This summer, we went to Family Camp with many other Highrock

families, and we had a great time! Beyond all the terrific programming and family time, one benefit of Family Camp is all those unplanned interactions with other Highrock families. Some of them we are just getting to know, and others have been precious

friends for years. So many wonderful conversations pop up at the margins – while watching our kids play at the beach, waiting for a soccer game to start, or over lunch. Sometimes it’s just superficial fun, and other times it can be surprisingly

nourishing spiritually. We share questions, insights, struggles and encouragements that can be every bit as meaningful as the carefully prepared talks and activities Family Camp offers.

This is the heart behind our new Parishes. As our congregation has grown, there are so many more wonderful people, but it

can be harder to get to know anyone in particular very well. It seems like we are meeting someone new almost every single week.

The best parts of what happens at Highrock, like the best parts of Family Camp, often are not

the carefully planned Sunday experiences, but the casual and perhaps spontaneous interactions and conversations that happen all week long that

can lead to meaningful spiritual relationships. Sometimes they’re just fun, but that’s also where so much truth is spoken, sin is confessed, love is expressed, forgiveness is offered, help is extended and encouragement is heard.

When our congregation was small, these things seemed to happen naturally. But while our larger size now enables us to offer better programs and include more people, it also makes those smaller, more meaningful relationships harder to form. (continued on pg 16)

H I G H R O C K C H U R C H | 7 3 5 M a s s a c h u s e t t s A v e n u e , A r l i n g t o n M A 0 2 4 7 6 | w w w . h i g h r o c k . o r g1

1 2 3 4 5 6 8

10 12 12 14 15 16

“TRUTH is spoken, sin is confessed, love is expressed, forgiveness is offered, help is extended and encouragement is heard.“

IN THIS ISSUE: FALL/WINTER 2012 A Word from the Lead Pastor A Word from the Family & Youth Pastor Introducing Pastor Becky Reflections on Teaching Sunday School Milestone Celebration Sunday Youth Ministry Family Camp Reflections Summer Blast Covenant Group Getting to Know the Eshelmans Getting to Know the Ims Highrock Cooperative Playgroup Ministry Contacts & Upcoming Events

A WoRd FRom THE LEAd pASToR: Dave SWaIM

HIGHRoCK FAmILY NEWSLETTER FALL/WINTER 2012

On Tuesday, August 28, our family hit a major milestone;

our oldest child, Abigail, started Kindergarten. This past spring our youngest child, Caleb, started walking, which is another big milestone. Over the winter, our middle child, Lydia, was potty trained – hallelujah, two down and one to go!

Milestones can be emotionally challenging:

“I can’t believe Abby is growing up so fast.”

Milestones can be physically demanding:

“Did you see Caleb, he was just here a minute ago!”

Milestones can be financially rewarding:

“No more diapers is like getting a raise!”

And, most significantly, milestones can be spiritually profound!

As a parent it is so easy to focus in on the physical, emotional and financial aspects of our kids’ milestones and celebrate,

navigate or be aggravated by the various changes they go through. But last year we began a journey of embracing milestones as an avenue for raising a Jesus-loving generation. Having identified seven significant milestones in the life of a child, starting at birth and proceeding through graduation from college, we decided to tap in to the spiritual opportunities each one afforded.

It was a joy this past year opening up conversations with parents about blessing our children with unconditional love, prioritizing our lives around God and his purposes, helping our kids read God’s Word for themselves and involving our teens in the larger body of Christ. We had these conversations through

seminars, online messages, classes, church-wide celebrations and small family parties. Along the way we learned a lot from each other and had many fun and meaningful moments.

In fact, the seven milestones we did last year went so well that we’re doing all of them again, plus four more, hopefully. Highrock’s Milestones: Raising a Jesus-loving Generation is a curriculum designed to journey with parents, kids and teens as they grow through all the changes of childhood and adolescence. If you missed them last year or are new to Highrock, I would love to welcome you as we journey together in passing on our faith to our kids. You can learn more about all eleven milestones at www.highrock.org/milestones. The four new ones we hope to try this year are outlined below.

You will hear more from your children’s Sunday School teachers or youth leaders about the appropriate Milestones for your kids as they come up. In the meantime, take time to check out the milestone page on our website and listen to the intro message for more details.

I am looking forward to raising a Jesus-loving generation together this year!

Blessings, Brian

Milestone 4.5: The Preparation Who: 4th and 5th Graders and their Parents What: A retreat where parents and preteens are prepared for the transition to adolescence.

Milestone 6.5: The Partnership Who: 10th Graders and their Parents What: A 4-week class on becoming a member at Highrock and connecting with the larger mission of the church.

Milestone 2.5: The Disciple Who: Parents of Preschoolers What: A seminar for parents focusing on connecting their discipline with the root concept of making disciples.

Milestone 3.5: The Lord’s Supper Who: 1st Graders and their Parents What: A Saturday Night meal designed to explain and prepare kids to engage in communion.

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“LAST YEAR we began a journey of embracing milestones as an avenue for raising a jesus-loving generation... this year we’re doing them all again plus four more.“

2012 NEW HIGHRoCK FAmILY mINISTRY mILESToNES

Q Could you tell us a little about your background?

A I grew up in Newburyport, MA and attended

Gordon College in Wenham, MA where I studied English Language and Literature and spent one study-year abroad in Oxford, England (class of 2001). I completed my M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ (class of 2007). In between college and seminary, I taught high school English and coached boys and girls cross-country. During and since seminary, I’ve worked as a retirement community chaplain, interim pastor, children’s ministry director, and assistant pastor for the English Ministry of a Taiwanese-American church. Most of my family and extended family still live in and around Newburyport, so while I’ve spent 9 years in New Jersey, Massachusetts definitely feels like home!

