Hillside Church Renewal 2024-2025

      In 2024, our congregation participated in the Church Sustainability Program presented by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina. At the end of the three sessions, we took a survey of participant reactions. This is a summary of the survey responses.

• There were 21-22 responses from each of the three sessions.
• 18 respondents felt the most important information had to do with Hillside Church’s financial picture and demographics, including an aging membership and limited number of givers.
• 9 respondents (respondents could answer more than once) felt the most important information had to do with the decline of the state of churches locally, nationally, and globally.
• Of the seven possible pathways churches might take to thrive in the future, 18 respondents believe the “collaborator identity” best fits our congregation. The collaborator church partners with organizations outside the church to carry out ministries, increase our number of volunteers, and provide supplemental income for the church.
• None of the other proposed pathways had more than 5 respondents consider those as good options for Hillside.
• Several respondents commented that we are (or have been over the past 25 years) a combination or hybrid of several of the presented pathways including collaborator, reset, reboot, and merger.

1. Reset – Start over with a new name and new identity.
2. Reboot – Sell the building and downsize to reduce costs.
3. Merger – End our congregation as it currently is, join forces with another congregation to form a completely new church, with a new identity, and new declared mission.

• Two common responses were repeated to the session on our church’s financial situation, led by our treasurer Kent Stone.

1. Our situation is very fragile because we have a such a small number of donors supporting the budget.
2. Our situation would greatly improve if we could completely pay off the mortgage.

•  What is the most important next step for our church?
• 11 respondents said focus on spiritual growth.
• 10 said focus on outreach to build church membership and attendance.
• 4 said focus on building financial health.
• 3 said focus on building community among church members.
• 1 said expand international reach.
• Comments on the “What is the next step?” question.
• Put a heavy emphasis on discipleship that includes challenging each elder and deacon to invite at least one unchurched person to church every month.
• We have already begun this work. We have had Sunday morning sessions on prayer, Bible study, worship, and spiritual gifts, and we have more planned on service, generosity, and evangelism.)
• Emphasize the growth of our Chinese congregation and support the growth of the Karen Church that meets in our building.
• Build up couples’ groups and children’s ministry.
• Do what’s necessary to attract families with school-aged children.

Additional comments are available to anyone who might want to see them. To view full survey results, click here. The prevailing sentiment from the surveys is that we need to pay off our mortgage, we need to grow as a congregation, and the most ideal growth will be with families with school-aged children and unchurched people. Now, our leaders – including ministry staff, elders, deacons, and Vision Team members – must plan out to proceed in ministry based upon these findings. If you want to talk with those in leadership about any of this, we are available. You can call Pastor Rob Tennant, Worship leader Starlyn Combs, Elder Chair Alan Stiles, or Deacon chair Dina Sit, or any of the members of these ministry leadership team.

Biscuits, anyone?!?

Please join us this year to enjoy a Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen biscuit as part of our Easter breakfast potluck after the Easter sunrise service. Click on the button below to:

1. Let us know you are coming to breakfast.
2. Order your biscuit
3. Let us know what other breakfast item(s) you will bring for the potluck.

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