1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

Weekend of December 27 & 28, 2014
Greeters
5:25 Sanctuary
8:00 Chapel
9:30 Sanctuary
10:55 Sanctuary
Kevin Cetroni & Bruce Fratanduano
Steve Carr
Rosemary Malnofski
Patty Miller
Acolytes
Maya Feliciano
Emma Ahlbom
Isabella Eversmeyer
Kylie Smith
We hope that you enjoy worshiping with us here today and will
experience God’s love to be real in song, fellowship and word.
Hopewell United Methodist Church
852 Hopewell Road, Downingtown, PA 19335
(610) 269-1545 Fax. No. (610) 269-3355
Email - [email protected] Website - www.Hopewellumc.org
COFFEE AND FELLOWSHIP
Join us in the Family Life Center (downstairs) for coffee, refreshments and lots of conversation between
worship hours. Meet the people who worship with you, greet old friends, and make new ones. Coffee
hour is for all ages - snacks for children will be offered as well.
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PRAYER NEWS
Circle of Concern
Sue Lehman
- at home following double knee replacement surgery
Elayna (Cheryl & Eric Querey’s 9yr old)
- continued prayers
Sam (Sue Campbell’s dad)
- diagnosed with liver cancer which has metastasized
Dave Durbanis
- continued prayers for healing
Gertie (Nancy Yarnall’s mom)
- in hospice care
Linda Hall
- renewed prayers
Family and friends of DHSWest student, Andrew Specht, grieving his sudden death
Pastoral Happenings: In order to help resource local churches, Pastor John Neider will be leading
worship on Sundays at Christ United Methodist Church in Brookhaven, PA from February through June,
2015. The current pastor of Christ UMC is prematurely retiring and the district superintendent asked if we
could help during this time period. John will still lead Celebrate Recovery and bible studies during this
time at Hopewell and you will see him at worship here at our 525 service. Please keep John and the congregation at Middletown: Christ UMC in your prayers during this transitional time.
This Week’s Prayer Calendar:
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday -
Cancer victims and their families
For generous hearts
Prayers for our hurting world
Thanking God for blessings of the past year
Thank God for new beginnings!
For the employees of ‘Made by Mosaic’ in South Africa
A spirit of Welcome within the life of our church
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HOPEWELL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
WORSHIP SCHEDULE
This Weekend
Saturday, December 27
5:25 Contemporary - Sanctuary
Sunday, December 28
8:00 Traditional - Bower Chapel
*9:30 Traditional - Sanctuary
one service only
1st Sunday
after
Christmas
All Services
“Hope Has Arrived”
Luke 2:22-40
Pastor John, Speaker
10:55 Contemporary - Sanctuary
Baptism Opportunity
The Baptism of the Lord will be celebrated on the weekend of January 10-11, 2015. This is a great
opportunity to mark the sacrament of baptism within our worship services. Pastor Amy will be preaching
at each hour. If you (Hopewell UMC members) have a child for whom this opportunity would be meaningful and timely, please contact Lynne in the church office at [email protected] or 610-2691545.
