“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” -Isaiah 40:31
Often we experience difficulties that seem impossible to overcome. In these moments we can benefit from the stories of others who have found hope and a confidence in the midst of their difficulties. Below, we have compiled stories of people related to Hope that love and put their trust in the Lord. These are normal people who through giving of themselves, help others. You are not alone. There are loving people who are willing to come alongside you for support and encouragement. We invite you to read their stories and reach out to us at anytime to see how we might listen and walk with you. God promises strength to soar and run again. Contact us.
STORIES OF HOPE
YOUTH IN ACTION (LITERALLY!)
Earlier this month, Hope Youth Group welcomed a rowdy group of students into our space to have an amazing night of Laser Tag! Not only did many of our regular students attend, but every student that came brought at least one friend from school (Foster Cupp brought four!) making our group a total of 16 students (all guys!), which is more than we’ve seen in several years. After enjoying pizza and snacks, our staff, volunteers and students had a blast playing games and screaming, jumping, and running around the entire building.
Thank you so incredibly much to all the parents who were able to make this possible and thank you Hope for your support and giving which makes nights like this possible for the Youth Ministry!
And hey Youth – we hope to see you again for another Laser Tag night soon!
Hope Heals Camp, Hoot Family Recap
God gave Joy a phrase several years ago that reflects a reality our family has learned and experienced as we have spent time living in the community of disability.
“Belonging cultivates the belief we are beloved.”
At Hope Heals Camp the shared sorrow of disability created a sense of belonging. Something special happens when a group of people—who share the beauty of hope birthed from sorrow—gather and spend time together. The joy we saw in smiling faces who knew they belonged—as they were—was radiating!
Joy served as the camp spiritual director meeting with several women throughout the week. In addition, each of our family members served as “Compassionate Companions” walking alongside individual members of a camper family for the week. Joy got to know Elizabeth; Nate, Charlie; Olivia, Aully; Kelsey, Willa; and Ethan served as a Compassionate Companion in training.
Halfway through camp during a music activity Nate and Charlie were attending, the song “God’s Not Dead” started playing. Charlie was a non-verbal camper casually eating his goldfish snack until the chorus when his “happy hands” shot into the air (see photo)! His hands—and heart—started dancing to the words “God’s not dead, He’s surely alive. He’s living on the inside!” Tears welled up in our eyes as we witnessed this beautiful expression of a heart being known and being loved by its Creator.
Spending time with such beautiful lives at the end of July helped us remember we are not alone but we are seen, and we are loved. And we believe and hope that each one of them felt the same. So, “Thank you, Hope Church!” Thank you for participating in the bake sale this summer and helping our family get to Hope Heals Camp in middle of Alabama to experience this opportunity to volunteer and serve together. We are so grateful!
~ The Hoot Family
Hope Kids Show Love to our Community!
For the past few week’s Hope’s Children’s Ministry has been collecting donations for a local elementary school that serves a range of needs. What a joy it is for our children to experience giving in this way. Great job kids! Keep on the lookout for future opportunities to share love to our neighbors! And thank you to everyone who contributed to this school supply drive!
Hope Campus Continues to Improve!
Reclamation Church (who meets on campus on Sunday nights) volunteered recently and wow – we love the new mulch at Hope Park and in front of the church! Thank you so much!
Missionary Update
Don and Janet Guizzetti, are missionaries at the Oasis of Hope in Burkina Faso. They are feeding 160 hungry, mostly orphans, sharing the Gospel with strangers to Jesus, and teaching marginalized women job skills. They and their staff all share the love of Jesus with “the least of these.” The Guizzetti’s returned to the USA last week to speak of the work God is doing at the “Oasis,” to seek abundant prayer for its ongoing mission, and faithful support to keep the doors open to all in need. They will return to “Burkina” for a month or six weeks in November to pray with and encourage the staff and the babies. They are now being healed and restored by God after ten years of typhoid, malaria+Covid, dengue, and parasites in nearly constant +100-degrees. “We are closer to Jesus than we have ever been,” they share. God is so incredibly good. Obey God and love Jesus. GO and do Matthew 28:19. oasisofhopeafrica.org
Dear Hope,
Recently we had the privilege of having Becky Walker, our remote staff member from Tampa, FL with us in Denver for the first time in over three years. So, our staff (with the exceptions of our Worship Tech Coordinator Jon Koneman and Children’s Ministry Intern Kelsey Hoot) were all together. Pictured here from left to right: me, Prayer Coordinator & Facility Use Coordinator Rebecca Wertz, Communications Coordinator Becky Walker, Congregational Care & International Missions Pastor Jay Oertli, Ministry Coordinator & Youth Ministry Director Tara Farrell, Worship Leader Ben Reid, Children’s Ministry Director Becky Newquist, and Executive Pastor Arik Stewart. Please pray for our staff as we pray for you and as we all seek to abide in Jesus in all of life.
