It was a joy to preach these past five weeks on our mission and core values. It was an opportunity for us to understand why we are here. My heartfelt prayer is that this reminder helps us grow into the church God envisions us to be. I also hope that you will consider the unique role God has for you here at New Hope.
This week, we will be getting back to the basics with a new series on the Lord’s Prayer. Simply said, prayer is the pouring out of our hearts to God. It is acknowledging God’s sufficiency to meet our every need and our dependence upon Him for all things. Ray Stedman beautifully put it, prayer is thanking instead of complaining, trusting instead of trying, rejoicing, accepting, appropriating, receiving—that is prayer. We need to become a church that prays and fully acknowledges our dependence on God.
Here are a few books that I would recommend reading:
Tim Keller - Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God Philip Yancey - Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? Paul Miller - A Praying Life: Connecting with God in A Distracting World
Join us this weekend as we learn to pray.
Communion will be served during both of our services on campus this Sunday, October 6. Please join us in person at our 9:30am traditional service or our 11am contemporary service as we celebrate The Lord's Supper together.
October is Pastor Appreciation Month! It's a wonderful opportunity for us to express our heartfelt gratitude for Sheldon’s dedication and commitment to guiding our congregation. Throughout this month, there will be a basket in the lobby and we encourage you to take a moment to reach out to Pastor Sheldon with words of encouragement, prayers, and acts of kindness.
If you attend our 11am Contemporary Service and would like to familiarize yourself with the songs we will be singing this Sunday, here are the links to check them out:
During September, New Hope Kids learned how to Live Bright – the perfect theme for back to school! We can shine Jesus’ light by showing compassion and caring enough to do something about someone else’s needs.
During October, we'll explore the theme of self-control by taking a close look at Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, hearing pieces of wisdom from the book of Proverbs, and studying the life of David. It’s not easy to show self-control, but with God’s help we can choose to do what’s best even when we don’t want to.
Join us for an exciting Men's Corn Hole Tournament on Tuesday, October 15 from 6-8pm! Enjoy a fun evening of friendly competition and camaraderie, topped off with a delicious burger dinner. The event costs just $10 per person. Spread the word, bring a friend, and don't miss out on this great fellowship opportunity! Click here to register and pay!
STAFF SPOTLIGHT:
ELLEN WHITTEN
Ellen Whitten is the Director of Traditional Music at New Hope, but the path to music ministry wasn’t a straight one. Ellen was raised in a Christian family, going to church and Sunday school every week. In high school, Ellen was very involved with her youth group, loved the minister and loved playing piano, but once she went to college and got busy majoring in music education, being a part of a sorority, and having fun, she stopped going to church.
After college, she married and grew further away from her faith. “It took me 14 years to realize that I needed to change, and another 7 years trying to raise 2 daughters on my own. I hit bottom during that time and it finally dawned on me that I needed God in my life,” Ellen says.
She reached out to some local churches, met her now husband, Mike, at a singles ministry, and directed a church choir. “My life started to turn around. Mike and I married, we came to FL during vacation times, and I decided to renew my faith through baptism by immersion. That was a big step for me, as I had never made a public statement of my faith before.”
Since then, she has been blessed to serve in several churches in Ft Myers through music ministry. Ellen says, “I give thanks to God every day for His grace and mercy, and for bringing me to New Hope.”
DAVID & SUSAN WEINMAN
Young Life Scotland
About 160 young people came to know Christ for the first time this summer at camp! The Weinmans help make this possible as they work to support the camp program and facilities. Whenever a person trusts Christ, a new rock is added to the pile already there. What a blessing! Pray for these new believers that they will grow in their faith.
