5 Conversations...

...you MUST have with your daughter!

Wednesday Nights

November 4th - December 16th

6:45 pm to 8:00 pm

Cost: $15

Sign up by emailing mcqueary1@bex.net

or in the foyer on Sunday mornings!

Check out this promo VIDEO!

PLEASE EVEN IF YOU DO NOT HAVE DAUGHTERS! CHANCES ARE YOU ARE IN CONTACT WITH GIRLS IN SOME WAY ON A DAILY BASIS! This study can help you help them, and maybe even help you with issues you've been struggling with!

Your daughter’s growing up. The world has a lot to say to her, and she’s starting to listen. Even if she doesn’t quite know it, she needs you more than ever. It’s time for you to press in, to tell her some things she might not know—or might have forgotten—about who she is in God’s eyes.

In her latest Bible study, Vicki Courtney equips moms to have the five conversations that will empower their daughters to stand firm in the midst of a culture that would rob them of their treasured status:

• You are more than what people see on the outside.
• You shouldn’t be in a hurry to grow up.
• Sex is great and worth the wait.
• It’s okay to dream about marriage and motherhood.
• Girls gone wild are a dime a dozen.

Just five conversations—but they could be the basis for a whole new way of relating to your daughter.

2nd & 4th Mondays of each month
9:30 - 11:30am
Hope Community Church

Rest
Encouragement
Friends
Refreshment
Education
Strength
Hope

Open to all moms w/children birth thru elementary
For information contact Kim Donofrio at 419-693-9714.

A message from Kim:

My husband Rocco and I became members of Hope Community Church shortly after we started attending in January 2007. God has brought me to an exciting time in my life, by continuing to give me a burden for young moms, a desire to serve them, and a way to accomplish that through a new ministry called “Refresh”.
Refresh will provide relevant topics, wise counsel, child care, and what all moms need, FOOD, a full, uninterrupted breakfast.
Our mission is to share the love of Jesus Christ will ALL moms, by encouraging, and equipping them to become all God has created them to be.
I hope to have the chance to meet, and serve you, so please join us!

Christmas Shopping Trip

Saturday, December 5, 2009

You're invited to a ladies day out!

Join us as we hop on board the bus

and head two hours up into Michigan to

spend the day shopping at

Canterbury Village

and

Great Lakes Crossings

This will be an all day trip!

Departing at 8 am from HCCN and returning at 11 pm.

Cost: $24 per person

Make your paid reservation TODAY!

We must have your reservation by October 25th.

Invite your girlfriends and family!

Come "Cheese" it up with BETH MOORE

Beth Moore Live Simulcast

Friday, August 28, 2009

7pm -10:30pm

Saturday, August 29, 2009

8:30 am-1:00 pm

Lunch provided

Cost: $10.00

Host site: New Harvest Church

Contact: Sharon McQueary for your tickets

mcqueary1@bex.net

On Aug. 28-29, 2009, Beth Moore is returning to her hometown of Green Bay, WI, for a very special Living Proof Live weekend. And thanks to simulcast satellite technology, Beth is spending that weekend here in Oregon too, as she speaks on Coming Home to the Heart of Our Desires, from Psalm 37. Enjoy the same insightful and inspirational teaching, the same soul-stirring worship that Beth and her team bring to their live events, in real time right here in our hometown!

An Important Message from Beth Moore from LWEvents on Vimeo.

Another Fall Bible Study

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World:

Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of life

Tuesday Nights

September 8 - November 24

6:30 pm

Child care not provided. No Children please.

Join Traci Lewis at her home on Tuesday nights at 6:30 pm starting Sept. 8th for this 12 week study on finding time for Christ in our busy lives. This Bible study is a print-driven study, meaning you read a chapter and come back to have Bible study about that chapter. The cost is $15.00, which provides the book for you. This study is limited to the first 12 who sign up and pay for their book. There will be a sign up sheet at the Women's Ministries Table at Hope Community Church or you can contact Sharon McQueary via phone, email or facebook!

Ephesians 4:1-16

Please read Ephesians 4:1-16

Paul has already laid out the groundwork in chapters 1-3 of Ephesians. That groundwork is full of spiritual truths that our faith has been built on. Our faith is built on the truth of Christ, the truth of the transformation that He supplies and the truth of living out the purpose that He calls us to.

