Hope Happenings
Through the Bible in a Year:
2012 Edition
A New Schedule for Reading through the Bible in a Year
In the months of February and March, we continue through the Old
Testament’s epic story from the wilderness stories and the Law from
God in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, to the entrance into the
Promised Land in Joshua, and the transition from the period of the
Judges into the rule of King David.
Following along will help us to see how the Bible is really
one great sweeping story of God’s faithful promise-keeping to save
and deliver a people, and then to bless all the world.
2012
Homer City Ministerium Lenten Luncheon Series
One of the uncommon blessings of our community is the longstanding tradition of cooperation and collegiality across the congregations of the Homer City Area Ministerium. Once again, the congregations of our community will gather together on Wednesdays in Lent as together we journey with Jesus to the cross and the hope of resurrection through the other side of death. Come to our 2012 Lenten Luncheons for a time of worship across denominational lines at 12:00 noon each Wednesday, followed by a simple shared meal at 12:30pm. The sche
Feb. 29 Homer City United Presbyterian Church dule for this year’s series is:
Mar. 7 Our Lady of the Assumption, Coral/Graceton sit(former St. Francis)
Mar. 14
Hope Lutheran Church
Mar. 21
Homer City Church of the Nazarene
Mar. 28
Homer City United Methodist Church
No tickets are necessary for the lunches, but it has been
traditional to offer a suggested donation of $5.00 for the lunches
to help churches cover the costs of the meals they serve.
But no one is
ever
turned away—everybody gets to eat in the Kingdom of God!
Sunday Lesson Readers
for February
We continue to be thankful for the many and
varied voices who bring God’s Word to life for us as our
Sunday lectors. Coming
up this month are:
Feb. 5
Ron Carnahan
Feb. 12
Mike McCurdy
Feb. 19
Angie Davidson
Feb. 26 Denise Liggett
If you make any switches or substitutions, please call the church
office to let us know!
f you are interested in being a reader of our
Sunday Scripture lessons for worship, please see or call Shirley
Zundel (724/349-4696).
A Letter from Wendy Cook
On January 15, Wendy Cook was ordained to the ministry of Word and
Sacrament in a service of worship held at Hope.
Wendy is a daughter of our congregation, as well as the
daughter of our own Betty Cook and of former pastor Rev. James Cook,
and she had been baptized here in this church family decades ago.
Beginning in February 2012, Wendy departs for her new
ministry in New York, and she sends this farewell to us, after we
have had the chance to reconnect with her since the summer of 2011.
Wendy writes:
It was a seemingly endless seven months for me, but on January
31 I will finally be on my way to Helderberg Lutheran Church in
Berne, New York.
I want to thank all of you at Hope for your generous
welcome, encouragement, care and support of me throughout those
months, culminating in ordination – what a mountaintop experience!
Thank you for sharing yourselves and your spiritual
gifts with me.
The Spirit is obviously at work among you in community at
Hope as well as individually.
I pray that you continue to trust in God’s guidance
as you go forth to love and serve him in all that you do.
Wendy Cook
Loose Offering in February 2012
Our loose offering
(bills and coins not in a regular offering envelope)
for the month of February will be given to the Torrance State
Hospital Indigent Patient Fund.
Remember, too, that all during the month of February, you can
help support our collection of shampoo, body wash, hair gel, and
related styling products of any brand or size, also for the patients
of Torrance Hospital.
We need to make sure that packaging is not metal, and we cannot give
aerosol-type sprayers (pump sprayers are allowed for hairspray).
Next Torrance Outing: March 25
It is probably a sign of God’s cleverness that we often go into a
situation thinking that
we
will be the ones to help and touch someone
else’s
life, only to find ourselves blessed at the same time.
Ask one of our Torrance-visiting members from Hope about what
it is like to share worship and fellowship with the patients of
Torrance State Hospital, and you will probably hear the same from
them. We go, prepared
to offer our help with leading worship and serving snacks and
conversation afterward, and we find
ourselves
touched by the devotion, community, gratitude, and deep faith of the
residents who gather with us.
Join us for our next Torrance outing on the afternoon of
March 25, departing the church at 3:00pm, and come see for yourself.
Be prepared to be surprised by the moving of God’s Spirit in a
hospital common room!
Shrove Tuesday Pancakes and Sausage
The men of Hope continue our annual tradition of hosting a pancake
and sausage dinner on Shrove Tuesday, the day before the beginning
of Lent, this year
Feb. 21
from
4:00-7:00pm.
Tickets will be $5.00 for adults, $2.50 for children 6-12, and free
for children under six. All proceeds benefit
:
Lutheran Men in Mission.
