Emotion-Driven Life

Pastor’s topic throughout the services in February is “The Emotion-Driven Life.” I’m curious to know how your emotions have affected your decisions. Specifically, how has anger, bitterness, jealousy, and guilt determined the choices you have made?

Emotions make us human. Without emotions, we would perform like robots. Jesus wept with compassion when He saw Mary crying over the death of her brother, Lazarus. He had compassion for the crowds that came to Him with various needs. He became angry at the moneychangers in the temple and at the Pharisees for the hardness of their hearts. Jesus expressed the emotion of love better than anyone else when He took the punishment for our sins on the cross.

God gave us emotions. How we are driven by them is the subject this month. This sermon series is sure to bring about discussion and change.

Pastor to Lead Biblical Church Growth Conference

Since Bill Purvis became the Senior Pastor of Cascade Hills in 1983, over 5,299 people have been baptized. Church membership has grown from 32 attenders to over 8,403 members.

On Tuesday, February 19, 2008, Bill Purvis will lead a “Biblical Church Growth Conference” at Cascade Hills Church from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. He has learned a lot about growing a church in the last 24 years and wants to encourage other pastors and lay people that it is possible to grow a church anywhere by following the tried and proven Biblical principles he will detail at the conference.

If you know of any pastors or lay people who would be interested, direct them to www.billpurvisministries.com for information and registration.

More Accolades from Columbus Employer Committee

The following is from a letter sent to Cascade Hills Church from Jamie Loyd, the manager of the Columbus Career Center, and Judy Giddings, chairperson of the Columbus Employer Committee:

On behalf of the Columbus Career Center and the Columbus Employer Committee, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to everyone for taking time to volunteer with our Evening with Santa event held December 2007. Our committee reaches out to disadvantaged children in our surrounding communities that may not be touched by any other organization and we did this for well over 200 children this year.

This event takes on a life of itself with much planning on the part of our committee and a large volunteer base. Without all of the committee members, volunteers, entertainment groups, donation sites and Cascade Hills Church, the children would not have been blessed with as much fun, food, entertainment and the warmth of the holiday season. We appreciate everything you did to help us make this event a huge success for the children. Once again, thanks to all of you!!

High School Ministry Launched Mission Project

More than 300 million people in Africa do not have clean drinking water. Each year 1 million children die from water-born diseases. Mothers walk from 7 to 10 miles each day to collect water for their families, and often, this very water is killing their children.

For this reason the students at Cascade Hills raised money to help fund water relief in Kenya. They sold bottled water at their schools, at church, and around the community and 100% of the profit made from each bottle sold went exclusively towards providing clean drinking water to a community in Kenya.

One “water project” costs $3,300. The high school students set a goal of raising enough money for one water project. Students sold water all around the community: at school, in the neighborhoods, to their friends, even at the Arthritis Walk held at Hughston Clinic in October 2007.

The students raised $10,526.00- Enough for 3 Water Projects!!

Muscogee County School District, Teenage Parenting Center, Offers Thanks

The following is a letter from Patricia Turner, Principal of the Teenage Parenting Center, to Butch Jordan of Cascade Hills Church:

On behalf of the Muscogee County School District, Teenage Parenting Center, I would like to personally thank you for hosting the Department of Labor Christmas Party at your church on December 11, 2007.

I appreciate the healthy snack that you prepared for our hungry toddlers. Everyone enjoyed listening to the Christmas story and participating in the magic rope trick. Along with our toddlers, our teen mothers also had fun playing in the indoor playground area. Taking a picture with Santa went over big with our small ones and they could not wait to unwrap their gifts from Santa. As the children exited, they also received a goody bag that they could not wait to open up!

If it were not for people like you, this event would not have been the huge success that it was. Again, thank you for including the Teenage Parenting Center in this successful event.

Community Outreach

Cascade Hills’ most valuable outreach is in the area schools. The Cascade Team goes into area
schools and prepares lunches for the schools’ faculty members. The Cascade Hills Team has
grilled hamburgers on-site for over 1,000 faculty members. This gesture is our opportunity to
say thank you for what you do for our children.

Cascade Hills has made it a priority to be actively involved in our community. Not only
hosting events and groups in our facilities, but going outside our walls to serve others in the
community. Over the past 3 years Cascade Hills has hosted over 50 events and groups bringing
over 15,000 people on the Cascade Hills campus. These events range from Muscogee County
School District teacher conferences, high school proms, and baccalaureates, high school choral
concerts, Honor Society inductions, middle school awards, Jr. ROTC awards, Columbus State
Nursing Honors, Columbus Tech Nursing School graduations, Urban League programs, and
Hunter Safety programs.

