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.
Some days we face unmanageable demands for production. Other days we receive unexpected requests and expectations from people. Having learned though the past five weeks how Jesus is better than anyone and anything, join us this Sunday to discover how to live the “draw near” life through the peaceful and busy days of life.
The continual sacrifices of the law were good because they temporarily eliminated our guilt and debt for sinning against God. But the once-for-all self-sacrifice of Jesus is better because it permanently eliminated our guilt and debt, it completely restored our relationship with God, and it’s making us perfect.
By better understanding the ancient Israelite sacrificial system, we can better comprehend the tremendous cost and consequences associated with our sin. This allows us to better understand the tremendous sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ and what that means for us as followers of Jesus today!
Whether you grew up going to church, or found Jesus later in life, there are always moments we learn something about our faith that feels upsetting, difficult, and confusing. Scripture is not always immediately clear and there are passages and ideas that feel contradictory. In church we also hear many different voices and opinions from many different leaders – maybe even those who are trying to lead us astray. In short, as a Christian, it can be hard to know who to trust. In the next installment of our Hebrews series, Ministry Coordinator Tara Farrell brings us a message titled “Jesus is the Better Priest” as we explore some difficult questions of faith and exalt Christ as the ultimate and trustworthy priest!