Connect with Hope

Hey Hope Folks!

This Sunday is Mother’s Day (you’re welcome, men, for the friendly reminder). In honor of all moms in our church family, a carnation will be given to each woman who attends a service on Saturday or Sunday (you’re welcome again, men). It’s a very good and very old tradition that we embrace at Hope …

The first official Mother’s Day in this country took place at a Methodist church in West Virginia  in 1908. Simple carnations were handed out to worshipers to pay tribute to mothers. The woman who started it all – Ann Jarvis – campaigned successfully to make Mother’s Day a national holiday. In her later years, she also fought against the commercialization of Mother’s Day, insisting the holiday was established for children of all ages to sincerely honor moms at church … not with generic greeting cards or elaborate gifts bought as a substitute for genuine respect and love.

Sometimes, simple is way better, and far more meaningful. Let’s get back to the heart and original intent of Mother’s Day this weekend. I’ll preach a sermon called “A Gentle Guide” based on Acts 18:24-26, introducing you to a woman named Priscilla, who provided some essential, motherly direction for the early Christian church.

If possible, bring your mom and hand her a carnation … or just come and give God praise for all the moms in our church family!

Peace,
Mike Housholder
Pastor. Preacher. Guy surrounded by great moms.

P.S. For some, Mother’s Day is difficult. If that’s you, please know God’s house is a place of healing and hope, and that’s what you can find here this weekend.

Hey Hope Folks!

Lots of good stuff going on in our church family … On Sunday afternoon at two special services – 1 pm and 3 pm – over 300 eighth-grade and One Body (special needs) students will confirm their Christian faith. That’s cause for celebration! In a world where too many youth wander from God, these students stand out as a beautiful exception to the rule … and a sign of real hope. Publicly affirming the faith into which they were baptized is the culmination of 3 years of weekly study, worship, fellowship and service. It’s also the beginning of a commitment to follow Jesus daily as a confirmed member of his church. Join me in praying for them and thanking God for their faith.

Last Sunday, I chatted with some of the One Body confirmation students after they read their faith statements – their genuine enthusiasm and love for Jesus lit up the room! Two nights ago, I heard faith statements from the eighth-grade confirmation girls small group that my wife and daughter led this past year – absolutely inspiring!

Those experiences got me thinking: What about the rest of us in the Hope family? What would your faith statement say? What difference has God made in your life? What is God calling you to be or do next? I encourage you to ponder those questions, answer God’s call, and confirm your faith in Jesus today … and every day. When we let God write the story of our lives, it always reads a lot better!

Finally, at our regularly scheduled services this weekend, you’ll hear a great sermon from either Jon Anenson (at all but 2 services) or Pastor Merv (8 am Chapel, Sunday 5 pm) based on Acts 15:7-17. The Lord’s Supper will be offered at all services. See you at Hope!

Peace,

Mike Housholder
Pastor. Preacher. Confirmed (again and again).

Hey Hope Folks!
Starting today, I’m sending out a short-and-snappy-every-Friday-e-news message. Please take a minute to read it each week. The goal is simple: Share a few thoughts with you about what’s happening at Hope, and where God is leading our church family …
My sermon this weekend brings us to John 3, where Jesus tells Nicodemus that he “must be born again.” Most have heard it, yet few interpret it faithfully. Let’s change that. You bring a Bible and a few friends. I’ll help you dig deeper into this frequently quoted, and misquoted, biblical text. We’ll let God take it from there.
Following the sermon, you’ll be invited to take part in a Lutheran altar call, more commonly known as the Lord’s Supper. During this “holy” (set apart by God) meal, the one and only John Cheatem will sing (except for the Sunday evening service). I volunteered for a duet with him. The entire worship planning team rejected that idea. Immediately.
Last but not least, please remember our Lenten Outreach Project, 40 Churches in 40 Days. Every $4,200 builds a new church for our friends in Ghana, where Christianity is growing exponentially.Together, we can lead more people to Christ in Africa in 40 days (through 40 new churches) than we’ve reached in Iowa over the past 20 years! Give generously and pray for the expansion of God’s Kingdom all over the world. What we do now matters … forev er.
Peace,
Mike Housholder
Pastor. Preacher. Outreach Guy. Not a Singer.

