You don't want to miss January COH News!

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January 2020

NOTE FROM PASTOR JOHN:

A New Beginning!

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." (Isaiah 43:19)

A new year is ahead! I can’t believe its already 2020! That year sounds like something from a science fiction novel. No matter what the time or season or year is, God is faithful. Remember this promise from God’s Word today… "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

I always enjoy a new challenge and one of the things I’m learning this winter is how to snowboard. I’ve been a downhill skier for many years, and I thought it might be fun to learn how to snowboard too. Well, its tough. The first time I tried I fell and fell and fell…again and again and again... You get the picture. Someone once asked the winner of a snowboard competition, “How did you learn to snowboard?” He answered, “By getting up every time I fell down.” The Christian life is also a series of new beginnings, of falling down and getting up again. When we stumble, we often think, “I’ve failed again. I might as well give up.” But God is the God of new beginnings. He not only forgives our sins, but He also uses our failures to make us wiser.

I hope you will join me at Hope this winter for a season of new beginnings in 2020. Perhaps you’ve been thinking of “getting your house in order” in regard to finances, and I hope you’ll join me and others with the Financial Peace University class. If you’re not already in a Community Group, join one today! Our trip through the Bible with “The Story” continues and its never too late to join a group. See the newsletter for more ways to connect with God and with others. 2020 will be a great year as we worship, pray and seek the Lord together.

Reflect & Pray

Lord, we need Your touch on our lives.

Work in our hearts in whatever areas need

a fresh start. Help us to do our part and to trust

You to do what only You can do. In Jesus name, amen.

(from the “Our Daily Bread” devotional, www.odb.org)

Together with you, serving our living Lord Jesus Christ,

Pastor John

UPDATING

CHURCH DIRECTORY

We are updating our Community of Hope directory. Please send us a picture of your family! Also, please let us know if any of your contact information has changed recently (phone numbers, email, mailing address, etc.)

Please email pictures and information to Hillary: hillary@commhope.org

Upcoming Events: January

Starting January 8, 2020

Over 5 million people have learned to pay off debt, save and invest for their future with Financial Peace, created by Dave Ramsey. Join us at Community of Hope as we begin this 9-week series on Biblical Christian approach to money management. It will take place on Wednesday nights, beginning Jan. 8, at 6:30 pm. Childcare provided. There is a cost of $99 per family for this series. Email pastorjohn@commhope.org if you would like more information.

TOPICS INCLUDE:

BUDGETING • REAL ESTATE • RETIREMENT PLANNING

INSURANCE • PAYING OFF DEBT • GENEROSITY & TITHING

Wednesday, January 8

Dinner & Prayer Night

6:00-7:30 pm

Join us for soup supper and

a prayer night to kick off the new decade.

Men's Retreat

January 17-19, 2020

Join the Community of Hope men along with Community of Faith for a weekend retreat at Cannon Beach Conference Center. Guest speaker Mike Bradley will inspire and encourage us to deepen our walk as men of faith in our family, church and workplace. If you are interested please email pastorjohn@commhope.org

Sunday, January 26

5:30-7:00 pm

Join us for pizza dinner and BINGO game night with EPIC prizes. Everyone welcome! Please RSVP to Hillary@commhope.org and we are asking families to bring $5 to help cover the cost of dinner.

Annual Meeting — January 26, 2020

The Annual Congregational Meeting of Community of Hope Lutheran Church will be held on Sunday, January 26, 2020, right after the 10:30 AM service. The meeting will include reports from Pastor John, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and the Ministry Teams. The meeting will include approval of the annual 2020 budget recommended by the Council and approval of the new storage structure design recommended by the Land and Property Use Team. We will also have nominations and elections for the open positions of Vice President, Outreach Team Leader, Fellowship Team Leader, and Property Team Leader. Please plan on attending as it is important that we have a quorum to make these important decisions for the advancement of our Christian impact on the people and communities around us.

January 11: Skiing

This Elevate Event is open to EVERYONE, expert skier to newbie.

All are welcome. Meet at Mount Hood Meadows at 9 am. If you haven't skied before and want help, please let us

know on the sign up sheet in the entryway. A day pass for an adult is approximately $80 plus rentals.

