Weekly News and Updates

July 30, 2026 | Volume 40, Issue 30

FROM YOUR PASTOR'S HEART ... SING! PRAY! HEAL! James 5:13-20

One of my favorite high school football coaches, Coach Brian Bailey, would cheerfully greet us in the early mornings of August football two-a-days with a smile, a cigarette, and a can of Coke, “GREAT DAY FOR PAIN!!!” He was calling us to EMBRACE the hurt. Embrace the hard! James, the brother of Jesus, in closing his letter to persecuted Christians exhorts them to sing, pray, and heal the hurting, no matter what! It’s a great day to embrace the tough stuff in service to Jesus. This is our last message in this series on the book of James. May we be the LORD’s faithful witnesses.

This Sunday, we will begin rolling out our instructions for switching to our new church management system, Planning Center. Rebekah Hutton, our communications director, will take a few minutes each Sunday morning in worship to help you sign up and sign in. See her article below.

Also this Sunday, Pastor Zach Anderson will host a gathering at noon for those interested in helping with the Chaffee Crossing campus. See the article below and sign up for lunch. 

Sunday, August 9 is our big Education Appreciation Sunday. We will celebrate and pray for all our educators and students headed back to school. We have gifts for all those involved in education – public, private, and homeschool teachers; administrators, coaches, and support staff. As a special treat, Blair House, a coach and educator himself, will bring a message for us called, Jesus is the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time). 

Thank you for praying for our Heritage Vision Team who are prayerfully sharpening and focusing our Heritage identity statements. Barry Morton is helping us in this process. Pastor Zach and I spent Wednesday in prayer and fasting, seeking to receive from the LORD the language He wants us to use to communicate who we are, where we are going, and the way to get there. 

Clearly and compellingly communicating who we are and where we are headed is critical for our future fruitfulness as a Jesus-centered community here in the River Valley. This is so important as we move forward in the Van Buren campus and launch the Chaffee Crossing campus. Praise the LORD, we feel the LORD met us and has provided what we needed! We look forward to sharing what the LORD gave us in the near future. We are making exciting plans to launch the Chaffee Crossing Campus in January and to RELAUNCH the Van Buren campus at the same time. Hang on! It’s going to be an exciting ride. Don’t miss it!   

See you Sunday as we praise, pray, and trust Jesus to heal the sick and lift up the downtrodden. We’ll be receiving communion and anointing and praying for those who need healing and deliverance/freedom.

Wes

Wrapping up our Study in James

It has been a wonderful journey in the book of James over the past several months. James ends it with a bang! In fact, I think he brings it all the way back to one of his main points: faith is essential. How well are you connected to God? How well are you connected to others? Do you feel a sense of urgency for God and for others?

Join us Sunday as we look at our final message:

U-turn: The Power of Connection

Chaffee Crossing Campus Interest Meeting

We’re just a few days out from the interest meeting on Sunday, and I cannot wait to share my heart with you about the new campus in Chaffee Crossing! God has been on the move in that community and we can see the evidence. Now is the time to join in the LORD’s work through prayer, planning, and participation.

Whether you're ready to jump in or just want to learn more, you're invited to our Chaffee Crossing Campus Interest Meeting.

Sunday, August 2, 12:00 pm

New Room

Lunch will be provided. Childcare will be available.

There are many ways to be involved, and no commitment is required just to attend the meeting. Come hear the vision, meet others who are interested, and discover where God may be leading you.

Here are some of the opportunities available:

• Make the new campus your church home. If you feel called to be part of the launch team from the beginning, we'd love to talk with you.
• Serve during the launch season. Volunteer for 3, 6, or 12 months in areas such as hospitality, worship, children's ministry, setup and teardown, tech, and more.
• Help on a launch Sunday. Even if you can't make an ongoing commitment, serving one Sunday during the first couple of months of the new campus would make a tremendous difference.
• Pray. This is the most important way everyone can be involved. We ask our entire church family to pray for this launch. If you'd like to be even more involved, you can also join a dedicated prayer team that will pray regularly with and for our Chaffee Crossing Campus Pastor and his family and the launch team.
• Spread the word. Invite friends, share information on social media, and help us connect with people throughout the Chaffee Crossing community. We’ll provide the resources and invitations, we just ask your help in getting them out into the community.

To help us prepare lunch, please click the button below to sign up if you plan to attend. When you register, let us know how many people will be coming and whether you'll need childcare.

We can't wait to share what God is doing and how you can be part of this exciting new ministry!

Be the First Friendly Face Someone Sees!

A warm welcome can make all the difference. As we prepare for the 2026–2027 ministry year, we're looking for volunteers to serve on our Usher and Greeter teams for the 10:30 am Sunday Service.

