Hillvue Reach Week

The 18th through the 22nd of October is Hillvue Heights’ “Reach Week” -- a week where you can sign up and help the people around Bowling Green, Kentucky. The church’s reasoning for Reach Week is that we, the followers of Christ, are put on this Earth to serve God. We, the people of the church, spread the word of the gospel and teach people in the way we know him. God gave people the gifts of hands, legs, and the ability to talk for the people who can’t. The people of Hillvue Church will help others, those in need, learn more about God by using the gifts they are given.

You could sign up for many events on Wednesday, October 18, but Fall Trunk-or-Treat Fest is the main event. If you want to help, you can bring anything. You may want to help give out candy to anyone who may show up, like the little children who come early on Halloween night.

There are many other events going on Wednesday besides Trunk-or-Treat Fest. The Wednesday event starts at 9 a.m. with filling food boxes, stuffing treat bags for the Truck or Treat, organizing the store, Girl Scout camp, and building wheelchair ramps. The schedule repeats again from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. From 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. is football team devotional & meal, then 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. is wrapping and bagging food for Fall Fest. Lastly, 6:30 p.m. is when the Fall Truck-or-Treat Fest starts, and it ends at 8 p.m. The kids that come and think it’s just about getting candy get to learn about the path God has made for them. They can see how much God loves us through us showing it to them.

Thursday, October 19th is WKU FEED, another all-day event. It starts at 9 a.m. with a load-up crew for WKU feed, organizing the store, cleaning at Blue Cross Blue Shield, building a wheelchair ramp, and Girl Scout camp. Then, we are creating concrete steps downhill, another Girl Scout camp, and patching up/cleaning up the play area. 10:30 a.m. is when WKU feed starts, and the schedule repeats from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are desserts at the church, a cleanup after the WKU feed, and then from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. is the Football Team Devotional and Meal at all of the high schools. WKU Feed is where the church serves BBQ on WKU’s campus. Anyone is welcome to eat the food served. The church is serving food to college students for their convenience. College is hard for a lot of students, and they might skip meals just because they forget. To combat this, Hillvue sets up a tent for them, and the people who are walking to their next class can stop for a minute and grab something to eat. WKU FEED is well-staffed, so students wouldn’t be standing in line for a long time. As followers of God, Hillvue wants to help people and make things easier for them--and in this way, we can. 

Friday, October 20 is Lost River Fall Fest starting off at 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. with Foster Love closet organization, organizing the store, Girl Scout camp - creating concrete steps downhill, Girl Scout camp - cleaning up debris, then the schedule repeats. 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. is the Football Team Devotional & Meal @ Lost River Elementary School, and the Lost River Fest Festival starts at 2:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Lost River Fall Festival is the most significant event happening on Friday. Participants will go to a school and help with setting up, games, tickets etc. It will be a good opportunity for anyone who’s trying to get more involved in the community and will help children/teens/adults have a fun night on Friday the 20th. Volunteering to help with these activities will bring joy to you, but I know it also brings God joy seeing people happy without a worry in the world. As followers of Christ, Hillvue wants people to know everything we do is for God. He sent his only son to die for our sins, and that’s something we should thank him for every day.

Saturday, October 21 is Single Moms Oil Change, which is happening from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be breakfast served for single mothers and their children. There will be tire pressure checks and car washes. Following the oil change is a clean and organized “Reach” room/fellowship hall @ Hillvue til 1-4 p.m. Single Moms Oil Change has a positive impact on the moms who struggle with getting things done. Some moms don’t get to hang out with their kids because they have work, and when they do get home they want to spend all their time with their kid or kids. They don’t have a lot of time to do the little things, like an oil change, a car wash, or even to eat breakfast with their children. Coming to the Single Moms Oil change helps them feel fulfilled.

Sunday, October 22 is the Reach Offering at 8, 9:30, and 11 a.m., consisting of Hillvue’s church services. Then after the services, there will be a food pantry organization from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to help organize all the food, since there will be a food drive from Wednesday through Sunday. 

There are so many things you could do to help the community and learn about God yourself. Hillvue Heights is a church where everyone is welcome and they want you to come and see everything God does for us.

Interviews: 

How did Reach Week come about? Who started it?

“I think it was a group effort but Chelsea Wallace Willoughby I think had the organizational plan it. We have done a single mom’s oil change for a long time, so reach week coincides with that twice a year. We have a reach team that does outreach throughout the year.” - Patty Stinson

How does this help people in Bowling Green, Kentucky?

“It practically helps by doing things for people that they need, for example going to peoples houses working on projects or helping someone with a meal on the WKU campus. It’s a week where we as a church help with physical needs. On a deeper level it also shows the people of Bowling Green that there is a group of people who care about them without any strings attached. We care and love them because God loves them. As the church we get to live out how Jesus instructs us to live.” - Claci Ayers

Do you think Reach Week benefits other people who are receiving the opportunity we're doing for Reach Week, for example the Single Mom’s Oil Change? 

I think people definitely benefit! Not only do people get to hear the gospel they also get the extra help they may need.” - Brenna Merryman

Do you see a change in people after helping like the moms who are getting for example an oil change? Or do you see a change in the mom’s who are the ones getting the oil change done?

“Hillvue Heights church serves the single mothers of Bowling Green and beyond in numerous ways throughout the “single mothers oil change hosted twice a year during Reach Week. They fix breakfast meals for them, wash their car, provide childcare, change their oil, but most importantly: share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. After serving in these ways, the moms now feel like they are being taken care of by their community. They feel like people care about their specific needs. After hearing the story of how Jesus Christ wants to save and seek out every single one of them, their lives are then changed forever. All of the single moms come from different backgrounds, situations, and cultures, but leave feeling cared for by the servants in a unique way (car maintenance).” - Carmen Briggs

Have you ever done Reach Week before? If you have, what did you do and how did it affect you? 

“Yes. I usually participate every time. Single Mothers oil change and WKU feed or clean ups in different places. The best way to truly make friends and develop relationships in a big  church is to serve together. Doing something for others also connects us closer to Jesus and his purposes for us. It is by our actions that people know whether or not we truly believe and follow Christ. This is what he told us to do. God, throughout the OT and NT tells his people to love him and love our neighbors as ourselves, to care for those who cannot care for themselves, widows, orphans and the disabled.” - Patty Stinson

How does this week help others?

“It lets people come together for fellowship to do God’s work” - Taylor Brock

The week of October 18th through October 22nd is a week where Hillvue can show others how much God has helped us, and use the gifts he gave us to help the people who are struggling. The church cares about everyone and lets them know that God is doing this all for the greater good because God has a path for everyone. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.” Everything happens for a reason--the bad, and the good. Even if it looks like you won’t make it, you will. Doing Reach Week helps show the people that everything will be okay because God cares about you and so does this community. 

- MaKenyze O'Dell

Opinion Writer