Many people love Jesus, but they also love the sin of the world. You don’t have to teach someone to sin . . . it comes naturally! And because people dabble in both, they are miserable. It is like loving lemonade and Frappuccino and mixing them instead of drinking one or the other. It will make you sick. Loving the world AND loving God will make you miserable.
Some drinks can be mixed (like lemonade and iced tea – Arnold Palmer), just as some interests can complement one another. But some mixtures are so contradictory that to mix them is to create something noxious. Here’s the thing, the interests of the world and the interests of God cannot be mixed. As we read in 1 Corinthians 10:21, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.”
Or, as we read in Romans 8:6, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Jesus wrote one of his seven letters to the church at Pergamum. When we read that letter (Revelation 2:12-17) we discover a church that is compromising its faith with the things of the world. But what are ways we might be compromising our faith?
Greg Laurie commented, “If you look at the times in your life when you have fallen into sin, you could probably trace it back to a series of missteps — small compromises you made that led to the big compromise that led to your fall. And as compromise finds its way into the church, it weakens us. We lose our effectiveness in this world. We lose our effectiveness as individuals as well.” May we not compromise our faith as individuals or as a particular church!
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 10: “Boastings, Comparisons, and Commendations.” Please bring your Bible.
Tithes & Offerings
An offering box is available when you enter or exit the sanctuary. Additionally, Online Giving
Holy Week Combined Worship Services
All Combined Worship Services begin with Praise & Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. and Worship begins at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16th – Host Church: Hope Community Church – Preacher: Rev. Earl Pendleton
Thursday, April 17th – Host Church: Pleasant View United Methodist Church – Preacher: Rev. Warne Dawkins
Friday, April 18th – Host Church: Union Baptist Church, but meeting at Shiloh Baptist Church – Preacher: Rev. Glen Holman
Easter Day Sonrise Service, April 20th – Host Church: Shiloh Baptist Church – Preacher: Rev. Eric Strother (Begins at 6:00 a.m.)
Resurrection Day Worship Service at Hope at 10:30 a.m.
Volunteers Needed
We are asking for volunteers to establish two counting teams. We have one team now, but with two more teams, we will not have to count every Sunday. We are looking for four people to make up two teams. With three teams, each team would count for one month and then not count again for two months. Then, the cycle would start over. The duties would include collecting the offering on Sundays, counting the offering, filling out the deposit slip, and taking the offering to Business Financials, Inc. the following Monday morning. If you think you can help, please let me know. I can answer any questions and show you what needs to be done. Thanks so much. Helen Ammons
Blue Sunday: Taking a Stand Against Child Abuse
Laurie Bame is an Ambassador for the Valley Children’s Advocacy Center located in Staunton. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the critical issue of child abuse and neglect. In observance of this important month, our Outreach team here at Hope, with the Session’s blessing, is asking you to participate in Blue Sunday, an initiative aimed at uniting faith communities to take a stand against child abuse.
Blue Sunday will take place on April 27, 2025, and we invite you to participate in any of the following ways:
Connect with your local Children’s Advocacy Center to support professionals bringing hope and healing to child abuse victims.
Donate to your local Children’s Advocacy Center to support essential services for child abuse victims’ healing and recovery. Supplies and time volunteering as well as monetary donations are greatly appreciated.
This Week @ Hope
If you would like to include any announcements in This Week @ Hope, please get information to Pastor Glen by Thursday morning. Also, if you or someone you know would like to receive This Week @ Hope, please let Pastor Glen know. Thanks so much!
HCC Prayer Concerns and Praise Report
If you are not receiving the weekly HCC Prayer Concerns and Praise Report and would like to receive it, please send an email that contains your email address and cell phone (and/or home phone) number to Tim Stewart at tim.stewart30@gmail.com.
Pastor Search Committee Update & Prayer
Your Pastor Search Committee is in the process of finding our next lead pastor. They continue to review inquiries about the position and interview 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, 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, February 24th and Friday, February 28th. The following are some of the highlights:
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We gathered around God’s Word and corporate prayer. Ruling Elder Richard Ammons led a time focusing on service to others based on John 21:15 and following.
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We approved the minutes of the Session meeting on January 21st and the annual congregational meeting on January 26th on behalf of the Congregation.
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We invited member Susan Coffman to present her thoughts for a new ministry at Hope: “Faith Community Nursing,” which was enthusiastically approved by Session (more to follow!).
- We invited member Rodger Daniels as Deacon Chairperson to provide an update with their activities in our church and plans for the future.
- Elder Tim Stewart presented a summary of the financial budgets as is our protocol, noting the two Sunday closures due to snow/ice which impacted the income stream.
- Elder Bob Simmons provided the Session with a broad brush status regarding the Pastor Search committee.
- Received an update on the website search team and that Leola Burks will now be leading.
- Received an update regarding the “Alpha Course” by Elder Marty Porter.
- Accepted an offer from a member to join a group when formed to seek ways to attract young(er) families to Hope.
- Adopted a schedule for Elder/Deacon service for serving the Lord’s Supper.
- Accepted a gifted rolling cart for portable storage of the two printers/copiers/scanner and a gifted “portable, rolling kitchen” for multipurpose uses.
- Agreed to develop a formal task team to critically look at a three-year plan to assess needs regarding our physical plant.
- Agreed, in concept, to provide all members/regular attenders with magnetic name tags as details for management/costs payment can be developed.
- Agreed to purchase four round tables.
- Agreed to relocate the TV/monitor in the Sunday school room to the Ministry Room.
- Agreed to pay down our mortgage by $20,000 from the Capital Campaign account at the appropriate time in 2025.
- Accepted the expanded role/name of a ministry to “Care Giving and Respite Care Ministry.”
- Agreed to search and acquire a locking file cabinet for critical hard copy documents to augment those stored in a secure cloud.
- Received presently available estimated costs for parking lot repair/re-pavement, awaiting others, for future planning/possible execution.
Budget Update
Total Tithes/Offerings for February: $23,070.75 YTD: $39,907.71
Total Expenses for February: $17,410.34 YTD: $36,878.40
Golden Oldies
Mission Corner
The Prayer Room is an outreach ministry in downtown Waynesboro that cares for people practically and shares the good news of Jesus Christ! We are collecting personal hygiene products and wrapped food items to support this ministry. Donations can be brought to the church and given to the Prayer Room.
Love INC
We are collecting household cleaning products (laundry detergent, dish soap, all-purpose cleaners) from April through June 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
March & April Birthdays
Wayne Lindamood (4/6); Wink Brown (4/12); Sarah Todd Severs (4/15); Judy Hiner (4/17); Wayne Mahanes and John Berry (4/19); Roger Graham (4/20)