Alex - Sing Noel

Here's a short clip of Alex. He's singing "Sing Noel". He missed a few of the words.
Here's Dan's translation:

"Jingle bird, jingle bird, noel, noel"
"Mary and Joseph went to ... Mary's house"
He forgot the words and made up the rest.

You can send me videos of your kiddos singing Christmas tunes too.

More Retreat Pics

These pictures are from Brenda.






Don't take my picture!




Don't take my picture either!



I can't hold this wall much longer!



OK. Now it's getting harder. Someone come help me!





Sing this high.


Higher!




Higher!!


Where's ESPN?

Retreat Fun

We had a wonderful time on our Christmas retreat!

I had two main objectives for our retreat. 1. to get some good rehearsal time so we would know our Christmas music better and 2. have some fun times together where we got to know each other a little better.

I think we accomplished both!

Here are some pictures courtesy of Star.

Notice the back row mugging the camera!

Breakfast with interesting eggs.

comfy bed!

That's interesting. What is it?

Snack time!

Today's E-inchoirer

Here's a copy of today's e-inchoirer in case your copy got caught in your spam filter.


Good Morning!

I hope you all are having a great day!
Wow! We had 72 in choir last night! Thanks for joining us for rehearsal. For those of you who may have missed choir, here are a few announcements you need to know.

The Retreat
You can get directions for the retreat here http://hilldaleworship.blogspot.com/2007/10/choir-retreat-directions.html
You need to eat supper on your way to Jonathan Creek. Our first rehearsal will begin at 7:00. We’ll have signs up to help you find us. We’ll also have you checked in and have your keys to your rooms.
Bring a snack you can share. We’re going to have a fun time together and really learn Christmas music!

Sunday’s Anthem
Last Sunday’s singing of “He Never Failed Me Yet” was waaaay cool. Thanks for singing! What a fun song.
This week’s anthem – “That’s What I Want My Praise to Be” with the beautiful DVD accompaniment.

New choir members
We’ve had several new members the past few weeks. Welcome!
Nadine Ray – Tenor
Rebecca May – Soprano
Danny May – Bass
Dawn Ward – Soprano

Christmas Rehearsals
We WILL NOT be able to rehearse the next two Wednesday nights! AAAAAaaah! That’s pretty scary this close to Christmas. Therefore, we have some makeup rehearsals. Please do your best to join us for these rehearsals.
Saturday, Nov. 3, 9-11 AM
Sunday, Nov. 18, 6:30-8:00 PM (after the Thanksgiving Dinner here at church)
In the past we have had “snack and sings” - little rehearsals in someone’s home where a group could get together and sing through the Christmas music. If you would be willing to host a group at your home hit the old “reply” button and let me know. We can do this by sections or as mixed groups. If we have several to choose from I’ll send you some options.

Family Life Center Banquets
The banquets about our Family Life Center are next week. If you haven’t signed up to join us for dinner one night next week call the church office and get your name on the list. We’ll feed your children here and you and your spouse can have a nice dinner together without the kids.

Rejoice!
R. Lyndel Littleton
Worship Pastor
Hilldale Baptist Church
Connecting Lives - to Christ and each other - through worship

The World Series

I think that the World Series is coming up pretty soon. I'm always surprised that they are still playing baseball this late in the year. I don't know any teams' stats and if I did know their stats I wouldn't know what they meant.



So I'm also surprised that I am putting a link here to an article about baseball. But since my lovely wife, Cheryl sent it to me I read it. You can read it by clicking here. http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7156



So I'll probably be rooting for the Rockies this year, but you'll need to tell me what happens at the games. Use words that someone who doesn't understand why you would pinch someone and then expect them to hit the ball and not you would understand.

Clarksville Traffic

I decided to drive up to Clarksville this morning via Hwy 41A (AKA "Clarksville Pike" if you live in Whites Creek or "Madison" if you live in Clarksville). I figured I-24 is crazy enough in dry traffic much less during a good rain. I was headed to the YMCA for a little exercise to start the day and ended up arriving at the intersection by Wal-Mart (I guess that's Madison and the I-24 connector don't know it's official name) just a little after 7:00. When the light changed I started across the intersection and much to my surprise - and horror - I was stuck out in the middle of the intersection! I hate it when cars block an intersection and there I was - me and my little blue PT Cruiser sitting there where we would block traffic if the light changed. Thankfully I was able to change lanes before the light changed. I slowly drove down Madison expecting to come up on a giant wreck with car pieces strewn (strown? strung?) scattered everywhere. But no! The traffic was backed up in the right lane all the way from - what's the name of that road? It has at least three names. richviewfield or something like that. Anyway, it was just school traffic! Wow!