By Mike Housholder
Senior pastor

Worship Preview: “And the Walls Came Tumbling Down”
Our journey through the Bible together as a church family continues this weekend with another story from Scripture that is too often ignored, dismissed, or misunderstood (by both believers and non-believers). I’ll preach from the Book of Joshua about a courageous warrior, a town prostitute, and the walls that had to fall. Come and hear all about how God defeated the arrogance of worldly “power” and “wisdom” in a victory that makes even the best Super Bowl winning team look, well, rather tame!

The 2012 Souper Bowl Food Drive
It’s here! The annual Lutheran Church of Hope Souper Bowl Food Drive happens this weekend, Feb. 4-5. I’m asking you to bring a bunch of bags of nonperishable food items (the good stuff – the food you’d want to eat) with you when you come to worship this weekend. Local grocery stories have been notified, and they’re ready – and there’s a list of the most needed food items that you can find here.

Our goal is simple and super-sized: feed all who are hungry by filling the shelves of food pantries all throughout central Iowa!

If you feel led to do so, you can also donate money to the Souper Bowl Food Drive. 100% of the money we give will be delivered to the larger food pantries in Des Moines. They prefer money over canned foods because they have the staffing and size to buy food at wholesale prices. That said, the majority of food pantries we support in small towns and rural areas don’t have the capacity to make those purchases, so they prefer to receive the food rather than money. Give food and/or money as the Spirit leads … and thanks in advance for your generosity.

Lenten Project: 40 Churches in 40 Days!
Over the past few years, Hope has donated over $1 million to construct 140+ clean water wells in villages near Ho, Ghana, in western Africa. Life expectancy rates have changed. Education levels are way up (because kids aren’t on daily four-hour journeys with their mothers to draw water from dirty rivers). Hearts have been opened, and Christianity is spreading like wildfire … all as a result of God moving through our gifts!

Now, most of these villages want to start churches, and our missionary in Africa – Pastor Sam Dunya – has trained pastors ready to go. Here’s the amazing part: to build a village church in Ghana (basically a picnic shelter), furnish it with chairs and Bibles, and build a local parsonage (hut) for a pastor takes a grand total of $4,200!

My hope and prayer is that God will work through us during the season of Lent to provide the money to start 40 new churches in 40 days leading up to Easter! Start praying about it – God is bringing his light into the darkness of this world through you!

by Mike Housholder
Senior pastor

This week, our Bible readings take us through the central story of the Old Testament – the exodus of God’s people from slavery and oppression in Egypt to the freedom and new life of a promised land.

It is a story of good and evil, heroes and villains, mystery and adventure … but most of all it is a story of a real God who shows up and puts the dark powers of this world in their place.

The Pharaoh (Egyptian king) enslaved and tortured the Hebrews. He committed mass murder. He ignored the warnings of Moses over and over again, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge that there is a God (or that he was not it).

And that’s where the story gets really good, and surprisingly relevant for our enlightened world that sometimes falls into the arrogant trap of concluding that God is not, or that this God must align with our narrow and limited worldviews (which are a moving target).

There is a God, and this God showed up to defeat evil and win freedom for millions. If that sounds like a prelude to an even greater story that involves a Savior, a cross and an empty tomb … well, it should. And now you’re starting to see that these old stories from the beginning of the Bible have everything to do with Jesus … and us.

Come and hear all about it at worship this weekend. Bring a Bible and a few friends who are hungry for the Word!

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Mike Housholder

by Mike Housholder
Senior pastor

Sometimes it’s nice to walk along the beach, warm ocean waves slowly trickling up and over our feet. Much of the Bible is like that – an easy and gentle journey with God, filled with stories of comfort and peace.

Then there are times when reading the Bible feels more like surfing a tsunami, with stories so rough and difficult to read they might leave us wondering for a moment if it’s spiritually safe to take this ride … hold on!

Abraham wanted a child, waited most of his life for one, and then God told him to treat his child like a sacrificial lamb. In Genesis 22, a tsunami hit Abraham. His faith was about to be tossed around and tested on a massive wave that few, if any, others in the Bible would feel or endure.

