The answer to this question is an abounding, YES! As we begin our process of planting a new church seed in Central Florida, there are many others doing the same thing in our neighboring country of Canada. In the last couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to talk with four different families who have been called to do the same we are doing here; planting new church seeds in preparation of building the Kingdom. These families come from all walks of life and from different parts of the country, but all have the same purpose.

In understanding more about Canada with its unique demographics and topography, I realize that these families have taken on a vision very similar to what Paul’s ministry wanted to accomplish in Ephesus. Like Paul, they want all of Canada to hear the Word of the Lord. There are many challenges these families face:

-25% of the population are Mormon
-most are starting church plants in very rural areas
-the weather is much different than what it is here
-30% of all children come from broken families

Even with these obstacles and the lack of evangelical churches, God has a calling for these families to spread the good news.

So what does this have to do with our church family here at Heritage Community? A lot! Over the next four weeks I will introduce a family each week, highlighting their ministry, where they are located, and specific prayer needs. We will also take up a benevolence offering each week for the next four weeks to send a gift of love to each of these families.
My challenge to you is to find a way during this holiday season to give so that these ministries will continue to plant seeds necessary in growing the Kingdom. Here are some ways that you might be able to do so:

-skip eating out one time this month
-order water instead of soft drinks or tea
-place your loose change aside in a coffee cup

These are just a few examples that may help free up some money for this wonderful opportunity to help these ministries. God bless you and your families during this holiday season.

Stephen May


(Stephen is the owner of Chick-fil-A in The Villages and will be heading up all things "Missions" here at HCC.)

That's the correct word for Thanksgiving.  We ended up with three days of feasting, not just one, as our family headed home to my parents'.  The family always seem to save the best for our arrival.  Tuesday night it was "Low Country Boil"; a southern tradition around our home with shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes and onions cooked together and put in a trough on the table for people to pick through.  Wednesday night it was T-Bone steaks and of course Thursday was turkey, ham and a little bit of everything else including homemade pecan pie.  I think that I have had enough to last me until Christmas. Beside the food, the fellowship was great, too.   It was good being with family and I was reminded of the rich heritage our family has and how blessed we were to be raised in a home with Christian values. 

On the way home Thanksgiving afternoon, we ended up stopping by McDonald's for a bathroom break (no not to get anything to eat). It was during that time that I noticed a man sitting out by the door asking for help.  I watched several people walk by while Merideth and Anna Grace were inside and none seemed willing to assist him. My first reaction was "someone else will help him." Then I remembered, "For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat..." Matthew 25:42. It was appropiate for us to bless him regardless of the circumstances and the reasons for his hard times.  As we handed him his bag of food, he thanked us and wished us a happy Thanksgiving.  I told him it was a blessing from the Lord and we shared a few words together. As we drove away, I thanked the Lord for the opportunity to give and we were again reminded of the words of Jesus, "it is more blessed to give than receive."

Thank you Lord that we were blessed on Thanksgiving, not just by being with family and participating in a feast around the table, but for the one man that we met at McDonalds that reminded us of how simple things matter.  By the way, Merideth and I learned about caring for others from our families.  I hope to pass that down to our children as we intend to live out a legacy of Faith.  

Blessings,

Pastor Sidney

Isn't it so easy to be on the receiving end of a blessing?  Whether an unexpected gift or word of affirmation; blessings are fun. At least I think so!  The Bible tells of a story when a special blessing almost went unnoticed. Is that possible?  In Luke chapter 17, we find an account of ten men who suffered with a disease of the skin which forced them to live in isolation from the rest of the community.  A meeting with Jesus changed not only their status as lepers, but it also changed their outlook on life.  They were healed!  However, only one returned to thank Jesus for performing the miracle.  Jesus responded to the Samaritan's gratefulness by giving him something greater than physical healing; he gained eternal life.

During this season of thanks, may we express an attitude of gratitude!  In I Chronicles we find David writing these words, "Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.  Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.  Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice."

In this season of giving thanks, what are you thankful for?  There is no better day than today to cultivate that thankful heart.