Thank you. We love serving Christ with you!
Dean
Dean Wertz | Lead Pastor
Let Everything that Has Breath Praise the Lord!
Just as we have cultivated a preaching team to equip more faithful heralds to declare that Jesus is Lord, we have recently taken steps to do the same to encourage and train more leaders of worship.
A key part of the vision for having Seth Slay at the helm of our worship ministry is a new monthly worship leader equipping gathering.
The first equipping event was held last month, and these trainings will continue on a monthly basis. During May’s meeting, Dean shared that those desiring to lead worship have a rare opportunity to learn from Seth who has been called by God and has cultivated his God-given abilities to lead in a way that beautifully facilitates worship of God. He also relayed several benefits for the church, musicians, those who are not yet worshiping God and the Lord Himself that will result if we cultivate a growing worship leadership community. Seth cast the vision of worship as exalting God in all of life for all people in all ways and then he relayed the essential worship values of artistry, collaboration and attentiveness. An exciting conversation followed as many of Hope’s musicians engaged.
Our monthly equipping gatherings are open to all musicians and potential worship leaders from within and outside of Hope. If you or anyone you know is eager to grow as a facilitator of worship, learn musical skills, develop the ability to prepare and remain flexible when leading, etc., we encourage you to join us at our next training on June 17 (and on the third Thursday of every month) at 6:30 p.m. in Hope’s Sanctuary!
Chris and Beth Steiner | Word of Life Ministries | June 20 Visit!
Chris and Beth Steiner, Hope partners, have served in country with Word of Life Ministries (WOL) in South Korea, Taiwan, and Nicaragua. Now based in the U.S., Chris is a manager of personnel and training, and he equips and supports WOL ministry teams worldwide. During the pandemic he has recruited and and trained Word of Life ambassadors to share the Gospel through English for Life classes.
Chris and Beth sent a note recently to thank Hope Community Church for our support for their international ministry.
Dear Church Family at Hope Community,
I hope 2021 has gone well for you so far. For as much as things were “shut down” in 2020, a lot of ministry and good work has been done during the last year. I want to thank you especially for your financial support last year and your continued support this year. Your partnership is impacting the world as we worked to train and equip over 150 full time missionaries around the globe in 2020. They are joining our teams with 5 year commitments to service on the field. I am still significantly involved with our Asia ministry teams, training new leadership on some teams and supporting the existing leaders on the other teams. Your faithful support has been a great encouragement.
Yours in Christ,
Chris & Beth Steiner
Chris and Beth also encourage any in the U.S. who want to have an impact on students from another country to lead “English Cafe” on Zoom for eight weeks. For example, one would meet online with a small group of S. Koreans for an English-Bible conversation time. Sessions are 1.5 hours each week, morning or evenings. Reach out to Pastor Jay for more information and to be connected. God has provided wonderful new ways to reach the world even during a pandemic! Praise Him! A U.S. resident can be an international missionary by these electronic means, or to reach out in other countries, a person or team may also make a short-term mission trip of 8 weeks to lead “English Cafe” in person.
We are really looking forward to the upcoming visit by Chris and Beth. They plan to provide an update for us in our morning worship service on Sunday, June 20, and they will also answer questions personally before and after the service.
Arik Stewart | A Pastor with Hope & Seminary Student
Did you know that Arik Stewart, Hope’s Executive Pastor and Youth Pastor, grew up attending Hope with his family? One privilege of being in an intergenerational disciple-making church is watching many of our children develop into young adults who follow God’s call in a variety of directions. This week we thank God for leading and forming Arik into a man who, in addition to loving his wife Leah and serving within Hope, is also growing his knowledge of God as a part-time student at Denver Seminary!
Arik enrolled at Denver Seminary in 2019 and has taken courses such as Hermeneutics (Bible Study Methods), Theology, Apologetics & Ethics, Church History, Homiletics (Preaching), Pastoral Care & Counseling, Old Testament, and Hebrew. Recently, while growing in reading, writing, and translating Old Testament Hebrew, Arik has been recognized for his hard work by being offered an opportunity to tutor new Hebrew students this summer.
