Dear Hope,
Thank you for abiding in Jesus, loving one another, serving neighbors and investing in Hope throughout 2023
The final day of this year is a day of worship, Sunday December 31. In light of this special close to 2023, I encourage you to
- Join us at 9 a.m. this Sunday for our final service of the year which will focus on celebrating God’s goodness over the past 12 months.
- Prayerfully consider giving a year-end offering and if God prompts you to cheerfully give, you can do so here.
The elders, staff, missionaries and all whom Hope serves are deeply grateful for you and the many ways you contribute to see Jesus’ church grow in health and fruitfulness. THANK YOU!
Love,
Dean
Dean Wertz | Lead Pastor
P.S. In addition to the examples of God’s goodness that may be shared when we gather on Sunday, in this final bulletin of the year, some of our leaders and I praise God for, among other things, the following.
- 5 goals received and now being fulfilled this ministry year: bless children, more participation in Sunday services, strengthen group ministry, invite and be hospitable with new guests, and restore financial peace.
- “After moving to Denver in May of this year, I went online looking for a church close by my home. I reached out to three churches and waited. There was only one response. Praise God, the one response was Jay calling regarding my online request to join the On Campus Hope Small Group. His warm welcome was the answer to my prayer. This group has been such a blessing. Loving fellowship and great Bible study. I know God brought me to Hope. Everyone has made me feel welcome and showered me with the love of Christ Jesus.” (a note from Phylis Greene who has also recently become a member with Hope)
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The recent birth of Wells Koneman to Jon and Rebekah. (from Arik & Leah Stewart, Young Adult Hope Group leaders)
- The faithful marriage of Woody and Pauline Haines; the way so many loved and supported Pauline and Woody during this difficult season of Leukemia for Pauline; Pauline’s love for Jesus and her passing into His eternal presence earlier this month.
- God’s Word read, meditated on, preached through our Preaching Team members on Sundays and discussed in groups throughout each week.
- Joel Noble stepping in to lead our prayerful, joyful and growing worship team.
- Opportunities to give and serve in united ways such as raising support for the Hoots to go to Hope Heals Camp, the coat drive, Operation Christmas Child (each of the 189 shoeboxes carried the good news of Jesus to children around the world) and the Asbury Elementary Giving Tree.
- “Our group supported Don and Janet Guizzetti as they ministered to children and women in Burkina Faso. When they needed a truck we were able to help raise funds to buy a truck for the Guizzettis. Our group prayed constantly for the ministry in Burkina.” (a note from Carol Schmidt)
- Successful all-church workday at Hope Park.
- “31,000 sq. ft. campus owned debt-free and shared with Bloom Church, Reclamation Church and other mission-driven organizations to enhance their ministries, providing rental income for Hope and strengthening our partnerships; sharing our facilities with Colorado Christian University’s student missionaries and OneLife.” (from Arik Stewart, Executive Pastor, along with the following 4 lines)
- Ongoing facility improvements.
- Financial peace as our year-to-date income is currently covering our year-to-date expenses.
- Unchurched young adults attending our relatively-newly-formed Young Adults Hope Group.
- Prayer and consistent monthly support given to our 9 missionary partners around the world.
- Jon Koneman stepping in to lead our faithful and joyful tech worship team.
- “What God has been doing this past year includes the gift of His presence every day. In James 1:17, it says that ‘Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…’ God has given us the gift of a group of believers who are dedicated to learning from and living by the truth of His word.” (a note from John Shanks, Elder and Hope Group leader along with his with his wife, Cecille)
- “A church that feels like family and often leads each other to abide in Jesus. Often stopping our conversations to have a 2-way convesation with Christ to ask for His perspective and leading.” (Rebecca Wertz, Prayer Coordinator & Facility Use Coordinator)
- Hosted a Fall Festival and Turkey Bowl for Hope, Reclamation Church, neighbers, family and friends.
