From Pastor Bill

Bill Bigger became pastor of HVBC in October 2012 after having served three previous congregations as pastor and one as associate pastor.  He is a graduate of Davidson College and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he received his Doctor of Ministry from McAfee School of Theology.  He and his wife, Leigh, have two children (Matt and Kaylee) and one daughter-in-law (Lauren).  Matt and Lauren live in Memphis, TN where Matt teaches high school math and Lauren works with the Memphis Bioworks Foundation.  Kaylee is a student at Furman University in Greenville, SC, majoring in Health Sciences.



Remodeling…

  June 7, 2013 - 4:38 pm |
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It’s exciting to see the remodeling work underway in the Education Building. A wall in the choir room has already been removed and other work is progressing. The work on the new offices is expected to take about four months, and I know I am looking forward to seeing the finished product and being able to welcome everyone to see and appreciate the new office space. It will also be exciting to have air conditioning in the gym. The unit has been ordered and if all goes according to plan, the gym will be air conditioned by the time Vacation Bible School begins!

Of course, work like this always brings a few inconveniences and will require some patience. Ken has already moved out of his office and will be working in the current office building. The choir room is currently out of commission, meaning that the choir will be practicing in the sanctuary on Wednesday evenings and is in the process of figuring out alternative options for Sunday mornings before worship. We appreciate your understanding and willingness to make adjustments in the short-term so that we will have a more efficient and attractive office area in the long run.

As I have been thinking about and watching the work being done, it strikes me that remodeling projects offer us a metaphor for thinking about the ways God wants to work in our lives. In Romans 6:6, Paul tells us, “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” In Ephesians 4:22-24, we find this challenge: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

The Christian life is a lifelong journey in which we are called to submit our lives to God’s transforming power. God wants to help us remove our old attitudes, actions, and sin so that He can remodel us to become like Christ. Sometimes the changes are dramatic, much like having the wall knocked down in our old choir room, so that something better can take its place. Other times, God’s work is more subtle and feels more like polishing and freshening of areas where we aren’t yet what God desires. Though God’s transformation can make us uncomfortable, there is nothing better than discovering the abundant life that God offers as we allow Him to shape us and transform us.

Perhaps, as this summer unfolds and we see the work taking place in our church buildings, we can be reminded to spend time in God’s presence, asking Him to remodel our hearts and minds and souls so that we become increasingly Christlike in thought, word, and deed. As Paul says in Philippians 3:12, “Not that I have alreadyobtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” May it be so for each of us!

Bill

Dear Friends,

  May 23, 2013 - 11:17 pm |
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Dear Friends,

I enjoyed being part of Homecoming with all of you and having the chance to meet former members of Hope Valley as well. I really appreciate everyone who worked so hard to make the service and the meal so special. What a treat it was to have Bruce Benton back with us and to celebrate the birthday of this church and the birth of the Christian church at Pentecost. HVBC has a rich history, and I am convinced that through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, we have a bright future as well. Let us continue to pray daily for God’s power to fill us, transform us, and use us as His instruments and workers.

On a different topic, we have all been brokenhearted over the news of the terrible destruction brought on by the tornado in Oklahoma. Amidst the tears and prayers, I can’t help but wonder why such things happen, especially to the children in the schools that were affected. Some things just don’t make sense! Still, I am personally bothered by those voices out there that have come forward to announce that this event is God’s punishment on one particular sin or another. While I certainly don’t have a good answer to the “why” question, I believe firmly that God did not abandon the people of Oklahoma, and in fact He was right there in the storm with them. I am reminded of a quotation by William Sloane Coffin who spoke of tragedy by noting, “God’s heart was the first of all our hearts to break.” I am grateful for the assurance that God was with those teachers and students, with those families in their homes, with all the people of Moore and Oklahoma City as they faced an overwhelming storm. I find hope in knowing He is with them as they now must deal with loss, grief, and the challenge of rebuilding lives and homes and schools and businesses. This certainly does not remove the pain and loss, but we are already seeing stories of hope and faith and perseverance that serve as reminders that God’s light shines in the darkness and cannot be overcome even by the darkest moments in life.