Hope encourages continuing education (formal and/or informal) for all of our staff. Arik says one of his main motivations for enrolling in seminary was to grow further as a disciple at the head, heart and hand level in order to improve in preaching, pastoral care and organizational leadership. We are blessed to receive the teaching and insight that Arik shares with us on Sunday mornings, in conversations and in various settings.
Arik, thank you for following God’s lead and for sharing what you are learning with us at Hope!
Youth in the Booth
Did you know that on any given Sunday morning Hope relies on a dozen or more volunteers to keep our service running smoothly? Some volunteers are obvious, such as our worship musicians or kids’ ministry leaders, but some are unsung heroes that you may never notice!
Our Tech Coordinator, Kevin McMichael, sits in the back of the Sanctuary every single Sunday and runs our livestream, but he can’t do it alone. He needs one or two volunteers to run the lights and the slides as well – usually other adult members of the congregation and good friends of Kevin’s. But recently the Tech Booth has seen some new volunteers – our teenagers!
The above photo is of Chase Cupp (son of Adult Ministries Pastor Rob Cupp) working to run the slides on a recent Sunday morning. Chase is only 16, but Kevin has been training him on slides and lights for the past several weeks. Chase says the best part of working the slides is the bird’s-eye view of the entire sanctuary. The worst part, according to Chase, is getting up early. To be on time for worship rehearsal, Chase has to arrive by 8:00am, which means he is getting up as early as 7:15 – early for a weekend, and even earlier than he usually gets up for school! As Pastor Arik mentioned this past Sunday, we also had Jesse Bell (age 15) on slides for the first time, and he did a wonderful job!
Hope is deeply grateful for our dedicated volunteers! We are proud of our young adults who are desiring to serve the Lord and help keep our church going! If you (any age!) are interested in volunteering in this or another position, reach out to Rob Cupp or Tara Farrell. Thank you!
Mission Update | Greg & Ludmilla Piper
Perhaps you listened to Pastor Dean’s message a few weeks ago in which he talked about his time as a college student at Moody Bible Institute. He told about another student who invited Dean to come with him to preach and interact with others about Jesus on the streets of Chicago. Surrounded by high rises on busy corners, Dean did some stretching and growing that day. He learned important lessons from a man who encouraged him to take the good news to the streets! That influential man is Greg Piper, and Hope Church has been praying for and supporting Greg and Ludmila for many years as valued ministry partners!
Ludmila loves to take the Gospel (the Good News that Jesus is Lord) to Israel where she works with Jewish people who have a Russian background. Greg’s ministry includes work with churches in Germany and serving as an evangelist (one who heralds the Good News of Jesus) in Greece, India, and Israel. Thank you for your prayers and offerings to Hope that empower us to unite with these great partners, Greg and Ludmila Piper!
Read, below, in Greg’s words, a description of their current ministries:
Personal evangelism (like with this young Jewish man pictured above) is one of our ministries this winter. I love to share the Gospel, especially with young men. I see in them, spiritual light for the next generation. One of my favorite divine appointments was on a bitter cold Chicago night. My friend and I met at a restaurant and our waiter was a young man, Ryan. We were his only table and so after dinner I started to talk with him about the Gospel. My friend and I took turns sharing with/preaching to him and he didn’t seem to mind since we were his only patrons. He took a gift Bible and promised to read one of the gospels. Pray for Ryan. Sometimes we plant/sow, and sometimes we reap/harvest, but it is God who is working through us to His glory.
This fall will mark 25 years of full-time missionary work. Before that, I worked part time in the ministry, but in 1996, sensing God’s leading, I decided to go full time as a cross-cultural evangelist. I thank the Lord that He has been faithful to use me in many countries and on four continents to spread His word. Another milestone is the publishing of my book, “Sharing the Good News,” by Redemption Press. In addition to teachings about evangelism, I share several of my personal experiences throughout the years of gospel ministry.
Itinerant ministry plans: Ludmila hopes to participate in the Jewish “Shavuot outreach” in the middle of May this year, but this is dependent, among other things, on Israel loosening its covid restrictions. The same goes for my plans to minister in Germany and Greece this summer/fall.
Please pray for us for certainty in these uncertain times. Thank you.
-Greg Piper (taken from the Pipers’ 1st prayer letter in 2021)
Lillian’s Big Heart Art
Hope’s very own Lillian Benedik shined bright (and continues to!) in the news as Lillian and her compassionate heart for the homeless was highlighted recently by KMGH Denver 7. We invite you to watch the video and read more below. Used with permission, we will lead you into this amazing story. We are SO proud and aware that Jesus is working through Lillian in the most beautiful and colorful of ways.
