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Weekly Youth Update: 12/16-12/22

Last week we finished our short Bible study series on Christmas and this Wednesday night we will have our Youth Christmas party during our normal meeting time! We hope that you're able to join us as we fellowship together, have fun, and eat pizza and snacks. On Wednesday evening, the Family Life Center will open at 6:00 for hanging out and the party will start at 6:30, wrapping up at 7:30. Join us and invite family and friends! Next Wednesday night, the church will not be having our Wednesday night services. We hope that you spend that day with family and friends in fellowship and worship! Email me at jason@homelandparkbc.org if you have any questions! Jason

Weekly Youth Update: 12/09-12/15

This Wednesday night, we will finish our short study series on Christmas. The Family Life Center opens at 6:00 for anyone wanting to hang out. Bible study begins at 6:30 and we wrap up at 7:30. We would love for you to join us and to invite family and friends! Next Wednesday night, we will have our youth Christmas party in the Family Life Center during our Bible study time. Come join us for food and fun as we celebrate Christmas and the end of our first fall together! Finally, we will not have our regular youth Bible study on Wednesday, December 25. Enjoy that Christmas Day with your family! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jason@homelandparkbc.org ! Jason

Weekly Youth Update: 12/02-12/08

This Wednesday night, we will be continuing our weekly Bible study as we do a two week series on Christmas. This will be a fantastic opportunity for fellowship, fun, and growth as we will be discussing the meaning and our celebration of Christmas. The Family Life Center will open at 6:00 and we will begin our study at 6:30 and last until 7:30. On Wednesday, December 18, we will have a youth Christmas party in place of our usual Bible study. More details will be coming about this soon. If you have any questions about any upcoming events, please email me at jason@homeland parkbc.org! Jason

ENGAGE Retreat Update

God blessed our church and youth ministry greatly on the ENGAGE Retreat. Thank you to everyone who made this weekend a joyous occasion for us. Your prayers, support, and financial sacrifice went a long way in providing a great opportunity for our students to spend a weekend in fellowship with other students as they sought to grow closer to God. The ENGAGE Retreat was a partnership of Homeland Park Baptist Church, Varennes Heights Baptist Church, Southside Baptist Church, and Andersonville Baptist Church. The intent of the retreat weekend was to teach and challenge our students how to engage with God, other believers, and non-believers. This was done through worship rally gatherings, personal Bible studies, specialized small groups, and fun activities while hanging out. The worship rallies were the highlight of the retreat. Chris Comstock, the weekend speaker, and Justin Putnam, the weekend worship leader, provided a fun and challenging environment for our students to l

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 7:00 PM

We are excited to invite you and your entire family to our Christmas Eve Worship at Homeland Park Baptist Church. We will gather in the sanctuary at 7:00 pm for a brief time of worship and celebration of the most beautiful gift ever given, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Pastor James will also have a children’s message for all who attend. Dress for this service is “Christmas Casual” so bring your family to worship with your Homeland Park family. We hope to see you here. "For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."  [Isaiah 9:6]

Pastor's Post For December

What a strange way to save a world!  God's son coming to this earth to live a humble, yet sinless life so that we could miss hell and gain heaven.  Jesus' castle was a cold dark cave. His throne was a manger and his first witnesses were His earthly parents and a few barnyard animals.  How could this baby be the king of Glory? Why would Jesus leave His heavenly Kingdom for our earthly one?  Why would God let His one and only son die on a rugged wooden cross to atone for our sins?  What have we done to merit such a gift? God loves us! [John 3:16] “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God Gave Us An Invaluable Gift [Romans 6:23] "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." God's Gift is One We Must Receive [Romans 10:9-10] "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in

