New Hope Network. February Evangelism Speaking Hope. Community Living Hope. Generosity Giving Hope. What is Baptism?

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1 February 2017 New Hope Network Evangelism Speaking Hope Community Living Hope Generosity Giving Hope What is Baptism? Ways to Celebrate Your Baptism It is a public declaration of your personal commitment to follow Jesus. You are saying to everyone, I am a Christ-follower. Go with the person who influenced you to make a decision to follow Christ, and share your salvation story with your family, friends and co-workers. Invite those you know to support you by attending the baptism celebration. Send out an invitation! Invite the person who led you to Jesus to participate in your baptism. BAPTISM WILL BE ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19 TH CONTACT: PASTOR HENRI or PASTOR DAVE Church number: Matthew 28:19 What does Baptism mean? It symbolizes your old life buried with Christ (when placed under the water) and being raised with Jesus to new life. Romans 6:3-4 Who Should be Baptized? Anyone who personally made a commitment to follow Jesus as Leader and Forgiver. Romans 10:9-10 From the very beginning, people were baptized when they turned from their own way of living (repentance) and decided to live Jesus way. Act 2:38, 41 Baptism is your first act of obedience to Jesus Matthew 28:19

2 2 FOR WOMEN HIGHSCHOOL AGE & UP Feb. 3 5:00 pm through Feb. 4 4:00 pm Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center Cathy Brown and Brogann Cathy Brown: IF: Central Jersey Leader Location: Pennington, New Jersey Cathy is a... wife, mom, ministry director, friend, and writer. How did this relationship begin? In 2008 Brogann s husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Although I wasn t Brogann s friend, I heard the news through mutual friends in our small town. A group of women meet in my home for God Group. It s not exactly a Bible study. My goal is to help women take a step closer to Jesus. God began to nudge me that Brogann should be in our God Group. I have a journal entry about this, before ever knowing Brogann. I felt so uncomfortable about how to even approach it. How do you insert yourself into someone s life when they re living a nightmare? How would I make the connection? What if she said yes? What kinds of questions and issues might she bring into our midst? Could I handle that? I prayed and wrestled with God on it. Then my friend Kate invited me to a dinner and there was Brogann. God orchestrated it-i only had to obey. That evening she shared openly about her struggles-raising two little girls while engaged in a war against her husband Chris s cancer. At the end of the evening, I told her about our God Group. Brogann wanted so much to be a part of it- I think now of how awful it would have been if I had let my fears keep her from it. She wasn t raised in a faith tradition. She was so hungry to learn about Jesus and find hope. What were the qualities of the relationship that made it impactful? Brogann is brave on so many levels but especially in her willingness to be vulnerable. She let me walk beside her through the valley of the shadow of death. Our friendship grew in our God Group, where we had very intentional conversations about the things that really matter. Were there trials that you encountered or was your faithfulness tested? What did you learn? God showed me that no matter where I live, I m called to be a part of bringing His kingdom. I noticed how women I socialized with referenced questions of faith. I started asking them if they d like to get together to talk more about these questions. Every single time I d feel nervous. It felt like social suicide. Every week in God Group, various questions and topics were raised. I d do my best to navigate them, pointing women to truth while holding enough space for them to feel comfortable even if they still weren t convinced. After almost every group I d feel discouraged, worried about the friendships. But I stayed faithful. Whenever I entertained the idea of letting the group go, someone would say it was making a difference. What does discipleship mean to you? I used to think discipleship looked kind of formulaic. Now, I think of it as co-journeying. In the case with Brogann, she didn t know Jesus, and I ve been trying to follow Him for almost forty years! Sharing with her what I know about Jesus was what discipleship really is. How have you seen God change lives? Last night, at Brogann s fortieth birthday party, she took time to thank people for the various ways that they been there for her since Chris died in She said, When you become friends with Cathy and Tucker (my husband) you get Jesus too! It s a three-for-two deal. She recounted the day she asked me to sit with Chris and her on his deathbed and read Scripture. The faith she has, she largely attributes to our friendship. I know it wasn t because of me it s all God. But I am bearing witness to the ways God is moving in her life, weaving a beautiful tapestry.

