December 25 is a day off work for many, a day for exchanging gifts for some and a day to worship for followers of Jesus. December 26 and the days that follow are typically a return to normalcy as a New Year begins. What if the birth of Jesus through the Virgin Mary is more world-altering than one brief day on the calendar? Join us this Sunday and invite a friend to come with you to discover the reason why the birth of Christ is the greatest cause for joy to the world! Our message this week (from Lead Pastor Dean Wertz) is titled The Relevance of Christ: The Beginning and is based on John 1:1-14.
This is the start of a new series that will walk through the NT and discuss the entire story of Jesus from beginning to end with one question in mind, “So what?”. Why does this matter? How is this still relevant for people today? It’s a great opportunity to invite friends and neighbors who are maybe still on the fence about Jesus or who have started to question the validity of going to church – so be praying about people to invite! Very excited for how these discussions will encourage and build up our entire community.
After my Aunt Martha and I tried to convince the other why each of us should be allowed to cover the cost for a family meal out, she pulled the bill out of my hand, looked at me and said with her winning smile, “Dean, sometimes it’s good to just say, ‘Thank you.'” Her gift to me was more than a meal. She taught me the importance of expressing gratitude in the presence of generous people. Hope, you are a generous family! Please join as at 9 a.m. this Sunday as we worship God, learn how Paul thanked God for the Philippian Christians who gave financially so others could live with God in Christ and thank God for all of you (here in Denver and around the world) who do the same! I look forward to bringing the message titled Imagine a Church With Financial Peace from Philippians 1:1-11. If you are unable to join us in person, please visit the 9 a.m. livestream or view the recording here.
Looking forward to worshiping together! -Dean
Is it possible for a church to grow by serving more people without dramatically increasing expenses to hire more pastoral staff? The fourth of Hope Church’s five overarching goals for this next year is to expand our capacity to love and care for all whom God entrusts to us, primarily through friendships in small groups. Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. as we see how Jesus cared for those in His small group and then invited Peter and all of us to do the same!
This week we look at a third priority for Hope in the coming year – being a church where friends feel welcome. Ministry Coordinator, Tara Farrell, brings a discussion on who in our lives are friends and neighbors who could benefit from what Hope Church has to offer – and how we can continue to make Hope a welcoming place for people of all nations, backgrounds and kinds. Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. as we worship together, engage ideas together, and welcome all who would come and discover the unimaginable love of Jesus!
In addition to becoming a church that blesses children (last week’s focus), we also sense God is calling us to include space for more participation within our Sunday gathering times together. Join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. for our monthly family service as we consider what it could look like to have people of all ages involved in various aspects of our times together. This week, we will include opportunities for people to help with music, engage ideas in the message and serve communion. It will be so good to, once again, experience God’s presence and guidance together!
It’s tough for children to walk closely with Jesus in our present world. And, It’s especially challenging for parents to answer the new questions and navigate the surprises involved in raising young souls in 2023. Hope Church, we have been summoned by Jesus to love, encourage, support and bless the children in our community. Join us this Sunday to consider the priority Jesus placed on children and lift up prayers of blessing, at the start of the new school year, over our children, school staff and parents!
Join us this Sunday as we worship God, welcome new guests, reconnect with one another and finish our study through the letter to the Hebrews. According to God, life with Jesus is a marathon, not a moment. So, in this message seekers will be encouraged to enter the adventure and those who have already done so will be exhorted to run with endurance the race that is set before us!
Loneliness is a desire for human connection while feeling isolated. According to studies from the University of Chicago Medical Department, there is a connection between loneliness and health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diminished sleep quality, increased inflammation and decreased viral immunity. This Sunday, let’s explore God’s life-giving plan that displaces loneliness with joy and hope in our lives.
If you are considering becoming a follower of Jesus, you may suspect that remaining faithful when questioned by unbelievers could be a challenge (“I don’t want to appear foolish!”). If you are a Christian, you may have seasons when a culturally-acceptable world view of another causes you to waver (“Yikes, is this really true?”). Since it is natural to experience hesitancy regarding public steadfastness with and for Christ, join us this Sunday at 9 a.m. as we consider together what enduring faithfulness to Jesus looks like and how to experience it in a distracting world.