"Father, we recognize your blessings on Heritage Community.  Today we say thank You for Your goodness!"

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

I live in Wildwood with my husband, Allen, and our son, Trace. Allen is an Insurance Agent for Westgate-Jones Ins. Company and a Real Estate Agent for Exit Vision Realty in Wildwood. I am a Homemaker and I love to spend time with other moms and their children. Trace is 2 ½ years old and is so much fun. He makes Allen and I laugh every day.

We are so excited to be involved with Heritage Community Church. God is so good. When we moved here a year and a half ago, I remember Allen and I talking about how we really wanted to get involved in a church. Not just go to church, but to have God really use our gifts and abilities that He gave us. Needless to say, when we heard about the new church plant, we knew this is where we were supposed to be.

Allen and I are honored to have been asked to be the Youth Leaders for Heritage. This is going to be a new venture for us as we have not done something like this. Allen and I definitely have a passion for young adults and have worked with them, but we covet your prayers as we step out and lead this upcoming generation to grow, share, and serve Jesus Christ.

If you are interested in helping out with Student Ministry at Heritage Community Church in any way, please click here and fill out the form so Allen & Sharis can contact you about upcoming events. Thanks!

Mommies Unite is a small group for mommies and their children sponsored by Heritage Community Church. The group meets on Friday mornings at 10am at the Martinez house in Yalaha. It's a great opportunity to get to know others on a personal level so that we can encourage, love, and support one another. We'd love to see you there!

Click here for a Google Map.

Martinez House
27602 Mooring Cove Ct.
Yalaha FL 34797
(352) 324-1270

The Psalmist said in chapter 78,

O my people, hear my teaching; 
       listen to the words of my mouth.
 2 I will open my mouth in parables,
       I will utter hidden things, things from of old-
 3 what we have heard and known,
       what our fathers have told us.
 4 We will not hide them from their children;
       we will tell the next generation
       the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
       his power, and the wonders he has done.
 5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
       and established the law in Israel,
       which he commanded our forefathers
       to teach their children,
 6 so the next generation would know them,
       even the children yet to be born,
       and they in turn would tell their children.
 7 Then they would put their trust in God
       and would not forget his deeds
       but would keep his commands.

"75-88% of students attending church today will have left the church before entering their sophomore year in college."  This astounding statistic floored me.  How could this be?  But as I reflected on my years of student ministry, I could validate the findings reviewing our own experiences of working with students and families. Now having three small children of our own, I also began to consider what the statistics meant and how the reality of those statistics  would affect our children as well as the generations to follow. It is out of this passion to pass our Christian faith on to the next generation and a strong calling from God that Heritage Community was birthed--Birthed out of a passion, bathed in prayer and built on faith.  Our desire is that Heritage Community Church will lead people into "Living a Legacy of Faith" in and through Jesus Christ by creating environments where people are intentionally growing spiritually, sharing life together, and serving others.  For us to "Leave a Legacy" of faith, we must first "live it", and that will be our focus at Heritage Community Church.  Our target group will be focusing on younger adults, with and without children.  However, we will be multigenerational by design, valuing the Heritage of Faith that has gone before us and realizing the need for their wisdom and influence.

In the weeks ahead, we will begin sharing the "core values" of Heritage Community Church in this blog. We hope that you will join us in the journey impacting one family at a time.

Happy November! Here's a quick glance at a couple of things coming up at Heritage Community Church:

Meeting for Youth Families:

Immediately following our gathering at Wildwood Middle School on November 11th, we will be having a meeting/fellowship for families with Youth (grades 6-12) at the home of Will & Alicia Lipps. Don't miss this meeting as we will be dreaming and discussing the future of Student Ministry at HCC.


"A Fellowship Dinner of Thankful Hearts":

As a family of Heritage Community Church, we will have our dinner Sunday November 18th at 5p.m. at Wildwood Middle School cafeteria. Please invite friends and other families to share in this time of thanksgiving to our Lord.

Please RSVP by clicking HERE.




VIDEO
We had a wonderful time at the end of October with our first ever Fall Fellowship and Baptism Service. Click here to see a quick video of the night.