Weekly Youth Update: 11/25-12/01

We have experienced an amazing few months in the life of our church and what God is doing in our youth ministry. God is changing the lives of students and adults as the Bible and Gospel are preached and we could not be more excited for what He will continue to do as we look forward into 2014! This past week, we discussed how we adjust to normal life after experiencing an amazing weekend away at the retreat. Sunday night, we praised God for His work in our church as the congregation listened to a retreat update with student testimonies! A blog post will be coming soon giving a detailed review of the ENGAGE weekend! We will not be having Wednesday night services this week, including youth Bible study, as families prepare for Thanksgiving. Our regular Wednesday night schedule will continue December 4. Let’s use this time to remember and give thanks for the many gifts we have received from God, none greater than His Son’s life, death, and resurrection to secure us eternal life

Christmas Caroling and Chili Cookoff - December 8th

Join us again this year for a time of spreading Christmas cheer to our church members who are home bound and in nursing homes. They desperately need reminders at Christmas that God loves them and so does their church. We need all of our families to meet at the church on December 8th @ 4:00 PM. We will use the van and other vehicles to split into caroling groups. You do not have to be a singer to do this, you just need to be willing to spread God’s love to those who need it.  After caroling we will all meet at the Family Life Center at 6:00 pm for a Chili Cook-Off. We are asking our members to bring their special Chili dishes to be judged for the title of best Christmas Chili. If you do not cook Chili then bring some desserts or cornbread. HPBC will furnish the drinks and fixings for the Chili.

Weekly Youth Update: 11/18-11/24

We had an amazing weekend at the ENGAGE Youth Retreat! An in-depth update will be posted next week as well as given this Sunday night at our evening worship service. The students were challenged in many ways, but none more than understanding the saving work of the Gospel and the impact that following Jesus has in all of life. Come this Sunday night to hear more and look for a post next week describing the week! Wednesday night we will have our weekly Bible study starting at 6:30 and ending around 7:30. We'll be studying how moments of growth in our Christian lives can last a lifetime, especially after retreats or conferences! The Family Life Center will open at 6:00 for anyone wanting to hang out or play basketball. Email me at jason@homelandparkbc.org if you have any questions! Jason

Shouting With Joy After Sunday Night

I would like to extend a big thank you to all who came out last Sunday night (Nov. 17) to make our South Anderson Fellowship of Churches worship service so meaningful. All who attended were blessed.  Thank you to Freedom Center and Orville Baptist for joining with us.  It is a joy to serve along side you in this community. Pastor Philip Sears encourage us all to be thankful with his "A Joyful Shout" From Psalm 100 Let us pray together that we may do this again next year! May we remain thankful for ALL God has done and will do in our lives and churches. In Him, Pastor James

Is God Asleep?

Do you ever have times of doubt when you think God is asleep?  Maybe, He is working too much with someone else or tired from dealing with all of your problems.  Be encouraged my friends, God does not sleep.  He is all powerful and concerned specifically with you. He Loves You! As a matter of fact, He loves you so much that He wants to teach you a valuable lesson. Jesus illustrates this in this powerful account of a boat ride that went wrong fast in Mark 4:35-41 . Be sure to come Sunday morning to hear more on this powerful passage.  Church worship begins at 10:30 and Bible Study begins at 9:30.  We hope to see you Sunday!

Weekly Youth Update: 11/11-11/17

This week is the big week for our ENGAGE student retreat! We are really excited for the weekend and for what God will do while we are at Camp Longridge! This Wednesday night, we are having a parent/student meeting for any student going on the retreat at 6:00 PM. Here, we will fill out permission and medical release forms, go over the weekend schedule and rules for the weekend, and answer questions. In order for your student to attend, you must come to the meeting and sign the required forms. Unless a parent attends with their student and the required forms are signed, a student will not be allowed to attend! We will have our regular Wednesday night Bible study after the meeting, starting at 6:30 and finish around 7:30. Friday, we will meet at the church at 4:00 to prepare to leave for the retreat. We will drive over to Varennes Heights Baptist Church and leave with them by 4:30. We should arrive back by 4:00 on Sunday. Sunday night, during our normal time for Sunda

