As we did at Christmas, we will receive an offering for  the support of our missionaries at the Easter breakfast. Please keep this in mind and consider how you might be able to contribute financially to the support of our missionaries during this Easter season.

The Rombergers are settling well in England. Enjoy their latest news and continue to remember them in prayer.

You can read the update and then click on the link to make a donation. It takes a couple of minutes, but is a relatively simple process.

If you are not comfortable donating online but would like to give, please send your donation here, or bring it with you on Sunday. You may place your donation in the Missions box at the back of the auditorium on Sunday morning. If you choose do to this, please make your check payable to Hope Presbyterian Church. All donations will be collected and one check sent to MTW on Monday.

Please consider how you can help our brothers and sisters in Haiti in this time of great need.

For prayer resources, click here.

For Bible reading resources, click here.

I hope these are helpful!

I wanted to let you know that I got a very exciting envelope in the mail today! I'm sorry it didn't quite make it before Christmas, but it still filled my heart with Joy...and filled my living room with some wonderful cards :) It's so nice too because I can keep the cards for next year too...don't have much in the way of decorations here, and cards help a ton! Please pass along my thanks to those who contributed, I don't really have all the email addresses. Thanks again for putting that together!

"you'll be the first ones we get real snail mail from! I must admit, it will be quite fun to get a package of Christmas cards here - hopefully before Christmas! And, if it costs us a few extra shekels, it will be worth it...You'll be hearing from us when we get 'em! You may hear us cheering excitedly across the ocean!

Please just put the name of the missionary on the envelope and we'll take care of the rest. The names of the missionaries we currently support are: Tracy & Joy D. in the Middle East, Bethany L. in Tibet, Tito & Kim Padilla in El Paso, Carla Stevens who was in Belize but is back home at present,  John & Susan Shane in South Africa and Bill & Dulce Roldan who are serving a hispanic congregation in Winter Haven.

This small gesture will mean so much to our missionaries. There is a box on the Missions table in the foyer to deposit your cards.

1. First, we need to be very grateful to Steve and to KeyLife, the ministry he works for. Steve is in huge demand as a speaker. His speaking schedule is carefully controlled, and planned a year to two in advance. It was a great kindness that he would determine to come here. We are grateful. If you had the opportunity to speak with him face to face, you would have found him to be wonderfully gracious. And though we will be offering him an honorarium, you should know that KeyLife requires nothing beyond expenses for Steve to speak. That, too, is a gracious thing which gives small ministries like Hope opportunities such as this.
2. Steve's own assessment of his visit to Bradenton was positive. He did not need to say anything about it, but he said in an email to me Monday, "I loved the time in Bradenton. Thanks for making it possible."
3. Sunday morning's turnout was gratifying. It did not overwhelm us, but it was solid. We provided a service and encouragement to many in Bradenton who were glad for Steve Brown's ministry. The count on Sunday was in the vicinity of 140-150 in attendance.( I hope that gives us a vision of what could be were God to grant the blessing of growth.)
4. I was extremely proud of those of Hope's family who made the effort to greet the new people. I watched many of you scurrying around introducing yourselves to new people and making them feel welcome. It was what we must never cease doing.
5. I was also proud of all of you who 'stepped up to the plate' to push this, to provide the snacks for this, to work extra hard for the music for this (which was beautiful), and so on. A lot of energy was poured out and it bore fruit.
6. This even was a wonderful picture of an evangelical ecumenicity. Not only did we have many Christians from many different denominations, but we had many pastors from diverse churches present as well. This is what the kingdom looks like. It does not always look like us.
7. Did we like Steve's preaching? Some did and some didn't. One's response to the preaching of Steve Brown will depend in large measure upon one's expectations and one's tolerance for what is admittedly a style quite different from my own. I hope that those who loved him and those who merely tolerated him both could see to the heart of his message - that God is a merciful God who draws to himself both the sinner and the self righteous.
8. Was the event a 'success'? Again, that depends upon our expectations. Our growth depends upon our week in and week out faithfulness. It depends on how we do ministry. It depends upon our faithful nursery workers and Sunday school teachers and it depends upon our continuing to develop a welcoming culture and a heart to invite others. And, of course, our growth depends upon the determination of our Father to provide the growth. Clearly our growth does not depend upon a one weekend event. I don't expect many of those who attended Sunday to return this week. They may, but our goals were not that simplistic. Rather, I consider the weekend a success on two fronts:
9. First, grace was preached in a fresh way to a broad palette of God's people. That is what we hoped for and that is what ensued. We will not hear all the stories, but I know of several who do not ordinarily come our way, but who did, and who were deeply touched.
10. Secondly, I hoped that this event would raise our profile in the community and give that broad palette of God'a people a positive image of HPC. I believe that this happened. Why is this important? For a number of reasons, but mainly this:  everyone out there in the community who has a positive impression of HPC will either possibly someday attend, or possibly someday recommend that someone else attend. This is good, and I am grateful that in the end, it came off so well.

I hope that you all are encouraged. God is doing good things here. I hope that we are all delightedly looking to the future to see what God will do next.

#1: Knowing God - an Introduction. To some, J. I. Packer's 1972 book Knowing God is the most significant book they have ever read. However, for many it remains a closed book, one whose very title and topic seem to be a put off of monumentally boring proportions. Beginning November 29 and continuing for several Sundays thereafter, Keith Brightbill will be guiding us through an overview of and introduction to some of the most helpful and practical themes of this classic book.

#2: What Did You Expect? - Redeeming the Realities of Marriage. This class will be a consideration of some of the heart issues which, when addressed, can bring healing and joy to the marriage relationship. The heart of the material is a series of ten conference messages delivered by Dr. Paul Tripp and recorded on DVD. With each class there will be discussion of the content of the conference material. The principles discussed are applicable, of course, to the marriage relationship, but as well to any other human relationship we have. The class will bring value to whomever attends. Pastor Greenwald will lead this class.

This is exciting! Give it a listen and invite ALL your friends!