When such tragedies happen, many of us want to find a way to respond and help. First and foremost, we must continue to pray for those in Oklahoma. Pray for the First Responders from the different groups already working there. Pray for the churches as they rally support and volunteers to meet needs. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones, for those who have been injured, and for those who have lost homes and businesses. As I am monitoring the early efforts of various Disaster Relief groups, much financial assistance is already coming in to help the recovery, relief, and ultimate rebuilding efforts, but much more will be needed. We are very fortunate to partner with the NC Baptist Men and Women on Mission – one of the best disaster relief and recovery groups found anywhere in the United States. If you would like to make a donation to support ministry efforts in Oklahoma, the NC Baptists on Mission is a great place to send money and know that it will be used to show God’s love to those who have lost so much. You may make donations to the church and mark your check and envelope for “Tornado Relief” and we will pass the money along to the NC Baptists. You may also make donations or get updates on their work at their website: www.baptistsonmission.org.

After a couple weeks of wonderful guest preachers, I look forward to being back in the pulpit and in worship with you Sunday as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

Bill

Looking Forward…

  May 9, 2013 - 1:12 pm |
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Dear friends,

I am eagerly looking forward to the wonderful worship opportunities we have the next two weeks. This Sunday, we will be having Women’s Sunday and will be blessed to be led in worship by many of the gifted and talented women who serve and lead HVBC so well. Lynn Brinkley, Director of Student Services for Campbell Divinity School and adjunct professor in the Religion Department at Campbell, will be our preacher. She is widely recognized as a gifted speaker, and I hope you will join us Sunday with expectant hearts.

On May 19th, we will be very blessed to welcome Bruce Benton back to Hope Valley Baptist Church as we celebrate Homecoming. Bruce has served this congregation well three different times as Minister of Music and is now pastor of Sparta Presbyterian Church in Sparta, NC. I am eager to hear his message and to be part of Homecoming with you. Of course, we will also enjoy the wonderful covered dish meal and time of fellowship after the worship service.

In addition to Homecoming, May 19th is also Pentecost Sunday, the day we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as described in Acts 2. Our service will focus our attention on God’s gift of the Holy Spirit and the power that the Spirit makes available to us as believers. In many congregations, it is a tradition to wear red on Pentecost Sunday, and to help us reflect on God’s appearance like tongues of fire, I encourage you to wear red when you come to church on Homecoming/Pentecost Sunday.

On a different topic, I have been pleased by your response so far to our renewed Capital Campaign. After approving the remodeling and office relocation proposal at the beginning of March, we received $8247 for the Capital Campaign in March and another $1877 in April. This is a good start, but I urge you to continue giving generously. Our loan has now been approved and our payments each month will be slightly less than $2000 a month. We are off to a good start, but need to keep it up. It does appear that we will be able to begin work soon on these projects. I think this will benefit the church greatly and look forward to exciting days ahead.

I consider it a privilege to be your pastor and thank God for you all daily.

Bill

Dear Friends,

  April 26, 2013 - 2:23 pm |
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I am so pleased by your response to Operation Inasmuch and by the feedback I have heard from each of the projects. There was a wonderful energy among our members, and I am very pleased by the amount of work we completed and the ways we were able to minister. Thanks to each of you who participated in any way – whether working with us on Saturday or by donating items or baking casseroles. We owe special thanks to the members of the Missions Team – Barbara Rowley, Julian Abery, Joan Burke, Amy Sauls, and Julie Stoops.

We were able to pack 33 boxes to send to soldiers overseas, 200 hygiene kits that were distributed to residents at McDougal Apartments, 35 homeless kits to be distributed around town, 12 casseroles for the Caring House, and 12 beautiful blankets that were taken to Lenox Baker Children’s Hospital. Our children seemed to enjoy coloring pictures to go into the soldier boxes, and the group writing letters to the faculty and staff at Jordan High School shared many laughs while creating wonderful letters to let these educators know that they are prayed for and appreciated. We had a hard-working crew painting at the IHN Day House and another group sorting and organizing a storage room for IHN. The group at the Durham Rescue Mission’s Thrift Store had a productive time organizing donated clothes, and we led a time of worship and singing at two retirement homes (Durham Regent and Emerald Pond) where our members also enjoyed visiting with those residents. Our first ever Block Party at Oak Creek Village was also a success. We provided hot dogs and other goodies as well as games, bubbles, face painting, and balloon animals for about 75 residents of Oak Creek, and we had several meaningful opportunities to encourage families and invite them to worship with us at Hope Valley.

