eNews - October 22, 2021

Happy Friday, Church Family!

October is Pastor Appreciation month and we're taking some time to honor Pastor Mike Jones. Pastor Mike celebrated 30 years as an ordained minister in August of 2021 and has done a fantastic job of leading our church throughout the pandemic, transition and beyond.

This Sunday, October 24, there will be baskets available in the lobby before and after worship for you to drop off a card or note of thanks to Pastor Mike for all he does week in and week out for God's Kingdom and New Hope Presbyterian.

How blessed we are to have such a positive, caring, outstanding teacher and leader as part of our church! Be sure to take the time to tell him "Thanks"!

"Let the Amen sound from His people again!"  Join us for a festival of hymns on Sunday, October 24th, at 3pm.  Lift your voice in worship along with the organ, piano, choir, brass, soloists, and readers as we sing "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty." This event is FREE and open to the public. Please contact Ben Ball with any questions.

Our early childhood playground is getting a BIG upgrade next week and we need YOUR help! You'll see a picture of the beautiful, new adventure tower and monkey bar set above that will be installed Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30. If you can lend an hour, or even a few hours, helping assemble this equipment, it would be a tremendous blessing. Please call or text Pam Poland at 239.247.3984 to let her know you're available or email her.

Thanks for investing in New Hope's ministry to children!

We welcomed 22 new members on Wednesday, October 13 via our latest Connections Class. You can click here to meet them and learn more about these wonderful additions to our church family.

We're incredibly excited to announce that New Hope is paying off the mortgage on our existing property 10 YEARS EARLY and we are COMPLETELY DEBT FREE! Glory to God! To mark this momentous occasion, we're gathering in one combined service at 10am on Sunday, November 7 to worship God and praise Him for His providence. Immediately following the service, we'll gather on the lawn to rejoice, have lunch, and spend time with one another in friendship and community.

A few things to keep in mind:

• There will be no adult Sunday School or Common Ground that day
• There will be regular classes for birth-5th grade
• There will be no charge for this event

We'll share more details as the date approaches, but make plans to be here. You don't want to miss this celebration!

Do you have gifts for caring, encouragement and listening? If so, please prayerfully consider becoming a Stephen Minister. New Hope will be training another class of Stephen Ministers starting in January, 2022. 

Stephen Ministers provide emotional and spiritual support and care to people who are going through a difficult time, such as divorce, grief, hospitalization, unemployment, terminal illness, relocation, chronic illness or loneliness. 

To find out more about becoming a Stephen Minister or how you or someone you know could be matched with a Stephen Minister, please contact Meg LaRue at 239.826.2503.

Do you want to share the love of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ with a child? It is easy to do – just fill a shoebox with some small gifts and return the it to church by Sunday, November 14. Shoeboxes will be available beginning Sunday, October 24. 

However, if you are attending church online or prefer not to shop, just click this link and you can build a box online for $25 (which includes the processing donation of $9). These shoebox gifts go to closed countries.

Here are a few things to remember as you pack your shoebox:

• Put the Boy/Girl label on the box.
• Don’t put liquids, gels, candy, or toothpaste in the box.
• The brochure includes a postage-paid envelope so you can mail your donation. 
• Put a rubber band around the box. Please do not tape the box closed!
• Remember to pray for the child who will receive your gift!

Common Ground had an exciting night playing one of our most popular student ministry games, Candy From a T-Rex last week! 

There were 65 students in attendance and we average over 200 people each Wednesday evening on campus. If you're not already a part of Wednesday night ministry, what are you waiting for? Click here to check out all the fantastic options!