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Much Change, Many Opportunities, One Foundation
“As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. Luke 6:47-48
With great change comes great opportunity. At New Hope, we are in a season of great change, including challenges that range from construction of new buildings, to new missions and ministries, to debate about the future of our denomination. During a time of great change it is important for us as a Church called New Hope to affirm what we stand for and where we are going.
For the past two years, the leadership of the church in general and a small team specifically has been working to define those things. You have heard and read some of the output of this work during that time.
-The fine-tuning of our mission statement: To make more and better followers of Jesus;
-The articulation of our vision to be a church that is Rooted in Scripture, Renewed by the Holy Spirit and Reaching with the love of Jesus into the communities we serve;
-The “Why” that drives us: For what He has done FOR and IN us; and
-The strategies to move us forward, including growing deeper and wider through our Discipleship process: Reach, Connect, Grow and Send.
Over the next few weeks the newsletter will contain a series of articles or “briefings” that go deeper into the foundation and direction of New Hope as we see it. For us to move forward as a truly unified church, we all need to be committed to these things, and we believe we are. Given that shared commitment, we can seize the opportunities confronting us in this moment and into the future. We can evolve current ministries and define new ones that, being aligned on the foundation, allow us to be the best church for the communities we serve. And, by the Holy Spirit, we can equip an ever growing number of Passionately Spiritual Disciples to become the Passionately Spiritual Leaders needed to grow the Kingdom and glorify God.
Stay tuned!
Prayer: Holy Spirit, renew us. Guide and equip us to become passionate followers of Jesus. Fill us with wisdom to lead New Hope so that we may weather the storms that face us and seize the opportunities you give us to grow God’s Kingdom. Help us stay focused on Jesus Christ, who has done more for us and in us than we can comprehend. Upon this true foundation, we trust that, as one unified body, we will make more and better followers of Jesus, right here, right now, and always. Amen.
Paul Brooks, Chair of the Operational Team and member of the Leadership Team
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