Next Weekend
Saturday, January 3
5:25 Contemporary - Sanctuary
Sunday, January 4
8:00 Traditional - Bower Chapel
Epiphany
Sunday
All Services
“Open House”
Ephesians 3:8b-10a
Pastor Steve, Speaker
9:30 Traditional - Bower Chapel
Holy Communion
9:30 Contemporary - Sanctuary
10:55 Contemporary - Sanctuary
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Hopewell Weekly Calendar for December 28 through January 4, 2015
Sunday, December 28
8:00 AM
9:30 AM
10:55 AM
2:00 PM
6:30 PM
Traditional Worship in Bower Chapel
Worship in Sanctuary, Sunday School, Advent Dreams
Contemporary Worship in Sanctuary
Men’s Basketball
Disciple I
Monday, December 29
6:30 PM
Disciple I Fast Track
Tuesday, December 30
9:30 AM
6:00 PM
6:30 PM
Disciple I
Celebrate Recovery - Serenity Prayer
Volleyball practice
Wednesday, December 31
7:00 PM
Praise Team
Thursday, January 1
Happy New Year
Friday, January 2
6:30 AM
Men of Faith
Saturday, January 3
8:30 AM
5:25 PM
Men’s Discussion Group
Contemporary Worship in Sanctuary
Sunday, January 4
8:00 AM
9:30 AM
10:55 AM
12:00 PM
2:00 PM
4:30 PM
6:00 PM
6:30 PM
Traditional Worship in Bower Chapel
Traditional Worship in Bower Chapel, Contemporary Worship in Sanctuary, Sunday School
Contemporary Worship in Sanctuary, Junior Church/Nursery, Adult Bible Study
Haiti Team Meeting
Men’s Basketball
Youth Praise Team
Youth Fellowship, Crocheting Group
Disciple I
Pastoral Evaluations The Staff-Parish Relations team celebrates the completion of annual evaluations for each of our five (5) appointed pastors. In that process, each employee solicited input from fourto-five reviewers from the congregation, plus the Senior Pastor. If the evaluation form was forwarded to
you on behalf of a particular pastor, Thank You for this valuable feedback. In January, similar evaluations will be conducted among the many lay employees. At Hopewell UMC, we strive for excellence and
this regular “performance review” is an important part of that process.
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Hopewell Christmas Caroling - A Celebration!
Sunday afternoon, 79 Hopewell Christmas carolers visited 27 of our
members (older adults, long time Hopewell members, and some with health
concerns). Our visits included those at Tel Hai, Simpson Meadows, Freedom
Village, Heatherwood and Hickory House Retirement Communities, Adult
Services Care Centers, Assisted Living and Nursing Centers. At each stop, we
presented a festively decorated gift bag that held love-filled handmade ornaments
and letter from Hopewell’s children. Bus drivers were Jeanie Ringsdorf, Kate Eversmeyer, Alan Hodge,
and Kurt Thompson. Song Leaders were Vicki Pry, Maryanne Bishop, David Frame, and Ellie Thompson. All did a spectacular job again this year, and we’re so very grateful that they use their gifts in this
way. Most of our carolers stayed to enjoy pizza dinner in the FLC when the buses returned to Hopewell. A special thanks to Women’s Ministries for managing that aspect for us this year!
Puerto Rico Mission Trip, February 3 - 17, 2015
Camp Corson, named after a former Methodist bishop, was founded many years ago to aid the people that
live in the small village of Memeyas, located in the tropical rain forest area of the island known as Jayuya.
Throughout the years the camp has served as a youth camp, a hurricane shelter and a community center.
There is also a small medical clinic located just above the camp that also serves as a dental clinic The
camps’ main building is located near the top of a steep hill down a narrow road below this clinic. A small
house that was built for a caretaker to stay in is located next to the main barracks. The remaining structures are located downhill (emphasis on "hill") from the barracks and they include a cabin for a visiting
doctor, a main pavilion (that also houses a kitchen and cafeteria), four small cabins that can be used by
visiting families, a chapel, a concession stand, and at the very bottom of the camp is a basketball court,
pool area and pavilion located in a large clearing. Several years ago Hopewell donated the funds needed
to construct the pool pavilion, which has a plaque bearing the name "Hopewell Pavilion" on it. All of
these structures and grounds require constant maintenance, which is typically performed by volunteers.
The camp is owned and operated by the Methodist Conference of Puerto Rico. If you would like more
information about this mission trip, please contact Paul Zmich, 610-383-4253.
Hopewell United Methodist Church Strategic Map/Long Range Plan
Goal:
Establish a Hopewell UMC “face” (presence) in the community.
Result: On Christmas Day, we welcomed the community to Hopewell to celebrate the birth
of our Savior. What a joy to share fellowship, a traditional Christmas dinner and a
carol sing-along with our neighbors who might otherwise may have been eating
alone, or not at all. We are grateful for the many people of Hopewell who shared
their abundance, time and Christian love in this ministry!