Cascade Hills has partnered with organizations to do work outside our walls. One of these
organizations is the Georgia Department of Labor. In the past 3 years, Cascade Hills provided
transportation for foster children to the “Evening with Santa.” These children would not have
Christmas if it was not for this event. Because of the growth of this event, Cascade Hills not
only provides transportation, but now hosts it. This year there will be over 430 participants
including 250 children. They will receive a meal, a Christmas story from our Children’s Pastor,
play time on the Real Kids playground, and then cap the evening off with Santa. Each child
will receive gifts and goodie bags to brighten up their Christmas.

Another organization Cascade Hills has partnered with is Fellowship of Christian Athletes
(FCA). Cascade Hills has hosted such events as an FCA Banquet featuring Bobby Bowden as
a guest speaker. Also, Cascade Hills has furnished transportation for the local FCA High
School Basketball Camp held jointly at Columbus State, Brookstone School, and Cascade
Hills. In 2007, 79 boys and girls teams competed in this basketball camp. The partnership with
FCA has allowed Cascade Hills to work with coaches in area schools. Cascade Hills’
volunteers lead these athletes in devotions and serve as mentors.

Another partnership is with the City of Columbus and the Fishers of Men Tournament Trail.
We have provided a fun-filled day for over 300 children. They enjoy fishing and experience
the great outdoors.

Giving to Rebuild Lives

The hearts of a nation went out the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico. The people of Cascade Hills gave money to help those affected by the devastating hurricane because they wanted to help these people rebuild their lives. The financial investment of the people of Cascade donated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina through the Red Cross was $32,343.61. Thanks for giving!

Kidsworld is Growing!

The children’s ministry at Cascade Hills is celebrating its highest attended weekend! There were 379 children in Kidsworld on January 12 & 13. This is the highest attended weekend since the arrival of Children’s Pastor Keith Nicholson in July 2006. Congratulations children’s ministry and keep up the good work!

Kathryn Bryant on the Red Carpet

Many of you may have watched the People’s Choice Awards, Tuesday, January 8, and saw our very own ladies counselor, Kathryn Bryant, being interviewed by Pantene spokesmodel, Maria Menounos. Originally, Kathryn was to be interviewed live at the People’s Choice Awards. However, because of the writer’s strike, the awards show was prerecorded with interviews from this year’s winners. Since there was no live show for Kathryn to attend, the people at Pantene arranged for her to attend the movie premiere of “27 Dresses” starring Katherine Hiegl. It was on the red carpet of this movie premiere that Kathryn Bryant taped her interview. Once again, we extend our congratulations to Kathryn for winning the “Pantene Wishes” contest. Soon Kathryn will reveal the details of the Speak Foundation for physically disabled children and how you can contribute.

Your Generosity Makes for a Merry Christmas

The Giving Tree was a huge success because of the generosity of the people of Cascade Hills Church. Over 400 children in our community were ministered to this Christmas. They received gifts and necessities they would not have had otherwise. Some of the heartwarming stories reported by the Real Care Department of Cascade Hills are detailed below:

A young military gentleman and his new wife gave $5,000.  He related how God had protected him while he was in Iraq.  He said he was in the most dangerous zone in Iraq in the 15 months he served, but he never even got a scratch. He shared that God had truly been his protector. While there he had no need to spend his money and so he was able to save almost all that he made. He was married in recent weeks after returning to Ft. Benning. He and his wife were in the services one Sunday when Bro. Bill made a plea for the Giving Tree ministry.  The young man woke up his wife in the middle of the night to tell her that he had to bring a Giving Tree contribution to the church first thing Monday morning. When he and his wife came in he said that he also wanted the families who needed food to get plenty because he could remember times when he was a child that he would go to the table and there would be no food for his family to eat.  A number of children were blessed with gifts and their families were able to have a “feast” around the table because of this gentleman and his wife!

Another heart warming story was that of a 13-year-old who saved her money for an entire year.  When she heard Pastor tell about the Giving Tree, she told her parents she wanted to adopt a family and use her money to give them a big Christmas.  The main request of the family she adopted was for blankets.  I am sure that family enjoyed a great Christmas and they were each warmed by the blankets and the generosity of this 13-year-old.

A young mother was touched by an 80-something-old lady who came into the church office to apply for the Giving Tree. The lady shared how her only Christmas wish was to have her entire family (2 children and 19 grandchildren) together for Christmas dinner. This young mother got her family to cook items and then she delivered the meal with extras to the elderly lady on Christmas eve so that her Christmas wish could come true.