Hope World Impact

Blessed by a Blessing!

2009-09-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, nine of us from Hope went to Embrace Richmond/Caritas to participate in their monthly House Blessing Sunday. And it was truly that! We, along with volunteers from 3 other churches, were able to help 2 young single mothers furnish apartments they had just moved into from shelters. We also spent a few hours handing out clothes at the clothes closet in Hillside Ct. and repairing cots used by Caritas at local churches for overnight shelters. That was the work side of the afternoon.

The blessings began as we all drove a few blocks over to Hillside Ct. and Tee-Tee's apartment. In a matter of minutes we quickly and quietly moved tables, chairs, lamps and linens into her small home...without even waking up the baby! Wendy McCaig, director of Embrace Richmond, gathered us outside, we circled around Tee-Tee and covered her, her family and her new home with prayers and hugs of love! In the end, the blessing was ours to see the gratitude in her smile, and to hear how God had answered her prayers by providing all of this for her through Caritas ShareHouse and Embrace Richmond.

We all were impacted in different ways that afternoon. One of us was blessed to help a woman who had just been released from prison pick out a whole new wardrobe (not in orange!) and see her gratitude for such a simple gift. Another received joy in simply pushing a little boy around the warehouse while his mother shopped. Who knew that office chairs could be so entertaining? As we gathered to pray for Tee-Tee in Hillside Ct. we were joined by several neighbors... some, like Miss Mildred, are burdened for her neighbors and want to make a difference and others were just passing by. You can learn more about the ministries of Embrace Richmond and Caritas Works at their websites, http://embracerichmond.wordpress.com and www.caritasworks.org.

Whether we know it or not, God is at work in big and wonderful ways around Richmond. On Sunday it was our privilege to learn more about what God is doing and to join him in that work. I hope you can join us next time!

2009-09-08T12:08:00.004-04:00

I'm really looking forward to this Sunday afternoon! Why??? Because a group of us from Hope will head over the CaritasWorks Furniture Bank to spend a few hours at their monthly House Blessing.

Last winter I took a course called UnityWorks (www.embracerichmond.wordpress.com) which is designed to teach the local church more about the needs of the inner city and how we as the Body of Christ can make a greater impact in healing the many wounds that we find there. I learned a lot about how we can breach the unseen division between the inner city and the suburban church.

Participating in the House Blessing will be one more chance to take a step toward meeting the needs of the inner city poor. We'll spend some time helping in the furniture warehouse, help a family "shop" for household goods for their new home as they move from a shelter into a home of their own and then move everything there. The afternoon will be capped off with a time of prayer and blessing for this family and their new home!

It's not too late to join us! If you'd like to come along, please send me an email at worldimpact@hopecentral.com as soon as possible and I'll make sure you're included. The time is 1:30-5:30 pm and the cost is $10 a person. Children from age 7 can come along to help too, so bring the family! There's more information here on the blog as well.

2009-08-29T20:47:00.006-04:00

I grew up in the suburbs of Virginia, daughter of two farm bred Virginians. (My father earned several awards from the Future Farmers of America in high school!) But the new America brought them, and their brood of 4 away from the land that had nourished them and their families. Because of their love for the land, there were few years where we didn't have a vegetable garden. Every spring we'd plant some beans, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and, space permitting, corn. Over the hot, dry summer months we all chipped in to weed and water the growing plants. That was the hard part... until time for harvest! Many a summer supper consisted of tomatoes and beans from the garden with fresh baked biscuits smothered in butter. Yum!

Those late summer months were the best...Harvest Time! Fresh cucumbers, corn on the cob, southern cooked green beans, fried squash, fresh sliced tomatoes... Food for the body, and food for the soul! In order to enjoy all the goodness of our work, though, we had to harvest. The sowing and watering and weeding was useless if we never harvested anything.