Paul now shifts his focus to the body of Christ. Being a Christian is not a solitary act. Christ established His Church (body of Christ) to be a very communal and relational venture. One of the biggest “proofs” of our faith is God’s work in us, as seen in how we feel towards others, how we respond to one another and how we love each other.

In verses 2 & 3, Paul gives us a picture of just this “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Verse 4-6 explains that this unity is only possible because of God and Christ’s sacrifice. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Unity within the body of Christ is a direct indication of the presence and power of God in that body.

Why does this “body of Christ” matter so much? Why can’t we be Christians on our own little islands or in our own worlds segregated from the rest of the Church? Because “to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” (verse 7) Pastor Brandon a couple of weeks ago talked about this grace. This grace is an empowering grace. It is the grace that is given to each of us in the form of gifts and abilities to do God’s will in this world and to bring our community to the point of being a reflection of the kingdom of God on this earth.

Each of us has a specific purpose in the body of Christ as a whole throughout the world and each of us has a specific purpose within the context of the community we live in every day, and our local church. “He gave to some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” (verse 11) He gave these gifts to these people so that they might “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (verse 12) He gives blessings and grace to us so that we can in turn bless and grace others.

This building up that Paul is speaking of has many avenues and facets but one in particular that Paul immediately addresses is the idea of babies. Through unity in the body and in oneness with Christ, making use of each person in the body we are promised that we move from babes that have no coordination and no set direction for life to have fullness and knowledge. We are promised that together we become “mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (verse 13-14) “From Christ the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (verse 16)

Augustine once said “He cannot have God for his Father who refuses to have the church for his mother.” The church is the body of Christ. So here’s the hard part “what contribution are you making to help make your church a place where people are loved and where they can mature in their Christian faith?” You have a place and a purpose in the body of Christ. As our this past Sunday was, so it be today, “Lord, break our hearts with what breaks yours, and give us a clear vision of our your purpose for us in the body of Christ. Where is it that you want us to serve? What breaks your heart? Father, pour your grace out on us so that we might be the body that you called us to be, so that we might love you deeper than ever before, love others with your heart and be able to change the world for your glory!”

Ephesians 3

Right off the bat, I have to tell you that if you have time on Sunday mornings, you should joins us at 9:30 for a live discussion about Ephesians. We are learning and growing so much together as a group. Nothing can replace one-on-one building of relationships and discipleship, so please join us!!!!

Ephesians 3 marks the beginning of a transition in this letter to the Ephesians. He spent the first paragraphs of his letter explaining who we are without God, what God did for us through Christ and how that grace translates into the lives of Gentiles as well as Jews. So he's explained a bit and before he goes, he wants to make clear to the Ephesians what exactly His purpose in Christ is. This chapter is about God's plan and how Paul fit into it. It is a brief "testimony" of his life with Christ.

This week I have chosen to use The Message Bible. It's probably the easiest read for this chapter. Let's start with Ephesians 3:1-13:

This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. I go the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief.
As you read over what I have written to you, you'll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. They mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.
This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.
And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!
All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud!

Have you ever felt like Paul? Completely inadequate? I know I have. In fact, this testimony that Paul shares could be the testimony of many Christians today. Why me? Isn't there someone more qualified? Paul was the "chief among sinners." He persecuted the very thing he became. It was before Christ his life mission to persecute and kill Christ followers. And then He encountered Christ and Christ transformed his life to be more than he ever imagined. Christ gave him a purpose.

We see a couple of things in this part of the passage:
1) Paul had a clear sense of what God's purpose for him was
2) Paul realized that this purpose was only going to be fulfilled in obedience to God and by the grace and gifts of God, alone he was nothing.

Pastor Rick Warren said, "The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose."

Paul thoroughly understood this. He knew that God has a plan and that God alone has the power to make that plan happen. He will use you in ways that you never thought possible if you will just be willing to let him.

The last part of Ephesians 3 (verses 14-21) Paul begins another prayer for the brothers and sisters of Ephesus. As we've seen before, Paul's prayers are amazing. They are not just prayers to God but also sendings to us. So let's end this chapter of Ephesians with this sending from Paul to discover what God has for us, to be open to His will in our lives! To reach for the greatest gift ever! Soak it in. Read it twice. Read it three times. Know that Paul, if he were here today, would pray the same for you and your life!

