Spiritual Formation

Is there more to life than this?

Attend an Alpha Course to explore the Christian faith in an open, relaxed and fun manner.  Supported by all main Christian denominations.  Alpha is coming June 24-July, 2013, Monday and Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:50! Registration deadline:  June 16.

This downloadable brochure can help you identify the ways you are uniquely made so you can see what tools may fit your needs. For more information on Individual Pathways to Spiritual Growth, please  Contact Jenny Trees

 Listen to My Life is a unique visual tool that helps you invite God into the process of reviewing your past, assessing your present and continuing to walk with God in your future.  It helps you to explore the implications of the truth that God creates you for a purpose, and your life is most fully and joyfully lived under God's direction and guidance.  Contact Jenny Trees

The Marriage Ministry at Hillside is committed to providing opportunities for couples to develop a more intimate relationship with God and their spouses. Our purpose is to assist couples in every stage of development to create a God-honoring marriage that thrives on commitment, intimacy, mutual respect and growth. 

"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:1-3 

Prayer Ministry Team:  The Prayer Ministry Team is composed of different groups who pray for various aspects of our life at Hillside.  The Monday Morning Prayer group meets every week to pray over the cards submitted during the previous Sunday services. Sunday Service Prayer group is available in the prayer room after each service for those who would like individual prayer, and the Intercessory Prayer Team meets one Saturday morning a month to pray for Hillside and our communities.  Contact Cat Whitten

Transformational Prayer Team:  This small team makes itself available for people wanting intensive prayer, wanting help in seeking God's guidance and healing power for needs in their life.  An interview is required before joining this team.  Please let us know if you would like this team to come and pray for you.  Contact John Harrison

All-Church Prayer Gathering

March 29, 2013 - Prayers for Healing - 12:00-6:00 p.m. at various locations at Hillside

Purpose: Small Group Bible Studies provide a safe and supportive environment in which to learn about, grow and exercise your understanding of God. Plus, groups provide a way to form meaningful friendships within God’s kingdom. 

Vision: Our vision is that every person who calls Hillside home would be in a life-transforming small group for the purpose of being more like Christ by being submitted to the Spirit, transformed by the Word, out in the world, nurtured in community, and equipped to serve for the glory of God.

Drop by Common Grounds in Bergesen Hall and check out Hillside's Resource Center where you'll find books available for purchase recommended by staff.  Whether you want to read more on the topics being preached from the pulpit or topics focusing on a variety of ministry areas, you'll find new and exciting books available.  We even have "Homegrown Resources" available from authors and musicians right here at Hillside. 

Spiritual direction is a ministry of listening, discernment and prayer in a confidential setting of encouragement and compassion.  Through this ministry one finds a spiritual companion who can listen to the stories of yoru life and help discern the presence and work of God's Spirit.  Though we believe God is always calling us and leading us, sometimes we need a "soul friend" to help us recognize God's voice and respond to His presence.  This companion intentionally sets aside the concerns of his or her own life to listen and attend to the experience of God in the life of the other.  The ministry of spiritual directoin is the ministry of being such a listener and friend.  If you would like to meet with a spiritual director or find out more about this ministry, Contact Jenny Trees.

Hillside Day of Fasting

We choose to refrain from food for a season in order to recognize and experience in a tangible way the fuel that comes from the Holy Spirit's sustaining presence.We have set aside the following day to fast together as a community: Fasting Brochure (203.3 KB)

Friday, March 29, 2013 - Focus: Good Friday

Sunday, May 19, 2013 - Focus: Pentecost

Nature Prayer Walks

Take a walk on our newly created walking path (thanks to the Eagle Scouts of Troop 216) to focus on God's creation and spend some time in reflective prayer. Naturalist Brochure.pdf (269.0 KB)

Scripture Memorization

Committing Bible passages to memory so that instinctive recall is accessible for years to come. Use your own Scripture or weekly sermon passage posted in the bulletin or the front of the website to build up the passages you store in your heart.  Find the Weekly Memory Verse Here

Silent Retreat

Psalm 46: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

An Image of a Jar of River Water from Ruth Haley Barton's book Invitation to Solitude and Silence: To be still long enough so the swirling sediment could settle, the waters of my soul could become clear and I could see whatever it was that needed to be seen. . .well, that image called to me with the hope of peace, clarity and a deeper level of certainty in God than I had yet known. In the desire this image stirred up, I recognized an invitation to be still and know beyond my addiction to noise, words, people and performance-oriented activity."

Three times a year we provide opportunities to join together in silence. Daylong retreats are held in private homes in the beginning of Fall and during Advent.  For more information, Contact Gloria Sever

Stations of the Cross

The Via Dolorosa is a street, within the Old City of Jerusalem, held to be the path that Jesus walked, carrying His cross, on the way to His crucifixion. The winding route from the Antonia Fortress west to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — a distance of about 600 meters (2,000 feet) — is a celebrated place of Christian pilgrimage. This path is represented in the 14 Stations of the Cross which were used to represent the Via Dolorosa for those who couldn’t make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  By slowly reflecting on Jesus’ steps to the cross and the suffering He endured along the way, we can hope to get a better understanding of the sacrifice that was made on our behalf. In a culture that avoids suffering at all costs, may God show you the joy and peace He promises when we focus on Him in the midst of all circumstances.  Click here for pictures and poems