The Connection Ministry exists to assist any individual desiring to take any step into or within the Heritage faith community. Our ministry heartbeat is to provide, provoke and protect a safe and comfortable environment where people feel valued, cared for and at ease in an unfamiliar setting.

Whether you have been at Heritage once, or are a founding member, your experiences and opinions are important, and you likely speak for several others who willl never communicate to us in this way. We know we can get better at modeling the hospitable heart of Christ. Tell us how :-)

If you would like to comment on any aspects of Heritage’s hospitality, please fill out our online HCC Guest Survey 

If you would like to help enhance the connection aspects of Heritage as a current or former attender, please fill out our online Connection Assessment Survey. 

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of the servants in the Connection Ministry for everything you do each weekend and in other spaces to lead our Heritage culture in partnering with God in modeling the welcoming and shepherding heart of Jesus. You not only greet, serve, orient and direct our guests and attenders, but often help reduce and remove the barriers that attenders may have toward God and what He wants to do in their lives.  Your other-oriented hospitality ministry contribution is, according to one church development author, a “steppingstone to the life of the church” (Krejir) as well as a tangible and hard-to-refute witness of the grace and love of God.

To honor your service this year, we are hosting our 3^rd annual Servant Appreciation Night for you on Sunday, March 7, from 5:30-8:30pm at the Westerville Community Center, 350 N. Cleveland Avenue. This unstructured, open house style evening allows you and other servants in our church family the exclusive (after hours) use of the whole facility for YOU and anyone you choose to bring with you (friends, family, neighbors, associates) to enjoy swimming, open gym, climbing wall, indoor games and playground, nibbles, etc. in your honor.

Those who have come in years past have thoroughly enjoyed a FREE night of refreshment and mental/physical health. We hope you can enjoy this small token of our thanks for all your Kingdom enhancing efforts, but even if you are unable to attend please know that we love and appreciate you more each day as we labor together in service to our King!

Connection Pastor John Buckles

As a former communications professor I am reminded there are three components to “communicating” effectively (as a member of any welcome team, or at any time or place in your life):

1.  Verbal –  WHAT you say (Good morning, good to see you, hello…etc)

2.  Vocal –   HOW you say the words (being “up”, expressive, enthusiastic, authoritative, audible enough to be heard)

3.  Nonverbal –  WHAT you “say” apart from words and tone of voice (eye contact, facial expressions, attire, gestures, touch, etc)

EACH of these channels is communicating “something”, and studies show that if the components are in “conflict”,  people will ‘believe” the vocal and nonverbal ones over the verbal. This could be applicable and valuable information, not only in all the welcome ministries, but in your everyday conversations. Be intentional and mindful of what you are REALLY “saying” to those around you, at church and in the rest of your life relationships.

Thanks,
John Buckles
Connection Pastor