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News Update
18 Sept 2020 |
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Time for harvest
The uncertainties of lockdown are getting to people, leaving many people feeling anxious. Let me encourage you to hang in there and keep going. September is often a season for new beginnings. Here at HOPE Together we have lots of fresh initiatives like The Wellbeing Journey taking off, helping you and your church to make Jesus known. There are churches that are seeing fruit as they reach out at this time. Online services continue to attract seekers, and churches that have opened up for socially-distanced services are welcoming newcomers who first joined them online. As Jesus said, ‘I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest’ (John 4:36). We love to serve you as you put faith into words and action. Do let us know how we can serve you more and pray for you.
Roy Crowne
HOPE Together's Executive Director |
Talking HOPE – introducing The Wellbeing Journey
 Months of prolonged isolation during the Covid-19 lockdown have put a strain on mental health and wellbeing. To help local churches support their communities, HOPE Together and Kingsgate Church are producing a new video series to be released in January 2021. The Wellbeing Journey will enable churches to lead communities on this journey to physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing as they offer this practical resource. A book ‘God’s Plan for Your Wellbeing’ by Dave Smith (Waverley Abbey Resources) accompanies the video series. Promotional resources, sermon ideas and invitations will be available for a Christmas launch highlighting Jesus ‘the Prince of Wholeness’ as The Message version translates Isaiah 9:6. To hear more about The Wellbeing Journey, join us on Facebook Live @hopetogether on Monday 21st September for Talking HOPE. |
Jesus’ story
Give away the Jesus story as told by Mark. Order copies of this beautifully illustrated Mark’s Gospel from the HOPE shop. Find out more here |
Prayer 2020
This Sunday, 20th September, we will be hosting Prayer 2020 on Facebook Live @Hopetogether. Join us from 8.15pm to start praying with us at 20:20 (8.20pm) for 20 minutes or get together as a group of six to pray for our country and for opportunities to talk about Jesus. |
Delivering invitations to church
 Steve Sully, pastor of Challenge Community Church in Hereford, tells us they are preparing to giveaway copies of Hope in Uncertain Times to local people with a postcard invitation to join the church physically or remotely. ‘We held off until we were meeting again on Sundays and had a couple of practice runs with live streaming…Confident in God's timing being perfect. He is preparing hearts whilst we wait.’
Hope in Uncertain Times is a beautifully produced little booklet, which points people to Jesus – the hope we have in this difficult season. Order copies today from the HOPE shop. Copies cost just 30p (plus p&p) if you order 50 or more. |
 Talking Toddlers - Next Steps
The Talking Toddlers report, using research by Savanta ComRes, shows that 74% of all parents with children under the age of five have attended a church-run activity in the past year. Also, 12% of all parents of under-fives are practising Christians, double the number of practising Christians in the population. Find out more about the research here. To join a webinar to discuss the practical implications of this research on Friday 9th October, 10am-11:30am, via Zoom, sign up by emailing steph.pring@hopetogether.org.uk |
Christmas is coming…
Christmas always starts early in the HOPE office as we prepare the Christmas edition of HOPE for All and other resources to help churches make Jesus known over the festive season. This year there’s a new giveaway children’s booklet telling the Christmas story using the popular Happyland characters; a great new edition of the HOPE for All magazine, and lots of resources themed around ‘the Prince of Wholeness’ from The Message version of Isaiah 9:6. Details will be available later this month. |
Wall of HOPE on the move
We were thrilled to see Worcester Cathedral’s new Wall of HOPE go up last weekend. Several cathedrals across the country are using this HOPE installation this year and, as local churches open for prayer, many are also providing HOPE Spaces. Find out more here or offer friends, family and colleagues, who are exploring faith, a link to our Virtual HOPE Space at hopespaces.com |
 Help friends discover the Bible
The Discover Bible questions have helped the church to explode in many countries round the world. You can use the App ‘Discover the Bible’ on your smart phone or you can download the Discover Bible booklet, which gives a great, simple way to read the Bible with a friend, colleague or family member. |
We need another wave..!
Waves, spikes, peaks... all now negative words due to COVID-19 pandemic, but can we endear these words to you. We believe that we need a new wave of young evangelists who lead to new regular spikes and peaks of people coming to know Jesus in the UK and beyond. It has been exciting to see a bunch of the graduates from last year’s Amplify Young Evangelists Academy heading off around the UK and the globe as missionaries to see more people come to know Jesus and become part of his Church.
We are launching a new Amplify year in January 2021, with a condensed programme, but with same content over 6 months - January to July 2021. If you know a young person who is passionate about reaching people for Jesus and/or sharing the good news of Jesus, then Amplify is for them. Get them signed up today! |
Wall of Answered Prayer
Our friend Richard Gamble, CEO of the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer project, announced last weekend that they have planning permission for this huge Christian landmark coming to Coleshill, near Birmingham in 2022. Find out more here and share your story of answered prayer here. |
Recognising online excellence
This year the Premier Digital Awards are looking for examples of how churches have ministered through the Covid-19 pandemic through Sunday services; inclusion of marginalised groups; serving their communities; children and young people; online outreach; building church fellowship; virtual choirs; virtual music groups; online sermons and reflections...and more. Find out more and make nominations here.
Thanks for reading our news updates. If you have received this from someone else, please sign up yourself. We’d love to connect with you directly. |
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With love from the HOPE Together team.
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