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home and active church. I first came to Christ - in the sense of making a conscious decision to follow Christ

- one night while my big sister was lying in the bunk-bed above me. It was dark in the room and she whispered to me about how I needed Jesus to live in my heart. I prayed with her, asking Jesus to walk with me, and confessing that I wanted and needed to walk with him. I was baptized at the age of 10, of which I have a stirring memory of coming up out of the baptismal waters as a new creation in Christ. My journey with Christ since then has been filled with twists and turns, pains and blessings, and, most surely, the reality of God’s faithfulness to us in all seasons and circumstances.

Q: Please tell us a little about your family. Do you have any unique or interesting traditions? What are some of the joys and challenges of raising a family?

A: My husband Willie and I met during freshman year at Gordon College and we will celebrate 11 years of marriage this December. We have three children: Aeden (8), Beckett (6), and Rosemary (3), as well as a sweet little miniature schnauzer named

“Sissy.” As for traditions, we’ve discovered that our children really love Advent family devotions…when they have the promise of chocolate from the Advent calendar to follow! Aside from singing, sharing, praying, and reading Scripture as we do in our could-be-much-more-regular family devotion times, we love to be ridiculous together. We enjoy dance parties, ice cream for dinner, wrestling matches,

family sleepovers under the Christmas tree every December, messy projects, and outrageous bedtime stories. This all sounds rather dreamy, and on days where everyone is kind and loving and no one fights or whines or complains (including mom), it is. But the best (and hardest) part of being a family is that we have to figure out the rough days together too.

Q: You have been at Highrock for 3 months now. What has your experience been so far?

A: I love this place! I knew that the very first time I visited, and my love and appreciation for Highrock has only grown. Most recently, I have been overwhelmed by the demonstrations of love, care, and support Highrockers have offered to my family and me around the recent loss of my mother. And we’ve only been here 3 months. Thank you, Body of Christ!

Q: What will your main responsibility be as Pastor to Children and Families? What are some of your hopes and goals for Children’s Ministry?

A: I get to love kids and their families as we seek to grow together in God’s love and Christ’s likeness. What a cool job! My prayer is that Children’s Ministry at Highrock would be a place where all kids and families feel safe, welcome, and loved, and that in all things, we would continually challenge one another – even the youngest among us - to connect in new and deeper ways with God personally, with God’s people, and with God’s purposes in the world.

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INTRodUCING pASToR BECKY

“mY pRAYER is that children’s ministry at highrock would be a place where all kids and families feel safe, welcome, and loved...“

I came to Highrock wounded and reeling from a divorce. For a year I sat in the pews with my four children, eagerly finding comfort from the worship,

the teaching, the pastoral staff, and the community that surrounded us. After a year of being in “receiving mode,” I considered signing up to teach Sunday School. I have plenty of experience with kids; I had spent 8 years teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade boys in my former

church (some of those youngsters are now oldsters here at Highrock). However, although I was regaining my strength, it was not clear to me if I was in a position of healthy giving. My struggles with self-doubt made me wonder if Sunday School might be the last place I should be serving. I did not sign up.

Then came the annual September appeals for volunteers from the pulpit. So, I prayed, I gulped, and I signed up. The slot where

someone was needed was with the 4-year-olds. “Four year olds?” Not my comfort zone. I was thinking 3rd-5th graders, like I’d had before. So it was with some trepidation that I entered the classroom. The class was led by two young women who seemed to be totally at ease with the eight or so kids there.

On that first morning, a little girl came over to me and sat on my lap, and later a little boy did the same. And from that closeness came wonderful healing. I was in the right place. It was okay to be close to these joys.

There have been many moments and periods of joy during my journey these past few years, especially at Highrock. The 4-year-olds have been a wonderful part of that for me. No wonder it is so easy to serve in this ministry.

One of the easy things about Sunday School at Highrock is that the entire curriculum is already planned out, and then some. Each week there are three hours of material available to fill an hour of class time. You like storytelling? There’s a story. You like singing or crafts?

There are many songs and crafts. Verse memorization? Prayer? Children’s games? The curriculum has all of the above.

Me, I like storytelling. The Highrock curriculum stands out for its, uh… ambition. I had been expecting lots of Bible hero stories and Jesus’ parables. Sure enough, those are in there. And so is a pretty good dose of Leviticus (leprosy, sin offerings, construction of the tabernacle) and Acts (Paul’s persecution of the church, and later some of Paul’s own tribulations). With much gusto we have had some rather unorthodox role plays of orthodox material. During one particularly spirited story time, the kids acted out the stoning of Stephen. As Pharisees, they all gnashed their teeth and rented their clothes (one 4-year-old actually had his shirt mostly off

before we helped him regain his decorum), and then they all pounded their fists on tables shouting “Stop talking about Jesus!” I’m sure it made for fascinating conversation on the ride home from church.

Now that the 4-year-olds from my first class are 6-year-olds, there is a secret smile (or high five or wink) that gets exchanged when we spy each other from a couple of pews away, or at Soul Café, or at the Christmas concert, or even sometimes around Arlington. It’s hard to tell, actually, who gets more of a jolt out of it – them, or me.

REFLECTIoNS oN TEACHING SUNdAY SCHooL: anDreW Mahon

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“THE KIdS acted out the stoning of stephen... pounding their fists on tables shouting “stop talking about jesus!” i’m sure it made for fascinating conversation on the ride home from church.“

In preparation for the Bible Presentation, Pastor Brian gave us some pages with things to memorize. I liked memorizing the verses. I already knew the books of

the Bible from AWANA. After I learned them, I had to find the pastors and recite the verses and books to them. I shared them with my Sunday school teacher, Pastor Brian, Pastor Chris, and Pastor Eugene. They had to sign my paper if I got them right. On Bible Presentation Day, I got stone cards for all the things I memorized. I spent them at the ‘Stone Store’ and got a gift card to Chilly Cow. Their ice cream is great!

