Connect
Every person on the planet longs for a place to belong. It is a fundamental human motivation across all cultures. People believe that we are made for more than surface-level living and that we were made to enjoy His presence. We belong to Him! Even our imperfect attempts at building community on earth are merely hints of the community we will enjoy in His presence for eternity. Yes, we can often desire to quench or deaden our desire to belong with shallow, worldly and always unsatisfying means. However, once we find the emptiness of these ways, we will continue to wrestle with the internal and unending desire to belong to our Creator and enjoy His uninterrupted presence. St. Augustine of Hippo, in his confessions, stated it well when he said, “Our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.”
Pillar’s Transforming Community Groups (TCG) hope to cultivate an environment that will encourage the merging of this sacred desire to be with one another along with deep longing for the presence of Christ. We believe that such a coalescence happens best and most joyfully within the context of an intentional and hopeful community of believers committed to one another as they explore the transforming presence of Christ in their midst. In a sense, it is an imperfect “preview” of our future heavenly life.
The Table Youth Ministry
Our goal as THE TABLE, Pillar’s youth ministry, is to nurture a community of youth that is attentive to God’s presence and discerning of His Spirit who is both within and among us. We believe we do this best through spirit-attentive and responsive adults who accompany young people into the way of Jesus.
This dream is founded on the biblical vision of the human person who is created in the image and likeness of God and whose deepest longing is for communion with God and others in love. In response to Christ’s invitation to abide in him (John 15:4), we believe that the central purpose of youth ministry is to open the minds and hearts of young persons to an intimate relationship with God in Christ through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
For more information about our Youth Ministry, please contact our associate pastor, Ian Wooldridge at [email protected].
Deacons
The term deacon appears 29 times in the New Testament and comes from the Greek word "diakonos" which is literally translated as servant. The role or office of deacon was developed in the early church primarily to minister to the physical needs of the members of the body of Christ (Acts 6). Deacons have a crucial role in the life and the health of the local church, but their role is different from the elders'. The main difference between an elder and a deacon is a difference of gifts and calling, not character. In general, the Biblical role of deacons is to function as servants, ministering to the body in practical ways while the elders focus their efforts on the spiritual care of the body.
Some ways the Deacons serve:
Our Hospitality Team serves by creating an atmosphere of worship in the forms of set-up, greeting, food and drink for our Sunday morning experience.
Special Events, like Women's Brunches or church wide-picnics, are also an opportunity to create community and celebrate the presence and work of God in our lives.
Our Connection Table is the place to visit on Sunday morning where you can find information about our church. This includes books that might be recommended by Biz or other leadership, flyers about upcoming ministry events, missions information, vital hand-outs, etc. To contact our deacons, please email Bobbi Smick at [email protected].
Nursery/Toddler
The nursery is comprised of wonderful volunteers that love and nurture the most young among us. We provide a cheerful atmosphere for toddlers, ages 1 and 2, during Sunday morning worship service. Parents may sign their child into our care 20 minutes before service when childcare is available. We also have a cry room/nursing room for parents too! We encourage parents to supply any items their child may need while children are in our care.
Volunteers typically only serve one Sunday a month. If you would like to serve in the nursery, please contact [email protected].
Preschool/Elementary
At Pillar, we believe that children are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of their Creator! We love how eager children are to learn and to ask challenging questions. They possess child-like wisdom and share joy easily while learning through play. We have dedicated and trained volunteers, for children ages 3 through fifth grade, using a curriculum designed to guide them in developing a strong walk with God - Lacy Finn Borgo's Life with God for Children: Engaging Biblical Stories and Practices for Spiritual Formation. Children can be checked in before service, when care is available. Children will be dismissed to volunteers during worship service and then returned after the pastoral message.
We institute a Family Worship Sunday once a month. This practice allows for multigeneration worship which is pivotal in a child's spiritual formation. It provides families an opportunity to model and practice spiritual disciplines together.
It is truly a blessing and a joy to serve in this ministry... won't you join our team? We are currently seeking volunteers. Please contact Yasmin Medina at [email protected] if you are interested in serving in this capacity.
Middle & High School
All middle and high school students remain together as part of The Table Youth Ministry. On Sundays, they worship with the church in the main service. The Table gathers bi-monthly to share in a time of games, a meal, and worship and prayer. For more information about The Table Youth Gatherings, please contact [email protected].
Missions
Missions and Outreach are an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ in our local community. The Team stewards the vision for being a faithful presence in our community, creates the guidelines by which we partner with organizations and individuals, and allocates funds designated for mission and outreach. We pray over opportunities to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others, either through existing relationships or with new partners.
Our vision is to support ministries that are guided by a "4-chapter gospel" approach, and provide our congregation with opportunities to demonstrate hospitality and service for the body and greater community.
For more information contact Tom Rhodes at [email protected].
Worship
Pillar Community Church was founded on the premise that worship, while never less than, is always more than the Sunday morning experience.
The word to describe this is Avodah. A Hebrew term to which we can trace five English terms: work, service, craftsmanship/arts, ministry, and worship.
Pillar's congregational worship experience seeks to form the believer through the liturgy, rituals, and practices that have shaped the church throughout the ages. You'll find Pillar's style of worship will change week to week due to the amount of gifted leaders and servants in our midst. A distinct practice you will experience is our time of congregational dialogue and reflection based on the content of the morning's message.
For more information about worship, please contact our associate pastor, Ian Wooldridge at [email protected].
Prayer
The Prayer Ministry communicates to the church body prayer needs and concerns via email. These needs are shared confidentially with the elders and pastors only when requested. This ministry helps to provide a sense of community within the church body. "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35 .
Morning prayer gathers every Sunday at 9:50am on campus. Please contact Christy Menillo, at [email protected], for more information. Need prayer... contact [email protected].