Doubting Jesus This Sunday in 9:30am Bible Study

Is it sin to doubt Jesus has power to heal someone you love? This Sunday in 9:30 Bible Study we will discuss doubts people have about what Jesus can do. Hope to see you there. (John 9)

Weekly Youth Update: 11/4-11/10

Sorry for the late update! We've had an exciting and busy few weeks so this Wednesday night, during our Bible study time, we will have a youth game night. We'll be doing group games and relaxing as we prepare for next weekend's ENGAGE Retreat! This Sunday is the last day to sign up for the retreat . The ENGAGE youth retreat will be from November 15-17 at Camp Longridge in Ridgeway, SC. More information is below: Location: Camp Longridge (Ridgeway, SC) Date: November 15-17 Cost: $99 (Covers meals, lodging, devotional booklets, t-shirts) This is an awesome opportunity for a fun weekend for growing in our walks with Christ and hanging out with teens from other churches and we hope to see you there! If you have questions about the retreat or anything else, email me at jason@homelandparkbc.org! Jason

My Hope For America with Billy Graham

Sunday Night, November 10th @ 6:00 PM Our church will be showing Billy Graham's "The Cross" presentation this Sunday night. There has never been a more clearer presentation of the gospel in a way that will move people's hearts.  If you have someone in your life you are praying for, please bring them. Invite a friend, coworker, neighbor, family member or anyone that God places in your path to this event.  Give them a ride, promise them dinner, or whatever it takes to get them here. Use this as a tool to reach others for Christ. Do not miss Billy Graham's last message to America!

Turn Your Clocks Back Tonight

Praise God for an extra hour of sleep tonight and turn those clocks back 1 hour. We will see you in the morning. 9:30am Bible Study & 10:30am Worship.

The Trick of Halloween at Tonight's Adult Bible Study

Tonight at our Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study, Pastor James sharing details on Halloween and how the Bible addresses it.  Have you ever wondered where "Trick or Treat" came from or why we dress up in costumes?  If you are curious, come to the sanctuary at 6:30 pm tonight to find out more.  I could be scary! :)

Birthdays and Anniversaries For November

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAY'S Jill Scarborough 2-Nov Buddy Sanders 5-Nov Rosy Mercado 5-Nov Cheryl Billings 7-Nov Nakita Harris 8-Nov Kollette Rhodes 9-Nov Janice Cline 9-Nov Sharlene Gilreath 14-Nov Ethel Gibson 15-Nov Myrtice Johnson 15-Nov Frances Holcombe 17-Nov Minnie Lee Turner 18-Nov Tonya Keaton 19-Nov Donna Strickland 21-Nov Wanda Carter 29-Nov November Anniversaries Randy & Lori Brown 11-Nov Rev. James & Donna Strickland 21-Nov Max & Patsy Fleming 24-Nov Harold & Martha Bridges 28-Nov

Thank You Letters From Our Members for November

Church Family, I want to thank you first of all for your prayers and your kindness shown to me through the visits, calls and cards that mean so much to me. I miss not being able to attend church, but please remember to keep me in your prayers. Even in the valleys, God is good. Jimmie Crocker

Church Wide Thanksgiving Fellowship on November 26

Tuesday, November 26th 6:30 PM HPBC Family Life Center Come join us for our church-wide Thanksgiving Fellowship. Please bring soups, sandwiches, desserts and drinks.

Mission Emphasis for November

Our Mission Action Project for the month of November will be for Calvary Home for Children here in Anderson, SC. They will need: Cleaning Supplies, Household Items, Paper Products, Bedding/Linens, Clothing, Outdoor Items, Personal Care Items and School Supplies. There will be a more detailed copy of items needed on the bulletin board in the downstairs hall. Also, copies will be available in the Bible Study Office.

