Gather with us anytime in our Facebook group "Spirit of Hope Friends and Family" Share your joys, concerns, and prayer requests with your church family. It's a private group, so anything you post will only be visible to members of the group.
Sunday Morning Worship, 10 AM
Prayer is seen all throughout scripture. There isn’t a book in the Bible that doesn’t mention someone calling on the name of the Lord. It’s God’s gift of His time to be available for conversation at any time of day or night. His gift to listen to our heart, and to answer in ways beyond our comprehension. A most familiar prayer given to us by Jesus is found in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke when His disciples asked Him to "Teach us how to pray." This Sunday Pastor Deborah will delve into the prayer that we refer to as "The Lord's Prayer."
Out of consideration for others, please wear a mask regardless of your vaccination status. The service will be live-streamed to our Facebook group for those not ready to return in person. Sermons will be posted on YouTube (video) and on our website (audio)
This Week's Volunteers
(A sign-up sheet for these volunteer opportunities is on the table in the narthex area)
Liturgist: Tammy Than
Tech:
Communion Servers: Barb Volk and Patti Cummings
Hospitality: Deborah S
Bagel Pickup: Deborah Schauer (W) Mike and Lorraine Eyer (Th)
Bagel Delivery: Mike and Loraine Eyer
Friday 1 PM Women's Bible Study, Women from the Bible Speak
Saturday 8 AM Ash Sifter Build and Fire Bucket Assembly
Sunday; 10 AM Worship
Wednesday 2 PM Bagel Pickup and Bagging for WVC Food Pantry
7 PM Choir Practice
Thursday 2 PM Bagel Pickup for Justa Center
Friday 1 PM Ladies Bible Study
The season of Lent is a journey that we embark on together. It is a journey of reflection, meditation, worship, and service over the course of the next several weeks beginning on March 2nd with Ash Wednesday.
The Lenten season differs in many ways from the Advent season: we don’t have a hanging of the greens, we don’t sing carols, and instead of anticipating the birth of the Christ child, we prepare ourselves for His death and resurrection. Now, I admit that putting it that way, this all sounds rather gloomy in contrast—but we can rejoice because we know He has risen, He has risen indeed!
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”—Romans 12:1-2
Paul writes to the Romans that we believers are called to study, worship, and renew our minds and in so doing, we may know the perfect will of God. Just as we marvel over the circumstances of Christ’s entrance into our world during Advent, we can also find ourselves amazed at the ability, creativity, and love of God. During Lent, we ponder how Jesus left this world only to rise from the grave to sit at God’s holy, heavenly hand.
After spending forty days being tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus stayed busy. During His last week on earth: he cleared the temple, cursed the fig tree, teaches the Sermon on the Mount—and that’s just the first two days. In fact, the majority of the Gospels focus on this latter part of Christ’s life. This Lenten season, won’t you join me in learning more about our Savior and His journey that He made through our Lenten sermon series, Journey of Stones.
Blessings in Christ, Pastor Deborah
What's Your "Elevator Testimony"?
We invite YOU to submit an "Elevator Speech" about your faith development or faith practice. An Elevator Speech is a brief (1 or 2 paragraphs) statement about your faith or about your practice of your faith. It could be about your involvement in ministry or worship; it's YOUR Elevator Speech fulfilling Peter's admonition to "Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. Do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15)
I’m a Christian because I had a very real encounter with the Lord that changed my life. I struggled with depression for years and was suicidal at the age of 9. I started taking medication but still wasn’t happy. This struggle lasted for several years. At the age of 17, I was at an Alpha retreat and during the prayer time, someone prayed with me, for me to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I felt a sense of peace come over me and afterwards I was transformed. The cloud of darkness and depression was lifted and my whole attitude had changed. Even others could see a difference in me. My whole life changed after that weekend. I’m a Christian because I have personally experienced the difference a relationship with Christ can make in a person’s life. There is not a doubt in my mind that if it wasn’t for that weekend, and God’s Spirit, I wouldn’t be alive today.
-Jennifer Lutz
Foothills Quilters (a member of AQG-Arizona Quilters Guild) has been meeting at Spirit of Hope UMC for about the last 10 years. The Foothills Quilters are a friendly and prolific group of ladies, who enjoy creating quilts for their enjoyment, gifting to family, friends and charity. Last year Foothills Quilters donated quilts, pillowcases and totes to various charity groups and upwards of 15 quilts to the church.
On February 14, 15 and 16th the Foothills Quilters hosted their first in town members only quilt retreat, renting the Spirit of Hope fellowship hall. Thirteen members met for 3 days, creating quilts, learning new techniques and enjoying our friendships.
Thank you, Spirit of Hope for the opportunity to meet at the church for such events! -Nancy Pitts
Workship
Saturday is your opportunity to participate in a morning of Workship, assembling tools to be used by Disaster Responders in communities affected by wildfires.
- - There will be TWO separate but simultaneous mission activities going on - - - ONE Those who prefer to participate in building Ash Sifters will work in the breezeway, where there will be several work stations; One - 2x3s and 1x2s will be cut into 17 inch lengths
Two - 1/2" hardware cloth will be cut into 18" x 18" squares
Three - 2x3s and 1x2s will be pre-drilled
Four - 2x3s will be into an 18' square frame
Five - hardware cloth will be stapled onto the 18' x 18' frame
Six - 1x2 trim boards will complete the assembly
We'll build 100 Ash Sifters. There's nothing complicated, difficult, or dangerous in the entire assembly. If you have access to a power drill/driver (corded or uncorded), bring it. Drill and driver bits and screws will be provided. There are tasks that do not require standing. There is no minimum or maximum age to participate.
TWO Simultaneously in the Fellowship Hall, workers will assemble Wildfire Relief Buckets, filling 5 gallon buckets with specific materials useful to homeowners affected by wildfire. Spirit of Hope members and friends have been gathering items for several weeks for the buckets. We plan to assemble 25 Wildfire Relief Buckets.
THREE Okay, this one wasn't in the script, but pizza comes when the work is done, so don't leave early. If we finish early we'll eat early.
February Birthdays
February 3 Judy Barber
February 3 Ken Wolf
February 7 Barbara Barcus
February 7 Skip Berryhill
February 8 Jane Kane
February 12 Linda Howell
February 12 Sarah Stefl
February 15 Kent Fleming
A Birthday Prayer: O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on these friends as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Surprise Us God!
Good morning God!
Surprise us.
Make our faith greater than our fears; grow us in the covering of your love.
February: Prayer for Hope
Heavenly Father, I am your humble servant.
I come before you today in need of hope.
I need hope for a calm and joyful future.
I need hope for love and kindness.
I pray for peace and safety.
Some say that the sky is darkest just before the light.
I pray that this is true, for today seems stormy and dim.
I need your light, Lord, in every way.
I pray to be filled with your light.
Help me to walk in your light and live my life in faith and service.
In your name I pray,
Amen
The Visionary is Spirit of Hope's e-newsletter, and goes each Thursday morning. If you have items you would like included in the Visionary, please get them to Lorraine by 5 PM on Wednesday.
