Fall Focus

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which the Lord has called you, what are the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of God’s power toward us who believe, according to the working of God’s great might. - Ephesians 1:16-19 

At the beginning of his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin writes, “Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” 

This fall we are going to work to nurture our spirit of wisdom. As Calvin suggests, we do this by growing in our knowledge of God and of ourselves.  This work starts in our shared worship life, as we embark on a journey through scripture once again following the Narrative Lectionary. In the story of Scripture we learn who God is and who God has called us to be.  The title for the sermon series is “Our Place in God’s Story.” As we work our way through the Bible, we will look for ways that we share characteristics with the characters of the Bible. Some of these characters will include: Joseph, the Israelites, Hannah, and David. As we identify the ways we overlap, we will then see how what God said to them might parallel what God is saying to us.

At the same time, the Nurture and Growth Ministry has put together a series to help us with our own “character development” as we find our place in God’s story. With the assistance of our Student Pastor, Katie Rosenson, the Nurture and Growth Committee compiled classes and curriculum that will help us explore the intricate way that God has created each of us as individuals in community. By digging into some of the aspects of our identities, we look forward to growing in the way that we love God, our neighbors, and ourselves. For example, one class we will be offering is called “Hopewellian Faith: The History and Future of Faith in Hopewell” and it will be led by Ian Burrow & Elaine Buck.  

For the fall, these educational opportunities will be happening on Sunday nights at 7pm over ZOOM. When appropriate we will meet as an intergenerational group, but we will also have the opportunities to break into smaller groups. Student Pastor Katie will be leading the virtual group for our youth.  Keep an eye on the announcement page and your email for a full list of class topics soon! 

- Pastor Melissa