Abraham loved Isaac, like all good fathers love sons. So when God instructed this good father to surrender his son (Genesis 22:2), it had to come to Abraham as an absolute shock. In the end, of course, we discover that God never had any intention of letting young Isaac die. Something deeper was happening here.

While the good ending helps, still this particular story has overwhelmed a lot of good Bible readers for centuries. For that reason, some Christians choose to skip right over it, because they aren’t comfortable with the role God plays, or the apparent willingness of Abraham to follow through on God’s stunning command.

Take a closer look at this old story with me, however, and you will find a pure and holy God who stands consistently (here and throughout Scripture) against hurting a child in any way. You will also find a relevant application in this inspiring story for anyone (and perhaps that one is you) who ever feels like there’s no way out of a seemingly impossible situation.

Never give up on God.

I’ll preach on these things this weekend at Hope, as we continue our 16-month journey through the Bible. We’re purposely starting off 2012 with seven weeks of some of the most difficult stories in Scripture to read and comprehend. Rather than avoid these big, challenging “waves,” we’re diving in.

After all, a walk on the beach is fine, but every once in a while, it’s good to take our faith for a ride. See you at Hope this weekend …

Surf’s up!

Pastor Mike Housholder

By Mike Housholder
Senior pastor

This weekend, lots of new things are coming our way at Hope … and I want to make sure you know about them:

NEW Annual Theme: “The Greatest Story Ever Told” … Throughout the year, we will dive into the Scriptures together as a church family. Weekend services will focus on the greatest stories and books of the Bible, including some that are too often overlooked. Resources for new and existing groups, Bible studies, and daily devotionals will serve as helpful tools to accomplish our simple yet important goal – to grow deeper in our relationships with God and one another as we become a more biblically fluent church.

NEW Sermon Series: “A New Look at Some Old Stories” … The Old Testament is packed with rich (and often overlooked) stories that reveal both the faithfulness and the sinfulness of the human race as we wander through life. From the Garden of Eden to Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones, there are timeless stories that need to be told (and heard) again and again. This is not just so we know what happened, but so that we can learn and get to know God better as we ponder some of the bigger questions of life, and apply the message to our own lives. I can’t wait to get started.

NEW Message: “Paradise Lost?” … This weekend at Hope, I’ll preach on the story of Adam and Eve, original sin (which lots of folks misunderstand), and finding our place in the garden. Why did God punish Adam and Eve so severely for simply taking a bite of some forbidden fruit? What was the serpent doing in the garden? What is this story really about, and why do those fingerprints on the fruit look so familiar? Some tough questions … with some great answers that have some rather big ramifications for our world today.

Bring a Bible and some friends who don’t have a church home to Hope this weekend. Start the New Year right, and get into the good habit of
weekly worship. The God who makes all things new promises to meet us here.

Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mike Housholder

by Mike Housholder
Senior pastor

+ To whom do you belong? As the year that was fades to memory, and a new year marches in, give that question some thought …

+ Some belong to families, groups or gangs. Some to teams, clubs or political parties. Some belong to the “cool” crowd. Some wish they did, and waste a lot of time trying to get in. But most genuinely joyful people I know don’t follow the crowd or care much about cool.

+ Jesus said, “Follow me.”

+ Lots of folks don’t follow Jesus, and many of them are anxious about 2012. There’s a lot of hype suggesting that the end is near. Mayan calendars. False prophecies. And other random rubbish.

+ To paraphrase Jesus: “I’m coming soon. Be ready.” But he also said, “No one knows when” and “don’t be afraid.”

+ So, it seems the faithful approach is not to worry or figure it out. Faith means we belong to God, trust that He has the end all worked out, and that He’s working for our good.

+ Faith is a powerful thing, often underestimated.

+ Faith stands at the heart of practically any good relationship. Faith kicks out fear. Faith changes us … in radical ways.

+ Like the good feeling that fills our souls after thoroughly cleaning a room, or even taking out the foul-smelling garbage, a new year is a good time to experience positive change. Out with the old. In with the new.

+ Jesus said, “I am the way.”

+ Now is a good time to dump our old, toxic habits, grudges and self-righteousness – plus any other sin – at the cross of Jesus, who promises to crucify it. At that moment of honest confession, the old junk we’ve been carrying … dies.

