Jeremiah 1:4-5
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’
Hillsborough Reformed Church at Millstone has a long, proud history for over 250 years. Our mission is to know Jesus, follow Jesus, and serve others in Jesus' name. We are a multi-generational congregation with activities and learning experiences for all ages. We come together from an abundance of diverse backgrounds and livelihoods to worship and serve together.
We offer 2 worship services on Sunday's at 8:15am and 10:00am. We stream the 10:00am service virtually via Facebook or YouTube for anyone who wants to worship with us but is unable to physically attend church.
We offer both Children's Sunday School and Adult Sunday School at 9:00am.
Adult Sunday School is planning to read "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis starting on March 30th. The story explores themes of grace, judgment, and the nature of good and evil through a journey from Hell to Heaven.
We welcome all guests seeking to become part of a church that is centered around Christ; a church that will help you to further develop your faith through major life events including marriage and baptism; a church that will welcome you as a part of our extended family.
revjeffknol@gmail.com
I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I was raised in the Christian Reformed Church. I attended Calvin College, where I discovered I had a passion for Biblical and theological studies. That passion led me to seminary, where I first felt called to congregational ministry. After many internships and student pastor gigs, I was ordained to ministry in 2013.
Since then, I have served several churches in Central New Jersey. Most recently I was the solo pastor of Blawenburg Reformed. I love teaching from scripture and leading worship. It is rewarding to help people connect with God in meaningful ways. I’ve had the opportunity to work in youth ministry and to work closely with church outreach and mission teams. As the landscape of ministry continues to change, I feel called to explore new ways to help others cultivate their faith. Whether you are searching, questioning, or looking for a deeper connection with God, I am here for you. I would be happy to meet and discuss faith and life together.
Outside of ministry, I am blessed to share life with my wife, Jamie, and our two wonderful daughters. I love experimenting with visual arts, including photography. I also enjoy taking my dog out for walks and hikes while enjoying the beauty of God’s creation.
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TENEBRAE
At HRC, we have been holding “Tenebrae” service on Good Friday. Tenebrae means "shadow" or “darkness,” and the service contains the scripture readings of Christ's passion accompanied by hymns and songs for reflection and meditation on the events of Jesus' last week. As the candles are extinguished after each reading, the darkness grows until only the Christ candle remains. At the end of the service, the Christ candle is also extinguished as Jesus dying on the cross, but will be lit again to symbolize his resurrection. Then people leave in the dark; in silence.
This year the service is structured based on the cantata "It Is Finished" by Mary McDonald. Our choir is going to sing the Communion Anthem "I Am Light, I Am Life, I Am Love" from this cantata during the Maundy Thursday service, and will sing again during the Tenebrae service at the Upper Room scene to maintain continuity. The cantata starts with Prelude "Meditation on 'What Wondrous Love'," based on the hymn "What Wondrous Love Is This" which has been used as Choral Introit throughout Lent.
Handel's Messiah
After we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter, we have also scheduled another special service on the following Sunday April 27. It will be Handel’s Messiah Easter portion Sing-Along service. We have done sing-along services with Messiah several times in the past. I am very excited to bring it back! We will have a guest preacher Rev. Dawn Alpaugh.
When it comes to worship music, it should be biblical and the goal is to connect with God through music and glorify God. Although the composer George Frideric Handel didn’t compose this oratorio for church, the text was taken from the bible verses from King James Bible.
Events
We hope you can mark your calendar and join us for a few of the events coming up.
Adult Sunday School is planning to read "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis starting on March 30th. The story explores themes of grace, judgment, and the nature of good and evil through a journey from Hell to Heaven.
Join us on Sunday mornings at 9:00am.
Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
- Proverbs 3:9,10