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Hope Church |
August 2017 Newsletter
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A Note From Pastor Mickey
Dear Hope Church family,
The church is to disciple, reproduce, and create a culture of discipleship and reproducing. I would like to share with you a new way the staff and elders are intending to model and foster a "reproducing" culture. In March I proposed to the elders (and they approved) that we begin a pastoral internship program here at Hope Church. I gave several reasons, a couple of which I will share with you. One reason is that the church is commanded to raise up new ministry workers and leaders for the next generation of the church. This internship participates in this biblical mandate. Another reason is that the church - not simply the seminary - should be a training ground for ministry and ministers. There is no better place to learn about ministry than in the regular ministry activities of the local church. A third is that an internship program will help create an ethos of reproducing, encouraging all ministry leaders, the whole congregation, to be more aware of investing in and raising up others. Finally, by investing and preparing people for ministry in the local church, we not only benefit our own church body, but we also facilitate the work God will do through our interns in other ministry contexts.
The internship program will invite one to two men or women for the duration of one ministry year (defined by the budget year) to serve as pastoral or ministry interns with the staff team of Hope Church. The interns will get exposure to as many facets of the church's ministry as possible, and yet will be assigned to serve in areas or ministries that match best their gifting and the church's needs. Finally, the interns will be given guided oversight by the senior pastor, who will expect them to participate in theological and practical study.
I am pleased to announce that participating in our internship for the duration of this ministry year is Olle Larson and Casey Ehlers. Both these young men have connections here at Hope Church, are students at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and desire to serve the Lord in ministry. We will have a commissioning ceremony in due course. For now I ask you to pray for Olle, Casey, and this internship program and that our church would continue to foster a culture of reproducing.
For God's glory,
Pastor Mickey
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First Impressions Team
FIRST IMPRESSIONS TEAM (Valets, Greeters and Ushers)
If you are currently serving as a valet, greeter or usher - or think you might enjoy serving in that capacity - please plan on attending a luncheon/training session on Sunday, August 20, immediately after second service.
Whether you have been a valet, greeter or usher for years or are a true rookie, we want you to participate in the training as we will be introducing a few new concepts by building on what you are already doing well. Our goal is to truly be a warm, welcoming church that is very intentional about the way we greet visitors and get new attendees assimilated into our church family.
For more information or to sign up, contact the church office at 815.623.6545 or email Randa Noble at RNCNOBLE@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you for lunch on August 20. Please R.S.V.P. by August 13 so we have plenty of food on hand.
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Project New Heights
The Hope Cares Ministry is an opportunity for each of us to live out Hope's mission and vision collectively as one body of believers in the local area of Roscoe and Rockton. As a community that loves Christ working to reach a community for Christ, we seek to spread God's common grace by tackling various large-scale community service projects in the area.
The Hope Care's Ministry is excited to announce this year's project,
Project New Heights
. In an effort to be Christ's hands and feet in the area, we will be doing some much needed upkeep and maintenance on the physical buildings at Kinnikinnick Elementary School. Our primary goal is to humbly serve our community by cleaning and painting the exterior walls of the school buildings, rehabbing and staining exterior stairs and wheel chair ramps, and mulching the playground, ultimately making Kinnikinnick Elementary School look beautiful and function safely.
The work days are set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday the first two weekends of August (4-6 & 11-13). We have already spent one weekend working at Kinnikinnick and have made wonderful progress. Thanks to all who have come to work so far. There is much more to do, and we need your help.
If you are unable to work outside, we are also in need of supplies and tools as well as food to feed our hungry worker force. There is also need for prayer warriors to pray for this project, the faculty and children it serves.
Contact Pastor Fana at pastorfana@hefc.net if you have questions OR call the office letting us know when you can help out.
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GriefShare Support Group
It hurts to lose someone.
Find help at GriefShare.
GriefShare is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life's most difficult experiences. You don't have to go through the grieving process alone.
A weekly GriefShare group meets at Hope Church for a 13-week session beginning Wednesday, August 16, at 6:30 pm in the Fireside Room.
Cost is $20 with scholarships available.
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50 and Free! Capital Campaign
A little over a year ago we announced that we were embar
king on a debt elimination campaign called 50 & Free. The church will turn 50 in 2018 and the goal is to be either debt free or close to it by the end of 2018 which will free up $90,000 per year from our budget that normally went to the bank for our mortgage payments. So far we have been able to pay an additional $365,000 to the mortgage bringing the balance below $400,000. This is greater than 50% of our balance having been paid off in one year!
To those of you who have been able to participate, thank you so much. For those who perhaps are newer to the church or have for some reason not been able to participate yet but would like to know how, and what the program is about, please feel free to contact Pastor Brad and he can either explain the campaign or provide the materials needed to get you plugged in to the campaign. We would love to see continued increase in the amount of families who can join us and participate in helping Hope Free become 50 & Free and help us launch into the next 50 years of ministry.
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Adult Ministries
Ministry Fair
Saturday, August 27
Mark your calendars for our Ministry Fair on August 27 during both services in the Fellowship Hall. Our Ministry Fair is an annual event where all the ministries are present to answer questions on how you can take a "Test Drive" with an area to see how you can get plugged into ministry here at Hope Church. Please make it a priority to stop by sometime that morning where very willing helpers will be on hand to talk ministry opportunities with you.
Online Giving
As a way to give you more options, Hope Church is providing an opportunity for online giving. This will give you many options in how you manage your giving to the church. You can have a checking or savings account debited or you can give via a debit/credit card. You will be able to fill out an application or you will be able to go online via our website, www.hefc.net, where you will be directed to a secure server where our vendor processes online donations. If you have any questions before you get started, please contact Pastor Brad.