Before I received my Bible, I got to sit in the front of the church with my brother and the other kids. Then Pastor Brian called us up to get our Bibles. After that, he said a

prayer for us. In my Bible, there is a life verse that my parents chose for me. It is 1 Samuel 12:24. I thought it was cool to get my own special verse. I also got a letter from my parents when I got home that day. I keep it in my Bible. It encourages me to read my Bible and follow God.

– SaM hInrIchS

mILESToNE CELEBRATIoN SUNdAY: BIBLE pRESENTATIoNS

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This year’s confirmation and baptism class was a wonderful

experience and a huge milestone in my life. Pastor Brian Dietz taught the class, which included about ten kids, including my sister. We talked about all sorts of different topics related to the Christian faith, such as the plans for our lives being scripted

already by God, the meaning of Evangelical Protestants, being “Beautiful of Soul,” and the constant persecution of Christians in early history. The discussion of these topics included the use of fun accessories like Frisbees and dodge balls.

During the class, we heard some very interesting stories from Pastor Dave

and Pastor John, who each shared how his experiences made him the person he is today. One story even included a very unusual encounter with piranhas! On another day, our class got to meet the real-live Martin Luther who was famous for posting the 95 Theses in 1517! Each week there were new things to learn: all the books of the Bible, the Apostle’s Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition to discussing all of these topics in class, we were also

asked to have a sponsor, specifically an adult attending Highrock. Having a sponsor enabled us to get another perspective on what it’s like to live a life faithful to God as well as some of the struggles of being a Christian. My sponsor was Jon Lim and we built a strong relationship, as he shared his life experiences with me and was there the day I was baptized. All of these experiences led to the finale of the class where I shared my testimony and was baptized with my sister in front of the church on Sunday morning.

When I first heard about the class from my parents, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to take it. Now after going through the experience, I see how wrong I was to have reservations about it. Baptism for me was about making my faith my own and putting the past behind me. Rising out of the water and being born again with God was a huge joy for me as I heard the cheers of the congregation. Although I knew that I would continue to struggle with sin throughout my life, this baptism class gave me a great opportunity to strengthen my faith in God, hear some very interesting stories, and meet some new people with whom I would share my baptism.

– DavID palafox

“BApTISm for me was about making my faith my own and putting the past behind me.“

mILESToNE CELEBRATIoN SUNdAY: BApTISmS

If you were to ask me what the highlight of my summer was, I would tell you it was CHIC*. CHIC was an incredible experience that I will cherish forever. There

were so many things I personally learned that by the time I got home, I felt new and refreshed. I also made new friendships that I hope to keep for a long time.

When I first got to the CHIC campus, I did not know what to expect. But I soon learned that there was so much to do, like tie dying, spray painting on walls, jumping into pools or just hanging out with our church group. But in addition to all the fun and games, CHIC was an amazing spiritual experience. Between the seminars and guest speakers, I always found myself trying to figure out how God was talking to me through whatever it was I was doing at that time of day. I also felt very connected to God and felt his presence during the times of worship. The concerts were incredible, and being able to see the different genres of Christian music performed each night was an astounding experience. My favorite concert would have to be the very last night when we were able to get front row seats for Chris Tomlin.

Even though I grew closer to God personally, I also felt that, from the beginning to the end of the trip, I grew closer to the people in our church group. At first I would only hang around with the people I was most

comfortable with. But as the week progressed, I started talking to different people during meals or during my free time. Even the people I thought I knew pretty well, I got to know them better than I ever had before. So by the time we had to say our goodbyes, I was sad that I was not going to be able to see everyone every day.

My overall thought of CHIC is that I would definitely want to go again. I would also highly recommend it for every young person. It was an amazing experience that you would not be able to get anywhere else. Because of CHIC, my relationship with God grew deeper and I have new understandings that I will never forget.

– SaMantha lee

*Editor’s note: CHIC is a triennial youth conference organized by our denomination, The Evangelical Covenant Church. This year about 5,300 high school students from around the country gathered for a week at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN.

This past April we had a perfect opportunity to challenge our middle

school students to love our neighbors as ourselves. The Center for Student Missions (CSM), an organization focused on urban ministry, had just opened a center in Boston. They were

willing to work with us to organize a summer service project for our students. With such short notice, we would have been thrilled to just meet the minimum of 7 people required to form a group. We ended up with a perfect combination of 6 girls and 5 boys (Serena, Erica, Samantha, Juliet, Jordan, Kira, Alex, Andrew, Josh, Lynus, Justin), and 2 female and 2 male counselors (Pastor Brian, Esther, Karen and Phillip). God is faithful!

Despite all the efforts in scheduling, we were unable to get the entire team together until the day we were leaving for the project. We worried about whether we had prepared our students for the challenges ahead. Could they handle sleeping on the floor for three nights? How would they deal with various uncomfortable situations? Would they be open enough to try unfamiliar ethnic foods? We just had to rely on Him for strength and wisdom. With much prayer especially from our supportive parents, we all committed to seizing the opportunity to learn to connect to God personally, connect to His people, and connect to His purpose.

On our first morning, August 1st, we started at Highrock’s ministry center by organizing the youth room, cleaning the front part of the basement, and sanitizing the baby and toddler toys. It was a lot of fun and we began to bond as a team.

Later that evening, we met up with the CSM staff at Covenant Congregational Church in Jamaica Plains, and our host, Hannah, led us on a prayer tour. She challenged us to see the cities with new perspectives and prayerful hearts. She told us stories about the

YoUTH mINISTRY: CHIC

YoUTH mINISTRY: SUmmER SERvICE pRojECT

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drug and violence in the city of Dorchester, the human trafficking and homelessness in the city of Boston, and the low percentage of Christians among the residents of Cambridge. We ended the night with a prayer at Boston Commons.

