May Update at New Hope

Easter at New Hope was a great time. A number of visitors joined us, and the message was on the story of God’s redemption in Scripture. Adam and Eve fell into sin when they believed the lie that God was not good, but God fiercely loves His people so much that He would stop at nothing to bring them (us!) back home—even giving His only Son. This is the story we all need to hear every day, as we grow in the gospel and in the knowledge of God’s goodness to us. During this service, we also presented families with young children with The Jesus Storybook Bible—a powerful and theologically rich children’s story Bible, which shows how all the stories in the Bible point to Jesus.

On the weekend after Easter, I was ordained as Minister of the Word at New Hope. I am grateful for such support in this time from friends and family, and from everyone at New Hope. It has been a privilege to serve God alongside the congregation, and I look forward to the years to come!

In a couple weeks, we will be wrapping up our Sunday School for the summer. We’ve been watching television commercials, and then discussing their implicit and explicit messages and comparing them to Scripture. During the past few weeks, we’ve also been addressing spiritual disciplines that counteract destructive messages, such as prayer (versus cultural values of self-reliance such as in Chrysler’s “It’s Halftime in America” Superbowl commercial) and fasting (versus an idolization of food in various commercials).

We’ve also seen a number of answers to prayer in the past months. God has worked powerfully in the life of an elderly relative of a church member, and we have seen a change of heart even as she approaches the end of her life. God is still at work to save, and it’s been a good reminder to never give up in prayer or our witness! This and other evidences of God’s goodness have been an encouragement, and it seems that God has been growing in us a hunger to seek Him in prayer.

Thank you all for your support and prayers. In this next month, please pray for God to continue to give us a greater hunger for Him as we expand the prayer ministry here at New Hope. In addition, in late June we will be starting up a Bible and topical study for men, women, and youth, so please pray that God would be preparing leaders and those who will be attending—including those who don’t yet know Jesus.

In our Lord,

Jonathan Fischer