I confess that I was particularly pleased to see so many children and youth working alongside our adults in several of the projects. What a blessing it is when we can work together across generations and experience the joy of being a true family of faith!

On a different topic, I feel great personal sadness as we prepare to send Chase Thompson off into the plans and future God has in store for him. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Chase and am grateful for his friendship and the effective ministry he has offered with our youth, young adults, and the church as a whole. Chase is an extremely talented minister and will be used by God in amazing ways. I am glad we have had the opportunity to be blessed by his ministry and his love for God and people. We will miss him, but I am confident that you will join me in praying for him as he graduates and follows God’s leading to the next phase of life and ministry. You are all invited to a catered luncheon in Chase’s honor on Sunday, May 5th after the worship service.  I hope you will show your appreciation to him for a job well done!

Blessings,

Bill

Operation Inasmuch

  April 12, 2013 - 11:27 am |
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I am very excited about the upcoming Operation Inasmuch. The Missions Team has organized a good collection of projects that will allow all of us to find something to do on April 20. Several of the activities are new for HVBC, but I believe that each project allows us to do important work in making God’s love visible to people in our community and beyond. You will find a list of projects inside this Illuminator, and I hope you are planning to attend and that you will sign up for the project you prefer. Even if you don’t sign up, we hope you will join us on April 20th, but for several of the projects, we need an idea of how many people are planning to participate. If you have questions about a project, please contact Julian Abery, Joan Burke, Barbara Rowley, Amy Sauls, Julie Stoops, or myself.

In particular, I would like to encourage some of you to join us for the BlockParty at Oak Creek Village. We need a couple folks who would be willing to grill hot dogs. Also, if you have a good grill that could be transported to the site for the activity, please let me know ASAP. We will also need some peoplewho can be at the food tables, helping as people “dress” their hot dogs and get chips and drinks and cookies. These will not be strenuous tasks, but it would be great to have some folks with the gift of hospitality who can keep food on the tables and greet people as they fill their plates. We will be playing some games with the kids and would love to have some volunteers who can play and interact with the children. In addition, we would like to have a group of members who can simply hang out and talk with the residents of the complex. When I have been part of such block parties in a previous church, we were able to begin some relationships that turned into significant ongoing ministry opportunities. The ongoing ESL ministry in the complex will be promoting our event as an opportunity for the residents to come practice their English, so I would love to have some outgoing HVBC people present to meet and mingle with our guests. This won’t require any special skills other than a love for people and a willingness to make new friends.

I do appreciate those of you who have already brought in supplies for our toiletry kits and our boxes for the soldiers. We have a growing collection of items, but still need your donations in order to complete these projects. If you or your family would like to pack your own Back Home Box for a soldier to be sent with the ones we pack as a church, please contact me for more information.

In the meantime, I urge you to pray daily for our church in general and for Operation Inasmuch in particular. May God create within us an enthusiasm and passion for ministry that becomes contagious as we serve Him on April 20th and every day!

Blessings,

Bill

Dear Friends,

  March 28, 2013 - 5:43 pm |
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During this Holy Week, we are reminded in so many ways of God’s amazing love and grace, made visible to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I hope and pray that we have all been reminded during this Lenten season that God loves us the way that we are, but having met us where we are, He wants to forgive us, cleanse us, and transform us so that our lives will become increasingly Christlike in thought, word, and action. We all have many reasons to come before God humbly confessing our sin, but we are blessed to know that God’s grace is sufficient. With this amazing message in mind, I look forward to celebrating my first Easter with you and to hearing and celebrating again the Good News that “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”

I also want to celebrate and affirm the many ways I have seen evidence of your faith and faithfulness. Your generosity has been particularly visible in a variety of special offerings and fund-raising efforts. In just the past couple months, we have collected more than $1600 in gift cards for families who lost everything in the fire at Oak Creek Village apartments. You supported our youth who raised over $3000 through their 30 Hour Famine and more than $2000 through the yard sale. We raised over $1500 for the CROP walk and are getting close to meeting our $2000 goal for the Easter Missions Offering. Even with all of these special giving opportunities, I am pleased to share that we have already received $3900 this month to get our Capital Campaign going again as we prepare for the office relocation and other building efforts that will begin in the next few months. I confess that I was a little concerned about all these special offerings and efforts taking place within such a short time, but you have shown again this is a generous and caring congregation. I am truly thankful.

