Dear Hope,
It’s been a month and a half since you welcomed me back from my 6-week sabbatical. I remain refreshed and increasingly grateful to God for all of your love, support and encouragement to take that significant and renewing break! With time to reflect, my reasons for gratitude have grown including, but not limited to…
- The wisdom and guidance I’ve received from God through so many of you over the past 23 years since Hope began.
- Our loving elders, staff, Hope Group leaders, volunteers and all of you who abide in and shine for Jesus in so many spheres of culture throughout metro Denver and beyond.
- Your attentiveness to care for one another with meals, rides, notes, hikes and loyal friendships that are deepening as Jesus modeled and envisioned for all of us.
- Everyone’s joy and flexibility in sharing the campus which God has entrusted to us, with both Bloom and Reclamation Church
- So many of you who have moved away from Denver and yet remain in touch and invested in God’s work through this church.
- The generosity so many of you express through consistently giving tithes, offerings and year-end offerings which empowers us to support our missionary partners (True Impact, Denver Rescue Mission, Operation Christmas Child); our seven missionary households; our faithful and united staff; our ministry of worship and God’s Word, ongoing campus improvements and gifts of care for many people and households when they find themselves going through challenging financial waters. Due to your faithfulness throughout this year and at the end of 2021, we finished our ministry year on August 31, 2022 in a cash positive position.
- Your joyful hearts, listening ears and loving embraces.
- Being a part of a church FAMILY with grandparents, parents, single people, married people, young adults, youth, children and babies all united to live life intermingled with Jesus’ Spirit in this often-perplexing world.
- A fun fall festival in October… an upcoming Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving morning… Candles, Carols and the Gospel on Christmas Eve…
- A new web site re-designed this year to introduce all virtual visitors to God’s presence, guidance and peace through beautiful photos, Bible verses and clear paths for the information needed.
- Our Children’s Choir leading us every other month (including an upcoming Christmas program on Sunday Dec. 18)… Youth raking leaves and kids delivering care packages to those we love who are not feeling well.
- The recent formation of Hope’s Discipleship Playbook in which we have captured in writing the values and beliefs that God has formed into us throughout our first 23 year of Hope’s existence – a living framework to help us remain an enduringly faithful disciple-making church for generations to come.
- Weekly worship gathering on campus and online and smaller Hope Group gatherings for prayer, growth, care and friendships throughout the week around the city.
- 23 years through which, Hope has been debt free. Wow you all have been so faithful.
- and I could go on and on.
It is a privilege to serve as pastor and to be influenced in so many ways by all of you. Rebecca, the kids and I love you and look forward to the significant holiday celebrations in the days ahead and then the exciting journey through the great stories of the Bible in 2023!
With gratitude and love,
Dean
Lead Pastor | Dean Wertz
Photo Credit: Executive Pastor Arik Stewart
9 AM SUNDAY | NOVEMBER 20. This Sunday, as we reach the final chapter of I Corinthians and the end of our series, we reflect on all of the ways the body of Christ has struggled with political division and cultural controversy since the very first century. Yet in this final chapter was also see Paul encouraging us to continue to strive for unity and generosity in the faith, and demonstrates that love is not measured in quantity – but in quality. Join us at 9 a.m. as Ministry Coordinator Tara Farrell brings a message on how to love the church with generosity, abundance, and joy. Tara continues our Series In Christ, in Culture with a sermon entitled Love with Quality, Not Quantity. If you are unable to worship in person, we invite you to attend via livestream or watch the Service recording online.
HOPE GROUPS. This Sunday’s Service will be hosted by the Aurora Hope Group – thank you! If you’ve been thinking about joining a group, we’d love to connect with you! Click here for more information.
CHILDREN’S CHURCH. This Sunday all children ages 2-5th grade are invited to Children’s Church, where we will be learning our 10th and final essential truth of the Gospel – God promises the Holy Spirit to lead us. Rebecca and Tara will be leading the kids in an exploration of the Holy Spirit as our guide and comforter as we await eternal life with Jesus in heaven. Family discipleship guides for each of the 10 essential truths are available at the welcome booth. For more information about Children’s Ministry, please contact Becky Newquist.
CHILDREN’S CHOIR. Children’s Choir practice will be held this Sunday in the youth room from 10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
ADVENT. Children’s Ministry will meet every Sunday of Advent prior to the Christmas Program on Sunday, December 18. We will begin each Sunday with an Advent devotional, centered the names of Jesus prophesied in Isaiah 9:6 – For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The remainder of Children’s Church will be spent rehearsing and preparing for the upcoming Christmas Program.
FAMILY RESOURCES. Every family with a child in Children’s Ministry will be gifted a set of Advent Blocks – a family Advent devotional and handcrafted advent calendar made by Good Kind – to bring home and together anticipate the coming of Emmanuel, God with us.
THANKSGIVING DAY | TURKEY BOWL. You are invited to join us for hot chocolate, donuts, and flag football on Thanksgiving morning (weather permitting) starting at 9:30 a.m. in the northwest corner of Harvard Gulch Park. This annual tradition is fun for all ages! RSVP: please email Rebecca Wertz or text/call 303-601-2201.
CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON FOR SENIOR WOMEN & FRIENDS. During this beautiful and joyful Christmas season we remember and rejoice at the birth of our Savior! What a wonderful opportunity to gather in person for this year’s Christmas Luncheon! You are invited to enjoy a delicious “all you can eat” meal with us at Golden Corral Restaurant on Tuesday, December 13 at 11:30 a.m. Golden Corral is located at 3677 South Santa Fe Drive, Englewood 80110. A private room is reserved and Hope will be covering tax and gratuity. Please sign up at the Information Booth in the Sanctuary or text/call Marti Oertli at 720-220-2224 to RSVP.
We look forward to a special and delightful time to share our love and our hearts while enjoying a great meal together! You won’t want to miss this special holiday event with old and new friends! See you December 13 at Golden Corral!
FINANCIAL UPDATE. Thank you so much for giving to Hope Church! You can learn more about giving here. If you have questions about giving or financials, please contact our Executive Pastor Arik Stewart.
HAVE A NEED? Your Hope family is here for you. If you need prayer, financial assistance, or help in any other way, please reach out to Pastor Jay here.
We welcome you to visit the resources below!