Jesus came from a very agricultural society and new well the need for harvesting. But when he told his disciples that "the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matt. 9:37, 38), He wasn't talking about wheat or grapes or olives. He was talking about souls. He'd been traveling through villages healing and preaching the Good News. He looked around him and saw how many souls were so ready to come to Him, who were ripe for harvest. All that was needed was workers to bring in that harvest.

Today, it's exciting to see where God is causing growth, and where He is calling us to help with the harvest. World Impact has done a little work to give anyone at Hope who would like to the chance to be a worker in the harvest. There are opportunities to mentor a child after school, to help a young mother be a better mother to her preschooler, to bless a family moving out of homelessness, to make Christmas a time of joy and love and Good News for a child in need or to travel far away to take the Good News. You can find details about these opportunities to the right. If you'd like to take part, just drop me a line at worldimpact@hopecentral.com or call the Hope office at 708-5330.

Come join us in the Harvest!

Life's a Café!

2009-04-30T20:03:00.010-04:00

My husband and I spent almost 10 years living and serving in churches in Europe. There's a lot we miss about Europe... the rich history, the slower lifestyle, the pastries!...but I think what we miss the most is the sidewalk cafe.

Just like flowers signal the beginning of Spring here, in Europe, Spring begins when the cafes bring out the tables and chairs again. The sidewalk cafes is a lifestyle...taking time to sit with friends and go deep into life's issues, or to sit alone and people-watch as the city passes by. Spending time at the cafe is never a waste of time...you always come away from it refreshed and richer for the experience.

This summer World Impact wants to invite you to a cafe experience. We guarantee that nothing on our 'menu' will be a waste of time and that you will come away refreshed and richer from the experience.

We are putting together a menu of service opportunities for this summer. Be watching our blog and the Hope info desk in the next few weeks. Come and join us at the cafe!

Go Heal the World!

2009-02-15T20:50:00.005-05:00

That sounds great, but how exactly do I do that? A very good question, and one we hope to begin to answer during our March Missions Month. We are really excited about all that we have to offer this year and hope that many are encouraged to take a step towards bringing healing to others.

Here are some highlights:

Each Sunday, between services from 10:20-10:50 there will be an Open Forum with one of our ministry partners as guests. Come and hear more about Goochland Free Clinic and Family Services, Embrace Richmond/Caritas, Youth Life Foundation Richmond, and World Impact's new Three Year Plan.

March 7, Saturday - We will be working with ElderHomes to do minor home repairs for the elderly around Richmond. A team of 8-10 men, women and teens is needed. This is an opportunity to serve and to minister to someone who may live alone, is elderly and in need of encouragement and love. From 8:30-3 pm, bring your own lunch. Contact John Atkinson, johnlatkinson@gmail.com,804.627.3555.

March 14 , Saturday - Watch for the Hope Church Furniture Drive! We will be accepting donations for the Caritas ShareHouse furniture warehouse. Gently used or new household items and furniture are welcome. All donations go to households moving from homelessness to shelter. More information coming! Teams will be needed to receive donations on Saturday. Contact Rose Steele, 365-8214.

March 21, Saturday - We need 2 teams of 4-5 people to build handicap accessible ramps for 2 homes in Goochland Co. This project will be in coordination with Goochland Family Services. Contact Brenda Murray, 310-4958, pmurrayjr43@comcast.net.

March 28, Saturday 3-6 pm - We will end our missions emphasis month with a BANG! Hope will assist Youth Life's Learning Center in Highland Park in a big SPRINGFEST block party from 3-6 pm for the students and their families. We'll need lots of volunteers for this fun event to play basketball, run carnival games, paint faces, prepare food and have fun! Contact Mary Venable, 716-2661, mlrvenable@yahoo.com.

You can sign up for the day(s) you choose in three ways:
- the sign up sheet on the Mission Blitz table at Hope Church,
- emailing me at worldimpact@hopecentral.com or
- calling the contact person listed.

Join us as we reach out and "heal the world!"