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A Great Beginning - Bower Chapel Renovation Project
Renovation of the Bower Chapel began with the removal of the pipe organ for rebuilding. The
refurbished instrument will include a handsome façade and an additional solo stop.*
In early January, work will begin on the new chancel configuration. It will include hardwood
flooring and a more flexible furniture arrangement. The budget for this project is $150,000, of which we
have received $122,000 in pledges and donations. Thank you for your generosity. Look for a memorial
fundraising campaign in the near future.
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CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES
Staff Team: Cheri Miller ([email protected]), Patty Wiehler ([email protected])
Sunday School on December 28th will be a combined age class. We will be meeting in the
FLC. Join us to ring in the new year with a message, some mission work and some fun!!!
Child Care is available for these Worship Services:
5:25pm (Saturdays) and 10:55 am (Sundays) – Room Mary
9:30am (Sundays) – Infants/Toddlers – Room Jerusalem
Two year olds – Room Mary
No Junior Church on Sunday, December 28th.
No Children’s Choirs on Sunday, December 28th.
No Sunday Night Fellowship on Sunday, December 28th.
Pioneer Club Join us for this mid-week program for children ages 3 (9/1/14) to 6th grade. Our next
meeting is January 7th. We meet on Wednesday nights from 6 to 7:30pm. You can join at any
point during the school year. Registration forms can be found in the church lobby, and on the church
website. If you are interested in volunteering to teach or help in a Pioneer Club class, please contact
Cheri Miller at [email protected].
Children’s Ministries Weekly Email If you would like to have information regarding Hopewell Children’s Ministries sent to your email address weekly, please contact Cheri Miller in the church
office, or email [email protected].
Clearly, the extensive pipe organ re-building project and the upcoming chancel area renovations in the Bower Chapel will require some modest adjustment in our normal worship flow on
Sunday mornings in January and February. The Church Council on December 10th heartily accepted the
proposal from the pastoral team that we continue to offer two, weekly traditional style worship services
and that we use Room Qumran (the “other half” of the Chapel space, when the doors are open) as the site
for those services. This should allow for the highest number of regular worshipers at Hopewell UMC to
continue in their preferred style and hour of worship. Obviously Room Qumran may not comfortably
host the same number of worshipers as the full Bower Chapel does - so the Sundays in January and
February may be an occasion for some regular “9:30” attendees to make a gracious choice to come earlier (8:00 AM) or to try the more contemporary-style service in the main sanctuary. The first Sunday
January (1-4-15) will be the last Sunday prior to the start of the chancel renovations, and will likely be
the last Sunday for use of the Bower Chapel for a while. We expect the renovations to be completed and
the organ re-installed by the first weekend in March. Thank You for your spirit of cooperation during
this transitional time as Hopewell makes a major investment in outstanding traditional worship for the
foreseeable future!
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YOUTH MINISTRIES (Grades 7-12)
Director: Mike Banka, [email protected]
Assistant: Kristin Smith, [email protected]
MS and HS LIFEGROUPS will NOT meet during the week of December 29th.
NO SUNDAY NIGHT YOUTH on Sunday, December 28th.
LAST CHANCE!!! OCMD Youth Rally - Friday, January 9 through
Sunday, January 11, 2015 This is an amazing weekend you do not want to miss!! See the highlight email for specifics OR go to the Youth Retreat Page at www.hopewellumc.org for details. Total
cost is $155. You must REGISTER and submit a $80 NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT - both are due
by DECEMBER 31st!
