Highland Park Presbyterian Church

There is a direct connection between our faith and our actions. If we believe what the Bible teaches, it changes our priorities, relationships, and ambitions. We learn in Matthew 7:24 that, “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

The twenty-four students who spent a week with Mission Emanuel in the Dominican Republic this summer worked on various construction projects in the surrounding area but built more than just houses during their mission trip. While laying cinder blocks, pouring concrete, painting walls, and moving furniture, they constructed relationships with fellow students, leaders, and the community. All of this helped them build a new perspective on God, another culture, and the developing world.

At the end of the week, a special dedication ceremony was held for the family moving in where high schoolers read scripture and prayed over the home. Several generations of the family were present for the worship service celebrating the completion of the house. It was a beautiful representation of how God’s love in action can change a person’s life at any age.

The way we treat other people says more about our faith than any words could. Even though they only spent a week learning about the traditions, lifestyle, and beliefs of the people living in the area around Mission Emanuel, this trip gave students a strong foundation for how God’s love changes lives all across the globe.

Learn how you can support global missions at hppres.org/global.

Summer is coming to a close which means it’s time for Move Up Sunday!

Join us on Sunday, Aug. 11 as we kick off our 2024–2025 Sunday Class year for all Highland Kids and Students classes. Everyone will move up to their new class, find their new classroom, meet their teaching team, and enjoy an hour of learning and fun.

Classes will be held at 9:30 & 11 am for birth – 4th grade, and at 9:30 am for 5th – 12th grade. We’ll see you then!

Plan your visit at hppres.org/sundays.

The Student ministry at HP Pres creates a space where students are excited to connect with each other and learn how God’s love gives us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Each week, they meet for group teaching, small groups, and mentoring relationships between students and leaders.

Between school, extracurricular activities, work, and time with family and friends, it can be difficult for students to make space in their schedule to attend church. Student leaders often meet them for coffee, attend their sporting events, and make every effort to meet them right where they are.

You’re needed on Sunday nights, beginning Aug. 18, to help lead student small groups. This is a significant age for students and helping them grow in their faith, confidence, and ambitions is a special opportunity.

You can be a part of mentoring the next generation by volunteering as a community group leader at hppres.org/count-me-in.

Join us on Saturday, Aug. 3 as we serve alongside one of our incredible South Dallas church partners by helping them pack backpacks and get students ready for the upcoming school year!

The whole family can help at this event by sorting and organizing grade-specific backpacks to give to kids in foster care. The children in the foster system experience so much change and distress at a very early age. This is one small way we can show them that they are seen, loved, and cared for.

Register at hppres.org/serve-our-city.

Despite having more opportunity for connection than ever before, our world can feel incredibly isolating. We all need deep, meaningful relationships to celebrate the good and support us in the hard times.

Community Groups give people a safe haven from the storms of life. Groups meet during the week in peoples’ homes to share each others burdens, celebrate each others’ successes, and study God’s Word together. Whether you have been part of a group before or have yet to find a group of people to live life with, you are invited to join the Fall Community Group Launch.

Register for the Fall Community Group Launch on Saturday, Aug. 27 at hppres.org/groups.

On June 28, a mission team traveled across the globe to meet our mission partners, the Roegner’s, at Fuente del Peregrino (Pilgrim’s Fountain) on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. The purpose of this mission trip was to serve travelers completing the 769 km pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain.

On the Camino de Santiago, travelers are often in a transitional stage of life with a very specific motivation for making the pilgrimage. This gives mission partners at Fuente del Peregrino a unique opportunity to connect with the roughly 1000 people passing the house each day. One mission team member, Sophia, shares that she connected with people so quickly after just meeting them and “learned a lot of things that I didn’t know I needed” from this experience.

Since the house’s opening in 1999, they have hosted 22,000 overnight guests and had interactions with 1.5 million passersby. The location of the house is significant because it is near the end of the journey and sees many weary travelers who have been walking for about a month to the tomb of St. James. Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” carry much more weight for these pilgrims because of their long journey.

With each interaction, our mission team and the Roegner family looked for ways to share the transformative message of the gospel through conversations and hospitality. Sophia became good friends with the fellow mission team members while rotating through different roles at Fuente del Peregrino like cooking, greeting new guests, and cleaning the house. These friendships and deep conversations with strangers about her faith in Jesus helped her “let God take control of my life and put my full trust in him.”

Because of the prayer, generosity, and faith of our church, people all the way across the world are finding and following Jesus. Learn how you can continue to have a global impact by supporting our mission partners at hppres.org/global.

Our programming for Nursery through High School will be closed on Sunday, Aug. 4. Your whole family is invited to worship with us in the Sanctuary and Elliott Hall during the 9:30 and 11 am services.