Nancy Friesen
worldimpact@hopecentral.com

Dominican Republic June Youth Trip

2009-02-09T20:18:00.004-05:00

Our first mission trip of 2009 leaves for Hato Mayor, the DR this coming Friday, February 13. This team of dentists, doctors, nurses and laymen will be providing free clinics to the young and old in villages around Hato Mayor. Please be in prayer for them as they travel, serve, love and learn!

Check out the slideshow below for pictures from the last youth trip in November. As you see faces, pray for those children and adults to be reminded of God's love and to be strengthened in their faith.

What's next?? Well, the dates are set and the plans are made for a team of Hope youth and adults who will be traveling to Hato Mayor, the DR, from June 20-28, 2009. Here are the details if you are still interested in being a part of that team, or are already part of it.

This will be mostly a construction trip. The team will be working in the small batey of La Mina, about 15 km. up in the mountains from where the team stays at Shalom Church in Hato Mayor. The time in La Mina will be divided between building homes, building relationships, teaching VBS and building community. Depending on team size, the team hopes to build between 4 and 6 houses in this poor community.

The first team meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb 18 at 6:30 in the Adventure Woods theater at Hope Church. At this meeting you should have your application completed and your initial $600 (total cost is $1200). This will enable Cathy to purchase plane tickets as soon as possible.

The dates of subsequent meetings are: (6:30-8:00 pm in the AW theater.) Please note, no food or drinks are allowed in the theater.

2/18 - Wed. - applications and initial $600 due
3/4 - Wed. - team meeting
3/8 and 15 - Sun. - Sub Sandwich sales before and after church
3/18 - Wed. - team meeting
3/21 - Sat. - Sandwich preparation from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Hope kitchen
3/22 - Sun. - Sandwich distribution and church wide luncheon
4/15 - Wed. - team meeting
4/29 - Wed. - team meeting
5/13 - Wed. - team meeting (final $600 due)
5/27 - Wed. - team meeting
6/10 - Wed. - optional team meeting
6/12 - Sat. - Final meeting and Pot luck dinner (families invited)

For more information, please contact Cathy Allen, w8tingonU@comcast.net, 740-6404.

What time is it?

2009-02-05T21:00:00.001-05:00

I've been thinking about that recently in various contexts. For my family, it is a time of change as our children enter the final stretches of elementary school and middle school, and as we adjust to a season of illness at our home. Our parents are aging, some faster than others, which causes us to pause and consider the end of their time in this life.

Our nation, and the world, is in a time of change... a new president, a history-making president at that, job losses and economic hard times for many around us. The world seems to be much smaller than it used to with the aid of the Internet, 24/7 news coverage, cell phones and e-mail. Staying in touch with a friend on the other side of the world is now no harder than keeping up with your best friend down the street!

But one thing hasn't changed and never will... God's word! So what does God say about the times we are in?

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:26,27)

Why has God put me here, now, in these times? Have you ever wondered that? According to Paul's words in Athens, He has put me, and you, here in this place, in this time for a purpose. The Westminster Confession teaches us that the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Wow! So that's why we are here, now, in this time!

But what about those who don't know God? How do they deal with the times we are in? God said that he puts men, and women, in times and places so that they will seek Him and perhaps reach out and find Him. Do you know anyone who is doing that? Maybe they see God in you and are seeking Him through a friendship with you? Why not introduce them to your Best Friend? Then they too can glorify God in any season, and enjoy Him forever!

Many of the ministries we partner with seek to make this all important introduction on a daily basis. Some work with the homeless in Richmond, or the poor in Richmond or Goochland. Others may live in another culture and speak another human language, but they all speak the same language of God's love, inviting others to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

It's exciting for me to be a part of this at Hope Church, to see how God's purpose is being fulfilled NOW in big and small ways all around me. Whether it is hearing how a nurse was able to pray with a patient at the Goochland Free Clinic or a struggling artist in Beijing who had deep spiritual questions answered through a conversation at a Christian art gallery, each is an example of God's purpose being completed in God's timing.