Parents - Help Needed
We need your help with Sunday night snacks. If you are able to provide tasty treats for our weekly meetings, sign up using this link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c4cadac23aafe3-sunday. Thanks
for your ongoing support!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Dec. 28th
Jan. 9th - 11th
Jan. 23rd - 25th
Jan. 30th - Feb. 1st
Feb. 13th - 15th
Feb. 20th - 22nd
No Sunday Night Youth
OCMD Youth Rally
Confirmation Retreat
Ski Trip
IGR
Confirmation Retreat
YOUNG ADULT MINISTRIES
Contact Person: Amy Banka ([email protected])
College Students, visit us on January 4th and 11th during the 9:30 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. contemporary
services so we can send you back to college in prayer and with your care packages. We look forward to
seeing you over the Christmas break!
Monday Night Young Adults Study We will not be meeting on December 29th and January 5th.
See you on January 12th!
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ADULT MINISTRIES
Contact Person: Deb Boyd ([email protected])
Current Adult Sunday School Classes
New people are always welcome!
9:30am in Adult Ministry B, taught by Dr. David Frame, retired United Methodist pastor and
Ph.D. in Biblical Literature
December 28th and January 4th – No class
Starting Sunday, January 11th - Reading the Bible as an Adult: Types of Biblical
Criticism. We are often introduced to the Bible through childhood experiences in Sunday School.
Years later, many of us are still reading the Bible on the basis of this early conceptual framework. This
course is designed to acquaint you with modern developments in biblical criticism. You will learn about
the ways scholars now approach a text; perceive facets of a biblical passage that you may have never
considered before; and learn about sources available to help you respond to the Bible in a more informed fashion. As a result of this 5-week course, you will hopefully find many new levels of meaning
in the sacred Scripture.
10:55am in the Lounge, led by Joe Lisowski, [email protected]
Sunday, December 28th – session four of Advent Dreams
Sunday, January 4th – Revised Common Lectionary Readings
Men’s Ministry
Study Opportunities
Monday Mornings – 7:00 AM at the Cracker Barrel – currently studying the Book of John.
Contact Pastor Dan ([email protected])
Friday Mornings – 6:30 AM at Hopewell – Men of Faith. Contact Scott Rafferty
([email protected])
Saturday Mornings (except when there is a men’s breakfast) – 8:30 AM at Hopewell, room Adam
– currently studying “Making Sense of the Bible” by Adam Hamilton. Contact Rob Chapman
([email protected])
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A Sound Heard Far Away
Consecration Sunday
November 22/23, 2014
Ezra 3:1-5, 10-13 - “A Sound Heard Far Away”
158 pledge cards have been received. Thank you.
If you have not already done so, please return your commitment card today either by mail or drop it in
the church office. If you prefer, you can also pledge for 2015 through our website:
www.hopewellumc.org. Our stewardship campaign runs through the end of the year. Please contribute
to its success as you are able!
End of Year Giving and IRS Regulations Past giving records indicate that many of you have
made contributions, either as special gifts or to fulfill pledges, as the end of the year approached. Therefore, we would like to remind you that in order to comply with IRS regulations any gifts to Hopewell that
you would like to have included on your 2014 giving statement for income tax purposes, must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2014. If you are planning to put your gift in the offering plate at a
service, it must be included no later than one of the services on December 28th, 2014. Thank you for
your attention to these details and also for your gifts. Generous giving is obviously a hallmark of the
Hopewell congregation.
Rule #1: the general rule. IRS regulations specify that ordinarily, a contribution is made at the time
delivery is affected. The unconditional delivery or mailing of a check which subsequently clears in due
course will constitute an effective contribution on the date of delivery or mailing. According to this language, a check (payable to the church) dated December 31, 2014 but physically delivered in January of
2015 is deductible only on the donor’s 2015 federal tax return. This rule is true even if the donor actually
wrote and dated the check on December 31, 2014 and he or she did not deliver the check until 2015.
Rule #2: the exception. The only exception to the general rule is for a check that is dated, mailed and
postmarked in 2014. Such a check is deemed to have been given in 2014 even if the church does not
receive or cash the check until January 2015.
