Bulletin | September 22, 2023

---

9AM SUNDAY WORSHIP | SEPTEMBER 24. Destructive things have been done in the name of Jesus. Aspects of Christianity have hurt a lot of people. Many of the wounds are deeply painful and long lasting. While His name is attached to tragic atrocities, is He? Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. to consider the goodness of Jesus, the fury of Jesus toward evil and the relevance of Jesus for all. This service will introduce our fall series entitled, “The Relevance of Jesus” designed for us all to invite seeking friends to discover the goodness and relevance of Jesus, who unlike “Christianity,” is the way, the truth and the life. Our message this week (from Lead Pastor Dean Wertz) is titled The Relevance of Christ; What’s Wrong with “Christianity” and is based on John 14:1-14. If you are unable to join us in person, please visit the 9 a.m. livestream or view the recording here.

HOPE GROUPS. We are so thankful for all the Sunday service assistance from our wonderful Hope Groups. This Sunday, we thank the Aurora Hope Group for helping! 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. 

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY. This 4^th Sunday of the month is a Family Service, in which children of all ages are invited to participate in worship and teaching along with their families. Activity packets and sermon notes for preschool and elementary aged children will be available at the Welcome Booth. Families with young children are invited to utilize our Baby Sky Box for added privacy. 

YOUTH.  Youth Group is this Sunday, September 24 from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. See you then! 

UPDATED PLAYBOOK. Hope’s discipleship Playbook is an overview of our church’s culture, values and beliefs. It is a living document so periodically we publish an updated version. Since there have been edits, clarifications and additions made over the past year, there are new copies at the Info Booth in the Sanctuary and here is a link to the digital version. As always, please let one of us know if you have any questions about Hope and/or suggestions or edits for our next Playbook edition. 
Sincerely,
Hope’s Elder Team (Rob Cupp, Dan Kaskubar, John Shanks & Dean Wertz)

FINANCIAL UPDATE. For more information on our last ministry year financials and our current ministry year vision and budget, see NEXT MINISTRY YEAR VISION / BUDGET in our August 18 or August 25 bulletins. If you have questions about our financials, please contact our Executive Pastor Arik Stewart or any of our Elders. Thank you to everyone who prayerfully considered our financials and gave input on our vision and budget. We are excited to share that all of Hope’s members have now done so, which is the first time we’ve ever had full participation. Thank you!

24-7 PRAYER NATIONAL GATHERING | LIVESTREAM @ HOPE | SEPTEMBER  27-29. Some of you are familiar with the daily prayer app, Lectio 365 – created by an organization called 24-7 Prayer. This year, 24-7 Prayer is offering a National Gathering for families and communities from across the US to remember our identity as a people of prayer, mission, and justice and be inspired and equipped to call the church to an awakened prayer life. Join us for a powerful few days of prayer, worship, learning from Scripture, and responding to the Spirit. The theme of this year’s National Gathering is “With His Face in View” – from the verse “and they shall live with his face in view and that they belong to him will show on their faces” (Revelation 22:4).

The conference is being held in-person in Colorado Springs, but Tanya and Phil Koneman will be hosting at Hope a Livestream of the sessions and prayer sets. The conference times are:
Wednesday, September 27 @  6 – 9 PM
Thursday, September 28 @ 9 AM – 9 PM
Friday, September 29 @ 9:30 AM – 12 PM
Anyone who wants to join corporately for prayer, worship, learning, and responding to the Holy Spirit is free to join us! You can participate as little or as much as your schedule allows. This will be a great time to join with others at Hope for extended worship and prayer. If you have questions about Hope hosting, you can reach out to Tara. Visit 24-7 Prayer’s National Gathering webpage for more information about speakers and sessions: National Gathering – 2023 

MEMBERSHIP CLASS. Membership is a great way to affirm your partnership with Hope’s family and mission. Due to a few key absences, we are re-scheduling our Membership Class for Sunday, October 8. If you are interested in becoming a formal member at Hope Church, or are just interested in learning more about our church’s history, doctrine, or organization, then join us after service on Sunday, October 8 for a 20–30-minute informal membership class led by Lead Pastor Dean Wertz – the perfect place to ask all your questions and fill out a membership application! RSVP with Tara if interested.

PARENTING WORKSHOP | SEPTEMBER 30 | 9AM-2PM. Over the past several years, Hope has intentionally implemented training, systems, and policies that promote whole-child safety. Hope has been invited again by a local church to attend a vetted workshop focused on child sexual safety. On Saturday, September 30, St. John’s School and Church is hosting the Parenting Safe Children Workshop by Feather Berkower. We have the opportunity to come together as a community to learn more about how we can collectively work to keep all our children safe. This is a must-attend workshop for anyone who interacts with children and especially parents and caretakers of all ages!  You can attend this via Zoom at home, or together via Zoom at St. John’s. Lunch and childcare will be provided for those who attend in-person. Participants will learn: what makes children vulnerable, Body-safety rules, and how you can talk about your child’s body safety with teachers, coaches, nannies, family members, faith leaders, and other parents. You can find more information about the workshop at ParentingSafeChildren.com. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Hope’s Children’s Ministry Director Becky Newquist. Registration is now open for friends and neighbors of St John’s (that us!)

FOOD BANK | LOOKING FOR A WAY TO SERVE? The Community Ministry is in need of the following items: Jelly, Pie Crust Mix, Cake, Frosting, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Pumpkin, Canned Potatoes, and Evaporated or Sweetened Condensed Milk. Please consider donating these items by placing them in the collection basket in the foyer. Thank you, Hope!

JOIN THE WORSHIP TEAM! The worship team would like to have more vocalists consider joining the group. Practices are Thursday evenings and female voices are especially welcome to balance the worship team. We’d love to sing with you! Please contact Joel Noble if interested and thank you!

7PM THURSDAY WORSHIP | ALL INVITED. Calling all those who love to sing and/or play instruments! We are now gathering every Thursday in the Sanctuary from 7–9 p.m. Joel Noble, will be bringing extra instruments and offer casual lessons for those who want to learn to play guitar/ukulele/bass/mandolin/etc! During this time the worship team will also practice for Sunday mornings. Bring your instruments and your favorite worship songs in mind. Some weeks we may even enjoy a meal all together. No RSVPs are required. If you have any questions, please email Joel.

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.