An update since the February 15 article:
–Lillian’s 70+ pieces of art (mostly featured at Littleton’s GraceFull Community Cafe) have generated $3,000 for the homeless (including a $1,000 donation/commission)!
— Lillian is hoping to add more paintings at GraceFull soon (they sold out quickly due to the publicity)! She encourages people to view her art and donate here on her facebook page Lillian’s Big Heart Art. Donations can also be made directly to the GraceFull Foundation or by emailing Meg Benedik to receive a painting and support Lillian’s dream of helping the homeless in our community.
LITTLETON, Colo. — There is no quick solution to ending Colorado’s homelessness, but one 6-year-old in Littleton is making a difference in her own colorful way.
Like most artists, little Lillian Benedik has always had the gift of empathy.
“She’s just in tune to the world around her and she soaks it all in,” described her mother, Megan Benedik.
So when Lillian saw the growing number of desperate panhandlers on the streets near her grandma’s home, it just didn’t sit right with the 6-year-old. continue reading here….
Partnership Highlight: Community Ministry
Hope Community Church partners with Community Ministry in order to assist those both inside and outside our church family when they request assistance. Community Ministry provides food, clothing, school supplies, utility assistance, and Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday food baskets. For those who call or stop by the church, one of our responses is often to direct them to Community Ministry where they have access to the Food Bank. As a partner with Community Ministry, Hope contributes by providing non-perishable food for their Food Bank and by periodically contributing financially. Read more about Community Ministry here.
The Hope family may contribute non-perishable food to the Food Bank by bringing items to the Food Bank basket in the church foyer. We will list food that is particularly needed in the Hope bulletin, but you may donate any non-perishable food items. Thanks so much, Hope family, for your contributions! It’s another tangible way in which we can better love and care for those in need in our greater Denver community. Please consider donating canned fruit and vegetables this February and March. Thank you in advance for sharing with others!
-February 11, 2021 Bulletin
A Story of Great Healing and Hope
Many of you banded in prayer for Don Guizzitti, our dear friend and missionary in Burkina Faso. His very recent experience of battling malaria and COVID-19 with a miraculous turn to health is chronicled below. Please do not miss reading a first-hand account of what God can accomplish when His children are praying…
“Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; Light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” -Psalm 13:3
After being dogged by an unidentified illness for the better part of a month or more my symptoms grew more severe—fatigue, weakness, brain fog, but most oddly no fever. In celebration of the new year, I completely lost my senses of smell and taste. Dear friends almost dragged me to the clinic where I was diagnosed with Malaria and, as a kicker, a dose of the “maladie de la année,” Covid-19. My symptoms continued to grow more acute.
One dark night the following week I sat in bed anticipating meeting Jesus. I had never felt so ill as the “sleep of death.” While it would be my joy, not fear that would mark our meeting, I remain uncomfortable with the review of my life that will follow. Christ bore my sin burden and freed me from the torment of hell, but as King David observed, “my sin is ever before me.” God has forgiven me more than I have myself. I was sure that night would be my last.
I embraced Psalm 51 in prayer. I acknowledged that all my sins were against God. I grasped at his steadfast love and abundant mercy. I begged of Him a clean heart and a right spirit. He opened my lips to declare his praise. I then dozed only to be awakened sometime later by novel sensations at the base of my chest, something like warmth, but not temperature, something like vibration without movement. I dozed some more.
That morning I awoke after a peaceful sleep. I felt renewed as if it were a Saturday morning in spring filled with breeze and birds. I felt surprisingly better. I savored the first moments of wakefulness and bid God good morning. There was an air of peace and calm in the room. There was a palpable sense of the numinous—a feeling of the presence of the divine.
Each day since then I have felt better. I still experience a bit of fatigue and some weakness, but the dark night has been replaced by a warm sunrise. The abundant prayers of so many in the form of the merciful, healing hand of God are obvious. I owe much to those who have and continue to pray like persistent widows on my behalf and to my wife Janet who has encouraged me and asked for prayers for my healing. On that very dark night I could feel the effect of your prayers. I am surprised at the pace of my healing. The doctors and nurses have expressed pleasure at my vitals such as a pulseox level of 98%-to 99% and total lack of a fever from Malaria or Covid.
