Entries in Mercy Hill Presbyterian Church (26)

Monday
Oct062014

A Brief Recap: the History of Mercy Hill

This past Sunday our church gathered at Atkinson Park for our anniversary Sunday. This is a chance for us to get outside, enjoy the fall weather, and remind ourselves of what God is doing among us, and why we're organizing this church.

I preached a message which touched on two parts of our mission statement, "Helping people thrive in Christ." I explained first what it means to be "in Christ." And second, how bearing fruit is what we mean by "thriving in Christ."

Also as part of my message, I reviewed a brief history of where we've come from as a congregation. I'll reproduce that history/recap here. As you read, please pray to God and thank Him for all He's doing in our midst, and ask Him to do even more in the new year that's coming.

By His Grace,

Pastor Phil Henry

 

A brief history of Mercy Hill

I was called by the New Jersey Presbytery in September of 2008 to begin a new church ministry in Gloucester County.
The problem was that, at the time, I lived in southern Arizona, had never lived in New Jersey, we had money, no mother church, and I had never planted a church before.

Click to read more ...

Tuesday
May132014

We are hosting the New Jersey Presbytery

We are excited to host the New Jersey Presbytery's quarterly meeting this upcoming Saturday, May 17, 2014. The meeting begins at 9am and lasts through lunch. If there is business to be completed by the presbytery following lunch, it will be carried on as needed.

The presbytery meeting begins with a worship service at 9:00am sharp. Pastor Phil Henry will be preaching a version of his sermon from this past Sunday on Acts 20:17-38, St. Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders. Members and regular attenders of Mercy Hill are encouraged to attend.

Friday evening before presbytery we are taking some time together, and with other pastors and elders (and wives) to have a round of bowling at the Deptford Bowling alley; map here. Register & pay with Eventbrite here; cost is $15 per person. More information about the event can be found here, at our church's City.

We also need help with serving lunch to the men of presbytery. If you're available to help with this ministry of hospitality, please let us know by registering to help here.

 

Monday
Apr162012

A new space

We're super happy to be able to report that our church has been given permission to start meeting in a new facility that we will be leasing 24/7 in Washington Township. We expect our first service there to happen on May 20. 

Click here to see where we're going to be located.

Here is an excerpt from a prayer update that Pastor Phil Henry recently sent out to some families who pray for Mercy Hill; you can click here to read the whole prayer update:

It is five thousand square foot facility: the front half is finished and open floor plan. It is heated and cooled. The back half is "warehouse" with vaulted ceilings and unfinished. It is heated but not cooled.

We will likely begin meeting in the front half of the space on the Sunday after Mother's day, May 20, and work toward finishing the back half of the space (the warehouse portion) as God adds to our community and provides the money and expertise to do it well.

We're excited about what the future holds for our church family. After a year of meeting in the bowling alley, this development seems like God is affirming our mission and allowing us to continue doing the work that we're doing. But this new space also represents a daunting challenge for which we deeply need the blessing and grace of God.