Greetings to everyone in the Hope Church family. It is hard to believe that the summer is here and that we are already into the month of June. I must admit that I am very excited about the summer and all that it holds. As I reflect back on the first few months of 2009, it is so clear that God is powerfully at work in our church. I sense a growing hunger among the people of Hope Church to know and understand the Word of God. I see a desire to live more and more like Jesus every day. And I am witnessing a growing love for the people around us and a desire to serve others and spread the love of Jesus Christ to a hurting world. It is this reality that excites me and gives me great hope for this summer and beyond.

As we survey the world around us, it would be easy to get discouraged. The current administration continues to disappoint us and some are probably wondering if the recession will ever end. We recently learned that the GM plant in Mansfield will be closing in June 2010 which will no doubt deal a blow to the local economy. I want to encourage you to seek the Lord and trust him with your life. Yes, we do not know what the future holds, but if you are walking with Jesus day by day, you have nothing to worry about because He will take care of you. Did you know that in the Bible, we read the words, “fear not” 365 times? I think God knew we would need that assurance every day of the year. I also want to remind you of the incredible opportunity we have as a church. In these difficult times, people are searching for hope. We need to take advantage of these opportunities and show them the love of Jesus Christ. And in their search for hope, we need to pray that many would find the doors to Hope Church. We know what the hope of the world is and what a great privilege it would be to help rescue those who are perishing. Do you love you friends enough to tell them about Jesus Christ? I want to finish by reminding you of our mission as a church.

“Hope Church exists to glorify God by learning, following, and sharing the Word of God and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, both locally and globally, through the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.”