I am not sure why I have been graced with such an uneventful recovery from two potentially serious illnesses. I can only think to attribute it to the abundance of prayers of my wife Janet, our many friends, acquaintances, and colleagues and the response of a God who loves me in spite of my very abundant and profound human failings. Thank you all so very much.
“But I have trusted in your steadfast love, My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” –Psalm 13:5,6
-Don Guizzitti
Ouagabloga Blog Entry “Going Viral” January 15, 2021
Welcome Tara Farrell!
We are excited to announce that we have added Tara Farrell onto the Hope team as Ministry Intern. A significant part of our 2019 Expand Hope initiative was raising money for an adult ministry pastor who would, among other things, develop an internship program. It is wonderful to have Rob Cupp who is now implementing this concept with Tara and, hopefully others in the future. Read more about our new intern below!
Hello, Hope Church! I am very excited to begin my role here as an official Ministry Intern. This internship is the perfect introduction to a career of non-profit or ministry work. I am currently completing a BS in Biblical and Educational Studies and I have work experience in both small-church youth ministry and at Compassion International in Colorado Springs. My husband Peter and I have been attending Hope for a little over a year, and we absolutely love the community of friends and mentors we have built here. Many of you know me from the times that I have been onstage either as a worship leader or preacher, but I am excited to get to know more of you as well.
Peter works from home in Information Technology, and prior to being an intern I worked at a Starbucks cafe as a barista. I love good coffee, good music, and playing games or spending time with friends. I also enjoy reading, writing, movies, singing and playing guitar. I am so excited for the news things that God wants to do this year at Hope Church and for how He is going to lead us in joy and peace through 2021.
– Tara Farrell
-January 28, 2021 Bulletin
Chris and Beth Steiner | World of Life Ministries
In May 2020 we described the ministry of Chris and Beth Steiner, Hope partners who have been serving in country with Word of Life Ministries (WOL) in South Korea, Taiwan, and Nicaragua over the years. Now they are based in the U.S., and Chris is a manager of training and personnel who equips and supports WOL ministry teams in other countries. During the pandemic he has been responsible to recruit and train Word of Life ambassadors who then share the Gospel through English for Life classes.
It is amazing to hear about lives that have been changed while most of the meetings have been held online during the past year!
Following is one of the Chris Steiners’ great stories from December 2020: “The International Ministries office has been rolling out an online MIT (training) event to accept and train new missionaries around the world. The first one was in November. Fifteen candidates, coming mostly from Europe, but also from Uganda, the Philippines, Brazil, and the USA were accepted as new WOL missionaries. A tsunami of missionary applicants came in the Fall from Central and South America in anticipation of the online Spanish MIT in December. So many applied that we had to adjust the application process and develop stronger collaboration with our regional leadership. The Spanish MIT was split into two groups, with 40 candidates from Central American/Caribbean in December and another 50 from South America planned for early 2021.
To be honest, it feels a lot like what Peter must have felt when Jesus told him to cast his nets on the right side of the boat and the nets were too full to lift into the boat. It has become beyond my physical ability to do the work. Pray for the International Missions team as we continue to adjust and grow and serve our missionaries on the field.”
Are you an early riser? You can be an online missionary with WOL! Chris says, “There are opportunities to teach English and Bible almost every day of the week with one of our teams in Asia through English Cafe.” (One day a week for 1 1/2 hours, 5 – 8 AM). Also, there will be openings to teach in other countries as well. Contact Pastor Jay and he will put you in touch with Chris.
-January 14, 2021 Bulletin
STORIES OF HOPE 2020
MISSIONARY SPOTLIGHT. “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert…that they might declare my praise.” Isaiah 43:19,21
True Impact Ministries(TIM) began their formal mission in Uganda over a decade ago, as Susie and Andy Stewart listened and obeyed God’s call. The ministry began with building projects, quickly adding a sponsorship program to fill the schools and dormitories and care for the most vulnerable. The ministry has expanded through the years, sharing Jesus’ love through medical clinics, food, clothing and educatioon for hundreds of children. This year with COVID restrictions and school closures we are seeking innovative ways to impact lives. God has begun a new thing so that we might glorify Him.
Tanya Koneman has been active on the TIM board since its beginning, and for the past 5 years has worked as the Sponsorship Coordinator, connecting kids in Uganda with loving families across the world.
