iHOPE

Weekly Wow!: Youth Mission Trip

   Did you know that this year our youth are going to Jamaica?  Every year we send our students on a major mission trip. The pattern has been to alternate between sites inside the United States and outside.  Mexico has been the usual international experience, but events there in the past year have made that impractical. The situation in Haiti is still critical but the onsite coordination is still not up to handling large youth groups. Jamaica ended up being the best choice.

  45 people (33 students and 12 adults) are heading to Jamaica from June 13-21. They will be working through an organization called Son Servants and the work will include home building with concrete block, Vacation Bible School, care and support at a local orphanage as well as at a local infirmary.

  Mission Trips are powerful and formative- for everyone. I believe they are some of the best things our church, or any church, can offer their youth. We'll be looking forward to hearing all about it on Sunday, June 26th.

 

 

 

 

A Joyous Embrace

  I've been thinking about this picture lately.  I took it in 2005 when I was in Zimbabwe. It was during a worship service. A certain song was sung (don't ask me the name or the words- it was all in Shona!) and during the chorus, everyone would go around hugging each other. The song had many verses, so we got to hug a lot of people. I may not have understood the language, but I got the message. 'Joy' was spoken here.

  One reason I thought of this picture is because this Sunday (February 13), we will highlight our church's connection to Zimbabwe and take a special offering to support the work, there. I hope you'll participate and give as generously as you are able.

  But there was another reason I thought of this picture.

Weekly Wow!

 
Sometimes I think New Hope is one of the best-kept secrets in town. And that is not a good thing.

Sure, most people in Castle Rock know we exist- though its not until I explain to people that we are the church next to the Fire Station and across the street from the movie theater that people say, "Oh, yeah- I know where you are!" (that is still better than Mapquest/Google Maps/Bing! etc.).

What strikes me is how many times we'll highlight something going on and people IN the congregation will say, "Wow, I didn't know we were doing that!"

Snow Day #2- Sort of...

Well, it looks like schools are closed again tomorrow (Wednesday, February 2). Normally that would mean that the office and all activities would be cancelled at New Hope, too.

Instead, we are going to have a "Modified Snow Day".  The morning is going to be very cold and forbidding, but it is supposed to start 'warming up' (definitely a relative term, these days) by the afternoon.  Therefore:

• The office will be closed tomorrow.
• Morning activities and Pre-School will be closed

However, evening activities will go on as scheduled. This includes:

• Praise Team & Choir Practice
• Youth Group meetings
• Pastor's Bible Study

  It is expected that the weather will improve enough for a normal schedule on Thursday, but this is the Front Range. Stay posted!