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent
Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his
Spirit-not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength-that Christ will live
in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet
planted firmly in love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus
the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the
breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full
lives, full in the fullness of God.
God can do anything, you know-far more than you could ever
imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us
around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory
to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the
generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

Bible Study for Fall 2009 set....won't you join?

Priscilla Shirer ministers full-time to women. Her desire is to see women not only know the uncompromising truths of Scripture intellectually but experience them practically. In He Speaks to Me, Priscilla shows us how God spoke to Samuel and how He speaks to Christians today.

Why do we settle for the Word of the Lord revealed to someone else and passed on to us as if God does not speak to us individually? This shouldn't satisfy us. He wants us to hear His voice, understand and obey. The Lord desires to speak to us personally. He wants to meet us where we are despite who we are and reveal His will for our lives.

God is going to reveal Himself and His plan for you in new ways. Make a commitment to be obedient to whatever He says. The results will be glorious!

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS

SEPTEMBER 2 - OCTOBER 7, 2009

6:45 PM - 8 PM

Cost: $15.00

mcqueary1@bex.net for more information.

Ephesians 2:21-22

Ephesians 2:21-22 - In him the whole building is joined together and rises
to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together
to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

These two small verses are jam-packed with both individual and corporate meaning. Just prior to these verses, Paul proclaims Christ as the Chief Cornerstone to a household of believers that have been gathered and built through the centuries on His foundation.

The foundation of Christ is essential in our lives. Corporately, as a church, our feet must rest firmly on Christ. Pastor Neil Cole said, "The core reality is Jesus Christ being followed, loved and obeyed. Christ alive, forming spiritual families and working with them to fulfill His mission...the church really is an embodiment of the risen Jesus." (Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens, 2005) As individuals, we should so thoroughly soak in the love of God, allowing ourselves to be filled with His Spirit that we can't help its overflow into the lives of those around us.

When we assemble as Christians, God is joining us together to become a holy movement for His purpose. "Simply gathering a group of people who subscribe to a common set of beliefs is not worthy of Jesus and th sacrifice He made for us." (Neil Cole, 2005) We must bear fruit. That fruit isn't seen in pews being filled or membership growing, it is seen in the transformed lives of those we have found and discipled in the ways and love of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

From the very beginning, God's blessing to Abraham found in Genesis 12:2-3, was a blessing that gives a foundation to our Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20).

God says to Abraham, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless
you;I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those
who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."

Today, we as believer's share in that blessing. We learned in Ephesians 1 that we have been adopted into that blessing. As we are blessed, we are called to be a blessing. Pastor Andy Lauer, shared with us in one of his sermons that there has got to be something more. "If not us, then who?" Who will be the hands and feet of Jesus today? We as a church and as individuals are called to bless others because of the blessing that is being built within us through the Holy Spirit.

God has joined us together so that we might be about His business, that we might be fulfilling His purpose not our own! So that through Christ we can be someone else's hope! That is the foundation that Paul is talking about. Christ is our Chief Cornerstone, in Him we can do the will of the Father who sent Him. How can you be someone's hope today? Are you looking at life through the eyes of Jesus? Are you seeing people with the compassion and grace that God saw you?

Ephesians 2:11-20

Read Ephesians 2:11-20.

Paul begins here talking about circumcision. The Jews were required by their law to circumcise their male children. It was by this mark that one would "prove" they were a Jew. I've often wondered how it is that circumcision would be an outward sign of a relationship with God. My mind wonders how that is outward at all, being covered by clothes and robes? Anyways, Paul tells us point blank that circumcision was a physical thing, not a spiritual act. It wasn't a change of heart, just a change of physical characteristics that made them who they were.

Remember these baby Christians in Ephesus were being told (not by Paul but by other converts), "you have to become like us." "It's not good enough just to believe, you must become a Jew, you must act like us, you must look like us." Paul combatting that mentality says, No! Christ died to break down barriers between people. You can be in Christ a new creation and not have to become a Jew.