“I am amazed by the resilience and strength of our Partners in Uganda as they remain connected and caring, seeking out the sponsored children who are scattered in remote areas. God is providing new avenues of education and support for our kids. Children who are staying with guardians are visited each month by our Uganda team and given food, clothing, bedding and hygiene supplies to supplement their households. Medical concerns and housing needs have been identified and addressed. Salem Home remains open to over 50 students, with the older ones teaching the younger ones. After weeks of planning, we just received photos of the new cooking course for the older girls, and internship opportunities for teaching sewing and motorcycle/auto repair.
I would love to keep you informed about True Impact Ministries so you will have up-to-date knowledge of the ways Jesus is working in the lives of the children—so you will know how to pray especially. Simply join our email list! Visit our website, and share your email address to receive newsletters, join our prayer team, or donate to the Virtual Run, Walk, Hop scheduled in October.
Thank-you Hope family, for those of you who pray, sponsor, or donate regularly to expand God’s Kingdom in Uganda through True Impact Ministries. If you would like more information about sponsorship or our mission, visit our website or contact me directly: .” -Tanya Koneman
HOPE MISSIONS | KEEPING UP WITH CHARLIE MARQUIS. Charlie Marquis continues ministry through Forge as an itinerant preacher and trainer of disciples. How does one who travels to Africa and Asia (and beyond) making disciples everywhere, continue this itinerant ministry when travel has been shut down because of the pandemic? Charlie is still training, teaching, and evangelizing! How does he do that? Below is a recent update:
“Although I was able to preach in various states before the virus hit, this season has really provided space to invest time in training others electronically. Not only has this included our podcast which now has listeners in 27 different countries, but also more focus on fueling Kingdom movement through other lives.
A 20-year-old girl in Central Asia committed to Jesus when we preached there this past fall and then she reached out several months ago, ‘God put it on my heart to start a mission group. I have five people ready. Now what do I do?’ Now, with some training, she has sparked a small movement! There are currently 250 new believers spanning 6 spiritual generations, all during quarantine and lockdowns! The best surely is yet to come… It is amazing what can be done for the Kingdom through a phone.” – Charlie Marquis
More great news! Charlie and Dara are now parents to a sweet baby girl! They welcomed Adelaide Haven Marquis on July 28, 2020. Her name means “noble refuge.” Congratulations, Marquis family!
MORE THAN A MUSICIAN… Our new Worship Leader, Morgan McCullough, has engaged his company, PepMove, and partnered with Bloom Church to host a WorldVision food drop and distribution for families in need. Morgan’s whole (!) warehouse team is rallying around this effort – receiving goods, storing refrigerated food and driving trucks to distribute. This has been a highlight for Morgan’s management as his boss had hoped to do something for the community in the midst of this difficult season. We wanted to share this good news as we watch God do amazing things in our Metro Denver area through His people. This is truly an example of using one’s gifts to be a light in this world. Thank you Morgan!
MINISTRY: 500 POUNDS OF SOCKS! 
Below is a fascinating report of generosity. Thanks Dan Boyd for sharing this with us!
Over the past year, a group of men and women from Hope (led by Paul Barr, Mike Bechtold, Rob Cupp, Ted Schmidt and myself) have been volunteering with the Women’s Homelessness Initiative(WHI). Typically this includes the set up of 25 cots and preparing, serving, and cleaning-up dinner in the basement of the First Baptist church across from the capital here in Denver. The women normally spend the night sleeping on the cots and then a bus would pick up in the morning to take the ladies back to the St. Francis day-shelter.
The biggest request that we hear from the homeless women is for clean underwear and socks. Earlier this year Mike suggested to me that we should contact The Bombas Sock Company and ask them for a donation of new socks. Not having a high level of confidence in this idea, I did nevertheless contact Bombas, and requested 2500 pair of socks. In just a couple of weeks I heard back from Bombas. They asked a few questions, and then promised to send the socks as soon as possible! Much to my surprise, in June I received 2500 pair of socks at my home — ten large boxes – -a total of 500 pounds!
Since the receipt of this amazing donation, we have distributed the full shipment to the homeless women at The Coliseum, The St Francis Center, 20D Street Ministries, The Te Veo House, The Gathering Place, The Network, The Open Door Fellowship and Mountview Boulevard Presbyterian Church. We plan to reach out to The Bombas Sock Company within the next week to request an additional donation!
Most of us have no idea how much a new pair of socks can mean to a homeless person. Read more about Bombas here and their commitment to helping the homeless!
–Dan Boyd
YOUTH. This past week, a small group of leaders and students from our youth ministry spent an evening doing yard work for a senior member of our congregation. Hey Youth – way to be of service!
