our Walls by Loren Watson Sometimes it is hard for us to realize that we Christians are a distinct minority, not only in the world as a whole, but in our own country as well. Most people, to put it plainly, are not born-again believers in Jesus Christ. All you have to do to realize this is note the great hostility expressed by some politicians and members of the press against the hated Christian right. That s us, folks. We believe the only way to have personal morality is to know the living God. The world Our new property is now less than 90 days away from completion. Paint is on the interior walls and the building is climate controlled now that a majority of windows and doors are installed. Over the next few weeks ceilings, floors, and fixtures will be worked on. We hope you ll join us on March 19 at 5pm at the property for a chance to pray on the new property for God s blessing as we look ahead to our first service. Please check the website (Hixsonpres.org/ next) for all the latest updates. strongly objects to this concept. We proclaim Jesus as the only way to heaven and are vilified as selfrighteous zealots. Yet, we have it easy compared to Christians in some cultures. In most Muslim societies, it is at the risk of life and limb to turn to Christ. In others, leaving Islam is a crime and those who do so are ostracized, rejected by families and unable to secure decent employment. Satan is on the prowl everywhere. How do we respond to this? Where we live, we take our lumps if they come our way. We stand with others of like mind and faith, knowing that they are our brothers and sisters. Our most effective weapon is prayer, for nothing can stop the power of God in response to the pleas of His people. We are not paranoid when we say we have enemies. Jesus told us it would be so. The Church is in our comfort zone. The world around us is not, or should not be. There, we are His witnesses. That is where the work of the Church happens.

Good Samaritan Fund Update Trail Life USA To HPC members and friends, We have been able to provide much help to our family, friends and community through the blessings of your gifts to the Good

We were able to help a young, homeless family again with food basics. The father now has employment and is optimistic that he will be able to care for his family moving forward.

8 Good Samaritan Fund Update Trail Life USA To HPC members and friends, We have been able to provide much help to our family, friends and community through the blessings of your gifts to the Good Samaritan Fund. God has surely provided us with abundance and we have responded to those in need as Christ instructed us. Summit Counseling Center fees were paid for an HPC member. We were able to help a young, homeless family again with food basics. The father now has employment and is optimistic that he will be able to care for his family moving forward. Assistance with January rent was offered to two of our Church families. A sewer bill was paid for a longtime friend of HPC. We were able to assist our friends and family with $ in January. $5000 from our 2016 general fund budget surplus was added to the Good Samaritan fund this month. The balance of this fund is presently $ Any contributions are appreciated as we strive to make a difference for Christ in our community. Thanks, Doug Evans Hixson Presbyterian Church is in the final stages of chartering Troop TN The team will form the troop in April and start meeting in May. The first outdoor adventure is planned to be a cookout and an overnight campout at our new church property. The theme for this campout is basic skills such as fire building, compass, and outdoor cooking. We will be planning the next six months of meetings and adventures. Fortunately the Chattanooga area has great resources for outdoor fun. There are many great camping areas in our state parks like Fall Creek Falls, Cloudland Canyon and Fort Mountain. In addition there are many great camping areas in the national forests surrounding this area. We also have many backpacking trails within 50 miles. My favorite area is Savage Gulf which has a relatively easy backpacking trail which is perfect for beginners. There are also many trails that are part of the Cumberland trail that are great for backpacking. We are also looking at cave trips. There are three commercial caves in this area that have wild cave tours where the boys get to crawl through tight areas and get muddy. One of the best is Cumberland Caverns which has a large room for overnight camping, a commercial walking tour and a wild cave event. We are looking into other adventures such as kayaking, rock climbing and mountain biking. Anyone who would like to join this ministry or have questions can contact either Bob Marlin or Jim Swearingen Walk Worthy

Thank You! Prime Timers News I would like to say thank you to my church family for the cards and phone calls during my recent surgery. Your kindness was a blessing to me.

9 Thank You! Prime Timers News I would like to say thank you to my church family for the cards and phone calls during my recent surgery. Your kindness was a blessing to me. Jim Sedman Dear Hixson Presbyterian Church, Thank you so very much for the thoughtful, generous, and abundant donation of material goods to Choices Baby Boutique! These meet the needs of many clients and help us create a culture that values life. You are impacting the Kingdom and we are so grateful! Many Thanks! The Team at CHOICES Our precious friends at Hixson, Thank you for the beautiful flowers sent on behalf of our daughter Tasia. We certainly felt loved with all the hugs and caring comments. It was very special to see so many of our friends as we celebrated Tasia s life. You all are such a blessing to us and we are grateful for all of your love and support. Love to all of you! Rich & Ramona Wagner This month is our last meeting in the church that has been home for so long! It is on Tuesday, March 14 at 12:00. Our special lunch is prepared by our excellent chefs: The Palms! (There will be a charge of just $5.00.) Our program is music by Brassworks: The Jerico Brass Ensemble. They are a group of very talented men always giving us an outstanding performance. Make an extreme effort to be with us. Birthdays 1 - Amy DeLoach & Amy Monsees 3 - Don Pierce 5 - Linda Brown 8 - Lennie Furr & Reuben Harrelson 10 - Ben Parker 11 - Josh* 13 - LuAnne Kessel 14 - Len Johnson & Mike Landreth 15 - Linda Thomas 16 - Mike Payne 18 - Sam Cooper 19 - Nathan Hutchings Anniversaries 5 - Ed & Bobbie Heidel 14 - Bill & Nancy Monroe 19 - Loren & Linda Thomas 20 - Alex Pope 22 - Dee Kessel, Holly McAfee, & Ken Mogg 23 - Brad Card 24 - Selah Huff 25 - Jennifer Lusk 28 - Jeanette Chance & James Halabrin 29 - Daniel Livermore 30 - Madison Jones 31 - Bob Eldridge & Lauren Cooper *Those in Italics are our missionaries. *Denotes those in a sensitive area Robert & Jolee Parry 27 - Steve & Kelley Hutchings 31 - Larry & Melanie Frazey

Ridge Views. Welcome to the 37th Annual Global Missions Conference. Vol 46 Issue 11 November To our Church Family and Friends,

Ridge Views. Welcome to the 37th Annual Global Missions Conference. Vol 46 Issue 11 November To our Church Family and Friends, Hixson Presbyterian Church Ridge Views Vol 46 Issue 11 November 2017 Welcome to the 37th Annual Global Missions Conference To our Church Family and Friends, Our theme for this time is The Riches of God