The following two days, we worked at the Woods Mullen Shelter in Boston and the Wish Project in Lowell. The Woods Mullen Shelter provides food, emergency clothing, health care and case management services to anyone in need. Our team painted the men’s sleeping area and cleaned 200 mattresses in both the men’s and women’s wings. It was a bit overwhelming. There were times when we were exhausted, but the youth never forgot their commitment to do their best even when they absolutely did not feel like continuing. After a day of work, we were all amazed at the difference a new coat of paint and clean beds made to the rooms.

Our team also served at the Lowell Wish Project, whose mission is to provide basic furniture and home and baby goods to the poor in the Merrimack Valley in order to help them gain independence after homelessness. This is accomplished through recycling goods to their original use. We sorted donated pants and used shoes and assembled over 200 back-to-school backpacks. The day was hot, almost 100 degrees in the huge warehouse without air conditioning. Sorting 500 pairs of used

shoes was an especially humbling experience.

The entire trip was not just work with no play. We also had time to get to know each other and had a lot of fun playing games in our free time. The entire team was also challenged to learn how to listen to one another and resolve issues. During our dinner times at local restaurants, our team was very open to trying different ethnic foods. Most of all we had time to reflect on and internalize our experiences from the day, and for God to speak to us through our debriefing time, prayers, and daily devotions. The service project showed us the needs that are near to us. How are we going to respond to these needs?

– Karen & phIl chan, parent leaders

To be honest, I was quite nervous about taking the middle school students on an overnight trip. Could they handle sleeping on the floor for three nights?

How would they deal with various uncomfortable situations? Would they be open enough to try unfamiliar ethnic foods? To my surprise, the students were very flexible and accommodating, if their willingness to try goat meat and tripe is any indication. We had some relational tension, as is inevitable in any trip of this sort, but we all learned a valuable lesson in communication and conflict resolution through the experience.

This trip helped me to experience the joy of self-forgetfulness. So often I am wrapped up in my own issues, plans, and needs, failing to see the needs of others. I tend to feel guilty about my tendencies and then try to will myself to think more about and pray more for others. But only when I began actively serving others did that guilt turn into joy! While we were organizing donated shoes at the Wish Project in Lowell, I noticed the thoughts occupying my mind were not, “Wow, I should be more grateful that I have money to buy new shoes,” or “I should really donate more of my clothing,” but rather, “Thank you, God, for organizations like the Wish Project that work to meet people’s needs.” I experienced freedom in offering myself to be used for

Kingdom purposes, and I also learned to ask God for strength and wisdom. I realize now that God commands us to serve the poor primarily for our own good, so that we can receive all kinds of unanticipated, unforeseen spiritual blessings.

– eSther eunjIn lIn, counselor

The Boston mission’s trip was my first mission’s trip. I found it very fun,

yet there was a lot of work to do. My highlight of the trip was the prayer tour. On this tour, we drove around Boston praying for various parts of the city, while our tour guide told stories about the needs around us. I thought it was very educational and informative that needs so close to us can be so large. On this trip, we participated in three service projects: one for Highrock and two in Boston. On one of our trips, we drove to a center called Cradles for Kids. They accept all kinds of donations, which are later sorted by volunteers. It was a good place for us to work because they need lots of volunteers to keep it running. Our second trip was to a shelter for the homeless, where we cleaned mattresses and painted the walls. The people there told us just doing a little makes a big impact. This led me to think that by just doing the little things, like smiling at a stranger on the street, I could brighten the person’s day and make it that much better.

– Serena laIng, youth

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“WE WoRRIEd about whether we had prepared our students for the challenges ahead. we just had to rely on him for strength and wisdom.“

This past summer was our family’s third time at Berea Family

Camp in Hebron, New Hampshire. While camp has essentially replaced our summer vacation, I must admit that initially the idea of spending a whole week with a few hundred Christians from various places, living in a cabin with scarce amenities, eating cafeteria food, listening to sermons, and participating in a small group every day sounded scary to me! After all, we were used to picking vacation spots based on how many stars the resorts boast and the quality of the dining options. Can we function for a whole week without getting into heated arguments and making a big scene in front of hundreds of people? Can we go a whole week without TV or internet?

Then we made the mistake of showing our son Eliot (then 6 years old) the Camp Berea website. He saw a rifle range, a rock-climbing wall, archery, water-tubing, paint ball, ping pong, carpet ball… and that was it. Eliot told us he wanted to go to

Family Camp for summer vacation and nowhere else. He promised numerous times to be a very, very good boy for the rest of the year if we took him to Family Camp. Looking back, two factors ultimately persuaded us: Eliot’s enthusiasm, and the fact that the Friesens were in charge of the program. Through marriage counseling with Paul and Virginia, we knew them to be a godly, wise, authentic, and fun couple. Once we overcame our childish fears and objections, we realized we had very little to lose and maybe a lot to benefit from this new experience.

During our first Family Camp we focused on getting used to the environment, schedule, activities, being around so many people all the time, and the cabins themselves. For example, Andy and I were quite unprepared for cabins with no locks. Fortunately, there was only one incident when a line of toddlers marched through the front door singing and then exited through the back door! The food was better than we expected and our cabin met most of our basic needs. The waterfront was beautiful and there were many fun activities available. At the end of the week, however, when it was time to sign up and reserve our spot for the following year, Andy and I felt torn. Although there were many positives during our first Family Camp experience, the week-long communal living felt exhausting, even for a family of three extroverts.