HOPE MISSIONS. Many of you have met Bill and Karen when they’ve visited Hope. For their security, we share no more than their first names electronically and refer to them as “BandK” in their communications with us. For many years God has blessed their ministry in the Far East, and they are now waiting expectantly in the U.S. until their country of ministry opens and the pandemic hopefully wains. Below is their story of relational discipleship at work. Praise the Lord! God is at work harvesting souls all around this world! Keep praying for BandK!
Relational discipleship changes lives
One Sunday evening as mountain students were arriving one-by-one for a “tea party” at our apartment, I opened the door for “John” and was surprised and even a bit frightened to see a stranger standing beside him – since one must be super cautious in the Redlands.
“Larry” had heard his roommate John talk about how he had been healed from TB, as a result of our communities’ prayers and financial assistance for medication. Larry suffered from chronic stomach pain and had come hoping to be healed as well! Over time, the Lord indeed healed Larry—first, the healing of his soul and eventually his body as well.
Following graduation Larry became a teacher at a college in a distant mountain area, so his relatives arranged for his marriage to a woman he had never met. We traveled two long days by train and bus to reach the remote mountain area where Larry taught in order to participate in their wedding. His own parents couldn’t make the rugged trip, so Larry asked us to represent them. When we asked if his wife believes in Jesus, Larry replied: “Not yet! I only just met her!”
A year or so later, Larry and his wife came home for the holidays, so we went to see them in Larry’s village. While hiking together, I asked his wife if she believes in Jesus. She emphatically replied that she does! When I asked if her family knows that she believes, she told me they do, and that most of them have decided to believe, too!
Today, Larry and his college friend, John, both teach at the same college. Each Sunday their families gather in each other’s homes along with some other coworkers. Whenever they come home for the holidays, we visit Larry and his family in the village where we now partner together in helping fatherless children go to school, as well as providing school supplies and toiletries, coats for the elderly, and hand-knit hats and mittens for the children.
As we sow seeds of love, watering it with our lives, and fertilizing it with acts of kindness, God causes the seed to grow and He brings forth a harvest… thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as was planted! Praise HIM!!
HOPE MISSIONS. Let’s catch up with Charlie Marquis, itinerant preacher with Forge whom we all know and love from his time with us here at Hope. Hope supports him as one of our missions partners as he reaches out in several countries and here in the U.S. as well. What a blessing he and Dara are to our church. Here is his description of God’s work through his ministry currently:
“Pandemic and unrest do not hinder the King of Kings! Although ministry has looked different, it certainly hasn’t ceased. A 20 year-old from a restricted ‘Middle Eastern’ Asian country sent me a message saying, ‘I fully committed my life to Jesus when you preached in my area. God put it on my heart to start a mission group. So I have 5 people ready for mission. Now what do I do?’ I began training this young disciple weekly and in less than 45 days we have seen rapid multiplication: at least 5 spiritual generations consisting of 200+ born again new believers!!! I have also been electronically discipling a young man from East Africa who said, ‘This was the first time I have ever read the Bible!’ God has also provided this non-travel time to further build key personal foundations (with a baby on the way!) [Dara is due July 25 and is doing well] and key ministry foundations that get pushed to the side for the urgency of travel. Therefore I have been thankful.
Hope CC Family – These things could not happen without your love, fervent prayers, and generous support! This is YOUR fruit! You are an incredible team. I pray God allows us to see each other soon.”
HOPE MISSIONS. We have recently been informed that some of the money Hope sent to True Impact Ministries (for the now-canceled Uganda summer mission trip) was used for a great purpose! Children and families in the Ugandan countryside were able to receive food deliveries while the country was on strict lock-down. Praise God!
HOPE MISSIONS: Denver Rescue Mission | A Testimony
Hope is so thankful that God has given us a partnership with the Denver Rescue Mission. They minister through specialized life-changing programs, and Ed Creecy, the son of Dorothy Creecy’s (a long-time beloved member of the Hope family), has benefitted greatly from the rehab program. Below is his story.
“Today is my 58th birthday. I want to thank Jesus first, and then my dear mother, Dorothy Creecy, now in heaven with the Father. Thanks also to Pastor Dean for informing me about the Denver Rescue Mission.
I had issues when I was a child that led me to become an alcoholic and a drug addict. For 30 years, I tried to kill the pain of the past. I hit rock bottom, and thank God my Mom knew I needed tough love. She kicked me out of the house, and it was then Pastor Dean told me about the Denver Rescue Mission. I knew at that time that I was going to die if I didn’t get some help.