- Evening of Celebration for Pastor Jay’s many years on Hope’s staff as he transitioned in 2023 to serving as a volunteer (along with Marti) servant of Jesus.
- Our Elder team met each month for prayer and guidance in so many areas. Dan Kaskubar served as our Elder Chairman throughout the year.
- God healed Dan Kaskubar through so many of your prayers and great medical treatment.
- Our Staff met weekly to encourage one another, prayerfully reflect on all of our ministries and collaborate to see Hope encourage more people to abide in Jesus.
- Children’s Choir, led by Kelsey Hoot, blessed our congregation with joyful worship for a 2nd year. (from Becky Newquis, Children’s Ministry Director, along with the following 6 lines)
- The nursery reopened after 3 years to care for our youngest children two Sundays a month.
- Four new adults/young adults have joined the Children’s Ministry volunteer team.
- Additional safety and security measures and volunteer training have been implemented for our Children’s Wing.
- Children’s Ministry spearheaded 3 local outreaches to bless our neighboring community – a school supply drive late summer, coat drive in the fall, and giving tree in the winter.
- Every Sunday, children are learning about and experiencing God in age relevant ways, guided by adult leaders who are abiding in Jesus and love our kids.
- Children’s Ministry kids, parents, and volunteers went for a hike at Roxborough State Park and had a Movie and game night at the church over the summer.
- Teens prayed together, studied God’s Word, had fun with game nights and grew in their walk with Christ and love for one another.
- Countless stories of God’s grace in many lives.
- Excitement to see how God guides and provides for us in 2024 so we can continue serving our city and His world together.
- etc.!
DECEMBER 31 | 9AM WORSHIP. This week, Tara Farrell brings us a message titled Year-End Reflections: God’s Faithfulness in 2023. If you are unable to join us in person, please visit the 9 a.m. livestream or view the sermon recording here. As a reminder, all past sermon recordings are available online.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY. This 5th Sunday of the month, all children 3 yrs old – 5th grade are invited to Children’s Church! As we bring in the New Year, we will be learning about how to keep the Christmas spirit all year long. Immanuel, GOD WITH US is God’s best gift to us that keeps on giving for eternity! Kids, we look forward to seeing you there!
Families with younger children (ages 0-2) are invited to remain in the Sanctuary or utilize the baby sky box to participate in the service with added privacy if desired.
YOUTH. Tonight, Friday, December 29, we’re holding a Christmas Party from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hope! We’ll vote on a Christmas movie and enjoy hot chocolate, candy canes and gingerbread! If you’d like to RSVP or have questions, email Tara.
FINANCIAL UPDATE. In September, our income and expenses were almost break-even. In October, our income was significantly higher than our expenses. In November, our income was slightly higher than our expenses. For the quarter, we are in a cash-positive position. Thank you, Lord for continuing to provide financial peace! If you have any questions about Hope’s financials, please contact Arik Stewart.
YEAR-END GIVING. If you would like to give a year-end gift to Hope, thank you! To give online, please click here. To give via check, please mail to Hope Church, 1801 S. Logan St. Denver, CO 80210 or use the sanctuary offering boxes. To ensure that your gift is included in the 2023 tax year, please ensure that it is received by Hope by Sunday, December 31. Thank you!
HOPE GROUPS. Hope Groups are an amazing way to connect to others, deepen your relationship with God, and discover there is a family here for you at Hope. If this sounds like something you are interested in, we’d love to have you join us! Click here for more information on all our Hope Groups.
RECENTLY UPDATED | FOOD BANK. The Community Ministry is in need of the following items: Canned Tomato Sauce, Cereal, Jelly, Soup, Diced Tomatoes, Warm Jackets for Adults. Please consider donating these items by placing them in the collection basket in the foyer. Thank you, Hope!
HAVE A NEED? Your Hope family is here for you. If you need financial assistance, please contact Pastor Arik. For prayer or help in any other way, reach out to Tara Farrell.
We welcome you to visit the resources below!
