Homeland Park Baptist Church

Dear Church, God has once again blessed us with an amazing year of ministry.   I am continually encouraged with your love for God and the desire to see others come to Him. As we take a break from services this Wednesday night, I look forward to seeing you in 2015 (January 4) while experiencing God's work among us. For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 In Him, Pastor James

Photo Credit: Myra Elvington CELEBRATION FELLOWSHIP OF JASON ELVINGTON’S SEMINARY GRADUATION  Jason, we are so proud of you for graduating from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. We are so blessed to have you and Elizabeth in our church family as you minister to our youth and families. May God continue to do great things in and through you! Sunday, January 11th 6:00 PM In the FLC (Family Life Center) We are asking our church members to please bring finger-foods, desserts and drinks to share.

It seems our lives become more predictable as we get older.  The brazen free spirit of our youth begins to grow content with schedules, rituals and patterns.  Our comfort zone begins to expand to a point where we become hesitant to cultivate new relationships, try new things, and take greater risks.  While we become more comfortable in our daily routine, our world continues to change.  Days are becoming darker which provides a greater backdrop for us as believers to shine out the light of Jesus Christ. [Matthew 5:14-16] “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. In 2015 decide to break the cycle of complacency. Apathy has no place in the world of sharing the gospel.  When we have an o

Wednesday 12/24 Church Office Closed 7:00 PM Christmas Eve Service Thursday 12/25 Church Office Closed Christmas Day The Lord’s Day 12/28 8:45 AM Prayer Meeting 9:30 AM Bible Study 10:30 AM Morning Worship Evening Service Cancelled Wednesday 12/31 Church Office Closed Services Cancelled Thursday 1/1 Church Office Closed

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 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]

Our Goal $1,000.00 Raised $1,108.00 Thank you church for the giving of your resources to make sure people around the world are hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Our church in impacting our world!

Church-wide Leadership Meeting January 4th @ 5:00 PM Can you believe a new year is here? We saw God do many great things in 2014 and we look forward to Him doing many more this year. Pastor James and the Deacons are inviting all of those who have a position of leadership in our church to come to a meeting on Sunday, January 4, 2015 at 5pm in the choir room. If you have a task or title in the church you are invited. Even If you are praying about serving at HPBC this year, then you are invited as well! This will be an exciting time of encouragement and vision casting for the next year.

This week, the youth have their yearly Christmas Party from 6:30-7:30 on Wednesday, December 17, in the Family Life Center! Last year was a blast as we reflected on the significance of Jesus’ birth and wrapped-up the fall semester! We hope that you join us! The Homeland Park Youth will be attending the Clemson-Wake Forest basketball game on Saturday, January 24. The game tips-off at noon and will we leave from the church by 10:00 am that morning. The cost for the game is $5. We have reserved 10 tickets for students and because we have a limited number available, the tickets will be reserved on a first-come basis. To reserve a ticket, a student must pick up a permission packet from me on a Wednesday night or Sunday morning, fill it out completely with parent signatures, and turn it in to me. The first 10 to turn in completed packets have reserved tickets and if we have more than 10 sign up, extra students will go on a waiting list. Finally, we will not have Wednesday ni

Join us again this year for a time of spreading Christmas cheer to our church members who are homebound and in nursing homes. They need to be reminded at Christmas that God loves them and so does their church.  We need everyone to meet at the church on Sunday, December 14th at 4:00 PM. We will use the bus, 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.

This week, the Homeland Park Youth have their Wednesday Night Bible study at 6:30 in the Family Life Center. We open the doors at 6:00 for anyone wanting to hang out and finish Bible Study around 7:30. Our friend, Jordan Nates, will be teaching this Wednesday night! We hope to see you there! Next week, the youth have their yearly Christmas Party from 6:30-7:30 on Wednesday, December 17, in the Family Life Center! Last year was a blast as we reflected on the significance of Jesus’ birth and wrapped-up the fall semester! We hope that you join us! Finally, the Homeland Park Youth will be attending the Clemson-Wake Forest basketball game on Saturday, January 24. The game tips-off at noon and will we leave from the church by 10:00 am that morning. The cost for the game is $5. We have reserved 10 tickets for students and because we have a limited number available, the tickets will be reserved on a first-come basis. To reserve a ticket, a student must pick up a permission packe

This Wednesday night, we have Bible study from 6:30-7:30 in the Loft of the Family Life Center. At 6:00, the doors to the Family Life Center will open for anyone wanting to hang out. We hope to see you there! Next week, December 10, Jordan Nates will be teaching the youth for our Wednesday night Bible study. He led our group a few weeks ago and we are excited to have him back! On Wednesday, December 17, the youth will have their Christmas party in the Loft of the Family Life Center! This will be during our normal Bible study time, 6:30-7:30. The Homeland Park Youth will be attending the Clemson-Wake Forest basketball game on Saturday, January 24. The game tips-off at noon and will we leave from the church by 10:00 am that morning. The cost for the game is $5. We have reserved 10 tickets for students and because we have a limited number available, the tickets will be reserved on a first-come basis. To reserve a ticket, a student must pick up a permission packet from