I began the Denver Rescue Mission program at Harvest Farm, and soon after, I found God. I was baptized, earned a GED, and specialized in driver’s training. I ushered at my church in Fort Collins for 2 years and I did volunteer work any time I could. I graduated in 13 months.
After that I had my own painting business, attending church regularly while having a part-time job at Harvest Farm. My dear angel Mom died on October 11, 2018. I was there with her when she passed. Very soon after my birth mother called me for the first time in my life. The Father took my Mom to be with Him and within a 5 minute period gave me my birth Mom. God is so amazing, and I’m thankful for everything – the past, the present, and the future. Thank you, Father God, and thank you Mom and Pastor Dean. And I want to thank God for the Denver Rescue Mission, and all they continue to do for people like me. John 10:7-11 says it all – Follow the good Shepherd and you’ll have the best life you can have.”
Truly, Ed Creecy
HOPE MISSIONS. Don and Janet Guizzetti, members of the Hope family, have been serving at the Oasis of Hope mission in Burkina Faso, West Africa since 2012. Their ministries include feeding malnourished babies whose mothers cannot nurse. Often these mothers are no longer taking care of the child or have died. Don and Janet also improve maternal nutrition by providing eggs from their chicken farm, supplements of rice, beans, and peanuts, and meals during the the monthly distributions of food and baby formula. They teach marginalized women— widows, divorced, and abandoned women to sew, make soap, and handmade crafts to support themselves and their families. They share the love of Christ through personal relationships and the Gospel during regular literacy classes for the women. Don and Janet currently reside in Denver where they are raising funds for the continuing operation of their mission after being evacuated due to jihadist violence and the arrival of Covid-19 virus.
HOPE MISSIONS | INNER CITY DENVER. For over 40 years Dennis and Shelley Noble have faithfully served in Denver’s Five Points inner city. Recently, they shared about Miguel, a young man who found God while in prison, trusted Him, and became a changed person. Their story of Miguel shows that transformation of a heart can have great impact in both life and in death… Following Miguel’s prison term, Dennis and Shelley became neighbors (Miguel lived in their church ministry house next door) and was a big help around The Church of the Risen Lord. Miguel did everything from yard work, repairing cars, shoveling show and assisting church members with moving. Dennis shared that late last year, Miguel passed away. The memorial service for this young man was packed with church members, family and friends, many who heard for the first time of Miguel’s dramatically changed life. The service provided an opportunity to share about the difference Jesus makes in a person. Miguel, just week’s before he died, spent time with his mother and she, too, made a life decision to follow God. Thank you Hope for your continued giving and prayer for missions. And thanks to Dennis and Shelley for their commitment and work with precious people such as Miguel.
A NOTE TO HOPE. We recently received an encouraging note and asked for permission to share (anonymously) so you may also be encouraged by the role our church is having during this unusual season…
“Good afternoon Hope Leadership,
I’ve been reflecting A LOT the last several weeks on how thankful I am for the many ways Hope has walked with and led with the body of Christ through this challenging season. I wanted to share with you a few of things that have meant a lot to our family. I know I won’t capture it all.
Hope at Home: The simple, on-point Hope at Home recordings have been really good for us. It is a highlight of our week that all 3 of us look forward to. The last 3 weeks, we have gotten dressed up for church as a way to prepare our hearts for an hour with Jesus that looks different that the other hours of the week that all seem to blend together. The children’s music choices and art activities have been excellent.
The Easter egg and Communion delivery: Wow, this meant more to us than you would probably expect. Just imagining you all driving all over town to delivery these bags to every Hope family moves me to tears. The extended offer to the rest of the Platt Park community was a great opportunity to bless our neighbors who also went to pick up a bag for their kids Friday afternoon.
Age appropriate teaching ideas from Anna: Early childhood spiritual development is not an area of great understanding or gifting for me. Anna provided us with some excellent suggestions and approaches for beginning to plant seeds about the Gospel message and sharing about the Easter story with our pre-preschooler. Seeds are definitely taking root, which gives us something to really celebrate right now.
Indeed, there are more…like regular Hope Group zoom check-ins and prayer, receiving texts, fun deliveries, “pen-pals” between Hope kids, phone calls and emails from Hope friends, etc. We find ourselves increasingly grateful for our Hope Family. We love you and pray God’s blessings of hope and encouragement for you and your families this week.”
STORIES OF HOPE 2019
To be added soon…
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