Pastor Juan’s Comments HPBC Member’s Meeting 23 August 2021

As summer 2021 comes to a close and we prepare for a new church year together, allow me to share with you the comments I shared at our most recent members meeting. We have much to look forward to in the next twelve months, but before doing that, let’s look back for a moment.
 
Looking Back
First of all, thank you, High Pointe, for allowing Jeanine and me to be away for the month of July. These last 18 months have been hard on pastors, especially senior or lead pastors. Pastor after pastor that I have spoken with mentions the fatigue of decision-making, political divisions, and cultural strife. And, of course, there was Covid-19. Never have so many pastors faced so many unprecedented challenges all at once. Thank you for allowing Jeanine and me to get away. It was a refreshing and fruitful time. It also allowed me, in particular, to return to serve you with greater urgency, clarity, and energy.
Also, we have much to be thankful for. Over that same period of time, the Lord has brought an influx of visitors, primarily young adults and young families. Of course, they are not the only ones coming. Each week we have more visitors than I personally can get around to greeting. Thank you, High Pointe, for the love with which you welcome our visitors. That’ one of the common comments we hear when meeting visitors or during membership interview – just how loving and welcoming High Pointe is.
 
Finally, we ask you to be patient with the elders and with one another as we await the day when we will all gather together at once. Due to the ongoing challenges of Covid and the ensuing variants, we have yet to gather together, all of us. That means, we do not really know who makes up High Pointe, yet. We have welcomed many new members, some members have gone to be with the Lord, others have moved, and some, sadly, will not return. I suspect it will take months, perhaps a year, before we really know WHO is High Pointe. Let’s continue caring for one another well during this time – just as you have been doing already.

Looking Forward
Regardless of the challenges ahead of us, our mission is the same, and ministry must continue forward. Let me highlight, in bullet point fashion, some of the exciting opportunities ahead of us in the coming year.

• Planning:
  • 2022 Budget Theme – Making Disciples (suggested by pastor Davey): It’s that time of the year when we begin making plans as to how to fund ministry and missions at High Pointe. As we prepare for a new year, we want to focus on making disciples at High Pointe. Please join us in praying for wisdom in how to encourage the culture of discipleship at High Pointe.
• Opportunities 
  • Population Growth – Within our 5 Mile radius there are several apartment complexes under construction. Additionally, East Village ATX is already underway. Naturally, population growth is coming to Tech Ridge. We will need to proactively prepare for steady growth.
  • Church Planting - We’re committed to one assembly. If the Lord allows us to continue to grow at the pace we’ve experienced over this last year, we will need to consider how to accommodate for such growth. We don’t plan on having multiple services. We don’t want to add campuses. Instead, we hope to serve our city by planting likeminded, autonomous churches in partnership with Southern Baptist of Texas Convention (SBTC), the Austin Baptist Association (ABA), and the Pillar Network, our newest church planting partner. Please join us in praying for the Lord’s wisdom in when, how, and where to plant as the Lord provides growth at High Pointe.
  • Pastoral Training and Deployment: Another way we can serve our city and other churches is by taking part in training the next generation of pastors. The Lord has allowed us to do that in a modest way. Looking forward, we hope to be more intentional by offering a full-time residential internship beginning in the Fall of 2022. Our aim is to have 4-6 men with us for about 5 months, twice in a year. Our hope is that over the years, the Lord will allow us to deploy many men to churches throughout the world.
  • Missions Training and Deployment: Additionally, we want to do the same kind of training of future missionaries. In partnership with Reaching and Teaching (a likeminded missions sending agency), we are preparing to receive missions’ interns beginning in the fall of 2022. This internship is designed to last for a full year.
  • Music Leadership Training and Deployment: One of the often-neglected areas of ministry need is music leadership. Each year I receive numerous requests for recommendations for faithful, elder-qualified men who may also serve as music leaders. Our hope is to also begin part-time and residential internships in the near future to help develop candidates for this need. We also want to encourage music writing collaboration where musicians and writers may collaborate to produce new worship music.
  • Replenish Volunteer base: The need for more volunteers is both an opportunity and an obstacle. Presently, there are limitations on what we can offer in the nursery and children’s ministry because of a lack of volunteers. We also need help with the media and safety teams. In fact, we could use help in many of our diaconal areas. If you see a need, as how you may be able to fill it, look at it as an opportunity.
  • Missions Mobilization: Sadly, missions mobilization has been a weakness at High Pointe. We need to mobilize more of our members to the mission field. Would you join us in praying toward that end?
• Obstacles
  • Space – our space is limited.
  • Debt – being debt free Would free up almost $5,000/month for ministry and missions
  • Finances – our giving is strong, but we need to continue to grow in giving.
  • Covid – we are still limited by the effects of Covid (nursery workers, children’s workers)
• Prayer
  • We present these points for thanksgiving and praise and to ask you to join us in praying that God may choose to use High Pointe to reach our community with the gospel of Jesus for his glory and for our joy and the joy of our neighbors.