Feb 26, 2004

South Hills Community Church

By Jeanne C. Lewis
Staff Writer

Nestled in the southern hills of Almaden, South Hills Community Church serves a congregation garnered from all religions, which offers something for everyone.

Leading the parishioners is Pastor Justin Dennison, Doctor of Philosophy, dedicated to his parish and excited about their devotion to service within the church and world wide. Their mission statement contains five thoughts for living life: a loving relationship with God, growing in Christ-likeness, connecting to the church community, serving Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and sharing Jesus in the world.

“People don’t come for the label on the outside but for the life on the inside,” Pastor
Dennison said eloquently. “We at South Hills are committed to the whole person. Our goal is to nurture your spiritual and personal growth.”

South Hills Community Church began as an offshoot of Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto 35 years ago. One building was built, then another, and now there is a total of three structures offering two masses on Sundays. On the day of worship, other rooms offer meetings from nursery school to “Prime Time” (for people in the second half of their lives, age 55+) and the junior high group is planning its great getaway ski trip later this month. There are vast group gatherings throughout the week: singles, common ground (for adults 50-65), 12-step recovery, and the mens and womens ministries, which are planning retreats to Mount Herman.

The popular Life Skills program offers a 26-week group to teach how to break patterns of the past and establish healthy relationships. Individual counseling, called Life Line, is available with ministers or outside counselors if necessary.

But involvement outside the church walls is considered just as important. Pastor Jon Talbert recently led the relief effort for the Southern California wildfire victims last year, receiving donations from as far away as Spain. Food donations for the needy, help for those grieving and gifts sent to servicemen and women are some of the church’s other outreach endeavors.

South Hills’s Go Beyond International plans missions to other parts of the world to bringing a message of hope and medical relief to those in need. This year missionaries will visit Cuba, Nepal, Philippines, Turkey and India. The trip to Bangalore, India is especially meaningful.

“Bangalore is the Silicon Valley of southeast Asia.” Pastor Dennison explains. “We are twin cities in that respect but unlike Bangalore we have the richest of the rich. If California was a country, it would be the sixth largest. Bangalore has the poorest of the poor with two to three million living below the poverty level, many in slums. God leads us to a particular work and it has caught people’s imaginations.”

The church supports 40 family groups ministering around the world. Their work varies from starting a Christian children’s camp for the military in Germany to sports seminars in Russian with non-Christian teams. Pastor Dennison’s wife, Sue is the Northern California representative for the Alpha group where 100 churches of all faiths meet to connect and learn more about Christianity.

At a recent Sunday morning service, the worship began with the band singing and playing contemporary Christian music led by Pastor Danny Bridgens. The congregation participated clapping and raising their voices in song. An update of the last missionary trip in India was then presented by Pastor Rick Dieztman. Pastor Dennison led the Bible study, a five-part series on Serving God’s Purpose in your Generation, power pointing to a large screen above him displaying scripture and highlights of the sermon. He ends with an excerpt from Mel Gibson’s film, “The Passion of the Christ.” Suddenly the crucifixion of Jesus becomes very real to the worshipers.

“We talked to people we trusted before we showed ‘The Passion’ and about the controversy of some of the Jewish sector saying it was anti-Semitic,” Pastor Dennison said. “This is not a new comment. It is as old as the church itself. It is like me saying Hitler was a bad guy doesn’t mean I’m anti-German. You never hear that it’s anti-Italian even though the Romans crucified Jesus. The movie represents a fair Biblical account.”

Pastor Dennison’s journey to South Hills
Pastor Dennison’s own remarkable journey to South Hills began in Manchester, England. His father served in World War II with the Indian Army where he met his wife. He remained in the British Army and traveling became a way of life for the family. Young Dennison lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Middle East and parts of Europe. He fondly remembers living in Jamaica where his father was raised. He was placed in boarding school during high school as was the custom. In his early 20s, he studied medicine and competed internationally in track and cross country for Britain.