We ended up signing up for the second year. Although not fully convinced, certain observations made us feel that if we were to go only once, we might not truly understand or appreciate the experience. Most of the families we met had been participating for many years, some even for decades. We wondered why these people kept returning year after year. In addition, Eliot had a blast and was determined to come back. He really enjoyed living on a big “campus” setting, where he could freely come and go; he loved the company of the many older children and the counselors, as well as activities such as riflery, archery, water-tubing, blobbing, carpet ball and finger rockets. We felt we had to give it another try.

It was not until we returned to our daily routines after Camp that we realized its impact on our lives. We started having family devotions and became more intentional about how we spent our time together. We learned to engage one another more in spiritual conversations. We were not sure exactly how one week of Family Camp could be such a catalyst when we had been Christians for such a long time. It was not

as if the messages were new to us since we were already familiar with the Friesens’ teaching before we went to camp. So, we went back the second year with the desire to understand more. At the end of that week, we no longer felt torn about coming back again. We became certain God was doing something good for our family through Family Camp and we had better cooperate with Him!

This year as we were getting ready for our third summer at Family Camp, we were surprised at how much we were all looking forward to it (not just Eliot.) Andy and I have tried to figure out what makes the Camp so special. We’ve realized that despite Jesus’ command not to worry about our lives, we still get carried away with unimportant matters. We run so hard after things that will not last, leaving so little to give to things that matter for eternity. The lifestyle at Family Camp, which we initially feared might deprive us of the comforts which we were addicted to, increasingly felt like an oasis. It was like a detoxification from the worries of life that choke us and a reminder of the real home to which we are headed. It was a little taste of what is to come, where we will be completely free from earthly worries and be devoted to worshiping God and enjoying fellowship with one another forever.

REFLECTIoNS oN FAmILY CAmp: Yoon-hI KIng

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“FAmILY CAmp was like a detoxification from the worries of life that choke us and a reminder of the real home to which we are headed.“

Being intentional about our family vacation this year

meant choosing Family Camp at Camp Berea. Our family finances dictate that we can only afford to take one real vacation each year, and while there were several other choices for vacation this year, we decided that Family Camp was worth

our forgoing the other options for something more spiritually fulfilling and satisfying. “The Intentional Family” was the theme of this year’s Family Camp, and we certainly felt like being at camp for a week this summer forced us to be intentional (in a good way) about many things.

We just started coming to Highrock in September of 2011, and getting to know our Highrock family and community better was one of our main goals of Family Camp. We had heard great things from other families who have gone in previous years. And we knew that if we wanted to truly grow in community and be intentional about

living life together with our Highrock family, Family Camp would be the place to be. And that certainly proved to be true! Some highlights for us with our Highrock family was being vulnerable and honest in small group, sharing meals together, and enjoying our “off” day together exploring Polar Caves and Sculptured Rocks. My personal favorite activity: playing games together after the kids were safely tucked in bed.

Our very own Pastor Dave Swaim was the main speaker for Family Camp this year. His talks truly challenged me to the core as he spoke on the fruits of the Spirit and how that should look in our lives. It forced me to

take a real honest look at my own life and to examine the ways I need more of the Spirit in me to live intentionally for Him, in loving my family, practicing patience and forgiveness, and trusting Jesus in the midst of a storm. The talks were refreshing, life-giving, and spiritually probing.

Ironically, having quality family time can sometimes be overlooked on vacations that are

too fast-paced or busy. Being at Family Camp was the perfect antidote to a busy vacation. There was more than enough time during the week for our family to spend lots of free time together enjoying the various activities around camp, swimming at the lake, exploring

the campus grounds, and just being together. Even a few of the scheduled family times were productive (for a family with 3 kids ages 7 and under, this is a BIG accomplishment). Our kids, Isaiah, Nathan, and

Olivia, thoroughly loved the independence of exploring camp grounds by themselves with their friends, playing carpet ball whenever they had a chance, and participating in the fun games and activities planned by

the camp staff. They particularly loved learning all the new worship songs with hand motions. Even to this day they are still singing and dancing to those songs.

Family Camp showed us that investing our time in developing deeper family ties is a truly worthwhile and lasting venture. It was amazing to me that there were so many families that have been going to Family Camp at Berea for 5, 10, and even 20 years in a row. We certainly hope that coming to Family Camp can become a family tradition of ours and that a lifetime of memories will be made here.

REFLECTIoNS oN FAmILY CAmp: joYce Bunten

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During Summer Blast, I had the opportunity to lead

the awesome ‘Orange Moonbeams’ and to sing and dance with the multi-talented ‘Skyrockers.’ As a young adult in Boston, it is very easy to be swept up into a culture of selfishness and self-sufficiency. For me, Summer Blast was a powerful reminder to humble myself as a child, to be teachable, and to depend on God in every situation. I don’t have many chances to interact with children in my day-to-day life, so spending a week with a church full of kids allowed me to experience God’s love in very novel ways, like listening eagerly to every member of my

crew share their God sightings, watching from the vantage point of the sanctuary stage as faces transform from complete bewilderment to delight during the worship time, and having a child sit down in my lap rather than in the empty seat next to me.

It is often the simplest messages that are the most potent, and in the weeks since Summer Blast I’ve often reminded myself that “No matter what happens, trust God!” The Summer Blast songs come up on my

iPod shuffle at the most opportune moments, and hearing them always brings a big smile to my face and peace to my heart. Summer Blast was also a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with the other volunteers - people I had seen in passing at church but never had a chance to meet. I hope that in the future, more young adults would consider participating in Summer Blast.

It was without a doubt one of the highlights of my summer!

