Dear Hope Family,
After returning from our family’s summer break, it has been great to reconnect with so many of you! As we begin our new ministry year this coming Monday, September 1, here are a few important bits of info.
- THANK YOU. For those of you who have contributed through prayer, serving, and/or giving this past year, way to go! God used you to provide food, clothes, shelter, help, the good news of Jesus and hope for many. On Sunday, one of our service teams beautified Leslie’s yard and front porch. As the group pulled away from her Platt Park home she yelled, “THANK YOU! THANK YOU!” Then she put her arm around me and said, “I can’t believe what just happened. I feel re-born.” Many others like Leslie, across the street and around the world, have been blessed through you. Way to give ‘em heaven!
- THIS SUNDAY. During our service this coming Sunday (8/31) we will hear from Don and Janet Guizzetti (dear friends of Hope and missionaries in Burkina Faso) as well as some of our teens who recently ministered with them in West Africa. They will show pictures and share how God is using ordinary people to bring his love to people of every nation. Be sure to join us if you are in town! We will also wrap up our fiscal year this Sunday. While we have been in a cash positive position for most of the year due to so many people’s consistency and extra generosity at the end of 2013, we appear to be on track to have a gap of approximately $2,000 at the end of this month due to decreased giving this summer. Since any shortfall would result in a deduction from Hope’s ministry expansion fund, if you would like to catch up on your giving and/or contribute toward this need, you can do so through the 31st.
- FALL FOCUS. In addition to the new steps our children, youth, MOP’s this fall, on Sunday (Sept. 7) we will begin a new Sunday morning series entitled, A Life of Love. For the past year or so, our leadership team has explored the 3 love commands of Jesus in order to more deeply understand how they can be the foundation of a balanced model of ministry and life – in our personal time, small group experiences, and also in large gatherings. After many months of prayer and discussion, we are excited to share with you that we will focus our fall Sunday mornings and small group discussions in order to learn what this life of love actually looks like. Do you ever feel unworthy of God’s love? Do you ever wish you could love God more consistently? Do you have any frustrating relationships with others who are in the family of God? Do you want to be a more positive influence for Christ with your co-workers, classmates and neighbors? If so, join us each Sunday morning (beginning Sept. 7) and connect with others in a small group as we will explore the unconditional love of God as well as practical ways to express our love to him and others.
- ADVENT & BEYOND. After walking through the 4 Sundays of Advent in December we will consider what God can do when a whole church devotes itself to taking the whole gospel to the whole world. We will look at how this happened in the 1st century as we journey through the book of Acts, and we will explore what this could look like today if we all devoted ourselves to becoming active participating members within the body of Christ.
I hope you have a great week living in union with Jesus and providing hope in His name. May God bless you and all of the Hope family as we anticipate worshiping together this Sunday and partnering together in the days ahead.
With love & excitement,
Dean Wertz
(on behalf of Hope’s Elders & Leadership Council)