Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2015

Hopeful Story, December 6, 2015

  Advent is a time where we ready ourselves to celebrate Jesus coming into the world as a helpless baby and at the same time, prepare for His return as Triumphant King. We tell the Story of Jesus and His love. While that never gets old, each year we try to tell the Story in ways that make the Word-Made-Flesh more of a reality and in the telling, we find ourselves in this epic saga of Love winning all.

Note from the Pastor, December 6, 2015

  Until last week, I had never heard about the Advent Conspiracy. But when I received an e-mail about it from Yolanda about it on the same day that Pastor Brian Bell from Trulls Road Free Methodist Church asked me if I was acquainted with it, I knew that the Lord was trying to tell me something.

Hopeful Story, November 22, 2015

  Last Sunday (Nov 15), during the 11 a.m. service, a woman entered the sanctuary and spoke out loud. She seemed to be praising God and the Praise Team gently thanked her for an apparent charismatic manifestation of the Holy Spirit. In actuality, something else was going on and it seems good to let everyone know what happened and that it was handled so well by everyone involved.

Note from the Pastor, November 22, 2015

  Indecision is a difficult place to be. You make lists of pros and cons. You pray for guidance and clarity and a clear sense of God’s call. You talk to wise people who know you and love you. On some days, you’re convinced that God wants you here. On other days, you believe that he wants you there

Hopeful Story, November 1, 2015

  At the last minute, I received a fabulous opportunity through Hope Fellowship: to attend the Global Leadership Summit on October 22nd and 23rd. Though I, like many others, don’t often qualify myself as a leader, I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn something new

Hopeful Story, October 25, 2015

  Last Thursday and Friday, more than twenty leaders from Hope Fellowship joined hundreds of other church leaders at Liberty Pentecostal Church in Bowmanville. They worshipped together and watched video presentations of the talks that were first given in August as part of the annual Global Leadership Summit held in Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago

Note from the Pastor, October 11, 2015

  It is with some sadness that I leave the book of Jonah behind. On so many levels, this Old Testament story challenged me personally as I researched it and prepared my sermons. It left me wondering about my own obedience when God tells me to Go, and my own repentance when God says No.

Hopeful Story, October 11, 2015

  At this time of Thanksgiving, we as a family, have so much to be hopeful and incredibly thankful for.   Five years ago, Josiah was diagnosed with an incredibly rare form of cancer (1/100 million). At the time we had no idea how serious a state his body was in.

Note from the Pastor, September 27, 2015

  Last Sunday I caught up with Andrew, one of our teenagers, who broke his leg badly this summer when skateboarding at the Courtice Community Centre. He will be out of commission for awhile, but I re-assured him that you can recover from a severe break to run marathons. Perhaps, one day, he will do just that!

Hopeful Story, September 7, 2015

  As summer draws to an end (and no matter how hard we ignore the signs, they are still there!), we start to think about autumn things again - things like going back to school, wearing sweaters or long pants, and setting a routine again. As we start to gear up for a new season of ministry at Hope Fellowship, you may be wondering if it’s time to get involved in a ministry or a small group at Hope Fellowship.

Note from the Sun, August 30, 2015

  At Dominican Feed the Children, where three times a week children between 6 months and 12 years old receive a meal, the children are no different than home. Some are shy and peak at us from behind doors or their mother's skirts, and others boldly join us, grasping our hands and smiling as if they won a prize.

Hopeful Story, August 30, 2015

  Christian Reformed Churches usually wait until a pastor leaves before they start looking for another pastor. Our leadership, with Pastor Peter’s encouragement, began thinking about the process of finding a new pastor several years before his actual retirement.

Note from the Sun, August 16, 2015

  The word “tradition” comes from Latin “trader” or “traderer” literally meaning to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping. Often tradition is seen as boring or irrelevant - we love the new and exciting, the fresh and the novel ideas and sometimes we shudder when we hear the word

Note from the Sun, July 19, 2015

  It had been a slow day. The weather outside was unpredictable with the wind picking up and the black clouds rolling in. Many of our clients are young parents that come in regularly to check out the donations and to chat. Today, a couple had dropped in while out and about because they needed shelter from the rain.

Hopeful Story, July 19, 2015

  It’s quiet in the office this week (so very quiet after last week’s VBS excitement!). Pastor Peter is away, there hasn’t been much contact with people—it seems that lots of people are away—and I’ve been working away on catching up on things.

