Filled with the Holy Spirit

In the final chapters of all four gospels, the Apostle Peter denies Jesus not once but THREE times!  But in Acts, Peter is like a new man.  After being put in custody in Acts 4 for healing a crippled man, he could have been fearful.  He could have said only what he thought was necessary to secure his release from custody.  But instead, he boldly witnesses to these murderers of Jesus.

What made the difference?  Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit.  We read in Acts 4:8-10, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead – by him this man is standing before you well.”

So, what does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit?  Assuming that you are a follower of Jesus, the main requirement for being filled with the Holy Spirit is to be cleansed from sin and to be yielded to the Spirit. A Spirit-filled person is not self-willed but rather is submissive to God’s will.  Since the Holy Spirit’s main ministry is to glorify Jesus Christ, as we see in John 16:14, a person who is filled with the Spirit will seek to glorify Jesus.

Spirit-filled witnesses obey God rather than people, even under the threat of persecution or death.  We don’t know what the council said by way of threats, but Acts 4:21 indicates that they were not vague about the fact that if Peter and John continued to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they would pay a severe price.  But rather than saying, “Yes sir, we’ll be more restrained in the future,” they said in v. 19, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”  Then they went back to their friends and prayed for greater boldness than they already had, as we see later in v. 29!

May we all be filled with the Holy Spirit in such a way that we boldly proclaim Jesus Christ to the people around us – and beyond!

Worship

In Pastor Glen’s absence, Mike Adams will be filling the pulpit.  His sermon this Sunday is entitled, “Led by the Spirit,” based on Romans 8:9-17.  You are encouraged to read this text before worship.

Sunday Morning Bible Study Class

Our Adult Bible Study class will meet this Sunday at 9:15 a.m. in the large Sunday school room. Please join Lowell Gross and others for a wonderful time around God’s Word!!  We will focus on 2 Corinthians: “2 Corinthians Introduction.”  Please bring your Bible.

Tithes & Offerings

An offering box is available when you enter or exit the sanctuary.  Additionally, Online Giving

Exploring Hope Class

Our next Exploring Hope Class will be held THIS SUNDAY (January 12th) after worship in the large Sunday school room.  The class will include lunch and last for two and a half hours.  It is a wonderful time to explore our vision, beliefs, and values and learn ways to be involved.  By attending this class you will be invited to become a member of our church!  If you are interested in attending this class, please get in touch with Pastor Glen at drglenholman@gmail.com.

Women’s Ministry New Bible Study

Annual Congregational Meeting

Our annual congregational meeting will be immediately after worship on January 26th.  We will review 2024 and learn more about plans for 2025, including a treasurer’s report and presentation of the church budget.  We will get an update on the pastor search team process.  We will also vote on the Terms of Call for Pastor Glen.

Pastor Search Committee Update & Prayer

Your Pastor Search Committee is in the process of finding our next lead pastor. They are reviewing some initial inquiries about the position and beginning the process of interviewing some selected applicants.    

We invite you to covenant to pray for the next pastor and specifically for the Pastor Search Committee, as they seek the Lord!  As the Lord directs, you may even wish to fast for a meal or a day or more.  Corporate prayer is so needed!  Join with other sisters and brothers if you can.

Session Highlights

Our Session met on Monday, December 16th at 6:00 p.m.  The following are some of the highlights:

  • Ruling Elder Bob Simmons read the Christmas story in the Gospel of Luke, followed by reflections and prayer.
  • Members of our Diaconate (Kathy Doyle, Jerry Coffman, Roger Graham, and Rodger Daniels) attended part of the Session’s meeting on invitation to overview their startup status and re-affirm our excitement and commitment to their service at Hope CC. A letter to Hope members from them is forthcoming. 
  • The Deacons agreed to become the Ride’s coordinator; stay tuned for more information. 
  • The next “Exploring Hope Class” will be on January 19, 2025;
  • The annual Congregational meeting is set for January 26, 2025, at 11:30 AM. 
  • Wonderful progress on the upgrade to our Welcome Center is so clearly noticed and deeply appreciated.
  • Continued securing backup/”redundant” folks for key service positions at our church, with another such position being offered very soon. 
  • Will request Chris Haynes to offer his thoughts on our upcoming Alpha Course while he is in the USA. 
  • Critically discussed our website performance and sought to have issues resolved. 
  • Critically discussed “ChurchTrac” and access to the online directory. 
  • Agreed to request a cost quote to facilitate access to the kitchen from the “Ministry Room” (formerly the “Annex) and additionally provide an informal “gathering place.”
  • Discussed the desire to routinely provide an attractive “order of worship” and notes space for each Sunday’s worship.
  • Session acknowledged the receipt and distribution of our new hymnals (that morning!), a gift from a member of Hope! 

Budget Update

Total Tithes/Offerings for December:   $32,443.63    YTD: $315,055.27

Total Expenses for December:             $25,282.84    YTD:  $210,940.80

Golden Oldies

2025 will be a great year for those 70 or older as we meet the second Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in the Panera Bread Community Room on the following dates:
February 12th – Our experienced Music Director Don Coffey will be our guest speaker.
March 12th – Steve Everidge of Shenandoah Tours will present a program of travels.
On August 20-21 – Golden Oldies will travel to Lancaster, PA, to see Noah and Then Sings My Soul.  Information on the trip and a sign-up sheet are available in the welcome center.

Opportunity to Help a Family

We are taking donations to help Cody Mundie in the loss of his grandmother.  Victoria Smith died in the house fire on Guthrie Road in Stuarts Draft, on Thursday, January 10th.  Cody is listed as her closest living relative and will be handling all of the affairs.  Cody has done some trench work for Hope Community as well as snow removal.  He spent 3 hours trying to cut through the thick ice in our parking lot the morning after this fire.  Due to the complexity of this event, funds are locked.  Cody has reported that his immediate need for financial assistance is feeding the horses on his grandmother’s property.  I know he will incur a lot more expenses as time passes.

If you would like to contribute please make a check payable to Hope Community Church to be designated for Cody Mundie.  All donations will go through HCC’s Caring and Compassion Fund.

Mission Corner

ComfortCare Women’s Health

Pat Layne shared, “The ComfortCare Baby Bottles fundraiser begins THIS Sunday, January 19th. Pat will have 75 bottles for people to pick up. Please put change, bills, or a check in the bottles and return them no later than Sunday, February 16th. If you write a check, please make it payable to ComfortCare.”

 

The Prayer Room is an outreach ministry in downtown Waynesboro, caring for people practically and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ!  We are collecting personal hygiene and wrapped food items to support this ministry.  Any donations can be brought to the church, and they will be given to the Prayer Room.

Love INC

We are collecting paper products (e.g., toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues but NOT paper paper napkins, as they have plenty) from January through March for Love INC. 

The Missions Team actively keeps in touch with our missionaries and other ministries.  Please keep updated!  You can visit our website and go to the Mission Page

January Birthdays

Candi Brown (1/22); Janet Coiner (1/27); Don Morris (1/29)