Dream. Take time to recognize the dreams God has placed inside of you. Do not dismiss them because they seem too large, the resources appear too small, or you cannot yet see the path toward their fulfillment. I am praying that God will provide you with the wisdom, resources, relationships, and divine provision necessary for those dreams to become reality. If God has placed the dream within you, trust God to guide you in bringing it forth. Keep dreaming. Keep praying. Keep preparing. Keep believing.
Our Wednesday Night Bible Study will focus on Luke 10:25–37 (NRSVUE) under the theme “The Compassion of the Good Samaritan” – Loving Our Neighbor Through Action. Jesus challenges us to understand that loving our neighbor requires more than good intentions. Compassion moves. Compassion responds. Compassion crosses boundaries. Compassion sees a need and asks, “What can I do?” As we study together, we will consider how our faith calls us to become neighbors to those God places along our path.
The sermon for the week will be delivered by Brother Dontae Foote. Please be in prayer for this young man as he comes forth to preach the Word of God. Let us champion, encourage, and support him as he pursues Itinerant Deacon orders in the African Methodist Episcopal Church while also pursuing his Master of Divinity at Payne Theological Seminary. New Hope, let us be the kind of church that recognizes the gifts God has placed within people and creates space for those gifts to grow.
Our commitment to loving our neighbors will also move beyond words and into action. We are partnering with The Neighborhood Well to provide showers for unhoused persons in our community on Saturday, August 22nd at 9:00 AM. This is another opportunity for New Hope to demonstrate that our witness must extend beyond the walls of the church.
Our efforts are also underway for our Thanksgiving Basket Ministry. We are currently collecting canned corn and green beans. Every donation moves us closer to blessing families in our community during the Thanksgiving season. Let us begin preparing now so that when the opportunity to serve arrives, New Hope is ready.
Finally, invite someone to join you for worship or to attend Bible Study virtually. If worship has encouraged you, if Bible Study has strengthened you, or if the ministries of New Hope have made a difference in your life, share that experience with someone else. An invitation is a simple act that God can use to change a life.
Church, keep dreaming, keep serving, and keep loving our neighbors through action.
Let’s keep the charge of the Lord!
With faith and expectation,
Reverend Aaron Tinch
Pastor
