Catch up on all the fall happenings at Hillcrest Church! This episode is filled with updates on student and kids’ ministries, ways to get involved, and details about upcoming opportunities like the new Foundations class and the newcomers lunch. You’ll also get a preview of the big church bonfire—an evening of food, music, games, and line dancing. Plus, hear about exciting plans for the future and how you can be a part of what’s next at Hillcrest.
20 Jun 2025
Making Disciples Like Jesus Did: Understanding Hillcrest’s Disciple-Making Pathway
Discover how Hillcrest’s Disciple-Making Pathway (https://storage2.snappages.site/Z6NB7F/assets/files/Disciple-making-Pathway.pdf) can help you grow in your faith and take your next step in following Jesus.
Click here (https://app.textinchurch.com/connect-cards/obsdW2NbTNVcbFiyOjZU) to let us know you're interested in joining or leading a Gospel Community!
6 Jun 2025
A Summer Sunday School Preview
In this episode, Jenna sits down with Pastor Jacob Wirka, Pastor Josh Pugsley, and Pastor Paul Bauman to talk through the three Sunday School (https://hillcrestefc.org/adultsundayschool) classes they’ll each be leading this summer. These classes are designed for high school students and adults and will run back-to-back over the summer months.
Each class runs for four weeks and meets on Sundays from 9–10 AM in the Fellowship Hall.
June 8–29 | A Deeper Look at the Gospels with Pastor Jacob Wirka
July 13–August 3 | Gospel-Centered Community with Pastor Josh Pugsley
August 10–31 | Rethinking the End Times with Pastor Paul Bauman
Whether you're a regular in Sunday School or thinking about jumping in for the first time, this episode will give you a great preview of what’s ahead this summer!
12 Apr 2025
Gospel Community & Discipleship
Pastor Paul, Pastor Josh, and Jenna sit down for a follow-up conversation to the April 6th Leadership Retreat Update. They dive deeper into the mission shared at the meeting: to make disciples like Jesus did. Together, they talk about what Gospel Community looks like and share how you can get involved in a Gospel Community Group this fall.
If you missed the meeting, a full recording is available here (https://vimeo.com/1073034508/c392f1e2f1?share=copy)—along with this extended podcast conversation to help you stay connected to what God is doing at Hillcrest.
14 Feb 2025
A Confession of Helplessness
Pastor Paul and Jenna, along with Pastor Kyle and Pastor Josh, dive into what prayer really is, why it matters, and how we can overcome the struggles or fears that sometimes come with it. They’ll share personal stories, biblical truths, and practical tips to help you grow in your prayer life. Oh, and don’t miss the details about the Day of Prayer happening on February 22—it’s a great chance to come together as a church family. So grab a coffee, settle in, and join us as we unpack the beauty and power of prayer!
1 Feb 2025
Understanding Baptism
In this episode, Pastor Paul and Pastor Kyle explore key questions about this important step of faith: What does baptism mean? What does it accomplish or signify? Who is baptism for? Listen now and deepen your understanding of this significant act of obedience and faith!
Click here (hillcrestefc.org/baptism) if you'd like to talk to one of the pastors about being baptized.
3 Jan 2025
Jacob Wirka: A Promising Candidate for the Next Generation Pastor Position
In this episode, Pastor Paul and Jenna are joined by Pastor Kyle and Brad Schlegel to discuss the Next Generation Pastor candidate, Jacob Wirka. They dive into the interview and candidating process, sharing what stood out to them, why they believe he’s a great fit, and what they've seen in his heart for ministry.
Next Generation Pastor position description (https://storage2.snappages.site/Z6NB7F/assets/files/Next-Generation-Pastor.pdf)
Jacob's Resume (https://storage2.snappages.site/Z6NB7F/assets/files/Jacob-Wirka-Resume.pdf)
Jacob's Responses (https://storage2.snappages.site/Z6NB7F/assets/files/Jacob-Wirka-Question-Responses.pdf)
Teaching Links (https://storage2.snappages.site/Z6NB7F/assets/files/Jacob-Wirka-Teaching-Links.pdf)
1 Nov 2024
Tell of His Wonderful Acts: A History of Hillcrest Church
Paul sits down with Charlotte Baldinger and Lisa Bennett to talk about what inspired them to create a history book for Hillcrest Church.
18 Oct 2024
Meeting Joshua Pugsley: A Promising Candidate for Pastor of Spiritual Formation & Discipleship Position
Paul and Jenna are joined by special guests Rob deMalignon and Ben Lewis. Ben Lewis serves on Hillcrest's elder board and Rob deMalignon is a member of the Spiritual Formation and Discipleship Pastor Search Team. We're talking all about pastoral candidate, Josh Pugsley, and his awesome wife, Delilah. They recently visited us, and we've got some great first impressions and stories to share. We'll chat about what stood out to us, why we think they're a great fit, and what we've seen in their heart for ministry.