Youth Ministry Yardsale This Saturday November 2

Saturday, November 2nd 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM HPBC Family Life Center If anyone has items they would like to donate for the yard sale, please bring them to the FLC during church office hours by Thursday, October 31st. Volunteers are needed in preparing for the Yard Sale! We will be setting up for the sale on Friday, November 1st beginning at 9:00 AM. We will be providing a pizza lunch for all volunteers.  All proceeds go towards our youth ministry.

Please Help Give The Needy A Thanksgiving Meal

We have an opportunity help our community. Each year Homeland Park Fire Department helps Meals on Wheels by delivering food to their South Anderson Route. Without this, many people would go hungry on Thanksgiving. Our church has been asked to provide enough Macaroni & Cheese and Dressing for 120 plates. We need cooks and sponsors. The food can be made ahead of time and reheated if Thanksgiving Day is too busy for you. The fire department will take care of delivering the food. If you would like to help, please contact Mrs. Bobbie Eskew. Please take a part in this blessing.

Weekly Youth Update: 10/28-11/03

Wednesday night, our ENGAGE Rally will be held at the church starting at 6:30. We are joining other churches for the ENGAGE retreat and this rally sets the stage for our time together in November. Doors will open at 6:00 for hanging out, the rally begins at 6:30, and we will finish up around 8:00. Come join us for fun, worship and teaching as we fellowship with our friends from sister churches! The ENGAGE youth retreat will be from November 15-17 at Camp Longridge in Ridgeway, SC. More information is below: Location: Camp Longridge (Ridgeway, SC) Date: November 15-17 Cost: $99 (Covers meals, lodging, devotional booklets, t-shirts) Our upcoming yard sale will be held at the church this Saturday, November 2, from 8 am-Noon. If you want to donate items to be sold, feel free to drop them off during office hours this week until Friday. Friday, November 1, any church members who would like to help organize the tables and items can start helping at 9 am. A pizza lunch w

South Anderson Fellowship of Churches Thanksgiving Celebration on November 17

An annual tradition continues as churches in the South Anderson community gather for a celebration service on November 17th at 6:00 PM at Homeland Park Baptist Church . Reverend Phillip Sears from South Anderson's Freedom Center will be preaching and HPBC will be providing the music with the help of some guests from local churches. Churches who are planning to attend at the time of this post are: If your church would like to join please contact HPBC Pastor James Strickland ( pastorjames@homelandparkbc.org  or call 864-296-9751)

Being Thankful

PASTOR'S POST - NOVEMBER 2013 As we start another fall season, there is one question that will resonate in our hearts, "What am I thankful for?" I find reasons to be thankful within the simple things of life. For instance, the picture above was taken when Donna and I, with our dog Bruno in tow went to Table Rock State Park for the day. I remember being thankful for my family, the great weather and the beautiful colors of the changing leaves.  Everything there screamed of God's love through His attention to detail in its creation. I am thankful to have a God that loves me unconditionally, sacrificially and relentlessly.  I am so blessed to have the privilege of pastoring His church and walking along side His people through the steps of their lives. While the above mentioned can give us a warm and fuzzy feeling, the honest truth is that I, along with many of our congregation, endure storms.  As hard as it is to admit, I am thankful for the storms, too.  Y

Trunk or Treat

Thursday, October 31st 6:00 - 7:30 PM HPBC Parking Lot Please bring your vehicle with candy to give out to the children in our community who come through our parking lot, as we reach out to their families.  There will be a prize for the best decorated trunk!  If you have a costume, wear it (Nothing to scary please).

