Dear Hope Family,
As we approach the New Year we want to celebrate some great things God is doing in our midst and communicate a financial need as we prepare for 2016.
Hope has never had a year in which God has compelled so many people to believe that Jesus is Lord of all. We have never filled our baptismal so frequently. We have never seen so many surrender so much to the loving leadership of King Jesus both in times of gladness and difficulty. So, we praise God and thank each of you who have listened to His promptings and then joined forces in His work.
After an invitation at work from Will Cooper, Jared Kerr came to our Palm Sunday service this past April looking for hope. Many of you welcomed, listened to and walked alongside Jared. After several good conversations about Jesus he sent Dean the following note, “Can we meet again sometime this coming weekend? I am now ready to fully jump into His arms with both feet moving forward.” At that meeting, Jared explained that his understanding of Jesus had expanded. He found himself “compelled” to turn (repent) to believe that Jesus is Lord of all including his past, present and future. The following Sunday Jared stood before all of us and shared his journey first hand. A few minutes later we witnessed a new disciple baptized in some very cold water. Jared is continuing to make life-changing decisions to follow, abide in and join Jesus in His mission to make disciples of all nations.
Jared is not alone. For example, four weeks ago, God prompted 12-year-old Peyton Vincent to be baptized during the service in which Allison Zolman was about to testify that “Jesus is my King” and then be baptized. When Payten later received a baptism certificate that Pastor Jay made for him, Peyton said, “I’m going to hang this in my locker to remind me to follow the Lord at school.”
In Matthew’s Gospel (4:19) it’s recorded that Jesus told Peter the fisherman, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” What a joy it has been for each of us to continue on the journey of discovering God’s unique vision for our lives. We thank God that He is transforming Hope into a relational disciple making community.
Now, as we approach 2016 we have an important financial need. Each year we rely on extra gifts in December. This year, however, the need is greater due to lower offerings than expected throughout the fall. Our anticipated income for September through December is $144,500 and as of December 1st we have received approximately $57,000.
So, will you prayerfully consider giving an additional sacrificial gift this month?
If so, in addition to the offering boxes in the back of the Sanctuary and online giving options through your bank or Hope’s website, we will collect a special offering during our service on Sunday, Dec. 20.
Thank you and may God bless you for providing hope in Jesus’ name by being a disciple and uniting to make disciples who love God, love one another, and love our neighbors in Denver and beyond!
With Gratitude and Love,
Dean, Dean & Anna (on behalf of Hope’s elders and leadership teams)