I am also looking forward to Operation Inasmuch on April 20th. Please pay attention to the list of projects that we have posted. We have some new projects this year, and the Missions Committee has made a particular effort to develop several projects that families can do together. We will also have opportunities for different levels of skill and mobility. There is a project for everyone. I urge you to consider prayerfully how you might be involved and sign up soon so we can make sure all projects have sufficient workers. Please notice also that we are collecting various items that we will be using in one of the projects. As you have demonstrated great generosity in the past few months, I trust that you will support this effort well by donating the items listed in the Inasmuch article.

It is a true privilege to minister alongside of you, and I thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to be your pastor.

Bill

Renovations…

  March 15, 2013 - 2:56 pm |
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I am thankful for your support of the proposal to secure a loan for our office relocation project as well as renovations in the gym and a new covered walkway between the buildings. Please know that all money that was given to the Capital Campaign over the past couple years (slightly over $30,000) has remained in this account and will be used in this project. Once the paperwork for the loan is completed and the work begins, our monthly payment on the loan will be slightly under $2000. Though this is a significant responsibility after the church has been debt-free for years, I believe that we are capable of handling this commitment.

The Finance Team has noted that if 50 people could give an extra $10 per week to the Capital Campaign (in addition to regular budget giving), we would cover our loan payment without hindering our regular budget and ministry needs. If you are willing to support this project, please give your extra donations to the Capital Campaign so that we can repay our loan from the Capital Campaign rather than from our budget (You may mark your envelope for “Capital Campaign” when you are giving specifically for this purpose). Even if you cannot give on a weekly or monthly basis to this effort, we would be grateful for any occasional or one-time donations you might be able to make. We look forward to getting the work started and will keep you posted on the progress and expected time frames as they become more clear. I believe we will all enjoy and appreciate the improvements when they are completed later this year.

On another building-related note, I hope you have had the chance to check out the new lighting in our gym. The money to pay for this improvement came from our facility rental money; that is, the money we receive from outside groups renting our building for their meetings or sports practices. The new lights are much brighter and at the same time are far more energy efficient. We expect that it will save us significant utility money over the long haul and will be a real asset to the church.

Blessings,

Bill

First Step

  March 1, 2013 - 4:28 pm |
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I hope you have had the opportunity to see the brochure that was distributed on Sunday to introduce the proposed office relocation and gym improvement projects (If you didn’t receive it yet, call the office and we’ll send you one). Please find enclosed with this newsletter additional information about the work we will be doing and the financial commitment that will be required. You will notice that in addition to the office and gym work outlined in the first brochure, we also plan to include a beautiful covered walkway between our Education Building and our Family Life Center. We believe that this will be a wonderful addition for all of us, especially when we have rainy days like we have seen so often lately.

The latest insert also includes details about the total cost of these projects and the plan to pay for them through our Capital Campaign Fund. When this campaign was started some months ago, many of you gave generously to support the initial plans for the office relocation and the adding of air conditioning to the gym. Please know that all that money is still in the Capital Campaign Fund and will be used to begin this expanded project. Unfortunately, after initial plans were presented, it was discovered that the initial estimates weren’t adequate to complete the jobs in a way that would meet our long-term needs.  Though none of us really like the thought of taking on debt after being debt-free for many years, I am confident that we as a congregation are capable of paying off this debt without sacrificing other ministries and programs.  As the enclosed information points out, if those who are capable would give regularly to the Capital Campaign Fund in addition to their budget giving, we will be able to make our monthly payments and hopefully pay off the debt early.

I do believe that the work proposed will benefit our church in significant ways. Everyone who has worked in Vacation Bible School understands how important it is that we add air conditioning to the gym. This will allow us to use our gym far more comfortably in the summer for a variety of activities and ministries. I am also excited about the prospect of having a new and nicer office that will be accessible to those who can’t climb steps and will create a better first impression for prospects and members of our community. In addition, as mentioned above, I think we will all look forward to having the covered walkway on rainy days.

The members of the Office Relocation Team and Finance Team have worked long and hard for many months to develop these plans and organize this proposal. We are tremendously blessed to have David Stoops offering his gifts and talents in developing the designs and plans for this project. We do, however, want your prayers and input as we bring this recommendation to the church for discussion and a vote. Please join us Saturday, March 2 at 11 a.m. in the Family Life Center for a time of discussion and at our Family Meeting after worship on Sunday, March 3. It is important that we be unified and committed before undertaking such a big project. Come prayerfully to share your thoughts as we discuss and vote on this proposal.

