For much of the 20th century Hillcrest was a smallholding in the north Warwickshire village in Dordon. More recently it was beautifully restored by a professional builder over several years before we arrived, and since we made it our home in 2009 it has been adapted to reflect our life and vision. The buildings round the courtyard provide a warm environment for our life here and the small lake outside forms a beautiful hub. Both Inside and outside there is space for quite reflection, conversation, fellowship, creativity or inspiration. From Hillcrest we look out (and we can walk) over glorious Warwickshire countryside.
The modern meeting room which we enjoy as part of our home also provides a beautiful place for worship, prayer, bible study, teaching, fellowship and more – in fact discovering, encountering and growing in our knowledge and relationship with God. We love to share our home with others in our community and those who visit us. Many, even tradesmen, have commented on the sense of peace when they come here.
Our desire is that Hillcrest increasingly is a home where we and anyone who shares in our community, or drops in, can stop and hear God in the midst of a busy life in a noisy world. A home where we encounter Jesus every day and our friends and visitors do too. Finding it to be a place of stillness in the midst of life, we and others, like the psalmist, in “being still and knowing that the I AM is God”, will also know that He is with them and is the stronghold of their life. Psalm 46 vs 10,11.
Our belief is that this is a place where the veil between heaven and earth is thin and the presence of God can be tangible so we want this to be a place where we and others will grow more aware of how much we are loved by God, with stronger faith that He is with us and better equipped to follow the call of God on our lives. We believe Jesus has, and is, the answers to all our many and various needs and longings. We want this to be increasingly true for ourselves, our friends, our community and our visitors. Our desire is that this is a place of encounter with the living God.
Increasingly we are loving this being a place where we enjoy worshipping the Lord for His own sake, and sharing with each other, and anyone who wishes to join us in fellowship, prayer, study, learning, growing and fun, as we work and worship with gratitude, – sharing in life and in our Journey with God. But people always matter more than bricks and mortar and sometimes we think of ourselves and our friends as a missional community.