18 Oct 2024
Operation Christmas Child: Send Good News & Great Joy!
In this episode, Jenna chats with Terry and Robin Zeigler about Operation Christmas Child. This incredible initiative spreads joy and the message of Jesus to kids around the world through gift-filled shoeboxes. Tune in to discover how you can get involved and spread joy and love to children worldwide through Operation Christmas Child!
Hillcrest Church is a collection site for shoebox gifts during national collection week! Pick up an empty shoebox at Hillcrest, fill your box, and drop it back off at Hillcrest during one of our collection times. Our address is 2433 Progressive, Road, Seward NE 68434. (https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/)
HOW TO PACK A SHOE BOX (https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/)
BUILD A BOX ONLINE (https://sampur.se/4dLZMWh)
Collection Times
Nov. 18 | Monday | 10 AM-12 PM
Nov. 19 | Tuesday | 5-7 PM
Nov. 20 | Wednesday | 1-3 PM
Nov. 21 | Thursday | 5-7 PM
Nov. 22 | Friday | 1-3 PM
Nov. 23 | Saturday | 10 AM-12 PM
Nov. 24 | Sunday | 12-2 PM
Nov. 25 | Monday | 8-10 AM
11 Oct 2024
Meet Billy Moore: Elder Candidate
In this episode, we dive into the elder nomination process and explore the significance of this important role. Join us as we hear from Billy Moore, who has been recommended by the elders as an elder candidate. Billy shares his faith journey and what brought him to Hillcrest. As part of our new bylaws, there is a designated 30-day period for the church body to prayerfully consider Billy for this position.
20 Jul 2024
Mission Trip Recap with Caden & Madison
In June, the senior high youth group went to Louisville, KY and partnered with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) for their summer mission trip. Listen to the latest episode of the Hillcrest Church podcast to hear about the trip from two of our students, Caden Stara and Madison Sides.
27 Jun 2024
The Sanctity of Life
What does the one who is the giver and sustainer have to say about life? In this episode, we're talking about the sanctity of human life.
19 Jun 2024
New Service Times
In this episode, we're answering questions from the congregation about what Sunday morning services are going to look like this fall.
New Service Times begin Sunday, Sept. 1st!
LEARN MORE (https://hillcrestefc.org/servicetimes)
21 May 2024
Thunder on the Plains!
Last week, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Brian Sermeno to learn more about the ministry of the Christian Motorcycle Association and events they have coming up Memorial weekend! Brian and his wife Carrie are the Nebraska State Coordinators for CMA and their family has been a part of Hillcrest since 1996.
Paul also shares a little bit about the focus for Adult Sunday School this summer, and other exciting things we've got coming up at Hillcrest over the next few months.
17 May 2024
A Biblical Vision for Kids Ministry
This week we're sitting down with Sarah Kumm, Hillcrest's Kids Ministry Director, to chat about family discipleship, VBS, and the joys of serving in Kids Ministry.
Register or Volunteer for VBS (https://hillcrestefc.org/vbs)
10 May 2024
An Interview with Pastor Zach
In today’s episode, we're sitting down with Zach Mulvihill, our student ministries pastor who's gearing up for a big change. Zach shares about his transition towards a lead pastoral role, ideally in an urban setting – a passion placed in his heart many years ago. He reflects on the rich experiences and growth during his time at Hillcrest, and what is next for him and his family.
26 Apr 2024
Meet Jenna: Talking Connection and Communication Changes
**Welcome to the Hillcrest Church Podcast!**
In today’s episode, we’re kicking things off with a casual conversation between our host, Paul Bauman, and Jenna Embree, who’s just stepped into a brand new role as our Director of Communication and Connection. Jenna walks us through her history with Hillcrest, from her early days as an intern to where she is now, steering the ship on all things communication—from handling our digital presence to making sure our physical space feels welcoming.
They're going to dive into the fun challenges of keeping everyone in the loop as our church community grows.
So, grab your coffee and join us as we unpack what all these changes mean for us at Hillcrest Church and how we all can play a part in this journey.
LINKS
Join Hillcrest Highlights email list or update email subscription preferences at hillcrestefc.org/email (https://hillcrestefc.org/email).
Download Hillcrest Church, Seward App (https://subsplash.com/hillcrestevangelicalfree/app)
Website (https://hillcrestefc.org)
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