Destiny Campaign

These are exciting times at HMCC of Ann Arbor. For years we have been dreaming of having a place for our church to call home and live out the vision God has given us, and each day now moves us closer to making that dream a reality as we move forward with purchasing the URC facility. God is continuing to open up doors along the way, and we have been working through all of the preparations including talking with contractors about renovations, working with banks to secure a loan, and negotiating with lawyers to approve a purchase agreement. Each step along the way reaffirms that God alone can provide for us and sustain His church's vision and ministry.

Many of you will remember that we've always said, "Church is not about a building!" This is still true, and because of that we have been engaged in the 40 Days to Destiny, a time of preparation for our church to grow in faith and love for Jesus Christ so that we will be able to focus on His mission and purposes as we move into this new facility. We're beginning to brainstorm and envision all of the new ministry opportunities that God will bring our way, and we know that God is raising up more disciples of Christ who will be able to serve those needs. As we follow the Holy Spirit's leading, we're praying that this building will be a spiritual home for many students, single adults, and families in the Ann Arbor area, and that we will be able to continue sending people out to transform the world.

As we finish off the 40 Days to Destiny, we will be having a special Sunday Celebration on April 13, 2008 to pledge and give to the Destiny Campaign. Our goal is to raise $100,000 in one-time offerings, and to plege $500,000 over the next two years. This money will be used to purchase the URC facilities and fund renovations, repairs, and purchases that we will need to make as we move in. We are praying that many people will decide to give and pledge in faith, knowing that God will use our offerings to build His kingdom.

For more information on the Destiny Campaign, including pledging and giving, please visit the Destiny Campaign website. You can also join the Destiny Campaign Facebook group.

2008 Easter Weekend

Easter weekend is always one of the most special and memorable weekends of the year for HMCC. With the tradition of Good Friday Service, baptism service, Sunrise Service and a big single Easter Celebration to cap off the weekend; we've remembered Christ's death and resurrection with strong bonds as a community.

This year especially stood out for two reasons:

1. It fell during the middle of our 40 Days to Destiny. Momentum from the continual prayers from our community began to pour into the Easter Weekend.
2. There was snow! A snow storm hit us during Good Friday but didn't deter our members from experiencing the remembrance service that evening.

Good Friday - March 21st

It is a rare occasion for all life stages in our church to gather on a Friday evening, but remembering Christ's death was more than reason enough for over 270 people to come worship together in the dimly lit Angell Auditorium. The message focused on thankfulness in our time of remembrance. During response choruses of "Glory to God who gave His Son" echoed in the auditorium, and the evening ended with communion where one by one every person came up to lay down a personal "Thank You" note before the cross.

Baptism Service - March 22nd

Though mounds of snow visibly surrounded the Assembly of God Church building, several people were rushing into the sanctuary wearing shorts and t shirts. They were either one of the twelve baptism candidates who would be sharing their testimonies, or one of the friends of the candidates who would help dunk them in the baptismal pool. The gathering was full of tears and laughter as each baptism candidate shared how God worked in their life. Everyone in the sanctuary was full of smiles and laughter as each brother and sister in Christ fully submerged underwater-publicly declaring and committing to a new life in Christ.

Easter Celebration - March 23rd

For the second year in a row, we closed out the Easter Weekend with a Sunday Celebration at the Michigan Theater. The large stage, seating and theater lights added to the fresh experience of a new venue and special occasion. Once again we had a large choir with fresh faces from different life stages in the Church. We also saw a moving dance and video montage that powerfully displayed Christ's resurrection and its meaning for salvation. The closing dance to an upbeat chorus of "I Believe" led to a monologue that creatively expressed the intrigue surrounding the phenomenon of the resurrection. It seamlessly led into the message: Phenomenon: Death to Life - which ended with a personal note as a few members shared their testimonies intertwined with a special praise.

The testimonies from the weekend culminated to what we as a Church were most thankful for: the response of all who came to Easter Celebration. 35 expressed that they were still seeking, 63 recommitted their lives to Christ, and 18 people accepted Christ into their lives for the first time! Small groups immediately began contacting newcomers and new believers to plug them into community. We are so thankful for all that God has done in this one weekend, and with the approaching 4/13 Miracle Sunday & Pledge Service, we are anticipating great things ahead!

Alumni Spotlight: Marcus Chiu

Area of Profession: Marketing
Job Title: Senior Business Planning Analyst
Employer: Kellogg Company

What do you do in your job?
Assist our account executives and team sales directors in planning and forecasting across all categories ultimately improving business visibility and increasing forecast accuracy.

Please share some of your favorite memories from HMCC
My favorite memory spans my entire 4 years at HMCC and its simply meeting and growing to be friends with so many great people. The best friends I have today are the brothers I met at HMCC.

What are some lessons from HMCC that have positively impacted where you are today?
To live with integrity and honesty, these two principles were taught and preached numerous times in bible studies and sermons. Not only are these principles biblical but they can also be applied in other areas such as family and work.

What are some professional and personal goals you hope to attain in the future?
I love the company I work for. I am gaining business skills which will help me succeed in future jobs, there is tremendous opportunity for growth in the company, and I work with terrific people. I hope that whoever my employer is, that the 3 previously mentioned criteria will still hold true. My personal goals are just to live with integrity in whatever I do.