The Homeland Park Youth attended the ENGAGE retreat this past weekend! We had an amazing time of worshipping with youth ministries from other local churches, learning more about God, His plan for us, and fellowshipping with one another! A longer post will be up by next week detailing the trip and the amazing time we had worshipping God and spending time with His children! This week, we have Bible study Wednesday, from 6:30-7:30. The Family Life Center will open at 6:00 for anyone wanting to hang out. Our “Relationships” Bible study series will wrap us this week as we finish our discussion on dating and marriage. Invite your family and friends and we are excited to see you there! If you have any questions about Bible study or anything regarding the Homeland Park Baptist Church youth ministry, please email me at jason@homelandparkbc.org ! Jason

How important is it to serve God with the right motives? Chapter three of Jonah ends with God doing a great work through Jonah and in the lives of the Ninevites who repent and turn to Him. From a preachers standpoint Jonah was a success. He led a crusade that caused an entire mega city to repent from their sins and turn to God. Why not leave Jonah’s story with that great achievement? Chapter four shows that Jonah did the right things with the wrong motives. We cannot hide our motives from God. Thankfully God looks at who we are, more than what we do for Him. Those who serve God must not let sin enter their motives while serving. Jonah needed an attitude adjustment and God’s loving hand gave him one. Are your motives for serving God always pure? Have you missed the blessing of God at work due to your wrong motives? Join us tonight as we wrap up this amazing Journey of Jonah. We begin at 6:30 in the Sanctuary and would love to see you there!

This weekend, the youth go to the ENGAGE Retreat! We are very excited and blessed to be able to join other churches for a weekend of worshipping God, fellowship, and fun! Students who have signed up for the retreat must attend the parent/student meeting this Wednesday night with their parent or legal guardian. The parent/student meeting is at 5:30 in the Family Life Center.  The ENGAGE weekend is this Friday through Sunday! We leave Friday at 4:00 pm from the church and will arrive back Sunday at 4:00 pm. Please pray for all of us, students and chaperones, that we would learn more of the Gospel, grow in our faithfulness and worship of God, and grow closer to one another! Finally, our Bible study is Wednesday, from 6:30-7:30, in the Family Life Center. We will continue our dating discussion as a part of our "Relationships" series! If you have any questions, please email me at jason@homelandparkbc.org! Jason

Wednesday night, the Homeland Park youth will finish off our “Relationships” series with a discussion on dating and marriage. Our Bible study lasts from 6:30-7:30 and we hope you join us for what will be a great time of learning and discussion about God’s purposes for dating and marriage. The Family Life Center opens at 6:00 for anyone who wants to hang out! The ENGAGE Retreat is November 14-16 at Camp Longridge in Ridgeway, South Carolina. Our parent/student meeting for those who have signed up is next Wednesday, November 12, at 5:30 in the Family Life Center. If you have any questions, please email me at jason@homelandparkbc.org ! Jason

  Take this month to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in a simple way. There is no greater—or more urgent task. On November 23rd in the morning worship service we will present Dr. Billy Graham’s latest message to the world. The topic is "Heaven" as it follows real life stories of people who have dealt with life, death and the hope of Heaven.  Take this opportunity to share the Gospel message with friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors. Here is how it works: PRAY: Ask God to give you a burden of love for the people around you who need the hope of Jesus Christ. MAKE YOUR PRAYER LIST: Write down the names of those you will commit to pray for daily and challenge others to do the same. WATCH: Go out of your way to get them to visit our church on Sunday, November 23rd to see the Heaven presentation. Give them a ride, offer to take them to lunch, tell them that you will sit with them, whatever it takes! DISCIPLE: Record any decisions that are made for Jesus Chri

Being thankful unlocks the blessings of God! I am not saying that being thankful will make us rich monetarily, but it does make us rich by being grateful for what we have.  I am thankful for many things while writing this post.  I am thankful that God continues to bestow His grace and love upon me.  I am thankful for God bringing me a beautiful wife and family.  I am thankful for the church family God allows me to shepherd and I am thankful for all the people God has put into my life along the way.  See this does not make me rich in the world’s eyes but in my eyes I am blessed!  Wealth and prestige are great to have, yet, they have a way of fleeting.  God’s Word teaches that for those of us who believe in and confess Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we will inherit an “unshakable kingdom”. “Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe.” [Hebrews 11:28] Being thankful f