Today, many in our world are so hopeless. They know nothing of God and the hope that is offered through Christ. How can we witness today of God's love to the hopeless? How can we follow Paul's example? Is it by loving and accepting people without forcing them to become like us - to dress like us, to worship like us, to look like us. Expecting a change, because we are promised to be new creations, but to allow them to be who Christ says they are, instead of who we think they should be?

If we go back to last weeks lesson, we begin to see that Paul was saying, remember who you were and the hopelessness that you had because people all around you are in that position today and need to be loved. In him "our hostility toward each other was put to death." Christ died so that all may live in Him, not so all would be like alike, like little clones of each other. First Corinthians 12 points out how in Christ we are all different, given different gifts and yet still one body in Christ.

It is because of Christ's sacrifice we can come before God as a family of great differences and yet as holy because Christ makes us holy. What great joy we have in knowing that we have a Father in heaven who loves us for who we are. That He saw us where we were and sent His Son to redeem us and give us new life.

Got Blood? Give Some.

On Thursday, May 28th, Hope Community hosted its first Red Cross blood drive! We collected 18 pints of blood! Enough blood to save up to 54 people! Praise God!

Thank you to all our donors and potential donors and to all of our volunteers through out the day! We would not have been able to do it without you!!! Thank you!

Our next drive will be October 9th. Here are some picks of our fabulous day!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Ephesians 2:1-10

Our reading this week is Ephesians 2:1-10. This passage is packed with power and meaning for our lives today. Instead of a link to the passage, it's here for you from the Amplified Version.

"AND YOU [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins in which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God]. Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God's] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of humankind." Ephesians 2:1-3

It wasn't until quite recently that I began reading the Amplified Version of the Bible. And before hand I really had no clue what was meant by "amplified", in essence, as you may have noticed, it's not a matter of just adding more descriptive words just to do so, but they went back to the original language and expanded on what those original words would have meant to the original readers. They added more context to the passages we would normally read and perhaps miss little things. It is a really neat version of the Bible and available at www.biblegateway.com if you're interested in reading more of it.

Let's remember that Paul is writing to believer's in the city of Ephesus. These believer's lived in what could be called a pagan megacity of the time. They were submersed in a culture of perversion and sin and no doubt struggled in their faith. Not so much different from us today. We also learned last week that Paul sincerely loved these Christians. He prayed for them passionately and fervently. So Paul in this part of the letter starts writing to them about the things that God saved them from. He's reminding them of where they came from.

Often today, we spend a lot of energy running from the past, hiding where we came from or who we are or the things that we did. And somehow we sometimes find ourselves forgetting why we needed God's forgiveness in the first place. Oh, it's not intentionally. It just happens. We forget that we were once like those that surround us, until someone became our Hope, until someone named Jesus Christ reached out and touched us.

I don't think we have it right. I don't think we are supposed to forget our sins and our pasts. I believe God calls us knowing who we are and He calls us with a promise to use that brokenness for His glory. How, if we've left it all behind, forgetting it ever happened, can He use our story to touch the life of someone else? This is what Paul's doing here in this passage. He's reminding them of who they were. He's reminding them that all this sin that is going on around them, was once their lifestyle and once their reality. As we'll see a little later, Paul was telling the Christians in Ephesus to remember who they were, so they can know who they are now in Christ and use that power to change their world, to be someone else's hope.

So let's like Paul take a stroll down memory lane:

Think back over your past, before you met Christ in what ways were you dead?

Paul talks about following the course and fashion of this world and how that influences our lives. What are some of these behaviors and how do they impact your behavior? How do those behaviors reflect Christ in your life or not?

Fred Allen said, "Most of us spend our first six days of the week sowing wild oats; then we go to church on Sunday and pray for a crop failure." Think about it. Are we still living with one foot in the world? Are there areas in your life that you have felt the displeasure of God? Rev. 3:15-17 talks about God spitting the lukewarm out of His mouth. Or have you completely 'sold out' for Jesus Christ seeking Him at every turn and moment in your life?

Paul didn't just throw their past in their face and run away, leaving them to fester in guilt or shame. In keeping with the spirit of remembrance, he showed them their past and reminded them of their present and the future in Christ. You know, the after picture is always much better than the before picture. Who we are after the Christ encounter is so much prettier than who we were before and it is only because of God's love, mercy and grace.