So is there a point to this story? Hmmm, well, I guess the point might be that I should go ahead and take the interstate to Clarksville in the mornings, but I think I'd like to point out that our church is in a prime location near several schools and businesses and thousands - perhaps millions of people drive by it every day.

"They should join us on Sundays", you might say. However, most studies show that most people who attend a church for the first time come there because a friend invited them. Another reason they might come is for a special program like "The Tree". We have a great opportunity coming up in December. Join us Wednesday night for rehearsal as we get ready for a tremendous outreach event.

Hmm, this was a lot longer than I planned. If you're still with me, thanks for reading. See you soon!

Great Music - Great Truth

Your singing - I should have posted this before I posted Silent Night in Japanese - yesterday was super! What a fun song! And what a great text. I hope you keep track of all those times when God shows His faithfulness to you. You need to do that so when you're up against a difficult time in life or things seem to be falling apart, you can look back and say, "you know... God showed me this time and that time and another time how He takes care of me and brings me through the tough times in life - or gives me grace and peace to keep going, so I know from experience that He has never failed me, so I choose to trust Him today and not worry and..." well, you need to word that for yourself, but I think you see what I'm trying to say.

Have a wonderful week. I'll be looking for all of you Wednesday night!

I think this picture says exactly what I am trying to say.

Kooreesoomahsoo!

This is "Silent Night" in Japanese.
Just a little reminder for you that you need to learn the Japanese Christmas Carol.

Choir Retreat Directions

Last night in choir I mentioned that to get to Jonathan Creek that you just headed West on I-24 then take a left up in Kentcuky and head toward Land Between the Lakes. Some of you needed more detailed directions than that.
The view of the lake from our hotel at Jonathan
Creek.

Here are the directions as given by Jonathan Creek.

From Nashville:


1. Take Interstate 24 West to Cadiz (Exit 65)

2. Turn left off exit and proceed west on Highway 68/80.

3. Cross Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake (Two bridges)

4. After crossing the second bridge, turn right at the top of the hill onto Hightway 68 (it is poorly marked). Stay on Highway 68 and go approximately 5 miles until you reach the Dinner Bell Restaurant on the left. The Dinner Bell is approximately 2 miles from Aurora. (If you come to a small bridge called the Jonathan Creek Bridge, you have gone to far)

5. Turn left onto Beal Road immediately past the Dinner Bell Restaurant. It will look like you are turning into a parking lot.

6. Travel 1.5 miles on Beal Road until you come to a white water tower.

7. Turn right about 100 ft beyond the water tower and enter the grounds to Jonathan Creek Camp and Conference Center.



The hotel at Jonathan Creek
Here is a link to a map if you prefer.
http://www.mapquest.com/directions/main.adp?go=1&do=nw&rmm=1&un=m&cl=EN&ct=NA&rsres=1&1ffi=&1l=&1g=&1pl=&1v=&1n=&2ffi=&2l=&2g=&2pl=&2v=&2n=&1pn=&1a=2001+Madison+St.&1c=clarksville&1s=tn&1z=37043&2pn=&2a=3043+Beal+Road&2c=hardin&2s=ky&2z=42048&r=f

He Never Failed Me Yet

Sunday's anthem is He Never Failed Me Yet. What a great song! We had a great number in rehearsal last night. Thanks for being there. If you happened to miss last night but you know He Never Failed Me Yet then please sing with us.

Moving a Tree

In addition to performance dates, you need to know that the dress rehearsal for "The Tree" will be on December 13. There will also be a very important Wednesday rehearsal on December 12 that all choirs and actors will need to attend.

I figure you already knew that would be the case, but I had to show you my really cool new picture of the guys moving the tree.

Tree Dates

No, I don't mean a tree that has dates. (Here's an interesting link about date trees and other trees http://centros.edu.aytolacoruna.es/sfxabier/trees_world/india.htm)

The other tree - the one 80 people climb up into and sing! from. That tree is now happening on December 14-16. The Friday and Saturday performance times will be 7:00. Sunday's performance will be at 3:00. I just wanted to make sure you have those dates and times on your calendars. More info will follow soon!