Our weekly Bible study is Wednesday night, 6:30-7:30, in the loft of the Family Life Center. At 6:00, the Family Life Center will open for anyone wanting to hang out. Invite your family and friends and we will see you there! This Sunday, November 2, the Homeland Park Baptist Church youth will join other churches from the Saluda Baptist Association for the Associational Youth Rally! The rally will take place at Good Hope Baptist Church in Iva, South Carolina. The pizza dinner begins at 4:45 and the rally will begin at 5:30. Matt Wurst will be speaking and Basic Life will be leading worship. We will leave the church around 4:15 and arrive back around 7:15. The rally is an incredible time to join other believers in worshipping God and to fellowship with His people! If your student plans on attending, please let me know immediately. Finally, the Homeland Park youth will join other area churches for the ENGAGE student rally from November 14-16 at Camp Longridge in Ridgeway, Sou

This Sunday Night - October 25th @ 6:00 PM In the Family Life Center. Join us as we show our appreciation to our Pastor, Rev. James Strickland . Please bring finger-foods, desserts and drinks.

When we left the Determined series for our Revival emphasis, Nehemiah had completed what God had called him to do!  The walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, but the most important thing Nehemiah needed to do was have a good follow through.  Rebuilding the walls of the city was easy compared to what was next for Nehemiah.  Through God's help he needed to rebuild the people!  For years the Jews had been scattered and in captivity.  They were now returning to their home with many different life experiences.  This is much like the church today.  What was Nehemiah's next move?  Don't miss the closing sermons of this series!  We hope to see you in worship on Sunday @ 10:30 am.

The Homeland Park youth will have Bible study this Wednesday night from 6:30-7:30! The youth start hanging out at 6:00 in the Family Life Center if you want to join us before Bible study! Sunday, November 2, the Homeland Park Youth will join other churches from the Saluda Baptist Association for the Associational Youth Rally! The rally will take place at Good Hope Baptist Church in Iva, South Carolina. The pizza dinner begins at 4:45 and the rally will begin at 5:30. Matt Wurst will be speaking and Basic Life will be leading worship. We will leave the church around 4:15 and arrive back around 7:15. The rally is an incredible time to join other believers in worshipping God and to fellowship with His people! The Homeland Park youth will join other area churches for the ENGAGE student rally from November 14-16 at Camp Longridge in Ridgeway, South Carolina! The cost is $99 and a $30, non-refundable deposit is due October 26. If you have any questions, feel free to let me k

A BIG THANK YOU to Jason Elvington Youth Minister Homeland Park Baptist Church Rev. Weldon Sellers Associate Pastor of Youth & Education @ Varennes Heights Baptist Church Thank you both for filling our pulpit last Sunday in my absence. Thank you men for your lives of integrity and passion to preach the gospel! I know our church family was blessed! In Him, Pastor James

Saluda Baptist Association November 2, 2014 (We Are Moving Our Sunday Night Service) 212th ANNUAL MEETING First Baptist Church of Iva Welcome/Business - 4:30-5:25 PM Dinner - 5:30-6:25 PM Business/Worship - 6:30-8:00 PM Adults wishing to ride our church bus will meet at 3:30pm on Sunday to carry the adults to FBC Iva. Youth wishing to ride with Jason on the church van to the youth rally will be meeting at 4:15pm. CHILDREN’S CAMP First Baptist Church of Iva 4:30-8:00 PM For Children K4-6th Grade START A FIRE STUDENT RALLY Good Hope Baptist Church   4:45-8:00 PM Youth Rally Guest Speaker Matt Wurst Youth Rally Worship Music Led By Basic Life Registration is required for the Children’s Camp and Student Rally.  A free meal will be served at the Annual Meeting, Children’s Camp and Student Rally, but a meal ticket is required-no exceptions.  To register and obtain your free meal ticket, please sign-up on the bulletin board or submit

Thank you to Homeland Park Fire Department for helping us to honor and pray for those who have died in the line of duty during this "Bells Across America" weekend.  There are many families today missing loved ones because they put their needs aside for someone else.  We appreciate everything you do to keep us and our community safe.

Thank you HartStrings for blessing us through your music and ministry last Sunday evening.  Your testimonies through song and harmony boldly proclaimed the gospel of Jesus.  May God continue to bless you and we hope to have you back soon.