To insure the deductibility of your church contributions, please do not file your 2014 income tax return
until you have received a written acknowledgement of your contributions from Hopewell. If you file your
tax return before receiving a written acknowledgement of your contributions from Hopewell, some of
your contributions may not be tax-deductible. Year-end contribution statements will be mailed at the end
of January.
Senior Pastor Away The Mortons are in the Poconos this weekend as Pastor Steve enjoys the first
of his five vacation Sundays for the 2014-15 Annual Conference year. He will be back in the office on
Thursday, and will be preaching at all of the worship services next weekend.
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FINANCE
Beyond the Walls - Year VII
A Capital Campaign
with a twist
Bower Chapel Organ Haiti
Bridge of Hope
Hurricane Sandy Relief
Camp Innabah
Maranatha Christian Academy
Good Works
Safe Harbor
Grace Café
The Well
South Africa, including our full-time
missionary
Annual Goal:
$275,000
Total Received: $232,750
“Out of his anguish he shall see LIGHT.”
(Isaiah 53:11a)
Because of your generosity to the Beyond the Walls campaign in 2014, Hopewell UMC was able to
send financial gifts to our local ministry partners here at Christmas!
Good Works
$3,000.00
Safe Harbor
$3,000.00
Grace Café
$3,000.00
Camp Innabah $5,000.00
Bridge of Hope $3,000.00 was already sent on Extraordinary TUE (11/18)
December Designated Giving A brand new missionary partner for Hopewell UMC this fall is a
Christian agency called Coatesville Kids to College, whose mission is to support, tutor, and nurture students K-12 so they perform better in school and become well-equipped to be successful in college some
day. Currently the afterschool program runs out of Olivet UMC in Coatesville. Though there is help
from the School District, a major need for Coatesville Kids to College is transportation. An appropriate
12-passenger van has become available, and Hopewell UMC along with another church in the area will
provide the necessary funds: $1,250.00. Your designated giving in December will help. Thank you for
that holiday spirit of giving which will serve the families of Coatesville through advanced efforts in education all year long. Received to date: $1,226.00.
Children’s Ministries
Goal for 2014: 22,000
Received year-to-date for 2014: $18,077
Your designated gifts help to support
the regular budgeted children’s programs which happen out of Hopewell UMC.
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DONATION STATION
Please place your donations downstairs by the Family Life Center at the Donation Station.
THANK YOU!
Clothing for the Children of Haiti
The need for clothing in Haiti is dire.
Hopewell’s Stitchers Ministry has been very busy sewing a BIG batch
of dresses and britches for the Haitian children, so busy that they need
to be re-supplied! The Stitchers have used up all of the donations
received earlier this year from the generous people of Hopewell. This
clothing will again be delivered by the HUMC Haiti mission team, in
February 2015. Please consider donating:
 Colorful Cotton Jerzees or Gildans T-shirts (small and
medium Youth sizes)
 24-inch colorful bandanas
Bridge of Hope works to prevent homelessness for single
mothers and their children living in Chester and Lancaster
counties. Mentoring groups assist and encourage women
toward self-sustainability. We can help with donations of:
Gas Cards, especially from Wawa and Giant
Cleaning Supplies - All-Purpose Cleaners, Dish Detergent, Scrubbers/Pads, Paper
Towels, Handi-Wipes, Trash Bags, Bleach, Antibacterial Wipes
Laundry Supplies - Detergent, Dryer Sheets, Fabric Softener, Stain Remover
Toilet Paper, Tissues, Light Bulbs, Diapers (3+), Pull-ups (3T and 4T)
BOOKS—To promote literacy and reading as a family activity, Bridge of Hope is offering each child whose mother commits to reading aloud to him or her on a regular basis a
new book each month. Currently, it needs new or very gently used board books; preschool books; elementary books, and teen books.
Pet Food and Supplies
Many people are struggling financially and cannot afford to feed and properly care for the pets they
love. By donating pet food and supplies, you can help keep pets at home and out of shelters.
Dog and Cat food
Treats and toys
Cat litter
Bedding
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Collars and leashes
Grooming tools