Blessings,

Bill

Warmer Days…

  February 15, 2013 - 3:09 pm |
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Even though we have been moving through the winter season of January and February, we have been blessed to have some beautiful and comparatively warm days. One of the things I enjoy about those nice days is the voices and laughter of children playing on our playground. We continue to have many families and kids on the playground almost every day that the weather is good. With spring around the corner, we expect the playground use to continue to grow. I am grateful for those who guided this church to build this playground and appreciate that it offers a safe and wonderful place for families to have fun.

In addition, having so many members of the local community coming to our property offers us a wonderful ministry opportunity. The Playground Friends ministry was started last year to help us make connections with the families who play here each day. With more consistent warm weather on the way, we would like to get this ministry going again and want to invite anyone who could spend a few hours a week at the playground to join us in this important relational ministry. Volunteers in this ministry generally spend two or more hours at the playground one day each week. They introduce themselves to our guests, have a first aid kit available in case it’s needed, and offer bottles of water to the kids and their parents. If you can provide a friendly and smiling face and an interest in people, you could be an effective playground friend and might help our guests discover that HVBC is a warm and welcoming congregation.

If you are interested in knowing more or volunteering in this important ministry, we will have a reorganizational meeting on Thursday, February 21 at 11 AM in the church office. We will talk about scheduling and will brainstorm ideas for strengthening our efforts. If you can’t attend the meeting, but would be interested in participating, please contact Barbara Rowley or me for more information. While the Bible makes it clear that we are to go out into the world to make disciples, we at HVBC are fortunate that many people are already coming to our property. Let’s show them hospitality, friendship, and God’s love while they are here!

Blessings,

Bill

PS. I hope you have taken a copy of the Lenten Devotional Guides that are available around the church building. If you haven’t received one yet, copies are still available. These booklets give you a brief Scripture to read and some thoughts or questions to guide your praying during this important season. Let us make a commitment to use the season of Lent as a time to pray faithfully for our church and God’s will to be accomplished in our midst.

Dear Friends,

  February 1, 2013 - 9:49 pm |
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It has truly been a wonderful treat to be able to celebrate my 50th birthday with my HVBC family. I am grateful for the care, cards, desserts, and well wishes you have offered as I have reached this milestone. I also appreciate the Family Ministry Committee for providing the delicious cake at Wednesday night supper. You all have made me feel very special, and I appreciate you very much.

Though it seems that we have just completed the Advent and Christmas seasons, the season of Lent is already drawing near and invites us to prepare for Easter. The early Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to set aside a 40-day season of spiritual preparation before Easter. These 40 days do not include the six Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter because these believers saw Sunday as a regular reminder of the Good News of Easter. During this season that came to be called Lent, converts to the faith were prepared for baptism on Easter Sunday. It was also a time when persons who had committed serious sins and had separated themselves from the community of faith were encouraged to focus on repentance and were then restored to full participation in the life of the church. In this way, the whole church was reminded of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our need to renew our faith.

By the fifth century, church leaders established Lent as a 40-day period of repentance and spiritual preparation for believers, beginning with Ash Wednesday. For us, the Season of Lent is an invitation to 40 days of renewal. We set aside 40 days to prepare ourselves to take in the Good News of Easter through deeper disciplines of prayer, Bible study, generosity, service, and self-denial (some people choose to give up something they like for 40 days as a way of reflecting on Christ’s sacrifice). It can be a season to recognize the junk and clutter that fill our minds and lives and then do some spiritual spring cleaning as we prepare for the darkness of Good Friday and the light of Easter.

Growing from my conviction we must be a people of prayer if we are going to experience the fullness of God’s power and work in our lives, I am going to ask you as church members to make a commitment during this Lenten season to pray daily for our church. I am preparing a simple devotional guide that we will distribute beginning February 10th. It will include a suggested Scripture reading and a few brief sentences inviting you to apply the reading to our church and then asking you to pray for the church in a specific way. It is my hope that knowing we are reading the same Scriptures and praying for similar things each day will both draw us even closer as a congregation and will also open our church to fresh, new workings of the Holy Spirit. I hope you will join me in using the Lenten Devotional Guide and this holy season to seek God’s guidance together as a body of believers.

Blessings,

Bill