– xIng-YIn nI

“SUmmER BLAST was a powerful reminder to humble myself as a child, be teachable, and depend on god in every situation.“

SUmmER BLAST: jUNE 25-29, 2012

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“[WHAT] ImpRESSEd mE moST about summer blast was the whole-hearted joy most of the kids seemed to get from attending, and the love, effort and time so many adults at highrock gave to help the children enjoy their week as much as they did.“

As a Summer Blast crew leader, I have had the

opportunity to learn Bible stories in multiple ways, make crafts, play games, and most important of all, share God’s love with kids who may not have known God’s love before. It is great to get to know the other volunteers and to have fellowship before each day starts, and again at the end of the day. Through many years of volunteering at Summer Blast, I have developed friendships that have lasted long after Summer Blast was over. I so look forward to Summer Blast every year! It helps me to experience God’s love, to trust in Him, and to know that it is okay not to have all of the answers.

– aIMee floWerS

I was a crew leader at Summer Blast for a group of four year olds called

the ‘Red Puddle Hoppers.’ I absolutely loved the kids in my group and getting the opportunity to be involved and to help them for a week! I think the two things in general that impressed me the most about Summer Blast were the whole-hearted joy most of the kids seemed to get in attending, and the love, effort and time that so many adults at Highrock gave to help the children enjoy their week as much as they did. Since my group consisted of four year olds, my kids didn’t always understand everything they were

being taught about God or all the stories we heard, but the adults managed to make the activities and presentations so lively and exciting that overall my crew felt pure excitement to be there.

I loved watching my kids singing and dancing, and even now I have the songs stuck in my head!

“SUmmER BLAST helps me experience god’s love, to trust in him, and to know it’s ok not to have all of the answers.“

And while my crew didn’t always understand every detail of the Bible stories we learned, they felt safe and clearly knew they could trust God. I was incredibly nervous at first to be leading my own crew but I learned that I could trust God. Through the hard work of all the other volunteers who made sure everything went well for my crew and Summer Blast as a whole, I also learned that I could trust God to be at work in our community. By the end of the week, I was exhausted but I’m so glad I had such a great opportunity to help

in the church community and get to know some crazy but beautiful four year olds.

– MarY MorrISon

This is the story of how we moved from being regular

attendees, faces in the Sunday crowd, to starting a covenant group that we affectionately call the “Northwest Outpost.” We live in Chelmsford, and we’ve found that while some people know of our neighboring city of Lowell, most people we meet at Highrock have never heard of Chelmsford.

In spite of the distance, we started coming to Highrock because friends invited us. We kept coming because we loved the sermons and worship time. The problem was that we had a hard time connecting with people. We would meet during coffee time, have a nice conversation, and then not see them again for weeks. This continued for months until we reached the point where we were

ready to start looking again for a church home. After all, it was a long drive and without personal connections, we just didn’t feel at home.

It was one of those “almost last” Sundays when there was an announcement

of the new Sunday night connection group. That was just what we were looking for: a way to spend longer than a few fleeting minutes chatting and to have real conversations about spiritual matters. We tried it, we liked it, and we met some great folks. By the time that group ended after seven weeks, we met Ric and Julie Palafox, and they were interested in continuing “something.”

It took us a while to ask Pastor Brian if there were any groups in our area. His answer was: “Do you want to start one?” It took us a while to answer.

Do we want to start one? Well, no, we’d rather take the easy route and just try out a group that was already established.

Do we want to start one? Probably not, because we might not like the people who come.

Do we want to start one? Maybe not, as scheduling can be a challenge.

Do we want to start one? Why not? This is the door God has opened wide before us.

The reality is the more we considered it, the more our excuses seemed to be just excuses, and not the rock solid reasons we’d first imagined them to be.

All this procrastinating took a while, so we didn’t get down to business until January. But once

we started, it was easy. Pastors Brian and Michelle helped us with our first questions and introduced us to another couple, John and Tiffany Rule. We had a “meet and greet” and we were off and running. Our format is simple: we meet every two weeks (so that we don’t overload people’s schedules), we meet on Friday evening (so that everyone is off work and it doesn’t conflict with busy Saturdays), and we simply talk about Sunday’s sermon (really, that’s just a pretense to encourage each other in the Lord and share our lives.)

And so that’s how it worked last spring. We are really looking forward to resuming regular meetings of the “Northwest Outpost” soon. If you’re looking for a group, you are welcome to join us. Come for a visit once or twice and you might want to make it a habit. Even better, maybe you will be inspired to start one yourself.

Q Becca and Erik, please tell us a little about

yourselves and your family.

A We met at Gordon College during our junior year,

where we were both Business majors. Erik had transferred in halfway through the year from Wheaton College in Illinois.

We both grew up in Baptist families; Erik in Laconia, New Hampshire and Becca in Birmingham, Michigan, and found our similar upbringings gave us a strong tie to each other. We graduated together in 1987, married in 1991 and bought our home in West Medford in 1994. Becca became a stay-at-home mom when our first daughter, Daria, was born in 1997. Our second daughter Kira was born in 1998. We have two dogs, Eddie and Kenzie. Erik is a Product Manager for mobile apps at UpToDate in Waltham and Becca is a decorating consultant for The Fabric Corner in Arlington. Daria and Kira attend the Medford public schools and have really enjoyed the youth groups at Highrock.

Q: Does the Eshelman family have any unique or interesting traditions?

A: For the last 13 years or so, we have enjoyed weekends in Kennebunk, Maine where we have a trailer. It was a great place for the kids to run free when they were younger and we have made many good friends

CovENANT GRoUp: Dave anD paM MeppelInK

GETTING To KNoW THE ESHELmAN FAmILY

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over the years (many of whom live within a mile or two of us.) Erik also has a sailboat there that he enjoys sailing off Portland with his brother. During the Christmas season, we have kept some of the Swedish traditions from Erik’s side of the family. The Christmas Elf visits our household each day for the 5 days leading up to Christmas Day bearing little gifts for everyone. We look forward to having Korv (aka Swedish sock meat) on Christmas Day with Erik’s family.