All ages are welcome and we look forward to seeing you on All Generations Worship Sunday! Plan your visit at hppres.org/sunday.

We all need people we can rely on for encouragement when the world is tough and challenges continue to arise.

Community Groups give people a safe haven from the storms of life. Groups meet during the week in peoples’ homes to share each others burdens, celebrate each others’ successes, and study God’s Word together. Whether you have been part of a group before or have yet to find a group of people to live life with, you are invited to join the Fall Community Group Launch.

Register for the Fall Community Group Launch on Saturday, Aug. 27 at hppres.org/groups.

Keeping the end in mind shapes how we live our lives in the here and now. Living life backward means taking the one thing in our future that is certain―death―and letting that inform our journey before we get there.

Looking to the book of Ecclesiastes for wisdom, Living Life Backward was written to shake up our expectations and priorities for what it means to live “the good life.” Considering the reality of death helps us pay attention to our limitations as human beings and receive life as a wondrous gift from God―freeing us to live wisely, generously, and faithfully for God’s glory and the good of his world.

Join us Thursdays, beginning Aug. 1 as we study Living Life Backward and how it can give us a fresh perspective on how we live out our faith.

Register at hppres.org/classes.

Each day of the summer mission trip, 5th and 6th graders helped a different mission partner serve the city of Dallas. Beginning with Austin Street center on Tuesday, they helped organize donations for the clothes closet. On Wednesday, Ring of Hope welcomed the kids to their boxing ring to show them how they are empowering youth to greater mental, physical, and spiritual health.

The final, and most impactful day for many students, was spent with Community Partners of Dallas. During their hours of service, they learned about the foster system and helped pack 500 overnight bags for kids who are removed from their homes by CPS. Madelyn’s mom shares that this experience “reshaped her daughter’s perspective on Faith Like a Child gratitude for her own day-to-day life and gave her a newfound desire to serve her community at large.”

After learning how Community Partners is helping the roughly 20,000 people with open CPS cases in Dallas County, Madelyn was inspired to make a difference too. When she returned home that day, she “asked her family if they could start volunteering at CPD so that we (as a family) could help children who had been removed from their homes.”

These mission trips inspire students like Madelyn to live out their faith in Jesus by serving others. It is a sweet reminder that our faith is not complicated, and God’s love is for everyone.

Learn how you can make a difference in a child’s life at hppres.org/serve-our-city.

There are many families in our own city who have to choose between paying rent or buying groceries. As the cost of living rises, so does the need for the Church to show up for the people who need our help the most.

Every two weeks, we partner with Dallas Leadership Foundation and Primera Iglesia to pack and distribute boxes of fresh, shelf-stable food for families throughout the City of Dallas. This is a great opportunity for the whole family to participate in serving our city together.

When you volunteer, you are making a direct impact on the lives of people in our own backyard. Thank you for serving. Thank you for making a difference.

Register for the next food packing event on Saturday, July 27 at hppres.org/serve-our-city.

When you volunteer at our church, you are living out what it means to be the body of Christ. Because of your willingness to serve, people are welcomed to our campus, taught in Sunday classes, and connected to ministries that will help them find and follow Jesus. Thank you to every volunteer that makes our campus a place where people are excited to grow in their faith!

Right now, we are looking for people to volunteer in these areas:

* One Sunday a month in Early Childhood and Elementary
* Student small group leaders on Sunday nights
* One Sunday a month at the Welcome Desk

As we learn in 1 Corinthians 12:5, “There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord.”

However you can serve matters and we look forward to getting you connected at hppres.org/count-me-in.

Extreme summer heat elevates the danger for people experiencing homelessness. Our city is seeing higher levels of homelessness than years past, and the need for refuge and resources grows every day.

Every 3rd Saturday, HP Pres joins with local churches to provide Dallas’ homeless and at-risk populations with breakfast, toiletries, clothing, and spiritual nourishment. This ministry, Body and Soul, has been taking place for nearly 25 years and all ages are welcome to serve our cities most vulnerable.

Register for the next Body and Soul event on Saturday, July 20 at hppres.org/serve-our-city.

This week, our high school students are traveling to the Dominican Republic to join mission partner, Mission Emanuel for a week of service projects. Mission Emanuel is a cross-cultural, relational, Christian ministry that strives to promote discipleship through short-term mission trips focused on community transformation.

Join us in praying that the students attending this trip will grow in their faith as they learn to take ownership of their beliefs. Pray that these projects will lead to transformation in the lives and hearts of people in the Dominican Republic.

We are excited to see how the next generation is living out their faith and making a global impact through serving others!

Learn how our global mission partners are making a lasting difference in people’s lives at hppres.org/global.