"But God-so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him,] for it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation), And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of tiem], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live." Ephesians 2:4-10

Think about it, we are raised up and sat down together with Christ! What does that mean to you? Does it give you hope and optimism?

God's grace is the most optimistic thing in the entire world. Grace gives us hope and it allows anyone to be changed. We leave this passage with hope. The last portion tells us that God is preparing us for something good. Can you feel it? Are you conscious of what God is doing in your life? And are you being obedient to His plan for you?

A New Addition

A lot has been going on in the life of Hope Community in the last couple of months. We have had a new addition to our family, Pastor Brandon Williams, his wife Bethany and two sons Camden and Corban have arrived. We are living in the midst of a momentous time in our culture in which we have the opportunity to reach the unreached in new and exciting ways. We look forward to working alongside our new pastor and his family making disciples in our community.

To help make Bethany feel welcome, we decided to step out of our normal box and host a baby shower for her and her new son, Corban. It was a great time of fellowship last night as we celebrated the new beginnings of a young life and of our church family. We took a few moments to focus on what blessings we have been given in our lives and on the eternal blessing of God and His plan and purpose for us.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Ephesians 1:3-23

Last year was an exciting time, my youngest daughter started preschool. As a mom, there are tons of mixed emotions when your children start spending half of the day with someone other than you. But she was excited and I was excited for her. Never had she been more excited than when she was chosen to feed the classroom fish. A small job but for a 4 year old, it seemed the greatest honor. She was very proud of the job she had been given. Have you ever been chosen for something? How did it make you feel?

Before we read this weeks passage, let's look at several words that will surface and perhaps need a little explanation. Paul uses 5 words in this passage that are filled with rich context and definition: Chosen - God's chosen people are the Jews, starting with Abraham in Genesis 12 and because of Christ's sacrifice today, you and I can be part of God's chosen people. Once you believe in and receive Christ you are Adopted into His family. God had you in mind before you knew Him. God is at work in the lives of His precious creation, wooing us to Him, He predestines that all of His creation would come to Him. Forgiven: Only God is able to remove our guilt and sin. He is the only one who can judge us. God sent Jesus Christ to be the final sacrifice and to be our freedom from the penalty that we justly deserve because of our sin. Through Jesus Christ our sins can be forgiven. Inheritance: Like the concept of inheritance today, once we accept Christ and are adopted in to His family, forgiven of our sins, we are partakers in His inheritance, an eternal inheritance.

Let's see how these terms play out in our passage. Read Ephesians 1:3-23 (you can follow the link for the passage).

Verses 4-8 discuss spiritual blessings that are given in Christ. What are some of these?
What do these blessings mean to you?

Verse 4 says that God's intent is for us to be holy and blameless, what does that mean? How do we become holy?

Verses 9-14 go on to discuss God's purpose, plan and pleasure. What do these mean? And do you know what God's purpose is for your life? Have you accepted that and starting moving towards the destination He has for you?

When we get to the final verses of this passage, we find Paul pouring his heart out in prayer for his friends in Ephesus. What specific things does he pray for them? How would it make you feel to know that someone is praying like this for you? Do you have a prayer warriar in your life?

Paul also speaks of "the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way." What do you think Paul means by fullness? Do we live life knowing that God has filled us with His very presence, that he goes with us? How has God's power been demonstrated in your life?

As you go through this week, think about how God is working in your life. The ultimate joy of salvation is not what He has saved us from, but what He has saved us for. He has given us new life for a purpose, for His purpose. Are you responding to His plan for your life?

Adapted from: Lectio Divina Bible Studies: Listening for God through Ephesians.
Heer, Ken. Lectio Divina Bible studies: Listening for God through Ephesians. Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House and Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 2006.

A Little Background on The Book of Ephesians before we get started...

Author: Paul
Audience: a group of believers in the city of Ephesus. Paul had led them to Christ. The story of the founding of this church is in Acts 16.

Ephesus was a Greek city under Roman occupation. It was a political and commerical center, as well as a pagan religious center. In fact, Ephesus contained the temple dedicated to the pagan goddess Diana.

Paul wrote the letter because these Christians, surrounded by a secular, pagan world, needed to know their doctrine, who they were in Christ and how to defend their faith from attacks. Paul spent time in this letter calling believers to living a heavenly life in a less-than-heavenly world.