Q: Share with us about the joys and challenges of raising a family.

A: Having two girls growing up only 18 months apart gave them at-home playmates when they were younger. Now, raising teen girls in these times presents many challenges. We lean on our faith to lead by example. They have different abilities and interests and occasionally there are disputes to manage as we guide them to resolve their conflicts. With busy schedules, life can be crazy at times. We try to keep them as grounded as possible in spite of all the outside influences they encounter on a daily basis. We try to have open communication with issues that impact them so we can understand them as people and they can understand who God

wants them to be. As they’ve grown older, we are, obviously, concerned with them developing a group of strong Christian friends. We were challenged for many years at our former church with finding a situation where the girls felt a part of a group, so we’ve loved the youth groups at Highrock.

Q: How did you first come to Highrock? What was your initial impression?

A: We had been considering a move from a big Boston church to a local one for some time. On Easter Sunday 2011 we attended Highrock for the first time and were blown away by the energy, music, and moving baptism services. We started attending full time at the end of that summer and have really enjoyed the relevant preaching, wonderful music ministry, and Soul Café on Sundays. We immediately felt welcomed and comfortable at this church, as if this was where we ought to be attending. We previously went to Park Street Church for the past 20-25 years. There were several factors that prompted this change. Daria was entering high school and although both she and Kira attended youth group, the kids came from different schools and communities, which made truly connecting to Christian friends difficult. We also wanted to attend a local church. We live approximately 1 mile from Highrock! In addition, Highrock’s worship service is really how we prefer to worship. We knew a few people who attend Highrock and love it. For those of you who know Sandi Norman, she and Becca actually grew up in the same big church in Southfield, Michigan. Sandi had raved about Highrock to her mom, who then told Becca’s mom.... and there you have it! We’ve been very happy here. It was the right move for all of us.

Q: You’ve been at Highrock for over a year now. What were some of the highlights or memorable moments?

A: We’ve passed a year since our first visit, and an entire school year of regular attendance. The highlights include the practical and meaningful preaching (love the series such as ‘7 Deadly Sins’, and ‘Lord’s Prayer’),

great music (looking forward to getting our hands on several copies of last year’s Christmas concert CD as gifts), and the sense of belonging and local connections that Daria and Kira have made. We’ve been thrilled to see our daughters getting involved in the youth group and bonding with Christian peers. Daria went on the fall retreat right after we started attending. She came home from the retreat saying that she wanted to go to CHIC in Tennessee in July! Kira went on the short term service project with the middle school this summer and had a wonderful experience also.

Last spring we were thrilled when Daria came home saying she wanted to be baptized. This was a big deal for us as parents since we both grew up in Baptist churches. We wished we could have attended Brian’s great series of classes before we were baptized!

As a family, we participated in Walk Thru the Bible, learning the 77 key points of the Old Testament using hand signs. Becca remembers participating in Walk Thru the Bible as a youth and it was encouraging to see how much of it came back to her. What a wonderful way to learn the story of God.

Q: Any words of encouragement to new families who are considering making Highrock home?

A: Give it a week. Give it two. You won’t be disappointed.

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“WE immediately felt welcomed and comfortable here, as if this was where we ought to be attending.“

QHye young and David, please tell us a little about

yourselves and your family.

AWe met in the 8th grade and even went to the

senior prom together! Our friendship grew as we wrote letters to one another while David served in the military and Hye young went away to college. The failing health of David’s parents brought him back home to care for them. We fell in love and married at the young age of 23. Our newlywed years were unique and challenging as we faced the typical obstacles of married life with the added pressures of living with and caring for ailing parents and younger siblings. We moved to Boston in 2004 for educational purposes but the Lord had greater plans to heal and restore us as his children. We have celebrated 10 years of marriage and are proud parents to our 3-year-old son, Christian, and 1-year-old daughter, Caris. David currently works for a Management Consulting Firm in Boston

and Hye young works part time as an adult Nurse Practitioner. We enjoy good food and company and especially love hearing the stories and experiences that make up the intricacies of people’s lives. We love learning and experiencing different cultures. However, in this season of our lives, much of our energy and time is devoted to serving our little ones!

Q: Does the Im family have any unique traditions?

A: As a young family, we are still building our traditions. We do have some that are rooted in our Korean heritage. We celebrate our children’s 100th day and 1st birthday (the “Dol”) with traditional food, rice cakes and activities. We love exploring new activities and ventures with our kids, but we hope that our children will especially remember the simple, repetitive activities we do together like building Lego projects, dancing to our favorite songs, and praying together.

Q: How did you first come to Highrock? What was your initial impression?

A: Some of our previous associate and interim pastors and friends have been part of the Highrock community. We were invited to Highrock’s Christmas concert a few years ago and we were blown away by the talent! It was our first visit to Highrock and we left wanting to come back.

Q: You’ve been at Highrock for eight months now. What were some of the highlights or memorable moments?

A: Highrock’s cooperative playgroup has been a place of great blessing for Hye young, filled with meaningful discussions and life-giving grace and support from other parents who are there to help in this physically demanding and emotionally draining season of life. It’s also been a great place for our children as well as Hye young to deepen friendships. David has been involved with Highrock Means Business, helping to plan & organize a couple of events.

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“IN oUR SHoRT TImE, we have been incredibly blessed here. highrock is a family that truly serves each other while recognizing the greater purpose god has for his world and people.“

GETTING To KNoW THE Im FAmILY

One of the greatest blessings at Highrock is seeing ordinary people living out extraordinary lives for God. Just like we’ve been learning in the sermon series “Standing with Saints” about ordinary people who were able to follow God through the ups and downs of everyday life, we are incredibly grateful to see so many serving selflessly amidst their busy lives, whether it’s by teaching, serving the poor, open door ministry, soul food, praise, Sunday School, or adopting and raising children. We’ve been incredibly blessed by you! You’ve set so many examples for us and caused us to strive to live out our faith even more.

