Preparing for a New Church Year

Summer is over. Students are returning to school. Traffic keeps getting worse. As the new school year begins, so does our church year. Our main task as pastors is to equip you for the work of ministry with the word of God, that you may speak it to one another, in love, to help one another look more like Jesus (Ephesians 4:11-16). To this end, we encourage you to consider which word ministry opportunities are most helpful in your personal walk as an individual and as a family.

Preaching the Word: Back in Romans!
Pray that the Lord would continue using this study to shape and mold us into the image of Christ. And pray for me as I prepare each and every week. Here is a road map of our study through September:

• August 27 | Romans 9:30-10:21
• September 3 | Pastor Dan Lisa
• September 10 | Romans 11:1-36
• September 17 | Romans 12:1-2
• September 24 | Romans 12:3-8

Studying the Word
While preaching is central to the life of our church, it is not enough. We must also study the word together and learn to apply it to ourselves and one another. For these reasons, we offer opportunities for you to study the word together:

• Life Classes Resume THIS Sunday, August 27 | 9:00 AM
  • Life Classes are meant to equip you for life as a Christian in this world. This semester we are offering classes on Marriage and Family and History and Theology of the Old Testament. The marriage class will also be offered in Spanish.
  • We also offer nursery and a children’s Life Class.
  • Our Meaningful Membership Class resumes this Sunday as well.
  • For information on Life Classes, click HERE.
• Women’s Bible Studies
  • Each semester, we offer two women’s Bible studies on Wednesdays – one in the morning and one in the evening. Our morning study will take you through Acts, while the evening study will study 1 & 2 Kings.
    • Morning Bible Study, 10:00 am – 11:30 am, begins September 13
    • Evening Bible Study, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, begins August 23
  • To learn more and register, click HERE.
• High Pointe Institute | August 30 – December 13 | | 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
  • The High Pointe Institute (HPI) is a one-year (two semester) discipleship program meant to offer a pathway for growing disciples to be equipped for ministry both in the church and the world. This program will instill a commitment to Scripture and a better grasp of the biblical storyline, a solid foundation in Christian doctrine, and an increasing ability to connect theology to one’s life, worship, and mission.
  • Register HERE.

• Biblical Counseling | August 30 – December 13 | 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
  • The Counseling Class aims to promote a culture of counseling and care in High Pointe by first helping believers bring the Scriptures to bear on common issues and problems they face. Thereby equipping them to know the power of the Word of God applied through the Holy Spirit.
  • Register HERE.

Applying the Word: Life Groups
Our Life Groups are the place for sermon discussion, relationship-building, and mutual prayer and encouragement. If you are not in a Life Group, it’s likely you will feel disconnected from the life of High Pointe.

• To learn more about Life Groups, click HERE.
• If you’re a High Pointe member and would like to register for a Life Group, click HERE.

KidsPointe Resumes THIS Sunday, August 27! ALL Children Must Be Registered
We’re excited to kick off a new curriculum, The Gospel Story. This new study takes a detailed look at how each of the Bible stories, beginning in the Old Testament, connects to the gospel and to God’s larger plan of redemption as it answers the question, "Where is Jesus?". Each child attending during the 2023-2024 school year will need to be registered even if he/she has attended in the past. To serve in KidsPointe during this school year, please contact Erin Wyman (erin@highpointeaustin.org).

High Pointe Mission Trips
In an effort to encourage missions at High Pointe, two mission trips are still available for you this year:

• 28 September – 3 October | Fujairah | contact: Juan Sanchez (juan@highpointeaustin.org)
• 2-7 November | Santa Clara, Cuba | contact: Juan Sanchez (juan@highpointeaustin.org)

Would you pray about one of these trips? More information will be forthcoming, but you can prepare now by (1) securing a passport, (2) asking questions, (3) and letting us know of your interest.
 
Giving at High Pointe
God is generous, and so he calls us to be as well. What we do with what God has given us shows the world where our hearts are and helps proclaim the gospel. We want to glorify God in every area of our lives, including what we do with our finances. But as you may have noticed, we do not take up a collection on Sundays at High Pointe. Consequently, we’ve been receiving questions as to how to give. There are several ways you may give:

1. Offering Boxes in Auditorium – You may place your offering in an offering box.
2. Mail – You may mail your contribution to the church office.
3. Text/Online – You may give by texting 84321 (it will require a first-time setup).
4. Your Bank – You may give through your own bank via Bill Pay or ACH.

If you have any questions, go to this LINK. Our financial staff is also available to help or answer your questions. You may call the church office at 512-837-7725.

On-Call Pastor
To better care for you, High Pointe, we have an “on-call” pastor available for emergencies after office hours and on weekends. To reach the on-call pastor, call 512-837-7725, extension 1.

Preaching Schedule: Pray regularly for the ministry of the Word at High Pointe. Also, prepare for our gatherings by reading the sermon text, thinking it through, and asking questions about the text before Sunday. See above for our preaching schedule through September.

Resources of the Week

• Why Everyone Started Talking about Expositional Preaching
  • At High Pointe, one of the ways we grow in handling the word and encouraging other churches to handle the word rightly is by offering a Simeon Trust workshop each fall. To learn about how the Simeon Trust came about and reignited an emphasis on expositional preaching, read this article.
• ESV Scripture Journal: Romans
  • If you are new to High Pointe or did not get a Scripture journal the first time around, here is a link where you may purchase a journal for our study of Romans.
• Ten Reasons You Need Unconditional Election
  • As we have worked our way through Romans 9, we have learned much about the doctrine of unconditional election. In this “Ask Pastor John” episode, John Piper helps us understand why this doctrine is so important for the Christian life.

Begin praying as you prepare to gather with us this Sunday at 10:00 am.
Love,