Ushers help create a welcoming and organized worship experience by assisting guests, serving communion, and helping with seating as needed. You can serve in a way that fits your schedule by:

• Committing to one month during the year, or
• Joining our on-call fill-in team for occasional last-minute needs.

Greeters help guests feel at home from the moment they walk through the doors. We currently have openings at the 10:30 a.m. service, with opportunities to serve:

• Every week, or
• On specific weeks each month that work for your schedule.

Whether you can serve regularly or just occasionally, your smile and hospitality can have a lasting impact. If you'd like to learn more or join one of these teams, contact Haley at hcrutcher@heritage.church or reach out to the church office.



A few minutes of serving could make an eternal difference in someone's first impression of Heritage

We’re excited to introduce Church Center! It's a new, easier way to stay connected at Heritage Church.

Church Center will replace Realm Connect on September 1 and bring many of the things you use most into one user-friendly app. You’ll be able to find and communicate with your groups, register for events, explore ways to serve, give online, manage your household information, and more, all in one place.

We’re making this change because Heritage is growing. As we prepare to serve two campuses, we need a system that will grow with us and make it simpler for people to connect, participate, and take their next steps.

If you are comfortable downloading and exploring a new app, you can get started now! Scan or click the QR code and download Church Center. Once you log in using your phone number or email address, take a few minutes to look around and make sure your contact and household information is correct.

Not especially tech-savvy? There’s no need to worry or rush. Beginning next Sunday, we’ll offer short demonstrations during each worship service throughout August. We’ll also have a Church Center Help Desk available on Sunday mornings, where we'll help you download the app, log in, or answer your questions.

This is more than a new app. It’s a new tool to help us stay connected as one church family and communicate more effectively.

Ready to explore? Scan the QR code and get started today!

Heritage Riders

Saturday, August 8, 7:00 am

Wildflower Cafe, Mulberry, AR

August is shaping up to be a scorcher. We are planning to leave Heritage Church at 7:00 am and ride down 64 to the Wildflower Cafe for breakfast, and then we will decide if we ride a longer route home or head for the AC.  

We are currently accepting nominations for Quilts of Valor. If you are a Veteran, or if you know a Veteran, stop by the table in the Great Hall and pick up an application, or click here to fill it out online. Awards will be made this November.

Matthew 25 Project

Volunteers are still needed. Please arrive no later than 5:15 PM wearing a Heritage Church t-shirt. Volunteers can park at King Elementary or at the parking lot North of the football field at 24^th & Alma Blvd. If you can help, please reach out to Madison at msimmons@heritage.church

Helping Our Community Through Your Generosity

One of the greatest ways our church reflects the love of Jesus is by caring for those in need. Throughout the year, we have opportunities to assist individuals and families in our community who are facing difficult circumstances, whether it's help with groceries, utility bills, emergency housing, or other basic necessities.

As these needs continue to grow, so does the demand on our Community Care fund. We are asking our church family to prayerfully consider making a donation to help ensure we can continue serving our neighbors with compassion and hope. Together, we can be the hands and feet of Jesus, sharing His love in practical ways and reminding those in need that they are not alone.

Thank you for your continued support of the ministries at Heritage.

Bobby

Opportunity to Serve

We are taking another group to serve in Guatemala, January 10-16, 2027. We are partnering with Breaking Cycles and will be staying in Sumpango, Guatemala. Breaking Cycles will provide food, transportation, and equipment. Depending interest, there will be opportunities to do medical, home visits, home builds, and VBS.

The deadline to sign up is October 4. The cost is $600 per person for food, transportation, lodging, and equipment. There will be an additional $900-$1200 for a plane ticket. These tickets vary in price due to the time of travel required. Jake will organize plane tickets and travel arrangements stateside. All payments will be made to Heritage Church. Breaking Cycles asks Heritage to raise $2,500 for home materials per house we plan to build. 

PASSPORT REQUIRED – It may take several weeks to get a passport, so please plan accordingly.

If you are interested in doing truly impactful work for a community in need, contact Jake Simmons for further information, jsimmons@heritage.church.

Global Methodist General Conference

This year the conference is being held in South Africa. Even though it's thousands of miles away, there are a couple ways we as members of the Trinity Conference can join in. The first and foremost is prayer. The Conference has provided a 14-day Prayer Guide (8/24-9/6). The other is to help them with a love offering to help cover travel expenses for elected delegates and alternates from the Trinity Conference who are representing us this year. Any funds above the needed travel costs will go to support the Mission Experience being organized for the local community in Johannesburg.

Baptisms

Theodore Cundiff was baptized.

Clayton and Tripp Bowen, and Levi Mason were baptize.

This Week at Heritage and Prayer Concerns

HERITAGE CHURCH | 479.474.6424

heritage.church