Q: Any words of encouragement to new families who are considering making Highrock home?

A: In our short time, we have been incredibly blessed here. Highrock is a family that truly serves each other while recognizing the greater purpose God has for His world and people. Highrock’s class for new comers, “First Steps to Fellowship” is a great place to get connected to others and to get to know the pastors and staff. Because it’s a larger church, find the place you can serve and just start! If you’re looking for a culturally relevant church that will help you draw closer to the heart of God and His people, you’re at the right place!

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Highrock’s Cooperative Playgroup is a group on a mission! Our mission is to provide a place to build community among parents with small children

(age 5 and under), engage the children during play, and provide a supportive environment for children to begin to separate from parents. Now entering its 4th year at Highrock, the Cooperative Playgroup continues to be a place for building relationships between kids and parents. Since the group is a self-run program, parents who choose to attend the playgroup will sign up for various responsibilities to make the playgroup happen each week. Playgroup mom Lindsay Welch says, “It’s a great place for moms and young kids who are otherwise stir crazy and feeling locked in to get out and have inspiring discussions with other Christian moms -- and the kids get to play with different toys, too!”

Playgroup starts with a designated time to play with your child. This is also the time for informal conversation between parents. We are often discussing practical parenting tips like strategies to get our kids to sleep better or how to pick the right preschool. Next, we move to a structured circle time. A mom leads the children and parents in singing songs and reading books. Then comes the much anticipated snack time for the kids! It is so much fun to see all the little ones experiencing their own version of Soul Food with Goldfish and fruit! As much as the kids love their snack time, the adults love the next item on the agenda: adult discussion time! While a few moms stay back to look after the children during a structured play time, the rest of the moms join the discussion leader in a different room to talk about more spiritual or personal topics like respect, anger, community, or friendships. Moms and kids come back together to end the time with the Good-bye song and hugs.

The Playgroup also has two pot-luck gatherings every year; just before Christmas and at the end of the year. Both groups come together for these celebrations, which provide a great chance for moms to further get to know one another. During the summer months, we take a break from regular meetings but still get together informally about 4-5 times for outings. This past summer we went to fun playgrounds with water features, the Arlington Reservoir, and Drumlin Farm. The kids love this chance to reconnect with their playgroup friends, and of course, the parents love it too!

This year, playgroup will continue to be offered on Tuesday or Wednesday morning from 9.30-11.30 a.m. We are excited to have Michelle Swaim continue to lead the adult discussion time as she has done over the past two years. We are also welcoming experienced mom, Jean Noh, as an additional discussion leader. We anticipate a great turnout for each day and welcome newcomers to try it out. Playgroup mom, Amanda Kemmerlin, sums it up like this, “We love Highrock Playgroup! Weekly singing, story-telling, fellowship and laughter... it can’t beat that no matter how old you are.”

For more information about Highrock’s Cooperative Playgroup, please send an e-mail to: playgroup@highrock.org

HIGHRoCK CoopERATIvE pLAYGRoUp: jIll SWIllIng

“NoW ENTERING its fourth year at highrock, the cooperative playgroup continues to be a place for building relationships between kids and parents.“

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From the perspective of effective discipleship and evangelism, a large church can be far more effective. But when it comes to welcoming newcomers and forming deep spiritual friendships, small churches have an advantage.

But rather than choose between them, we want to do both. On Sundays we are still a large church that can offer many resources, but during the week, we are dividing up geographically into seven smaller congregations, where we can get to know each other better and truly care for each other’s needs within our neighborhoods.

About every six weeks the parishes will have “official” gatherings, where we eat, pray and grow together. In addition, parishes will function like small churches; people will visit each other in the hospital, pray for each other’s needs, get together to have fun, and bring meals when someone has a baby.

A few weeks ago Michelle and I went out on a date that included walking to a picnic spot near our house. Along the way, we bumped into three other Highrock couples, and enjoyed chatting with them. That night one of our sons took care of the house of other Highrockers in our neighborhood who were travelling. A few days later, our whole parish was invited to a large picnic in

a park with a playground and field for Frisbee. That’s our parish – and it’s the beginning of the dream.

These people we chat with are the people we will pray with. These people we help with superficial needs like home maintenance are the people we will help with deeper needs like soul maintenance. Slowly we will form into more than a group of strangers who live close by and attend the same church, but into a true spiritual family who can invite our other neighbors to join us in getting to know Jesus.

Parishes are brand new this year and are just getting started now, so this is the perfect time to jump in and join us. Look on our website to learn which parish you’re in and how to get involved. We are looking forward to being a church together!

Many Blessings, Dave

H I G H R O C K C H U R C H | 7 3 5 M a s s a c h u s e t t s A v e n u e , A r l i n g t o n M A 0 2 4 7 6 | w w w . h i g h r o c k . o r g

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UpComING EvENTS Orphan Care Event Missional Mom Conference Parish Weekend Christmas Concert High School Retreat Middle School Retreat

STAFF CoNTACTS Lead Pastor Dave Swaim dave@highrock.org

Executive Pastor Eugene Kim eugene@highrock.org

Family and Youth Pastor Brian Dietz brian@highrock.org

Children and Family Pastor Becky Barnett becky@highrock.org

NEWSLETTER TEAm Editor in Chief Laifong Lee

Assistant Editor Gregory Mantell

Layout Editor April Kalix-Cattell

A WoRd FRom THE LEAd pASToR (CoNTINUEd FRom pAGE 1): Dave SWaIM