Stories of Hope

Waiting in Hope   I still remember counting the number of sleeps until Christmas as a child. Christmas meant time with family and friends, delicious food, and the excitement of getting to see what was in those strangely shaped packages under the tree.

  As many of you already know, Jenny and I will be leaving Courtice and moving to Hamilton this coming week. Although this has all happened very quickly, the reality is that we have been thinking about, and researching, this move for more than a year.

  This year we have over 40 GEMS! We have amazing counselors who pour the truths of the Bible and the love of God into these girls each week. This year’s GEMS theme is Be a Blessing. The counselors have done an amazing job exemplifying this theme weekly through bible talks, crafts, service projects and games.

  We are a few months into the new ministry year, programs are well under way and there appears to be a growing energy throughout our church family. Although we could probably still use a few more people in the children's ministry area, and I'm still not sure why certain people like to vandalize stuff around here, we are hearing stories of blessing and hope throughout the apparent randomness that each day brings.

  As a church, we don’t often consider our impact on the environment as we have a small staff and usually don’t create much more garbage than a typical household. However, the church’s Property Committee has been looking at this recently as the number of rentals in the building has steadily increased.

  When I woke up on Labour Day Sunday, I thought about how my life was totally in God’s hands – both the big and the little things. Pastor Dale’s sermon on Sunday talked about Paul’s confidence and how God would fulfil HIS promises, even through suffering. I had been suffering from heaviness in my chest and shortness of breath since our trip to Maine in the summer. I decided to book an appointment with a cardiologist, which was STRONGLY encouraged by my family.

  Fall has arrived: two indicators that this is true is that the tree leaves are turning colours, and we have returned to two worship services each Sunday. Along with the need to rake the leaves, the subject of why we have two services returns to the foreground. I would like to explain why we hold two services.

  Why is that when life gets busy one of the first things to suffer is my prayer life? As the schedule fills, time slips away. I may distractedly still go through the motions of reading my Bible, but my mind is already preoccupied with all that needs to be done for the day. Before long I realize an entire day has gone by and I’ve said little more than “Hey God – Hi, bye!”

  I had to buy Christmas presents this week. Normally I don’t like to think about Christmas till Advent, but when your daughter moves her family across the ocean, that’s just not possible. So the presents are purchased and will be delivered tomorrow to the children’s other Grandma, who will take them to Manchester at the end of the month.

  I have been the Director of Children’s Ministry for 3 months and have seen God provide time and time again. I tend to rely on my own strength and power to do things but have quickly learned the importance and deep value of giving the Children’s Ministry to God daily. Understanding that this is God’s church, these are His children, and I am His servant; I can encourage and support but ultimately it’s in God’s hands.

  Approximately nine years ago, I started attending Hope Fellowship Church. I met a few people, but mostly attended church service and quickly departed afterwards. I lived a busy life with work, cycling, family and many more activities.

  As a church family, we spent last week in a posture of prayer and preparation. Prayer inviting God into our ministries, and preparation for the ministry year to come. Over the week, groups of people gathered here, with each evening focusing on a different element of our ministry.

  One of the services offered at The Refuge is a program which helps our most vulnerable and at-risk youth to find safe, stable, and independent housing, called "Housing First." The basic underlying principle of this program is that people are better able to move forward with their lives if they are safely housed, first.

  It’s Sunday morning. Greeters warmly welcome people as they arrive to worship. Ushers help people find a seat. The praise team begins the opening song, leading us in worship. Together we praise our God, ask him questions, bring him our concerns, and listen for what he has to say to us.

  Let me say first off, that this story is not of the usual calibre of Hopeful Stories. But, it is a story of hope! As I interact throughout my week, I encounter many peoples, and their situations. (names have been altered to provide confidentiality).

  As a staff member of the church, I am blessed with the opportunity to attend Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Summit. This is a two-day event described as ‘drinking from a fire hose’ in regards to learning leadership skills.

  Have you ever checked out our prayer room?  Did you know we have one?  It's a multi-purpose room, really, but at least twice a week people gather there to pray together. Our praise team and pastor meet there every Sunday morning to pray together before leading our services.

An update from Sheila Dykstra   Guy is a public school teacher who has participated in Educational Care trainings since 2016 in Benin Republic. Since the beginning of our training time together, it was evident that Guy was passionate about teaching as well as working with other teachers.  He has a gentle demeanor, is a good listener, and has a wise way of correcting and encouraging other teachers during the training sessions. After module 1, Guy shared that this training has been such an encouragement to him, but also that through it, he has heard a call to be involved in Christian Education development and training. He diligently completed Action Plans for each module, and directed others in fine-tuning their own action plans.   The year 2018 brought about many challenges for teachers in Benin. Teachers went on strike to advocate for better working conditions, and teachers were not paid for 5 months. Guy has a wife and 2 children to support – and has found these times to be very s

  Before graduating from seminary, I told God I needed a spouse. I didn’t want to do ministry alone. The thought of moving somewhere away from my home community and living by myself – being a household of one – was overwhelming.

  Last week’s Hopeful Story , as written by Kim, and inspired by Dylan’s message on July 8 is indicative of what happens in the kingdom of God that we participate in. But let’s look a little closer and broader here at Hope Fellowship.   Most of you know the story of how I came to become the pastor here at Hope. Most of us know the back-story to Brian’s acceptance to become our second pastor.  Some of you know the behind the scenes promptings for Nicole to become our Worship Director. Lots of you know the Lord’s promptings for Dylan not only to become our Connections Director, but more so to pursue Seminary training to become a full fledged pastor. Deanna, our newest staff person as the Children’s Director, compliments well the ministry staff here at Hope.   And then there is the faithfulness of Chris, Ron & Linda, and the almost twenty years of dedicated service that Evelyn brings to the church.   Do you see where this is going? Yes, The Lord has his hands in all the lives of hi

  I almost died. This is what I learned.    It was a beautiful day for a long drive home. I had been gifted with a special long weekend trip to attend the Pow Wow on Mount Mckay (Thunder Bay). I’ve always had a fear of driving, (Cobourg to Pickering were my boundaries) and I would have never made the long drive on my own, but I knew I would be ok.