February 1: Snow Shoeing

Join us for snow shoeing! No experience necessary! From beginners to experts, all are welcome including little kids. Meet at Community of Hope at 7 am to carpool. Pack a lunch. Expect around 4 hours of snow shoeing. You'll need to rent snowshoes ahead of time. Debi Carpenter suggested from REI, which are $18-$30. The group will be snow shoeing around Mt. Hood, possibly Trillium or Frog Lake.

Contact Debi Carpenter 503.504.3059, or debiandkj@comcast.net

for more information on either of these Elevate Events

Bridal Shower for Hillary

Sunday, January 19

11:30 am —1:00 pm

Ladies of the church are welcome to join

us for a bridal shower Luncheon

celebrating Hillary.

RSVP to Dana@commhope.org

Wedding Reception

for Hillary & Juan

Saturday, February 8

2-4 pm

Join us as we celebrate the wedding of

Hillary and Juan at church for cake,

punch, and a toast!

NOTE FROM COUNCIL: UPCOMING COUNCIL POSITIONS OPEN

A big “Thank You” to Greg Lundeen, Pat Baker, and Jerrold Lipps for installing the new ceiling lights in the East Wing hallway. They really look beautiful and enhance the hallway.

We would also like to thank Crystal Stanaway, Jerrold Lipps, Jo Loitz, Eric and Anna Helwig, Pat Baker, Janette Walsh and all those involved in decorating our building for Advent and the Christmas services. And blessings to all those that donated the beautiful poinsettias that decorate the platform area.

The Annual Congregational Meeting of Community of Hope Lutheran Church will be held on Sunday, January 26, 2020, right after the 10:30 am service. The meeting will include reports from Pastor John, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and the Ministry Teams. The meeting will include approval of the annual 2020 budget recommended by the Council and a look at the new storage structure design recommended by the Land and Property Use Team. We will also have nominations and elections for the open positions of Vice President, Outreach Team Leader, Fellowship Team Leader, and Property Team Leader. Please plan on attending as it is important that we have a quorum to make these important decisions for the advancement of our Christian impact on the people and communities around us.

If you would like to serve on Council in one of the open positions listed above, please contact a member of the 2019 Nominating Team - Don Etzel, Jan’l Earnshaw, Loren Shrock, or Vern Hopper. Our Executive Team meets on the 2 ^nd Monday of every month and the full Council meets on the 3 ^rd Monday of every month. Meetings begin at 6:30 pm and only last about 2 hours.

If you would be interested in being involved in one of the many Ministry Teams at Community of Hope, please contact the Office, Henry Phillips, or one of the Team leaders listed below:

Worship Team – BJ Shrock

Adult Education Team – Jim Clutts

Children’s Team – Brian Bipps/Dana Eaton

Youth Team – Brian Bipps/Hillary Krippaehne

*Fellowship Team – Julien Chambers

*Outreach Team – Chris Utterback

Social Concerns Team – Connie Kenney

*Property Team – Stephen Boone

*denotes open Council position

If you would like a copy of the “Ministry Opportunities At Community of Hope” that lists the many opportunities to serve, please ask Koko at the Office.

On behalf of the Council and the Executive Team, we would like to wish for you a blessed Christmas and a Joyous New Year.

In Christ,

Pastor John, Henry Phillips, Brenda Melum, Chuck Benson, Sara Bennett, and Dana Eaton

FOOD 4 THOUGHT UPDATE

We finished the calendar year serving 31 kids per week at Boeckman Creek Primary School and 9 students at Meridian Creek Middle School. Each student also got a box of food equivalent to two weeks of food and each family received a gift card to help them through the Holidays.

One quick story about Boeckman Primary from Dave Smith:

“Thought I would pass along a tidbit shared with Dan and me by Robin, the program administrator at Boeckman Creek. A boy from Guatemala is so excited about the program that he has begun recruiting classmates. He brought a boy down to the office to show him the backpacks and told the office staff that his friend would like one. When asked if the boy needs food at home, the boy matter of fact answered “no”! I thought that was pretty funny! Another youngster is so excited for the bags on Fridays (kind of like a Christmas present) that when he gets his on Friday afternoons, he asks Robin if he can have just one item now as an afternoon snack! She said ok, but save the rest for the weekend. These bags are really making a difference for these children!"