Weekly Youth Update: 10/21-10/27

Wednesday night we will continue our series, Christian Basics with a study of the church. The Family Life Center opens at 6:00, Bible study begins at 6:30, and we finish around 7:30. We would love for you to join and invite family and friends to come with you! Next Wednesday night, our ENGAGE Rally will be held at the church starting at 6:30. We are joining other churches for the ENGAGE retreat and this rally sets the stage for our time together in November. Doors will open at 6:00 for hanging out, the rally begins at 6:30, and we will finish up around 8:00. Come join us for fun, worship and teaching as we fellowship with our friends from sister churches! The ENGAGE youth retreat will be from November 15-17 at Camp Longridge in Ridgeway, SC. More information is below: Location: Camp Longridge (Ridgeway, SC) Date: November 15-17 Cost: $99 (Covers meals, lodging, devotional booklets, t-shirts) Finally, we are excited to announce our upcoming yard sale at the ch

Weekly Youth Update: 10/14-10/20

We will be continuing our Bible study this Wednesday night. The study will expand our conversation from last week about living as a Christian as we continue our series, Christian Basics. The Family Life Center opens at 6:00 for fellowship and fun. Bible study will start at 6:30 and finish around 7:30. We hope you’re able to make and feel free to invite family and friends! Wednesday night, October 30, we are planning a pre-ENGAGE youth rally. We are partnering with other church for the rally and retreat and we very excited to host the kickoff for the retreat! The rally will begin at 6:30 and wrap up around 8. We’ll have games, snacks, a time for worship through singing, and a message. Doors open at 6:00 for anyone wanting to hang out and play games. Invite your friends and family for this great night and we are excited to see how God works in the rally and retreat! The ENGAGE youth retreat will be from November 15-17 at Camp Longridge in Ridgeway, SC. More information is be

Weekly Youth Update: 10/7-10/13

Last week was a great week for our youth ministry. The Wednesday night fellowship provided great discussion about salvation and the Sunday evening SBA youth rally challenged our students to pursue genuine holiness and faithfulness in their lives. This week, we will be continuing our Wednesday night Bible study series, Christian Basics. Our study will focus on living the Christian life. Doors to the Family Life Center open at 6:00 for hanging out and games. We will start the study at 6:30 and be done by 7:30. We would love for you to join us and invite family and friends to come! Wednesday night, October 30, we are planning a pre-ENGAGE youth rally. We are partnering with other church for the rally and retreat and we very excited to host the kickoff for the retreat! The rally will begin at 6:30 and wrap up around 8. We’ll have games, snacks, a time for worship through singing, and a message. Doors open at 6:00 for anyone wanting to hang out and play games. Invite your friends

Weekly Youth Update: 9/30-10/6

The Homeland Park Youth have a busy week ahead. Wednesday night, we will be continuing our Bible study, Christian Basics. This week we will be studying how a person becomes a Christian. The Family Life Center opens at 6:00 for hanging out and we will start Bible study at 6:30. We wrap before 7:30 and we would love to see you there! Feel free to invite family and friends! This upcoming Sunday evening, Sunday, October 6, is the Saluda Baptist Association Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting for the adults begins at 4:30 PM at Concord Baptist Church and the business/worship begins at 6:35 PM. The association is hosting a separate youth rally that evening for the youth at 5:30 PM at Concord Baptist Church. Previously, the location was North Anderson Baptist Church but has since changed to Concord Baptist. They will have dinner provided. We will leave Homeland Park at 5:00 to arrive early. The event ends at 7:30 and we will do our best to be back to Homeland Park by 7:45. Finally

Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes

Our Mission Action Project for the month of October is Operation Christmas Child. Brochures will be available on Sunday, October 6th. Please place your shoe boxes when filled around the altar in the Sanctuary.   The final day of collection will be Sunday, Oct 27th. Operation Christmas Child Website Instructions On How To Pack Your Shoe Box Watch Scotty McCreary show how to pack a shoe box! 