+ Jesus is risen!

+ The resurrection of Jesus raises people of faith – forgiven sinners who belong to Jesus – to a whole new life. Not just “new” in some calendar-based, symbolic or emotional way, but in a very real, down-to-earth, born-from-above, joy-producing, that-just-happened-for-real sort of way!

+ The literal definition of a “Christian” is “one who belongs to Christ.”

+ You belong to Jesus Christ … and He is risen! Happy New Year … the Year of our Lord, 2012!

You are welcome to Christmas Eve Candlelight Services at Lutheran Church of Hope! As a church, we don’t believe it’s an accident that you’re reading this invitation. We’ve been praying for you and believe God led you here. May God use these services to fill your heart with love, joy and peace as you ponder the good news of Jesus’ birth!

If you are new to Hope and have any questions about Christianity or this church, please call us at 222-1520, or email hope@hopewdm.org – again, welcome to HOPE and thank you for celebrating Christmas with us.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Mike Housholder

P.S. More details on parking, childcare and so forth are available here.

“Bring all the tithes into my storehouse … I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough
room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” Malachi 3:10

Dear Hope Family,

Four weeks ago, when we started the “Building Hope 4 the World” giving campaign, our goals were simple: connect to God and his church, celebrate God’s abundant blessings, and contribute to God’s mission for us as a church.

The first two goals have been met with extraordinary results! From the friendly “Fireside Chats” and “76 Hours of Reading the Bible” to inspiring worship and an all-church “Jesus Party” with a multitude of Spirit-filled mountaintop moments, we have embarked on this Bible-based and prayer-driven giving campaign, without guilt or pressure, fully surrendered to God. Centered in Christ, we have grown deeper and wider as a church, and experienced the Spirit of Hope. We have connected to God in new, meaningful, and even surprising ways. We have seen beautiful
glimpses of God’s vision for our future: Hope as a “field of dreams” where people gather, encounter the light of Jesus’ transformational love, and then faithfully bring that light to hundreds of thousands in the world around us!

Now, it’s time to fulfill the final goal of the “Building Hope 4 the World” giving campaign at this weekend’s services as we bring our offerings to God – in response to prayer – with a spirit of thanksgiving and joy in our hearts!

Please remember to bring your “Building Hope 4 the World” commitment card (included in your information packet) to worship this weekend. Commitment cards will also be provided in your bulletin. I’m asking each of us to give to “Building Hope 4 the World,” above and beyond our regular offerings to the church, in two ways: a 1-time special gift (cash, check, stocks, jewelry, etc.), and a 2-year commitment (January 2012-December 2013).

Pray about it. Simply ask, “Lord, what do you want to do through me to accomplish your will through this church?” No one
will be announcing the amount of your offering. It’s between you and God. Give according to God’s revelation as a matter of faith, with an awareness of the eternal impact of your offering, and you will experience the joy of cheerful giving! The manner in which you give is more important than the amount! (2 Corinthians 9:6-10, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Matthew 23:23)

Please keep in in mind that all of our offerings to “Building Hope 4 the World” will reduce the remaining $13 million building mortgage, save up to $6.5 million in interest over the course of the loan, and – best of all – move us closer as a church family to our dream of becoming a 50/50 church (half of all offerings at Hope designated for missions and outreach). The day we burn our mortgage is the day we become a 50/50 church!

This weekend, for the first time in six years, we will gather together for services that include a special giving campaign offering. I can’t wait! Each time we’ve done this, the experience has been memorable and moving for us as a church family. Children will bring their coin bank offerings into the Worship Center together with their Kingdom Quest (KQ) class during the service, so they can experience the joy of giving, too. Soon after, the rest of us will come forward and bring our gifts to God. This will be a holy moment – the culmination of four weeks of focused prayer and worship, a new and exciting step of faith for us as a church family, and an opportunity for us to leave a legacy that will last forever as we “Build Hope 4 the World!”

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth … Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-20

In Christ’s Love,
Mike Housholder

P.S.–
If you are out of town this weekend and can’t participate in the “Building Hope 4 the World” offering, please bring your commitment card to the church office during the week, or one of the services the following weekend (Nov. 26- 27). You can also give to “Building Hope 4 the World” online here.