New Summer Bible Study

Hey Ladies! We will be starting something new for over the summer. Summertime is an extremely hard time for us as moms, wives, workers to get together and study God's Word as a group. So I thought that we could do a sort-of-online study. Each week I will post a Bible Study, on our blog for you to read and grow with. Please leave comments, your thoughts, asks questions, either on the blog, through it's comments feature or through email to me. As leader, I will respond with answers, ideas and comments. We will have ourselves a virtual Bible Study! We will start with what I am teaching in my Sunday School class right now - Ephesians. If you feel you want to discuss this stuff face to face you are more than welcome to join me on Sunday morning for Grounded: A Way to Be at Any Age at Hope Community Church 5650 Starr Ave. Oregon, Ohio from 9:30 am to 10:30 am. If not, please join in on the discussion here.

Daughter of the King

On Friday, May 8th we will gather for our 3rd annual Daughters of the King banquet! Won't you be a part of it? We want you to be there!

Our speaker this year is Shelley Hitz. Shelley is an ordinary person, just like you, with struggles and trials. And yet, God is doing extra-ordinary things through this "jar of clay." 2 Cor 4:7 says, "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us." Shelley is the author of the website, www.FindYourTrueBeauty.com, that reaches thousands of girls each month around the world with God's truth. She is also the author of the book, "Mirror Mirror...Am I Beautiful, Looking Deeper to Find Your True Beauty" and is co-authoring a book with her husband CJ, "The Mathematics of Jesus, Making Sense of Life When Life Doesn't Seem to Add Up." Within her local jail, women inmates are being reached through her book "Mirror Mirror," literally "setting the captives free." Her book is also in the process of being translated into Spanish. Shelley's openness and vulnerability as she shares her own story of hope and healing will inspire and encourage you. Shelley Hitz has been ministering to teens since 1998 alongside her husband, C.J. They currently travel and speak to teens around the country. Shelley's main passion is to share God's truth and the freedom in Christ she has found with others. She does this through her website and through her speaking engagements. When at home in Findlay, Ohio, Shelley continues to work as a Physical Therapist for their local hospital.

Tickets are $12 for 11 and up and $10 for 10 and under! This includes a catered meal, dessert and Shelley's presentation! You will not want to miss and you will be blessed! Get your tickets today by calling our church office 419-724-HOPE.

Well, that time of year is rolling around! May is just around the corner and we are earnestly preparing for our 3rd Annual Daughters of the King Banquet!

This year is going to be exciting! We have asked Shelley Hitz to come and share her ministry with us.

Shelley Hitz is an ordinary girl, just like you, with struggles just like you. And
yet, God is doing extra-ordinary things through this “jar of clay.” 2 Cor 4:7
says, “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing
power is from God and not from us.” She is the author of the website,
FindYourTrueBeauty.com, that reaches thousands of girls each month around
the world with God’s truth. In this powerful talk, Shelley gives a Biblical
message with heartfelt, real-life stories that will make you laugh, cry and most
importantly draw you closer to Jesus.

Shelley's story is relevant to girls and women of all ages! It is our goal to have as many teen girls there as possible. Help us meet that goal! Sponsor a girl you know by buying her a ticket and if you want to help more, buy her mom a ticket too!

Tickets are $12 for 11 and older, $10 for 10 and under. They include a meal, dessert and our guest speaker! Please join us! See Sharon McQueary for reservations.

Meet & Greet

On March 15th, our congregation had the opportunity to meet and greet with our new District Superintendent and a possible Senior Pastor Candidate. It was a wonderful, spirit-filled day! God laid out a clear vision for our church that evening and the following Sunday, March 22nd, we voted to call Brandon Williams as our new Senior Pastor. Praise God he accepted that call. He and his family will be arriving to Hope in the next couple of months! Please shower them with prayer, as well as our church. God is good!

( The DS is Goeff Kunselman, he is the larger picture, green sweater, Our new Senior Pastor, Brandon Williams is in the small picture.)

Esther starting soon

Hey Ladies! It seems like forever since I've updated! We have had so much going on! We just finished an awesome, life-changing retreat! And we are heading feet first into Beth Moore's Esther, starting WEdnesday nights Feb. 18th. The cost is $18. Hook up with me on Sunday to get your book. Here's just a little preview!