Special points of interest:

Officer Installation and Budget Approval – Jan 8

Soup Nite - Jan 9 & Jan 23

Deacon’s meeting – Jan 12

Session meeting – Jan 19

Play Date – Jan 26

Youth Snow tubing

– Jan 28

Highlands Highlights

Volume 13, Issue 1

January, 2017

Highlands ARP Church

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

From the Pastor 2

Christmas Dinner 3

Youth News 4

MMO 5

Soup Nite 9

Calendar 11

Young Families Ministry – January Play Date

Children’s Nativity Program Wednesday, December 7th

page 2

“May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.”

(Genesis 28:3 NIV)

Every week at worship we have the benediction, where we call upon God and ask Him to bless us as a church and as individuals. As I was pondering this over the holidays and reflecting over the past year, I was amazed at what God has done at Highlands in and through each one of you. I was overwhelmed with thanksgiving to God for what He has done.

God has blessed our ongoing ministries and made them flourish this year. Think of the HALO program and how it has blessed so many lives! There have been many Puppet Shows and the increase of the young children we are enjoying at Highlands. I marvel at how our small church is having such a large impact in our community through the Soup Nite Ministry! It has also been a blessing to see the ministry of the preschool program and the families that are being exposed to the gospel and invited to participate in Highland’s activities.

God has also blessed the Men and Women of the Church and all their activities

and ministries. The Youth program is going strong as the Youth are learning more about our great God and Savior, and they are learning how to reach out and minister to our church and to the community around them. VBS, the cookouts, the BBQ, and all the other activities show by their success that they have experienced the blessings of God.

God has also blessed the new ministries that have started this year. The Young Family Ministry that recently began has reached our young families in a way that we have not done in recent years. The smiles on the children’s faces as they decorated cookies at the December Play Date were precious!

But probably the biggest blessing God has done this year at Highlands was in the giant step of faith that Highlands took to hire an Associate Pastor. I am already hearing stories of how having an Associate Pastor has blessed lives.

So each week as you hear the benediction, marvel at what God has done for us in the past and be encouraged and excited to think about what God will do in the year to come! I’m excited in anticipation of God’s blessings and I hope you are as well.

Pastor Mark

From the Pastor …

page 3

Talent Show

Christmas

Dinner

Youth Group News

December is always a fun month for the youth group! We really enjoyed celebrating

the Christmas season together. I am thankful for all that God has done in the lives of

the youth and the Church this year and look forward to how he is going to be at work

in and through us next year. This month we participated in:

Christmas Party – we played some really fun games and opened a “present bomb” –

a group of presents wrapped with duct tape, saran wrap, aluminum foil, etc. which

the youth had to open while wearing oven mitts! It was awesome to celebrate

together, and the youth were able to spend their hard earned points on some fun

prizes.

Santa Party – We had a ton of

fun decorating cookies,

singing carols, and meeting

Santa at the Santa party this

year!

Caroling – This year a few of

the youth and I visited with

some of our shut-ins and sang

Christmas carols and brought

them a hot meal. It was such a

blessing to spread Christmas

cheer and pray together with

them.

Soup Nite – In December, the youth helped serve at Soup Nite where we served

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese. Service is an important part of the Christian walk

and I am thankful we had the opportunity to serve so many in our community. Thank

you to all the Soup Nite folks for letting us help out!

College Discipleship Group- Our College and Career Discipleship Group got off to a

great start this month as we began our study of the book of Mark together. It has

been a great study so far and I am thankful for all who have been able to come. If

you are interested in coming and participating text Chris for details!

page 4

Highlands MMO & Preschool

January Theme: My Five Senses

This month we

will learn about “My Five Senses.” We will have many fun activities

that the students will be able to see, hear, taste, touch, and

smell. We will also learn about letters “N, O, and P.” Parents and

friends are invited to join us to “see, smell, touch, and taste”

donuts on January 19 at 9:45 am! On January 26th we will have a

silly fun day where we wear our pajamas to school!

The students

did a great job on

their Christmas

Program! They sang

songs and

performed “The

Christmas Story.”

A pizza party in the

fellowship hall was

enjoyed by all after

the program.

page 5

Supporting Highlands Presbyterian Church

We are now accepting online donations! You may go to the website at any time to make a donation, as well as set up monthly recurring payments. All giving will go to the church to help support the mission and ministries of Highlands, just as it does when given by cash or check in the offering plate on Sunday mornings! Thank you for supporting our church!