3 3 FEBRUARY 2017 HIS LITTLE FEET We are looking forward to His Little Feet coming to New Hope. Contact Stacy Cooley for details. WE MEET ON THE FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAYS OF THE MONTH. 9:30 am At the church. Come join in on the fun! BECAUSE MEMBERS HAVE RIGHTS BUT OWNERS HAVE RESPONSIBILITES COME TO OUR OWNERSHIP WORKSHOP SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19 TH 9:00 am ROOM 6

4 4 We are going to be encouraging spiritual renewal and growth during Lent, the 40 days prior to Palm Sunday. Watch your bulletin for details and special resources. Trail Life USA The 1st & 3rd Sunday at 2:30 P.M. For boys 4th & 5th Grade I was very moved by the tremendous response in both services on January 15 of people bringing the names of friends and family to Jesus at the foot of the cross. Please promote and encourage people to come up to the cross to pray throughout McNary Vida Nueva Kids Program Wednesday s 6:30 pm 8:00 pm McNary Property Pastor Genaro will lead an adult Hispanic Bible Study during this time.

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7 CONTACT PASTOR TIM FOR MORE INFORMATION

8 8 JANUARY 12, 2017 GOSPEL - COMMUNITY - MISSION NEW HOPE YOUTH Upcoming Events DETAILS FOR EACH OF THE EVENTS LISTED HERE CAN BE FOUND ONLINE OR IN THE YOUTH ROOM WINTERFEST MS WINTER CAMP JONAH FEB 17-20, 2017 SERVE SEATTLE HS MISSION TRIP TO SEATTLE, WA MARCH 23-26, 2017 KALEO PDX HS MISSION TRIP TO PORTLAND, OR JULY 2-9, 2017 YOUTH MINISTRY SNOW, SNOW, & MORE SNOW! Parents - For those of you who prayed for snow this year, CONGRATULATIONS! I HOPE YOU RE HAPPY! As we survive the winter and look forward to spring & summer, I just wanted to touch base and let you know what s happening in the Youth Ministry New Hope in the near future. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns - I m here to help and would love to talk. timothybeal@gmail.com Picture from ExNE (HS Fall Camp Elkanah

9 9 Do Not Miss The Summit This Year! Put this on your calendar and ask for the time off now! It s a life changing experience!

10 10 As the Global Leadership started to become more widely known in the US, more and more people started hearing about the Global Leadership Summit internationally. In 2005, the leadership team at the Willow Creek Association felt God calling them to serve pastors and leaders, not only in the US, but around the world. One of the first countries WCA went into was Germany. Now, several years later, we re hearing multiple stories about the ongoing ripple effect there. This is just one of those stories. In Germany, most people don t even think about planting a new church if they are a part of the traditional Protestant or Lutheran Church. But when Steffen Beck attended the Summit, he was captured by a catalytic idea that would go against everything he had grown to know about the Church in Germany. To give background to this story, one needs to understand a little bit about the Church in Germany. It is traditionally thought that since Germany is a Christian country, there is no need for mission work Each institutionalized church has its own territory, and generally no one interferes with such territories. Over time, the influence of the state church has faded, and many people are living in a secular society with the leftovers of their tradition. So, when Steffen heard about the concept of the Church being able to transform lives and show God s work in the community, God began to whisper in his ear about planting a new kind of church. For Steffen, this radical idea meant leaving his Lutheran church, and facing the consequences of major opposition from what he had come to know as his church family. But despite this opposition, Steffen remained obedient to God s whisper. In 2005, Steffen and a small group of believers he was leading moved into a 400-seat venue with hope that God could do anything. They called their church, International Christian Fellowship, and came up with a slogan, Experience church in a new way. Today, their church is thriving, and more than a thousand people have started their faith journey there. Since then, they have planted two more churches, and have been impacting their community through social initiatives and their children s ministry. Their evangelistic heart is strong. Thanks to a whisper heard from God at the Global Leadership Summit, lives in Germany have been changed. What did God whisper to your heart during the last Global Leadership Summit?