Worship and Arts Ministries

"Have you ever considered being more involved in the worship services at church? The choir is always ready to welcome you into their midst. If you love to sing (and can carry a tune), you are invited to join them on Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30. Rehearsals begin for the season on September 3 with participation in the services on Sunday, September 7. Maybe there is someone who needs your encouragement to participate. Now is the time! Open to all ages from high school on up. We look forward to seeing you."

Prayer Ministries

Prayer Ministry: The Prayer Ministry Team has an after-service prayer ministry time in the Prayer Room after each of the three worship services. At least 2 members of the team will be there to pray for you. Whatever your need, please do not hesitate to ask for prayer. We are there to listen to you and to pray. The ministry will continue on the first Sunday of each month through September. After that, we hope to offer prayer ministry after every service on Sunday. We want this to become a part of our church culture. We expect God to work through answered prayer!

Monday Morning Prayer: Come and pray with us on Monday mornings (10-11 a.m.) in Pastor Jeff's office. We would love to have you join us to pray for those in need in our church.

What is Worship?

Worship, for us at Hillside, is a lifestyle.  We believe that God has called us to give each moment of our daily lives to Him, and so we strive to offer ourselves “as a living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” This, says God, is our spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1).

What’s the purpose of our community’s worship services?

Sunday morning worship services (8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM) are the times that we set aside to get away from the distractions of our busy world and put our focus squarely on God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  Our first and primary aim in our community’s worship times is to express to God our praise for who He is and what He has done (and continues to do) in our lives.  We also desire that our times of worship be times of honesty in which we can express to God and each other not only our joy and thanks but also our brokenness, doubt, and pain.  We believe that God meets us and ministers to us as we abandon our whole selves to His agenda.

What can I expect on Sunday mornings?

Worship services at Hillside might keep you guessing.  We believe strongly that 2000-some years of Christian history have left us with a rich color palette with which to paint our worship.  So on any given Sunday morning, you may find us singing to God an old and beloved hymn with organ, or you may find drums, bass, and electric guitar as the accompaniment to a newly-written song. You may find the words of an ancient prayer giving language to the cry of your heart. You may sense God speaking to you through the beauty of a choral anthem or classical guitar piece. You may find yourself drawn closer to your Creator as you hear His truth in scripture, or see it come alive in a dance or drama. And each week you will hear a sermon that is both accessible and engaging and also deep and challenging. Above all, expect to find our community using whatever tools we have at our disposal to try to give our best gift of worship to God.

This page says “Worship and Arts.” What’s the “Arts” part?

Hillside believes that any good art expresses something about God, and so we strive to find ways to cultivate art among us, for the purpose of letting God speak to us. We have a strong history of original dramatic productions, particularly around Christmas time. Whatever the medium—be it music, dance, drama, visual art, poetry—we are constantly looking for ways to let God speak through the arts.

How can I get involved?

There are many opportunities for you to offer your gifts to enrich Hillside’s Worship and Arts ministries.  Please contact Michele Miller at michele@hillsidecovenant.org, 934-1110, ext. 17, for more information about any of these areas:

• Sanctuary Choir – sings at the 9:30 and 11:00 services. Rehearsals are held Wednesday evenings at 7:00.  Our repertoire ranges from classical pieces to spirituals to contemporary anthems.  All skill/experience levels welcome. Come join us! 

• Worship Team – vocalists and instrumentalists help lead our worship singing for all services.  Rehearsals are generally Thursday nights at 7:00.

• Other Instrumentalists – whatever instrument you play, we’ll probably be able to find a place for it in worship!

• Sound Technicians – help set up and run our sound equipment for rehearsals, services, and other events.  No prior experience is necessary – an ear for music helps, but we’ll train you if you’re interested!

• Projection Team – projectionists run all of the visual elements of our services, from song lyrics to video clips to whatever else ends up on the screen! Again, no experience necessary.

• Ushers (currently very needed!) – play an important role in creating a welcoming and warm environment for worship.

• Dancers/choreographers – will be called upon to physically express God’s beauty and truth.  Let us know if this is one of your gifts!

• Actors/directors/writers – help us communicate through drama or the spoken word, from the writing process to the performance.

• Photographers/visual artists – help visually enrich our worship life.