Pastor's Thoughts: May

This May is going to be a special time for New Hope. We are going to bring our Vision Campaign to an end and collect our First Fruits Offerings. The First Fruits Offerings will be on May 12th and May 19th during our normal worship services. During these First Fruits Offerings, we will be asking the congregation to make pledges to support the building project that begins in June. We will ask for a three-year pledge of giving that will be above and beyond your normal tithes and offerings. Following the worship service on May 19th, we will have a celebration fellowship meal to celebrate what God is doing at New Hope.

Since January, we have been focusing on prayer in the church. There are two primary objectives for our prayer emphasis. First, that God would unify us through the power of the Holy Spirit. True biblical unity is something that the church can only experience if it is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Through our prayer emphasis, we desire to the church be unified in the power of God. Second, God would reveal to each individual member what he or she should give toward the Vision Campaign. You see, the Lord loves a cheerful giver and we want to Lord to love the giving that we are offering for our building project. We want each member to be led by the Lord to give what He lays on their hearts. After all, it is God who is going to provide for all of our needs, we just need to trust Him. Please continue to be in prayer for our Vision Campaign and that we will see God work in a mighty way at New Hope.

Vacation Bible School is one of the most important missional outreach emphases that our church will do. VBS offers children the opportunity for kids to grow in their faith as they follow Jesus, to hear the gospel message for the first time and respond in faith, and adults to grow as leaders and serve in different roles. VBS begins June 3rd and ends June 7th. This year VBS will be in the evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Another element that is being added this year is Parent Night. This year, on Friday we are inviting parents to come and join us and see some of the things that the kids learned throughout the week. Parents will get to see their children perform some of the songs and dances and they will hear the gospel proclaimed. Please be in prayer for our church and all the people that will be ministered to during our VBS this year.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the great blessing it is to be a part of New Hope. The church is one of the greatest blessings in our lives. I ask that You would protect Your church from the attacks of the enemy. I ask that You would provide for Your church all that we need so that will be able to do the ministry that You have for us to do in our community and to the ends of the earth. Father, I pray that You do great things in and through Your church. We pray that You would use New Hope for Your eternal glory. Amen.