MC at HC

by Mary Catherine Edwards

Matt asked me to “introduce myself” to people who might not know me and to also share my feelings about Hill City. The first part of that request is easy. I’m Mary Catherine Edwards, Director of Ministry Operations here at Hill City. The second part of that request isn’t as easy. There are no words to describe just how thankful I am for Hill City. Simply put, Hill City is home. 

I came to the University of Arkansas from Allen, Texas, lost, broken, and alone. My first six months in Fayetteville were some of the hardest of my life. For a while, Fayetteville felt like the furthest thing from a home. I found myself desperately searching for “authentic community.” Church was not something I was involved in growing up. I knew it was important but, other than that, had zero clue what authentic community looked like or how to find it. All I knew was that I wanted (needed) people to call my family that would surround, support, and love me fully and unconditionally. 

When I was a freshman in college, a friend of mine introduced me to Hill City. Little did I know what was to come or how this church would impact my future—not because of the building, but because of the people I found inside of it. In those walls, I found the home and family that I had always craved. I got involved in the college ministry, was a regular on Sundays, and volunteered when I could.

During my junior year of college, I took a semester off to intern at Disney World in Florida. I ended up coming back to Fayetteville early and was in search of something to fill my time until the next semester began. The busybody in me was struggling with the amount of free time I had on my hands. I will forever remember the day I reached out to Angela for the first time. We had coffee at a little coffee shop, and I all but begged for something to do around the church. Whether it was helping out with youth, holding the door on a Sunday morning, or even mopping the floors, I did not care! I just wanted to help out anywhere they would let me. My volunteering a few hours here and there quickly turned into a weekly, then daily, thing, and the next thing I knew, I wasn’t just volunteering at Hill City, I worked there. 

By that point, I had become keenly aware that a career in accounting was NOT the road I was supposed to travel. I wasn’t sure what life would look like if I wasn’t pursuing a career in accounting after graduation since I would be earning a Bachelor of Accounting degree. All I knew for certain is that the Lord was speaking to my heart, calling me elsewhere. 

If you know Matt Slaughter at all, you know that he is an incredible listener. He is always willing to sit down and talk about life with anyone at anytime. What he does not do is give you all the answers. I cannot even begin to tell you how many conversations I had with Matt that ended with him saying, “I don’t know. Talk to God and figure it out.” In the moment, that answer was slightly frustrating. Now, I know that is exactly what I needed to hear. I needed to stop trying to figure it out on my own and allow space for God to work in my life. And that’s exactly what I did. For the first time, I sat all my plans aside and let Him move.

At this point, life looks nothing like I had anticipated. I do not have a career in accounting, and I’m no longer on the path I began walking when I arrived in Fayetteville four years ago. Truth is, I am beyond thankful for that. Instead, I’m on the path God chose for me—full time staff member at Hill City.

By no means did I expect this or believe I was qualified to work in ministry full-time. How could I, as an accounting major, be qualified for ministry? What I have found while working here is that it is not about being “qualified”—it is about being called. It is about being authentic and willing and walking in humility. 

Let me be very honest. I don’t have it all figured out. I am still learning every single day. But, what I do know is that my desire is to love every person that walks through the doors at Hill City the way I was loved and welcomed in. 

Despite there being a pandemic, I am so excited for what’s ahead for Hill City. We don’t all look the same here. We have different experiences, and are in different places in our spiritual life, but that’s what makes a community rich and real. If you’re new and reading this, I want you to know that at HC you are welcomed and loved wherever you are in your life. I know that from experience. Hill City is not a place where you have to “put yourself together.” Hill City is a place where you can just be you, genuinely, and let God do the rest.

Four years later, I am still here. Life looks a lot differently now than it did back then. A lot has changed for me. I was an 18-year-old college kid surviving on PB&J and hope. Now, I am a college graduate and have thankfully learned to cook an actual meal. A lot of information is thrown at you in college, and there are certainly a lot of lessons learned. But, my biggest takeaway from the past four years in Northwest Arkansas wasn’t acquired through a textbook or sitting in a classroom. It was here, at Hill City. I now understand that I have a home and a family and a Father that loves me unconditionally. That is life changing. That is bigger than any lesson you can learn while sitting in a classroom.

I’d love to visit with you anytime! My email is marycatherine@hillcity.life. We are all about connection here at HC. Connection with people and connection with Jesus. I’d love to help you with both. Reach out anytime.