page 6

Puppet Show

January 15th

11 am

page 7

page 8

Santa Party

Father

Christmas

Hi All, Our last Soup Nite for 2016 was on Monday, the 12th. We served grilled cheese sandwiches and creamy tomato soup. There were fresh bananas and apples to pass out as well. The youth of Highlands grilled those sandwiches, served soup and delivered meals to our shut ins, along with singing them Christmas Carols. What a pleasure it was to have them help out. We also had a "cookie decorating" table set up for the youngsters who came to take home meals. It was a complete joy for them to enjoy. A prayer praise from Dionne Robinson......is that she has anemia, not as serious as what she was thinking. Praise God! I have mentioned in the past that for us, it isn't about the numbers. However, I do want to encourage those that help in this ministry with how wonderful their service has been. We made over 2200 meals in 2016. We may be small but we are mighty in Christ. Our Senior Meal Delivery has ended for the year too. It has been a blessing to do these prepared meals, working with the Food CoOp, and delivering those meals to those immobile and lonely elderly people who would have nothing if it weren't for their community helping out. It is always an opportunity to share Christ's love. Highlands delivered 417 meals to Seniors. What a privilege to do this for them! I must mention the tireless efforts of Jane's work on the garden. Throughout this past year, we have had all kinds of greens, carrots and tomatoes for our fresh garden salads and additions to our homemade soups. Me, not a gardener by any means, gets very excited to see the veggies grow. I am thankful to Jane for getting it going and maintaining it to continue to grow. It is sad that there is so much need in our community. However, when you see the joy of our guests and the comfort that our team brings to them, it is an encouragement to all of us. There is always hope in Christ. Jane and I would like to thank you for your kindness, generosity and certainly your willingness to serve in this past year. God has lifted us up to this calling to serve his people in their need and we have received the blessings from it. It is so much appreciated. I pray for God's face to shine upon us in 2017, bringing us new challenges and blessings as we meet those challenges. In Christ's Service, Carrie

Soup Nite

page 9

page 10

December

Play

Date

January, 2017

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 10 am

Worship

2

3 4

Happy Birthday

Linda Whitaker

5 7am Men’s

Prayer

Breakfast

6 7 Happy Birthday

Chandler Merck

8 9 am SS

10 am

Worship

11 am Con-

gregational

Meeting

9 MMO Happy Birthday

Zack

Caughman-8th

Henry Kurtz – 9th

Soup Nite

4-7 pm

10 MMO Happy Birthday

Molly Loch

11 MMO 6:15 Choir

Practice

6:30 Youth

7:00 Dinner

7:30 Bible Study

12 MMO 7am Men’s

Prayer

Breakfast

7:30pm

Deacon’s

Meeting

13 14

15 Happy Birthday

Arie Boot 9 am SS

10 am

Worship Puppet Show

16 NO MMO Happy Birthday

Al Winters

17 MMO 18Happy Birthday

Carole Sexton

Betsy Kuykendall

6:15 Choir

Practice

6:30 Youth

7:00 Dinner

7:30 Bible Study

19 MMO 7am Men’s

Prayer

Breakfast

7pm

Session

Meeting

20 21

22 9 am SS

10 am

Worship

23 MMO Happy Birthday

Sandi Waters

Soup Nite

4-7 pm

24 MMO Happy Birthday

Pastor Mark-24th

Betsy McCall-25th

25 MMO 6:15 Choir

Practice

6:30 Youth

7:00 Dinner

7:30 Bible Study

26 MMO 7am Men’s

Prayer

Breakfast

Play Date

4-6pm

27 28

Youth

Snow

Tubing

11am

29 9 am SS

10 am

Worship

30 MMO 31 MMO

page 11

c Frank Sexton, Stan Whitaker, Ricky Summers, Sal Macaluso

Sunday 9:00 AM Sunday School for all Ages

9:30 AM Choir Practice

10:00 AM Worship

11:00 Bell Practice

Wednesday

6:15 PM Choir Practice

6:30 PM Youth

7:00 PM Dinner

7:30 PM Bible Study

Thursday

7AM Men’s Prayer Breakfast at Main

Street Restaurant on Hwy 78 in Snellville

Saturday: 9:00 AM Fellowship Breakfast

(Periodically) 9:45 AM Highlands Men of the Church

& WOC meeting

Worship Times and Activities

770-978-3001 – Phone

770-972-3008 – Fax

Email: highlandarp@gmail.com

Pastor: Mark Hornby

Youth Pastor: Chris McCoy

Music Director: Bonnie Hornby

Secretary: Alexia Cundey

Important Phone Numbers

HIGHLANDS HIGHLIGHTS January, 2017

Newsletter

page 12

Warmly Welcoming our Members & Visitors each week:

Jan 1 Frank Sexton, Stan Whitaker, Ricky Summers, Sal Macaluso

Jan 8 Bob Statham, Rob Kuykendall, John Avitabile, Earl Thomas

Jan 15 Robert Whittle, Bill Houston, Lee Hunt, George O’Farrell

Jan 22 Paul McInnish, Glenn Martin, Charles Roberts, John West

Jan 29 Frank Sexton, Stan Whitaker, Ricky Summers, Sal Macaluso

Candle Lighters:

Jan 1 Nate Edmondson

Jan 8 John Mark Avitabile

Jan 15 Nate Edmondson

Jan 22 John Mark Avitabile

Jan 29 Nate Edmondson