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Kids of Hope
Kids Hope USA
Our annual back to school backpack party will be Saturday, August 5, from 11 am to 1 pm. This will be a chance for many of the mentors to reconnect with their mentees after several months apart. Thank you to all who have donated school supplies - It lessens the financial stress on the mentees and their families and is SO appreciated!
Now is the perfect time to request an application to be a mentor. Kinnikinnick District has expressed their appreciation for our mentors saying that of all the things that the district needs, "the greatest need continues to be in the area of reading to children, tutoring, and mentoring." Applications are in the lobby or church office. Contact Melissa Peshek or Jamie Anderson for more information.
Safe Families
Please be in prayer for people in our congregation who are becoming involved in this Biblical expression of hospitality. Applications to be a host family or one of the supporting roles are available from Trisha Knaul or the church office. More information can be found at
www.safe-families.org
Camp 5-6
Thank you to all who volunteered during Camp 5-6. Continue to pray that God's Word will sink deep into the hearts of the 31 kids who attended and that those who are not connected to a church will start asking their parents to attend.
AWANA
Unbelievably, it is almost time for club to start up again. We will have openings to serve in Cubbies, Sparks, and T&T. There are varieties of positions to fill, so regardless of your experience with Kids Ministry, we probably have a place for you. Talk to Mike & Polly Quinn or Joe Kaderly for T&T (grades 3 - 6), Vince Madama for Sparks (K - 2nd), and Dawn Schrierer for Cubbies (ages 3 & 4). Please pray about serving, we would love to have you join us.
Upcoming dates:
August 28 - 6:30 pm - Adult & teen leader meeting here at Hope
September 11 - 6:30 pm - First night of Club
September 23 - 8:15 am - 1:00 pm - Regional AWANA training at Maywood EFC
Fall Sunday School
Once school starts, we will be closing up our summer Sunday school classes and moving everyone up to their new classes. August 20 is the date that the new Kindergartners should move to Drake Hall. Children enrolled in 4-year-old kindergarten will stay in the preschool hallway.
If you have been attending Hope for one year and are interested in serving in your child's classroom, we would love to talk to you. Please call the church office at 815-623-6545 or talk to Caroline Ahlberg, Debbi Rasmussen, Chris Fosler, Vicky Steege, or Vera Juhlin.
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Student Ministries
Our Middle School teens will be heading to Minneapolis, Minnesota from August 2 to August 4. They will be packing meals at Feed My Starving Children. Please be in prayer for this mission team as they serve in Minneapolis.
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Missions Update
What Do You Know About SGA?
Hope Church has supported Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) since
1994, soon after the mission office relocated from Wheaton to Loves Park.
Founded in 1934, SGA exists to help Bible-preaching churches in Russia and her neighboring countries reach their own people with the Gospel. SGA has four distinctive areas of ministry: 1) providing Russian-language Bibles and Christian literature, 2) supporting solid Bible training for pastors and lay workers, 3) sponsorship of missionary pastors, and 4) supporting evangelistic outreaches, including children's ministry.
Preparing faithful pastors, teachers, youth leaders, and children's workers for ministry is vital for evangelical churches across Russia. SGA sponsors four seminaries in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, and Bible institute programs in several countries.
SGA connects North American Christians with individual Russian church-planting missionaries and helps send them out to targeted regions where they live, work, and proclaim the Gospel. The nationals have a significant advantage because they already know the language, culture, and history of their people.
Several SGA-sponsored programs are geared toward children. During the Christmas season, pastors minister to needy children and their families with Christmas outreaches and gifts through Immanuel's Child. Through Orphans Reborn, church workers reach and disciple orphan children with regular visits throughout the year. Many churches hold summer camp programs for children and youth.
Staff members at the local SGA office provide necessary support for these ministries. Over the years, several people from Hope have been employed at SGA. Currently, four women from Hope work at the office. They are Cindy Beaumont, Donna Brooks, Cindy Snyder, and Mary Alice Titcomb.
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Resource Center News
Time to turn in your Summer Reading BINGO cards! Read and mark off any five book categories in a row and you will earn a tasty prize from Culver's. Don't have a BINGO card? There's still time to join in the reading fun!
As the kids go back to school, remember that we have the Accelerated Reader (AR) Program at the Resource Center. The books that have AR tests are labeled on the spine, with the reading level, points, and test information inside the cover. There is also a list of our AR books on the library desk, organized by reading level.
Look for these resources on the New Arrivals shelf in August:
Non-Fiction:
Humble Roots: Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul
by Hannah Anderson
42 Faith: The Rest of the Jackie Robinson Story
by Ed Henry
A Fierce Love: One Woman's Courageous Journey to Save Her Marriage
by Shauna Shanks
Fiction:
Land of Silence
by Tesha Afshar
Beneath Copper Falls
(Rock Harbor #6) by Colleen Coble
The Long Highway Home
by Elizabeth Musser
Wild Montana Skies
(Montana Rescue #1) by Susan May Warren
Youth:
First Feelings: 12 Stories for Toddlers
by Mary Manz Simon (ages 2+)
Fast Freddy(Adventures of the Sea Kids) by Lee Ann Mancini (ages 4+)
Brother Andrew: God's Secret Agent
(Christian Heroes) by Janet Benge (ages 8+)
The Lost Girl of Astor Street
by Stephanie Morrill (ages 12+)
DVD:
Humble Pie (Camp New)
Lighting Up the Shadow of Doubt (Bibleman)
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