HILL COUNTRY INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY
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Mission Statement
To encourage and equip the Body of Christ to grow in faith, engage culture, and interact with others with the heart, mind, and love of Christ.
About This Cause
The Hill Country Institute for Contemporary Christianity, generally referred to as the Hill Country Institute (HCI), woks to accomplish our mission through radio programs and podcasts (Hill Country Institute Live); events including conferences, seminars, retreats, and intimate gatherings; and online resources. We seek to promote gracious dialogue among Christians and to break down barriers to communication. Fellowship and unity are central to the mission and work of HCI. Our core values include: *Upholding fidelity to the orthodox understanding of the Christian faith s expressed in the Nicene and Apostolic creeds *Appreciating the contributions of various streams of Christian thought and practice in a "mere Christian" approach to unity, fellowship, and partnerships. *Creating safe places for Christ followers to dialogue on issues which are divisive. *Robust engagement with culture from a Christian perspective. *Pursuing spiritual formation for a full life in Christ including spiritual formation. *Valuing the person as the masterpiece God has created them to be, wherever they may be in life and in the Christian faith (or lack of Christian faith). *Fostering partnerships to further God's work on earth. HCI began through volunteer efforts in 2001 with organization of a C.S. Lewis Conference in Austin on the topic of a Christian response to the events of 9/11. The conference was presented on the campus of St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, in 2002. Three leading speakers were joined by liturgical dancers, musicians who performed during lunch and at other times during the day, and an actor who performed as C.S. Lewis in the evening. The speakers spoke in local churches on Sunday morning, which was part of the partnership which formed for the event, including over 20 churches and other organizations in the area. In 2004 a second conference was presented on the campus of the University of Texas on Ethics in a Post-Enron Age. The format was expanded to include an additional day of presentations by faculty members from around the U.S. on ethics, including a presentation by the Dean of the U.T. Law School on The Failure of Ethics at Enron. The public C.S. Lewis Conference on Saturday featured three major speakers, as well as live music and a meal outdoors under a tent. HCI was incorporated in 2006 as a 501 (c) (3) public charity and is qualified to receive tax deductible contributions under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code. Secure donations may be made online at www.hillcountryinstitute.org or mailed to P.O. Box 1664, Austin, TX, 7867-1664. For further information, contact Larry Linenschmidt, Executive Director, 512.680.7993. In 2006 we presented another C.S. Lewis Conference on Goodness, Truth, and Beauty, once again on the St. Edwards Campus. The format was similar to the Saturday portion of the 2004 conference and also featured a Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant speaker. In 2008 we presented Transforming Culture: A Vision for the Church and the Arts, on the campus of the Austin Oaks church. This three-day event featured leading speakers who were artists, pastors, and faculty members on the topic of faith and art. A major international art exhibit was presented in conjunction with the symposium. In 2010 we presented the first Vibrant Dance of Faith & Science symposium, featuring leading speakers on topics related to faith and science. We partnered with ten national organizations which represented diverse Christian views on faith, science, and the interpretation of scripture as it relates to scientific thought. Numerous plenary sessions were complemented by musical performances and liturgical dance. The symposium was presented on the campus of Grace Covenant Church in Austin. In 2011 we presented a follow-up conference in Houston on the theology of science and scripture. This event included only theologians. It was hosted on the campus of Sugarland Baptist Church. We are a partner with other ministries in Walk with Mexico, an initiative to assist educators in Mexico to support one another and deliver quality, life changing materials and values to students from Pre-K through post-graduate education. We have presented numerous other events, including small intimate gathering to talk about faith and culture, a major C.S. Lewis Conference on the Trinity University campus in San Antonio which was a similar format to the conferences mentioned in more detail above, and C.S. Lewis Conferences on the campus of Concordia University Texas in Austin. Other event titles have included Flourish with Andy Crouch, More Than Meets the Ear with Jeremy Begbie, Conversational Sundays-conversations with thought leaders on topics of interest in tea rooms, Mere Education with Mark Pike, The Way of St. Patrick, and A Day of Prayer for Teachers. Conference presentations are available via video and audio, in some cases, on our web site, www.hillcountryinstitute.org Speakers include Dallas Willard, Andy Crouch, Eugene Peterson, Os Guinness, Peter Kreeft, Frederica Mathewes-Green, Deborah Haarsma, Steve Meyer, William Lane Craig, Jerry Root, Joel Heck, Lyle Dorsett, Bruce Waltke, Hugh Ross, Darrel Falk, W. David O. Taylor, John "Jack" Collins, Ross Hastings, Barbara Nicolosi, Walter Bradley, John Walton, John Witvliet, and Jeremy Begbie. Our radio program and podcast ministry airs as Hill Country Institute Live. Our radio broadcast area now includes over 40 counties and several million people in the Central Texas area, including Austin, Waco, Bryan/College Station, and Fredericksburg. Podcasts are available on podcasts apps. It is an interview format focused on interviews with leading thought leaders, ministry leaders, pastors and others who are involved in key work in our society. Areas of interest include racial relations, environmental stewardship, faith and work, faith and science, faith and art, prayer for teachers and public servants, and human trafficking. Programs are available at www.hillcountyinstitute.org/resources and on podcast apps. As we continue our programs, we value content of message and excellence of speaker delivery. We seek to cultivate an atmosphere of graciousness and love (even when discussing divisive issues), relationships encouraged, and lives enriched.