Tough Neighborhood

I stopped at the Taco Bell Phillips 66 last night on my way home from church. I picked up some grape juice to quench my thirst on the drive home.

In front of me in the checkout line was a guy buying a six pack of beer. I'm not one to call someone "old", but the gray hair sticking out from under his ball cap and his gray mustache were a dead give away. And just in case you might think he was one of those prematurely gray teenagers, a month of Oil of O'lay treatments wouldn't hide his crows feet. And still the checkout lady said, "can I see your ID?"

Well, I had to say something. "Makes you feel young doesn't it?" He chuckled and mumbled something with a smile and off he went to terrorize people on I-24 as he enjoyed his six pack as he drove to Nashville.

So I stepped up to the counter, handed her my Tropicana 100% grape juice and my credit card. (I know, it was only $1.37, but yesterday morning Cheryl needed two ones. When I opened my wallet I had a one and a five. "Oh well", she said as she took both.) I was still amused with myself for commenting on her asking for an old guy's ID when she said to me, "Can I see your ID?" "Wow! This is a tough neighborhood", I said. "You all even ID for grape juice!?"

Sing to the King

For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
Psalm 47 (HCSB) http://hcsb.broadmanholman.com/crossmain.asp
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a jubilant cry.
2 For the Lord Most High is awe-inspiring, a great King over all the earth.
3 He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet.
4 He chooses for us our inheritance— the pride of Jacob, whom He loves.• Selah
5 God ascends amid shouts of joy, the Lord, amid the sound of trumpets.
6 Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our King, sing praise!
7 Sing a song of instruction, for God is King of all the earth.

Sunday's anthem - Sing to the King
See you Sunday! If you've been out of town on Fall break and missed rehearsal but you know the song come sing with us.

He Never Failed Me Yet

Here's a nice video of "He Never Failed Me Yet". We'll be singing this soon at Hilldale.

Fall Break Rehearsal

I know it is Fall Break and that many choir members are on the beach in Florida. I don't know why they didn't want to stay here to enjoy our lovely July weather.

We will, of course, have choir rehearsal Wednesday night. We'll start early again - about 6:15. We have some great music to learn. It's going to be a lot of fun to sing.

I'll send you a detailed rehearsal and performance schedule soon.

Who Am I Casting Crowns

Brenda Jerles sent me a link to this video. It's really cool - great song and really awesome blacklight choreography. Enjoy.

Thanks

It's always good to stop and thank people from time to time. I have a whole list of people to thank. Without them we wouldn't be able to do what we do week by week. Since I would probably accidentally leave off a name if I listed each name individually, I'll list areas of ministry and maybe you will know the names. I'll see if I can add names to this tomorrow.

Here are the areas of ministry where we have faithful volunteers putting in many hours of work week by week.

Sound crew

TV crew

Camera men

MediaShout/Computer crew

Praise Band members

Donna, my Ministry Assistant who does all kinds of things to make Sundays happen

Ushers and greeters

Did I leave any groups out? Thank you to everyone for all you do in service for our church and ultimately for our Lord Jesus Christ. You are very much appreciated.

Let me encourage those of you reading this blog to find some of these folks and thank them yourself!

Sunday's Music (Oct. 7)

Thanks to everyone who was here last night. We had a good rehearsal. Sunday's anthem will be "Glory to the King". We've sung this one before, so even if you missed last night you can sing with us if you know the song.

This morning I worked out some extra rehearsal times for Christmas. As soon as they are screened by the calendar screening committe, approved by the calendar approval committee, voted on by the calendar kings, placed on the official "church calendar" by the official church calendar lady (and whoever else has to sign off on them) I'll put them up here and send them to you in an e-mail.

More Kid's Choral Connection

We had a wonderful time at the KCC. (Not to be confused with KFC.) The children sang beautifully. I wish you could have heard the sound when 450 kids were all singing together. The CDs will be ready in about a month.

Here are a few m ore pics.

Kid's Choral Connection

We had a great time at the Kid's Choral Connection. The kids sang beautifully. I'll post more later, but wanted to put up this picture and video.

The video is a game we played called "Meteor Showers".