Food 4 Thought is at a service level where we need support from outside the congregation to maintain the program. This is what we’ve been hoping for and a good sign of our impact!

We submitted a grant to the Wilsonville Subaru charity fund for financial support in 2020. Your prayers and physical support have been and are essential to the program. Please continue to pray for the program and the kids and families we serve and that the program becomes a catalyst for wider community involvement to support education for the most vulnerable in our community.

Don't forget that EVERY 2 ^nd Sunday of the month you can pick up Food 4 Thought shopping bags! Every bit helps as we support these kids and youth. The bags will be available on Sunday, January 12.

AFRICAN SMILE UPDATE

Building of the Nkungi Primary School Teachers’ Duplex continues. We expect the project to be completed when Dan Dahle and Bill Pavlisick visit Nkungi late February 2020.

We also provided funds to repair one of the Iambi Hospital Land Cruisers that is not operational. These vehicles are used for general transportation around the village, to Singida (a several hour trek) for supplies and more than occasionally to transport patients for care.

IN OUR PRAYERS

Please keep Marlene Apland and her family in your prayers as they mourn the loss of her husband, Ken. There was a memorial service celebrating the life of Ken on November 18, 2019.

Please keep Pastor Doug Adams, his daughter Jesse Ellis and their family in your prayers as they mourn the loss of Pastor Doug's son and Jesse's brother, Ben. There will be a reception celebrating the life of Ben on Saturday, January 18 from 11 am - 1 pm at the Lakewood Center of the Arts. Address: 368 S State St, Lake Oswego, OR 97034

Please keep Ron Lawson and his family in your prayers as they mourn the loss of his wife, Judy. There will be a memorial service celebrating the life of Judy on Saturday, February 22 at Community of Hope.

Highlights from December

Sunday, December 1 we had so much fun at the annual Advent Festival. Thanks to the Lundeen Community Group and everyone who helped make this event possible.

Sunday, December 15

the kids and youth choir

told the story of the birth of Jesus through song during their program, "What a Beautiful Name" .

Some of the BOBS (Band

of Brothers and Sisters) helpers put tarps on the

roof of people in need

in a trailer park in Wilsonville. Thank you

to all the amazing volunteers who made

that happen!

Sunday, December 15 the youth group took a trip to Zoo Lights in Portland and had a blast seeing the beautiful lights.

Sunday, December 22

we had our last Elevate Event of 2019 and went

and saw many Christmas lights in Keizer. Join us in 2020 for more fun

Elevate Events!

Tuesday, December 24

we had an amazing time celebrating the birth of Jesus during Christmas Eve!

YOUTH MINISTRY

YOUTH BIBLE CLASS

10:00 - 10:30 High School, E9

10:45-11:15 Middle School, E8

YOUTH GROUP

Sunday, January 5

MS Youth Group: 6:00-7:30 pm

New Year's Games

Sunday, January 12

HS Youth Group: 6:00-7:30 pm

Tie Dye Making

Sunday, January 19

MS & HS Youth Group: 5:30-7:30 pm

Family Fun Center** Tentative

Sunday, January 26

Join us for Family BINGO game night! 5:30-7:00 pm. Pizza dinner included.

For more information about Youth Ministry contact hillary@commhope.org

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Children Pre-K through 5th grade are welcome to join us for Kids Church during the 10:30 am worship service

Sunday, January 5

Kids Church Lesson:

A Kingdom Torn in Two

Sunday, January 12

Kids Church Lesson:

God's Messengers

Sunday, January 19

Kids Church Lesson:

The Beginning of the End

Sunday, January 26

Kids Church Lesson:

The Kingdom's Fall

Starting January 8 from 6:30-8 pm, join Dana for midweek Kids Club. Volunteers needed to help!

For more information about Children's Ministry contact dana@commhope.org

Adult Ministries

I hope you had a blessed Christmas celebration! Thank you to Pastor Taft for his “Big Wind Up” class where he connected the Old Testament promises of our Savior to the 1 ^st Christmas.

