A Good Place to Visit
A Good Place to Visit
Our first knowledge of the Highlands Study Center came several years ago as I overheard a fellow member of the church we were attending make a comment to the effect of, "Can you believe that R.C. Jr. has a problem with Christians sending their children to public schools?" Well, within minutes of getting home, the search engine led me right to the HSC website. After hours of reading articles from past ETC issues, I felt refreshed, encouraged, and ready to fight the good fight, and, more than anything, began to understand that the fight starts at home (don't read that wrong, folks).
After reading everything I could get my hands on and having some e-mail conversations with various members of St. Peter, my wife and I attended a summer camp with some of our best friends. During that time we received outstanding teaching from R.C. on our role in building the Kingdom. We watched first-hand as he helped my friends understand Reformed theology, in particular that they should not view their children as pagans but as Christians in light of the promises that God made. We also were able to meet the congregants of St. Peter, and on subsequent visits we were invited into the homes of several families and shown great hospitality.
For years we had been praying for a community of like-minded believers. Not people necessarily who were in lock-step with what we believed, but people who desired to increase their understanding of a biblical Christian life and to strive to live it out in obedience. About the time we were introduced to the HSC, we moved to a small town where there was no Reformed congregation and were forced to drive an hour to worship. During the next couple of years, God sovereignly and organically brought a group of people together here who were seeking the same thing. God has truly provided the desires of our heart in a short time by providing us with a pastor, a sponsoring church, a church building (fully equipped with a two-hole outhouse)—and, of course, people! So, do we want to move to Bristol? Although The Highlands Study Center and the great folks at St. Peter have been an immense help and encouragement to us, we are content where God has us and are able to provide for the spiritual needs of our families right here in Searcy.
Our visits to Bristol have provided us with many insights that have helped us in our understanding of biblical worship. What we saw at St. Peter was not the orchestrated emotionalism of a happy-clappy service or the dreary and introspective three songs and a lecture; the worship service was a joyous occasion of covenant renewal that culminated in communion with our Lord.
Through R.C.'s writing and teaching, I better understood my role to lead my family and the responsibility that I bore for sanctifying my wife. And our reasons for homeschooling were radically changed. No longer was I seeking to educate for economic success; the goal now was to exercise dominion by raising godly children, who would in turn raise godly children.
The feeling of community that we experienced in Bristol was wonderful. If you were to listen to their detractors, you might expect to find a commune enclosed by barbed wire. What we did find were families who were knitted together in their commitment to one another, although they were separated by as much as a 15–30 minute drive. If these people are isolationists, then they are doing a lousy job of it.
We were also fortunate to be able to attend the baptismal feast for Elizabeth Saenz and found it such a joyous occasion that we had a feast for the baptism of our most recent blessing. It was also exciting to have the Saenz family playing bluegrass music the weekend of the feast, featuring R.C.'s premier performance on the mandolin. Although we are just beginners, the folks in Bristol have inspired us to try and make music a part of our family and community.
I would say a kind word about the agrarian experience that we had in Bristol, but I've seen the chickens, and trust me, ours look better.
Some of you may have noticed that my title was ripped off from a previous Apologia column "A Good Place to Live," by Dan Mickool; my apologia to Dan. Dan's column extolled the benefits of moving to Bristol and how the community was exactly what they were seeking for their family. Never in all of our visits did we feel pressured to relocate—although I don't think they would mind if we did—maybe because we felt that God was blessing us with the beginnings of a solid reformed community in Arkansas. However, if your situation is putting your family's spiritual health in jeopardy, then I believe it would be unwise to remain where you are. Sure, you'll probably get some heat over the decision from fellow church members, but people understand when you move for financial or physical reasons; they typically don't understand when you move for spiritual reasons. If you had a drive-by shooting every night at your house, that same person would be quick to let you know that it would be wise to relocate.
If you need a place that you can call home, Bristol is a great choice. If you have a home and need some encouragement, I'm sure the Highlands Study Center would be glad to help you out. Whether you are moving or visiting, Bristol is a great place with great people, and the Study Center is certainly deserving of your prayers and financial support. They have definitely helped us in our pursuit of a simple, separate and deliberate life.
Mel Gildner is a friend, and a supporter of the Highlands Study Center