Are you naturally a servant? We discover in Isaiah’s vision, after becoming more fully aware of God’s holiness and his unworthiness – and having his sins blotted out – the Lord says to Isaiah, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And Isaiah responds, “Here am I, send me.” Isaiah was ready to serve!
Every one of us has been given some gift that is unique to us. No one else in the church has exactly the gift God has given you. Some of you may be thinking, if you just knew me better; if you knew the circumstances of my life, you would know that I don’t have any unique gift. But every one of us has been given a unique gift. Many of us have been given multiple gifts! The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 12:7: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Our greatest gift may be used in our workplace, or our neighborhood, or in a club to which we belong . . . it may not necessarily be used in the context of the church. But God has planted something beautiful in you. Maybe you have not found it yet. But God has planted in you a gift, and you are called to use it! Friends, followers of Jesus serve naturally. May we all have servant hearts, likened to our Savior! So, God is asking you: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And like Isaiah, your response is: “Here am I, send me.” May we always be ready to serve!
Worship
Pastor Glen will continue the study of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians. His sermon this Sunday is: “Worthy of Imitation,” based on Philippians 2:19-30. Please read this text in preparation for worship.
For your information, we have moved name tags to a table inside the sanctuary door to alleviate a bottleneck of traffic coming into the church!
Adult Sunday School
Our Adult Sunday school class will meet this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the large Sunday school room. Please join Janet Coiner and others for a wonderful time around God’s Word!! We will continue our study of the Acts of the Apostles. This Sunday we will focus on Acts 11 and 12: Peter’s Defense, Imprisonment, and Deliverance! Please bring your Bible.
Bible Reading Plans
If you are interested in reading the Bible this year, I have attached a link to several Bible reading plans. This might be a great time to begin reading and studying God’s Word. https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan/
Exploring Hope Class
Our next Exploring Hope Class is THIS SUNDAY after worship! Exploring Hope is a gathering designed to communicate a brief overview of what is important to us here at Hope, including our history, what we believe, our values, our focus, our direction, and how to get connected. The two-hour class will include lunch in our main Sunday school room. If you have signed up, we look forward to welcoming you!! More opportunities for this class will be offered soon!
Annual Congregational Meeting
Our annual congregational meeting will be on Sunday, January 21st immediately after our worship service. We will be given a state of the church report, including a financial report, elect a church treasurer, and approve the pastor’s terms of call. Please plan to attend this important meeting!
Ministry Fair
There will be a ministry fair on February 11th. There will be opportunities to explore various ministries within the church and sign up to serve in a particular ministry area. Please mark your calendars for this exciting time of learning and serving.
Men’s Bible Study
Our Men’s Bible Study meets every Tuesday from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. in the Community Room at Panera Bread. We are currently driving down Rt. 66, exploring the 66 books of the Bible. This Tuesday we will be exploring Titus. All men are invited and encouraged to join us!!
Parking
Since our parking lot on Sundays is becoming fuller (which is a wonderful problem!!!), we encourage members and friends who can park in the lots to the west of the church facility. There is a path with pavers to walk around the building to the main entrance.
Tithes and Offerings
An offering box is available when you enter or exit the sanctuary. Additionally, Online Giving
Are You Receiving Church Emails
If you or someone you know would like to receive periodic emails, including This Week @ Hope and the weekly Prayer Requests and Praise Reports, please provide your first and last name, as well as your email address. You may give this information to one of our elders: Albert Danraj, Marty Porter, Tim Stewart, or Bob Simmons. Thank you so much!
Golden Oldies
We will meet next on February 13th from 10:30 to Noon at Panera Bread Community Room. A representative from Social Services will be our speaker. All church members and elders are invited to join us for this session.
Prayer Concerns and Praise Reports
If you have any concerns you would like to add to the Prayer Concerns and Praise Reports list or give an update, PLEASE contact our prayer coordinator, Janet Coiner (540.447.0918) by THURSDAY at 10:00 a.m.!! Thanks so much!!
Driver Assistance
If you or someone in our congregation needs a ride to a doctor’s appointment or other appointments, please call Tom Reider (540.649.5162). He has agreed to coordinate rides. He has a list of those who have volunteered to give those rides. We are grateful for this important ministry!!
Mission Corner
We will be collecting Baby Bottles to support the ministry of ComfortCare Women’s Health once again this year. Baby bottles will be available to pick up and fill with extra change or any other donations throughout the next month. We will have a speaker from ComfortCare share about this important ministry THIS SUNDAY!!
Candi Brown shares her gratitude to all our folks who have donated various items to support families through Love INC! Beginning in January through March we will be collecting baby diapers and wipes. We are grateful for our partnership with Love INC and your support in making donations to this ministry!!
The Missions Team is active keeping in touch with our missionaries and other ministries. Please keep updated! You can visit our website and go to the Outreach page
January Birthdays
Hank Coffey (1/15); Candi Brown (1/22); Janet Coiner (1/27)