And our continued gratitude goes to Taft, Doug, Gary and Dottie Cook for leading our Adult Sunday School teaching time during the 9:00 am, worship hour. Be sure to join that class for all the context, culture and background information behind the scenes of each study as we go through the entire Bible using The Story books as our guide. Thank you, all group leaders as you take advantage of the Biblical support these Sunday School classes provide.

All are welcome in these classes! Each chapter has a different focus which you can read on the inside cover of the bulletin under Adult Ministry. Let us know how we can support you in your scripture study.

If you have not been part of the congregation wide study, yet, you can pick up a book in Koko’s office and start any time. A list of all of our Community Groups is n the connecting hallway next to the kitchen.

Pastor John’s sermons began to follow the chapters in The Story again on December 29 ^th . And, of course, our Sunday School classes will, also be doing the same study as our Community Groups.

Our 1 ^st Wednesdays Supper & Prayer time is scheduled for January 8 ^th at 6:00 pm. Dottie has arranged testimonials for the group. We moved off from the January 1 ^st date because of the holiday. We have a special opportunity to share our Supper time (6:00-6:30) with the folks that will be coming to the Financial Peace University class that also begins on January 8 ^th . At 6:30 pm, we will begin our prayer and worship time and the FPU class will gather in E8.

If you would like to join our Prayer Ministers Team, we would be delighted to have you. Training is available following the 1 ^st Wednesday Prayer times. If you would like to receive prayer at any time during the week, call Dottie Cook at 832.443.7949 or Koko at the church office 503.682.8855.

James 5:14, NLT: "Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord."

I believe the Lord calls us to pray in a variety of different ways and He wants us to remember His promise when He said, “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, I will hear them…" 2 Chronicles 7:14

Maybe you have noticed the flowers that have been appearing on the altar and the messages in the bulletin about who sponsored the flowers and what the celebration or memorial is that they signify.

If you would like to sponsor flowers to put on the altar, for a birthday, anniversary, memorial or any other reason, sign up on the Altar Flowers board in the entryway, fill out an envelope, put in your donation ($25), put the envelope in the offering and Crystal Stanaway will contact you to finish with the details. The sign-up board is filling up! Let us know how we can help!

Coming up in January, remember to register in the entryway at church for the Men’s Retreat at Canon Beach Conference Center on January 17, 18 and 19. And, save-the-date and plan to attend our Annual Congregation meeting on January 26.

In Him we are new creatures! What a wonderful thing to more fully realize as we begin our New Year!

Happy New Year!!

Koko

Join a community group and go through The Story this school year!

NEED PRAYER?

If you have a prayer request please let us know, you can complete a prayer request card from your Sunday bulletin and drop it into the Sunday morning offering basket or contact Pastor John or our staff and let us know how we can pray for you.

If you would like to be added to the prayer chain to pray for others, please send us an email to prayer@commhope.org. Thank you to Chris Snodderly for coordinating our prayer chain requests!

Your Shopping Can Help Earn Community of Hope Money!

(at no extra cost to you!)

Fred Meyer rewards program

To sign up visit: https://www.fredmeyer.com

Between July 1-September 30, 2019 6 families raised $12.29 for Community of Hope through Fred Meyer Rewards.

Log into your Fred Meyer account, select "Community Rewards" from the menu, then search for Community of Hope, ELCA either by name or use DH375 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information such as a valid email address and a rewards card.

You will still receive your personal rewards in addition to the rewards that are dispersed to Community of Hope by the program.

Community of Hope is registered as a charitable organization with AmazonSmile.

If you sign up, each quarter Amazon donates 0.5% of your purchases to Community of Hope.

Between July 1-September 30, 2019 we raised $17.00 for Community of Hope through AmazonSmile!

Please consider directing donations from purchases you make on Amazon to Community of Hope ELCA.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Go to https://smile.amazon.com/ and register.

Type: "Community of Hope ELCA" into the search engine and select our church. Under "location" it will say Wilsonville. Every time you shop go to https://smile.amazon.com/ and Amazon will give .5% of all your purchases to Community of Hope!