Homecoming Worship and Testimony Had Generations United in Worship
There’s something profoundly powerful about generations gathering to worship in unison. It’s more than nostalgia, it’s a glimpse of eternity. During the Homecoming Worship and Testimony Night, alumni from decades past stood shoulder-to-shoulder with current students, lifting their voices to the same faithful God who has been working through Hillcrest for more than a century. The Castle’s walls seemed to echo not just music, but legacy, the steady rhythm of faith being passed from one generation to the next.
Among the evening’s highlights was a reflection on the life and ministry of longtime art instructor and mentor, Gaylen Peterson. For more than thirty years, Mr. Peterson has shaped Hillcrest’s culture through his gentle conversations, his creative spirit, and his steady faith. But his story began long before he ever stood at the front of a classroom. As a student, Gaylen’s own faith was forged in the dormitories and hallways of Hillcrest, where mentors invested in him and modeled a genuine walk with Christ.
That discipleship left a permanent mark. It inspired him to pursue art and education not merely as professions, but as ministry. His mentorship began with simple conversations over art projects, brushstrokes and sketches became bridges to the heart. Those same conversations continue today, offering Hillcrest students a safe place to be seen and known. Through those connections, students discover that the people of God truly see them—and that truth points to an even greater reality: God knows them, loves them, and calls them His own.
Gaylen’s legacy reminds the Hillcrest community that discipleship often begins with the simplest of acts of listening, encouraging, and creating together, and that every moment of genuine connection can be used by God to form identity and faith.
The same theme of life-on-life discipleship continues through the story of Liz and Gabe Preston, who were also shared during the evening of worship. Liz and Gabe first met in the halls of Hillcrest, where shared faith and friendship grew into a Christ-centered marriage and a lifetime of ministry together. Now, they live out that same spirit of mentorship in Hillcrest’s dormitory, guiding students through the same formative experiences that once shaped them.
Their story is a powerful testimony of God’s ongoing work in the next generation of Hillcrest alumni. Their commitment to follow Jesus and invest in students shows that the heartbeat of Hillcrest, intentional, relational discipleship, continues to thrive. As they walk the halls and share meals with students, they model what it means to follow Christ together: to encourage, to challenge, and to build one another up in faith.
The night was guided by praise songs led by Hillcrest’s student worship team, whose voices filled the auditorium with songs of praise. Against the backdrop of testimony and legacy, the moment felt sacred a reflection of what believers will one day experience in heaven: generations united in awe before the throne of God, marveling at His faithfulness.
For those gathered, it was more than an event, it was a reminder. A reminder that God’s work at Hillcrest spans decades and continues in the lives of staff young and old. As alumni, parents, and students left the Castle that evening, one truth was clear: Hillcrest’s legacy isn’t a building, it’s a people. Generations of believers, worshiping together, bearing witness to the same faithful God who continues to write new stories of grace in this sacred place.