The Beauty of Change

The temperature outside has begun to cool and God is painting His beautiful tapestry of fall colors. Now that I live in the upstate again, I look forward to driving with Donna through the mountains and foothills to see the beautiful colors of fall.  The many shades of brown, yellow and orange take the place of leaves that were once green and full of life.  Yes, the leaves are beautiful but they are dying until they finally fall off of the tree only to return next spring.  The apostle Paul said,  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 [HCSB] When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, our old life dies. The flawed person we once were is buried in our sins and we become not a renovated Christian but a regenerated (Born Again) follower of Christ.  We no longer have to live in our old sin and habits because Christ sets us free from them.  To see Jesus change people

Weekly Youth Update: 9/23-9/29

This past week we had a great time of fellowship at our weekly study and trip to Fuddruckers. This week, we will be continuing our weekly Bible study series, Christian Basics, as we study Jesus in His humanity and divinity. The doors for the Family Life Center open at 6:00 and we begin our study at 6:30. We wrap up just before 7:30. We are excited for what God is doing in our church and we hope to see you and your friends this Wednesday for fellowship! Sunday, October 6, is the Saluda Baptist Association Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting for the adults begins at 4:30 PM at Concord Baptist Church and the business/worship begins at 6:35 PM. The association is hosting a separate youth rally that evening for the youth at 5:30 PM at North Anderson Baptist Church. They will have dinner provided. We will leave Homeland Park at 5:00 to arrive early. The event ends at 7:30 and we will do our best to be back to Homeland Park by 7:45. If you will be attending the youth rally, let me know

HONOR Pastor Appreciation Event

HONOR PASTOR APPRECIATION EVENT-It’s Free! for Pastors and Ministry Leaders Time :Start at Noon, Finish by 1:15pm. October 7, 2013, Monday Place : Homeland Park Baptist Church (3010 Abbeville Highway, Anderson, SC 29624) Food provided by: Chick-Fil-A Register online at: www.honorevent.com WITH SPECIAL GUESTS Dr. Kneeland Brown, from Focus on the Family's Leadership Institute Dr. Kneeland C. Brown serves as Executive Director of the Focus Leadership Institute at Focus on the Family. In this role, he develops and oversees the Institute program, which equips university students to make a difference in family, church and culture. As a father, scholar and professor, it has long been Brown’s passion to see the rising generation of Christians combine scholarship and faith into positive action. His vision for the Institute program is that students will gain the necessary skills and experience to influence the culture, restore the family, revive the chur

Weekly Youth Update: 9/16-9/22

The past few weeks have been exciting with our Bible studies and socials. The fun will continue this Wednesday with our Bible Study series, Christian Basics. Last week we looked at the Trinity and this week, we will be studying the attributes of God. The Family Life Center opens at 6:00 Wednesday evening for hanging out and basketball and Bible study begins at 6:30. We finish up just before 7:30. Please join us for this great time of fellowship and study and invite family and friends! Sunday evening after the worship service the youth and their families will be going to Fuddruckers for a group dinner! We should arrive back to the church between 8:30-8:45. Please bring money for your meal. The following menu is available if you need an idea of the costs: http://www.myfuddruckers.com/worlds-greatest-hamburgers.php . Sunday, October 6, is the Saluda Baptist Association Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting for the adults begins at 4:30 PM at Concord Baptist Church and the business

Weekly Youth Update: 9/9-9/15

We will be continuing our new Bible Study series, Christian Basics, this Wednesday night from 6:30-7:30. Our discussion this week will center on God as we seek to understand more about Him and His work in the world. The Family Life Center will open at 6:00 for anyone who wants to come and hang out. Feel free to invite friends and family as we fellowship and seek to grow in our walk with the Lord. Sunday evening, September 22, the youth will be going out to eat together at Fuddruckers after the 6:00 evening service. Parents and families, we would love for you to join and fellowship with us if you are able. If not, we should arrive back to the church between 8:30-8:45. All youth and families need to bring money to cover their meals. Finally, we are excited to announce our fall retreat! We are partnering with some other Baptist churches of the Saluda Baptist Association to go to Camp Longridge for a weekend retreat from November 15-17. Here is more information about the ret