“I was the most surprising member of my family to get religion,” Dennison said. “I was as far away from church as anyone could be, then I met a group of people who were very committed Christians. They believed and were genuinely spiritual. Meeting them totally impacted my life and caused me to change my path.”

Pastor Dennison studied for three years and became a minister in London, meeting his wife, Sue, also a Christian. They soon added twin boys to their family. Life was good. Then, 12 years ago, he received a call from a church in Toronto, Canada; the family questioned whether they should move to minister at that church. Dennison smiles remembering standing in the kitchen with his small boys studying at the table the day of the call. After much soul searching, the family “crossed the pond” to Canada leaving friends, family and British culture behind.

Seven years later, another call came. There was a need for a pastor at South Hills Community Church in San Jose, Calif. Again, the family questioned where they should be. The couple felt they could best serve God in California, but the twins remained behind in Canada studying.

The moves haven’t always been easy. “It is always difficult adjusting to a new church and culture,” Pastor Dennison said. “Being a pastor of a church involves interacting with lots of people which brings challenges. Life is a journey. You’re always learning more about yourself. And hopefully in the process, you become a better person and a more Godly person. The life lesson I’ve learned is that it is not what happens to you that makes a difference, but your response to what happens to you. Your attitude makes the biggest difference and God can help you.”

Church reaches out to Via Monte/Hoffman teens
Collaborates with Pioneer High School for local handball tournament

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Recently it occurred to me that my view of the Almaden Valley is warped. Nice cars and million dollar homes don't belong to as many of our community members as it seems. Consider the quality of life that some local teens, particularly those living in the apartments off Almaden Expressway (across from San Jose Water Co.), known as the Via Monte/Hoffman neighborhood, are subjected to.

The area, mostly overlooked on Almaden Expressway—as I speed out of the suburban cocoon toward Highway 85—is home to more than 2,000 families, crammed tightly into four city blocks. Many of these families live two to four families per apartment, according to South Hills Community Church employee Juan Flores.

The residents in the Via Monte/Hoffman neighborhood make far less money than the majority of the Almaden populace, and, as a result, deal with levels of crime and poverty that most of us would find unacceptable.

However, the neighborhood is home to a plethora of untapped young talent, both academic and athletic. Many residents, most who are Hispanic, participate in local sports programs and attend local schools, infusing a diverse cultural identity into the mix.

In 2002, Flores and Larry Brundage, both employees of Almaden's SHCC, teamed up to organize a lunchtime meeting group in association with Pioneer High School, targeting one specific goal: help the families, specifically the teens, in the Via Monte/Hoffman neighborhood.

Since then, the group has contributed hundreds of hours, organizing community service events, in addition to arranging local athletic teams and delving into spiritual conferencing, touching on topics such as personal balance and Christianity.

On Feb. 21, the group sponsored a handball tournament attended by more than 30 Via Monte kids.

“The kids put it together,” said Flores, formerly a truancy worker at Pioneer. “They made the fliers and spread the word. We [Flores and Bundrage] just made it possible.”

Flores and Bundrage arranged for food, trophies, and a DJ, giving the event a party-like atmosphere for the kids to enjoy.

“The group is great for the kids,” continued Flores. “It supports the school [Pioneer], the community, academics and sports. Our program gives the kids an opportunity to attach themselves to something moving towards a good cause.”

Out of 30 handball players, Flores and Bundrage organized two brackets, breaking up the competition according to age. Freshman and sophomores competed amongst themselves while the upperclassmen squared off on the junior/senior court.

When the dust settled, Enrique Solis and Manuel Flores clinched the ninth-10th-grade title, while Jorge Rodriguez and Jose Gonzales walked away as the handball kings of the 11th and 12th graders.

“Everybody needs direction,” concluded Flores, touching on the value of participating in the group. “I don't sit up on my soapbox [claiming I've never sinned]. Our group helps the kids learn balance. We try to promote a better way of life. I don't think it's good to sit back and talk about how dog eat dog [this area] is out there. At some point it's important to go out and try to improve the situation.”