  November 2016 we hosted our first young adults conference called Misfit Generation.  Many new faces attended to check out this new thing happening in Courtice, Ontario.   One of those new faces was a young man named Josh from Frankford, Ontario.  I had the privilege of spending my Saturday lunch break with him, hearing a bit of his story, his experience with church, and his desires - the why behind his decision to drive the hour to attend the conference.

Hello from Ecclesia Church!   As we head into the summer, we’re giving thanks for what God is doing in and through and around us in Oshawa. We’ve now been worshipping together every Sunday evening for nine months; and, since January, we’ve been focusing our energy together on connecting with our neighbours in meaningful ways throughout North Oshawa.

  2B blessing others is, of course, a highlight for me. It is one of the ways in which I delight in the Lord, and I believe He delights in me. But even richer is seeing that God delights in others and he asks me to be involved in delighting in them. This was so very evident on June 10 in our worship service that morning. 

  Vacation Bible School is in the air.  We certainly do anticipate a week of great fun, energy and action but most of all we PRAY for a week that unleashes a powerful and certain knowledge of the love that Jesus has for all of us. Our theme this year is SHIPWRECKED, Rescued by Jesus.

  Anyone who knows me, knows that I love babies.  Personal items - purse, phone, coat, keys, papers, etc. - have been know to go flying when someone offers me a chance to hold their precious baby!  One of my favourite duties as an elder is being allowed to introduce a newly baptized member to the congregation.

  In August 2003, Amanda moved to Courtice to start her first ever teaching job at Immanuel Christian School in Oshawa.  She was 22, sky, single and alone.  Amanda tried out various churches and eventually felt at home at Hope Fellowship. 

Dear Friends of Hope Fellowship,   Twenty years ago, we arrived in Oshawa, with 3 little children in tow.  We enjoyed a warm welcome at Zion and quickly became part of the church family.  From midnight hockey, to Coffee Break, Praise Team, and Cadets, we found a place where we felt a part of the community.

  Happy Mother's Day!  But perhaps you are looking at today with regret and brokenness.  Maybe you find yourself mourning that which you never had.  If so, here are some survival tips for you.

  Over the past few weeks, Vickie and I have been talking about more courageously following the promptings of the Hold Spirit.   A few days ago, I had this feeling that I needed to leave the push bar on "open" in case someone needed access to the church...

Schools of Hope   I keep on my office wall a poster that outlines the difference between 'abundance thinking' and 'scarcity thinking'.  Scarcity thinking says there will never be enough. Abundance thinking, however, says that there will always be more. Abundance thinking is generous with others, whereas scarcity thinking hoards.  Scarcity thinking believes times are tough.  Abundance thinking believes the best is yet to come.

  Approximately nine years ago, I started attending Hope Fellowship Church. I met a few people, but mostly attended church service and quickly departed afterwards. I lived a busy life with work, cycling, family and many more activities. Two and half years ago, my life was turned upside down when I was diagnosed with Stage 3 metastatic ovarian cancer.

  When I woke up on Saturday, April 7, Gary asked me if he should be worried. My fuzzy brain couldn’t figure out why he would ask me that, and so he reminded me that I was going to learn how to “Kick the Boring Out of My Life” and he was worried that included him

  And who is my neighbour? The teacher asked Jesus. (Luke 12:29) And with these words ringing in our ears, we are reminded to be a good neighbour.

  As we celebrate Easter this Sunday, our thoughts naturally turn to spring and the warm summer that will hopefully soon follow. It’s also the time that our church rentals shift into high gear as we begin hosting year-end showcases and recitals for a number of community groups between now and the end of June.

  Our first Women Together event took place April 2011, and was created to bring women from various places together for a day to relax, renew and relate with each other

An Update from Christina Reid   Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I ventured with a team into the most dangerous part of San Jose, Zona Roja; the Red Zone. This is the devil’s neighbourhood, where walking one block means witnessing multiple drug deals, women prostituting, homeless men searching the streets, people getting high.

  Summer seems like a long way away, especially with the snow that greeted us on Friday morning. But it’s not that far away if you happen to be planning for Vacation Bible School. Our dedicated team of volunteers started working in January to make this event the best it can possibly be

  For the first six weeks of the year I had the privilege of coordinating the silent auction for our Valentine's in Paris fundraising dance on February 10.

  As a somewhat newly appointed staff member at Hope, I was rather excited to attend my first Leaders Retreat which took place this past weekend at Kingfisher Bay. There’s something to be said about a church that always allows room for the relational aspect of community to take precedent over ‘business’

  You just never know when you may face an opportunity to make a difference!

  Hopeful stories can be found in the most interesting places. If your eyes are open for God’s work in your life, you will find it—even through cell phones!

  Aside from our Sunday services and our mid-week evening ministries, our church building is often booked for various rentals - including a few fundraisers. Whether it’s a yoga class raising money to support pregnant moms or a non-profit musical group, we’re glad to host those that have a mission to help others. One of the longest running events is a scrapbooking fundraiser organized by Krista, a member at Hope

  Every Tuesday evening from 7 – 8:30 our GEMS Girls Club and Cadet Boys Club meet here at Hope Fellowship to offer kids from Grade 3 to Grade 8 an engaging, faith based program. The excitement that is generated in this place is infectious to all who attend