David and Pam became mission partners with HP Pres in the spring of 1989. They were hungry for a church community and were recommended to HP Pres by David’s parents. On their first visit, people welcomed them instantly and connected them to classes for their kids and themselves.

While in Dallas, Pam and David were attending SIL, a program equipping people with skills such as Bible translation, linguistic research, and language tools. Their intention in attending the program was to use those skills in the mission field. Through the relationships and support they found at HP Pres, they were able to do just that.

Over the following thirty-five years, they served as missionaries in the South Pacific, Kazakhstan, China, and Tibet. Their lives have been in the service of others to teach them the good news of freedom in Christ. This June marks the end of their formal missionary life, but they will continue be an example of what it means to walk closely with God in everything they do.

We are honored to have been a part of their legacy of faith and will celebrate and pray alongside them as they enter this new season of life.

Learn about all our mission partners and how you can support them at hppres.org/missions.

Living in community with others, having a sense of purpose, and being grateful for how God has provided for us are clear markers that separate those who are flourishing and those who are struggling in their third third of life. Monthly luncheons, service projects, classes, and community events all play a role in creating space for people who are 55+ to connect with each other.

This month’s Third Thursday Luncheon will welcome three time Olympic Gold Medal swimmer Jim Montgomery on Thursday, July 18. Jim was the first man to swim the 100 meter freestyle under 50 seconds and won that event along with the 100 meter and 200 meter relays at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics.

We look forward to seeing you at this special program celebrating the 2024 summer games!

Register at hppres.org/third-third.

Summer has arrived, and we are excited to release the HP Pres summer reading list once again!

The HP Pres pastoral staff compiled a list of books to keep people connected to our church family and engaged in our faith over the summer months. We know that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). No matter the season, we are excited to help create opportunities for you to grow in your faith!

Feel free to read any of these selections on your own or grab a friend to buddy read one together. We hope you are looking forward to diving into this summer reading list, and we’ll see you at HP Pres soon!

Find your next read or check out upcoming events in the Meyercord Library at hppres.org/library.

Summer is a critical time for people without homes and the need for shelter from the heat and clothing, hygiene products, and food is greater than ever.

Long-time partner, Austin Street Center provides basic needs like shelter and food alongside programs that help people regain their independence and find a permanent place to call home. Their caring, customized, collaborative approach involves a variety of services and special programs to remove barriers to permanent housing.

You can be a part of changing someone’s life by joining HP Pres volunteers every 2nd Wednesday or 3rd Tuesday from 5:30–7 pm as we feed the homeless.

Register for the next event on Wednesday, July 10 at hppres.org/serve-our-city.

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he healed the sick and fed the hungry before sharing the good news of the Gospel. We follow his example by sharing God’s love in tangible ways by meeting the physical needs of people in our city and beyond.

Join us every two weeks as we put our faith in action by joining our partners, Dallas Leadership Foundation and Primera Iglesia, to pack and distribute around 550 boxes of fresh and shelf-stable food for families throughout the City of Dallas.

Sign up to serve by yourself, with a group, or with your family. All ages are welcome, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Register for the next food packing event on Saturday, July 13 at hppres.org/serve-our-city.

The 4th of July is an opportunity for people to celebrate freedom with their friends and family. As believers, we also celebrate the true freedom we have in Christ.

Regardless of our background, nationality, relationships, or actions, we can experience that freedom. Through Jesus, we no longer have to answer to the shame and loss of this world. His love changes everything!

We are grateful for the chance to celebrate the freedom we have in this country, but also the eternal freedom that comes from a relationship with Jesus. Happy Fourth of July from all of us at HP Pres!

The Ten Commandments are more than just a set of rules we learn as children. They offer us a guide to a world that can be very daunting to navigate on our own.

Join us beginning Sunday, July 7 in our adult Sunday class to learn how the Ten Commandments are relevant to our lives today. This in depth class will unpack how a list of rules works with our Gospel of grace.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Join a Sunday class at hppres.org/classes.

Community is a special part of following Jesus and we’re excited to share that with you this summer!

Join our Third-Third ministry on Thursday, July 11 for Bingo in Elliott Hall. This will be a great chance to escape the heat and spend time with people from every generation in our church family.

We look forward to spending an afternoon filled with bingo, ice cream, and prizes with you and your family!

Learn more at hppres.org/summer.

Studying the Bible doesn’t need to be complicated!

We partner with RightNow Media to provide you with access to the largest library of Bible study videos in the world. You can watch studies for adults, kids, families, or small groups on the RightNow Media app that will help you grow in your faith no matter your faith background or learning style.

Set up your RightNow Media account at hppres.org/rightnow-media and continue to grow in your faith even as you travel this summer.