I believe it is obvious, but our culture in America used to be more connected to the Church and Christian education. According to a Barna Research Group study in 2023: “The bulk of the American adult population – 82% – falls into the “World Citizen” category, described as people “who may embrace a few biblical principles but generally believe and behave in ways that are distinct from biblical teaching.” According to the report, this group has grown substantially from the 69% registered in 2020. That is a huge increase!!
That means that many people even those involved in a church do not operate out of a Biblical worldview. A worldview is the framework from which we view reality and make sense of life and the world. For example, most young children believe they are the center of their world. A secular humanist believes that the material world is all that exists, and a Buddhist believes he/she can be liberated from suffering by self-purification. Someone with a biblical worldview believes his/her primary reason for existence is to love and serve God. So, what is it that qualifies a person as a Christian?
The Apostle Paul makes a list in Romans 10 of what qualifies someone as a Christian. He starts in Romans 10:9: “. . . if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” In other words, there is an outward expression of your faith (confessing with your lips that Jesus is Lord) and an inward resonance with the things of God (belief in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead) – these are two things that qualify someone as a Christian.
Friends, a Christian is someone who is reflecting the excitement about what God is doing in the world. It is not someone just following a list of do’s and don’ts. Christians resonate with the things of God. If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will resonate with the things of God – you will be sitting on the edge of your seat with excitement about what God is doing in the world. And, when you have that kind of excitement, you will want to tell others about this Good News!!
One of our new members has been encouraging me to share this good news in my ministry at the hospital! So, I encourage all of us throughout this New Year to do three things . . .
- Make a list of three people you know who to your knowledge have not confessed with their mouths or believed in their hearts that Jesus is Lord or who do not have a biblical/Christian worldview.
- Begin to discipline yourself to expect that every conversation you have is an opportunity to tell others about the good news of Jesus. Therefore, you begin to have a curiosity: is this a conversation that I might share the good news of Jesus? Allow the good news to be the BIG issue underneath every conversation.
- Learn to tell your story of this good news – BRIEFLY. Practice telling about how God’s grace has become real for you. So that others may know.
May 2024 be marked by many conversations which point people to Jesus!!
Worship
Pastor Glen will resume our study of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians. His sermon this Sunday is: “Do You Grumble?” based on Philippians 2:14-18. 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!
We will celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper this Sunday. We encourage you to examine yourself before receiving the Sacrament per 1 Corinthians 11:27-32.
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 11-12: 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
Come to our next Exploring Hope Class! 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. Our next Exploring Hope Class will be on Sunday, January 14th, after worship. The two-hour class will include lunch in our main Sunday school room. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Pastor Glen. If you plan to attend, there is a sign-up sheet in the Welcome Center!
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 2 Timothy. 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
Please mark your calendar, as Golden Oldies will have a fun Bingo party on January 10th from 10:30 a.m. to 12 Noon at Panera Bread in the Community Room. Each person is to bring a gift not over $10 value for prizes. Come join the fellowship!!
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 on January 14th.
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 various personal hygiene items. We are grateful for our partnership with Love INC!
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
Alan Morrison (1/2); Cheryl Reynolds & Teresa Marshall (1/7); Hank Coffey (1/15); Candi Brown (1/22); Janet Coiner (1/27)