News - August 2008

Worship at Highland Park Baptist on Balcones Drive is Sunday mornings at 10:55 a.m., and Sunday school for all ages meets at 9:30 a.m. Taize worship of prayers and music this fall is Sept. 7, Oct. 12 and Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m.

Rev. Dr. Marcus McFaul is senior pastor; Rev. Cheryl Hill is associate pastor for children, youth and families.

Dr. McFaul teaches three Kerygma Bible studies open to the public beginning in September:
            “Bible in Depth,” 34-week study starts September 9, Tuesday mornings, 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m., workbook $32;
            “Discovering the Bible,” 30-week program starts September. 9, Tuesday evenings, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., workbook $28.50;
            “Matthew: God is with us,” 14-week program starts September. 11, Thursday mornings, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., workbook $22.
All are welcome, classes meet at the church. Register with Diane Baker at 453-6603 or dbaker@highlandparkbaptist.org. More info at www.kerygma.com.

Dr. McFaul will be installed as senior pastor of Highland Park Baptist on Sept. 14 at 4 p.m., with pastors and lay people from across Austin participating. We’ll have a reception for visitors and members after the installation.

We thank our neighbors for using the Paper Retriever in our front parking lot to recycle paper. The proceeds helped send our high school youth to South Texas and Mexico and to buy supplies and food for orphanages and a landfill community. Our recycle money also helps send our middle school youth to Mission Arlington to teach backyard Bible school and do community service work at the mission. We hope you will continue to recycle paper with us to support our youth mission trips.

Wednesday evening suppers and Bible studies begin on Sept. 9, when Dr. McFaul begins a series on Philippians. Supper is at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

West Austin News, May 8, 2008

Rev. Marcus McFaul joins Highland Park Baptist Church

Marcus McFaul, new senior pastor at Highland Park Baptist Church, returns to Austin after 20 years as pastor of churches in Indiana and Kansas. His first sermon at Highland Park is May 11.

"There are all kinds of Baptists," McFaul said of his new church, "and Highland Park is one of those Baptist churches that has a view of the world."

The church is involved in local ministries and missions such as Interfaith Hospitality Network, hosting homeless families in a Foundation for the Homeless program, as well as state and international work in the River Ministry along the Texas-Mexico border, doing construction projects. Cheryl Kimble is Highland Park Baptist's associate pastor.

Highland Park Baptist was organized as a mission church of First Baptist in 1952 when the area along Balcones Drive and Hancock was just being developed as a residential area.

"I'm excited about re-engaging those touchstones of Highland Park's founding," Marcus said, mentioning Carlyle Marney, Don Searles, longtime minister Ray Burchette, "and the great connection of this church to First Baptist."

McFaul comes to Highland Park from First Baptist Church of Lawrence, Kansas, where he served as senior pastor for more than 10 years. He is a graduate of UT and the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained to the ministry at First Baptist Church in Austin in 1987, where he was mentored by Browning Ware. His doctorate is from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana.

McFaul's wife, Amy, and their two boys, 15-year-old Mitchell and 8-year-old Griffin, will join him in Austin this summer.

"We are a neighborhood church," Marcus said, "a welcoming place for the community, and a place to join head, heart and hands in meaningful ways."