Hopeful Story, June 21, 2015

  Most of us have good intentions when it comes to prayer and supporting the good things our church does. However, in the busy-ness and rush of the day to day we often fall short and feel a sense of failure. This feeling of defeat can impact our spiritual walk. So we face a two prong problem - where do we find the time and how do we remember? That is the challenge!

Note from the Sun, June 7, 2015

  A number of years ago, while camping at Bon Echo, our family stopped at a small museum in Cloyne. The history of the area intrigued me enough that I enrolled in a history course to learn more. I was always dissatisfied with the experience, but was unable to explain why.

Hopeful Story, May 10, 2014

  The torches for this summer’s Pan Am games (July 10-26) and Parapan Am games (August 7-15) will come through Clarington this summer. Bob, a member of our church family, has been chosen as a torchbearer for the Parapan American games.

Note from the Pastor, May 10, 2015

  Last Sunday’s sermon about “ Raising Good-hearted Kids ” focused on intentionally bringing our children to the Lord, giving them the gift of two parents obviously in love, and meeting their needs for attention, acceptance, approval and absolutes.

Note from the Pastor, April 26, 2015

  When a church is anticipating or undergoing a significant change, the commitment of its members is absolutely crucial. There are some significant changes ahead for Hope Fellowship. That’s why I’m challenging you to strengthen your commitment to our church family.

Hopeful Story, April 26, 2015

  Free Continental Breakfast. Free babysitting. A free tour of the church. A chance to meet with other regular attenders, Hope Fellowship’s staff and me as we answer every question you’ve ever had about our church but were afraid to ask. That pretty much describes our next “Introducing Hope Fellowship” Seminar, scheduled for Saturday, May 2, from 9 till noon.

Note from the Pastor, April 12, 2015

  I saw two robins mating this week. They danced around each other in our back yard, wings raised. It looked more like sparring than dancing. Then he overpowered her and they became a wild blur of feathers. Just as quickly it was over. They looked at each other as if they were unsure about what had just happened. When they flew away I wondered if it was the same pair that had scouted our mulberry tree for a suitable nesting place. And I thought, "It must be April."

Hopeful Story, April 12, 2015

  When our daughter and her fiancé said that they wanted a Destination Wedding, I felt very uneasy. After having raised our children in a Christian Home, Christian elementary and high school, they would be getting married by a Justice of The Peace. I was sad there would be no Christian, personal message (like Pastor Peter's at Allyson and Adrian's wedding).

Hopeful Story, March 22, 2015

  How often do you hear someone pray “Come on, Lord, it’s only $55,000.00!” That was Pastor Peter’s prayer after hearing that I volunteered to help World Renew (a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church) raise the funds needed for the Healthy Babies, Healthy Mom Campaign.

Hopeful Story, March 8, 2015

  “Whenever I look at it, I only see the mistakes,” Judi said this week when I asked her about our new photo directory. “And when I think about it, I only remember the frustrations.”   It was exactly a year ago when she had her first meeting about this project. After two separate photo shoots and months of editing, the 2014 edition finally arrived.

Hopeful Story, February 15, 2015

  The email from Sharon came in on Feb. 4. “Please pray. Our 2 year old grandson, Levi, had an allergic reaction which became serious staph infection which became scalded skin syndrome. Pray this cycle stops and heads back in the other direction towards healing.

Hopeful Story, January 18, 2015

  After eighteen months without a Service and Outreach Zone Coordinator, God has blessed Hope Fellowship with someone to head up this important zone. Upon the recommendation of the personnel committee, the Vision Leadership Board offered this position to Lisa Witvoet, with a start date of January 15.

Hopeful Story, January 4, 2015

  Dylan's friends and family came to Hope Fellowship on Saturday, Dec. 27, expecting to hear him propose to his girlfriend, Jessica. After socializing for half an hour, the hundred-plus guests were shushed into silence as Dylan led Jessica, who was blindfolded, to the centre of the stage.

Hopeful Story, December 21, 2014

  Ten years ago, I met monthly with three people who were sixty-plus. From a Christian perspective, we discussed articles in The Banner and various topics of general interest. We met because we understood that a multi-generational church should offer a ministry to every age category. We hoped that others would join us as time went by.