Jonah is most famous for being swallowed whole and kept alive in a large fish for three days then being vomited from that fish. While that is amazing, it is only part of the story. Jonah was a man that wrestled with doing what he wanted over what God wanted. The world today needs to hear the message of this book. God is in control, God loves us and God judges us to bring us to Himself. I invite our adults to attend the Wednesday night Bible study as we dive into this intriguing book of the bible.  In Him, Pastor James

The past two weeks, we’ve had two great guest teachers at our youth revival and youth Bible study! Miguel Chavis and Jordan Nates did a great job of teaching God’s Word and building relationships with students and we’re praying that we continue to see an impact from their time with us. This week, we will pick back up with our “Relationships” series with a study of the church. Our prayer is that students will understand God’s love and plan for the church and pursue ways to greater serve the church! Bible study begins at 6:30 and lasts until 7:30. The Family Life Center will open at 6:00 for anyone wanting to hang out. Sunday, November 2, the Homeland Park Youth will join other churches from the Saluda Baptist Association for the Associational Youth Rally! The rally will take place at Good Hope Baptist Church in Iva, South Carolina. The pizza dinner begins at 4:45 and the rally will begin at 5:30. Matt Wurst will be speaking and Basic Life will be leading worship. We will le

Every October, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation sponsors the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. As a church we are grateful for the men and women that place their lives on the line for us and our community. Members from HPFD will be our guests this Sunday as we pray for them and those who have given their lives in the fire service.

Tonight, we have our Wednesday night Bible study at 6:30 in the Family Life Center! Jordan Nates will be guest teaching! The door will open at 6:00 for anyone wanting to hang out! The Homeland Park youth will join other area churches for the ENGAGE student rally from November 14-16 at Camp Longridge in Ridgeway, South Carolina! The cost is $99 and to be able to attend the trip, students must attend 50% of the Wednesday nights between now and November 12. A $30, non-refundable deposit is due October 15. If you have any questions, please email me at jason@homelandparkbc.org! Jason

The HartStrings Gospel Group will be in concert here at HPBC on Sunday, October 12th @ 6:00 PM .   HartStrings is a group of men that are carrying the Gospel through music and testimony. Our goal is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to the world, and to see souls saved and delivered. A love offering will be taken.  Be sure to invite your friends! Here is a sample of the Hartstrings in Concert

We are excited to have Joe Martin as our guest Worship leader this Sunday morning (October 12 @ 10:30 am).  He is a favorite among our congregation and choir.  Joe has led music in several area churches for for years. We know you will not want to miss his ministry this Sunday. Attention Worship Choir: Joe will rehearse the Worship Choir this Wednesday Night @ 7:30 pm following our 6:30 pm Bible Studies.  If you have wanted to sing in the choir but put it off, this would be a great night to jump in!

Wrightsville Beach, NC I often tell people who visit a church that coming to worship services is a great place to start.  You can get an idea of what the people are like, find out if they are friendly and make sure the Bible is being proclaimed through worship and preaching from the pulpit. However, the best way to truly experience a church is by plugging into a Bible Study Small Group.  Small Groups allow you to connect with people and that is the goal of the church, to connect with God and connect with people.  The above picture was taken this summer during our mini-vacation and serves as a great illustration.  One can stand on the beach and look at the majesty of the ocean and the power of the waves.  The only way to truly experience the ocean is by jumping in. I can attest to the power of a small group.  As a teenager, I could not believe that there were students my age that actually loved God and wanted to show me how to do the same.  Now as a adult I am doing that for ot

Revival Recap Day 3 September 30th, 2014 Rev. Mark Cannon spoke from Matthew 14 where Jesus calls Peter to get out of the boat, walk on water and come to Him. His message to us was, "You'll never walk on water if you never get into the boat and go through the storm."  I have known Mark for a long time and I could not be prouder of how God is blessing this young man and His family. Mark and Tonya Cannon with James and Donna Strickland We were also blessed by the music of our worship leader Tammy Sanders and her friend Nancy Glenn who sang the popular Larnelle Harris and Sandi Patti duet, "I've Just Seen Jesus" Revival Recap Day 4 October 1st, 2014 Several members of Mosiac which is Anderson University's worship band led us in heart felt worship with a mixture of hymns and choruses.  I cannot thank them enough for their ministry last night. Left: Coleman / Right: Jack / Not Pictured: Andrew Miguel Chavis spoke from Matthe

Our church has just experienced a great “Revival At The Park” this week.  The running theme has been to stay honest and close to God while trusting Him enough to take chances on growing by being obedient to His word and will.  God is only finished with us when we are dead.  Our world is consumed with the notion of “What is in it for me?” when God calls us to say, “What can I do for Him?” While we have breath we are to love Him, love others and share the good news of His Son Jesus Christ. That is our mission!  That is our Purpose!  The world we live in is not our home, but while we are here, we must share His love in the way we live out our lives and speech. As the days move forward, do not let these seeds of revival that God has planted be neglected.  We must nurture and cling to what God is doing in our lives.  Share it with those we love.  We have an adversary! Satan wants to distract and draw us away from the presence of God.  Do not let him!  Stay on your guard and encoura

Friday, 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! Pictures From 2013