This is truly being the Body of Christ, here and now. Good job, faithful servants!

Nancy Friesen
Hope Church World Impact coordinator
worldimpact@hopecentral.com

Goochland Free Dental Clinic Needs You!!

2009-01-10T16:52:00.005-05:00

"This is a love story - Goochland style. It's not a boy meets girl love story, although there is a man and a woman and they do meet. They meet at Goochland Free Clinic and Family Services and that's where the love starts.

He is older - a retired dentist who has sold his practice but still has hands that can work and the desire to help people. She is much younger - maybe 40 years younger. Her front teeth are brownish stubs and they hurt. She doesn't smile - her hand is always in front of her mouth. She wants a better job, but can't smile at people - it looks pretty bad. Her job doesn't come with health insurance and dentists are expensive. Her husband is out of work and there is very little extra money.

He comes by the Free Clinic one day and asks if they could use any help. He's the kind of dentist that can repair a smile and create new teeth out of composite material. When he asks if they need help, he is just trying to be useful - he's older but not useless. Yes, they could use his help - he is greeted with great enthusiasm!

One morning, he meets the younger woman. She won't smile at him. He can see why. Two hours go by - she isn't expecting much. Life has taught her not to expect too much. The dental assistant hands her a mirror and tells her to mile. She is hesitant and smiles a little. Then, she smiles a lot. She doesn't recognize the face in the mirror. She starts to cry. He starts to tear up. The dental assistant starts to tear up. The dental coordinator, who put the two people together, starts to tear up. There are hugs all around - lots of smiles.

People in the hallway poke their heads in and start to tear up. She is so happy - she will go home an smile at her husband for the first time in ten years. She leave while everyone is still teary. She is beyond happy. The dentist - the man in the story - says thank you to the dental coordinator. He has felt needed and useful and not quite so old and retired. The next day, the woman goes to work and gets the front desk job she wanted. Customers love her - she has the nicest smile.

This is Goochalnd Free Clinic and Family Services. They help people get on their feet and gain independence. On January 24, the Virginia Dental Health Association and Goochland Free Clinic and Family Services will host The Mission of Mercy project at the Parks and Recreation building. There will be lots of dentists and assistants who will help people who have no access to dental care. It's a marathon day - 8 am til 5 pm."

The Free Clinic is expecting close to a 1,000 patients on that Saturday! Volunteers are desperately needed! Needs include registration, serving lunch, parking and security. You are welcome to come and help as long as you are able.

Anyone from Hope Church is invited to come help at the Free Clinic on January 24, or to donate food trays for the 100+ volunteers at the clinic. Sandwich ingredients and fruit are needed for the volunteers' lunches. If you would like to carpool with others from Hope we will meet at the church to travel there together. If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact Rose Steele, 365-8214, asteele6@verizon.net, or BJ Attwood at GFCFS, 784-2715.

"That was a really nice night!"

2008-12-23T16:51:00.008-05:00

Last Friday we had the privilege of hosting a Christmas party for the kids from the Youth Life Learning Center in Highland Park, and what an evening we had!

Thanks to a great group of volunteers, they were treated to a wonderful ham dinner in the festively decorated MP room. We played some games like Build a Snowman and Reindeer Races. Chris led us all in some carols and the YL kids treated us to a joyfully sung "Joy to the World".

The generosity of her fellow co-workers enabled Shirley Hayes to host a Holiday Shop for the kids where they bought presents for family members using the reward bucks they had earned in the Learning Center.

But the highlight was seeing their huge smiles as the received the presents that many of you gave through the Christmas Angel tree. Thanks to all of you again!

I can't put into the right words what the evening meant to them so I'm going to include the words of one of their staff and one of the children.

"I just wanted to thank everyone involved with the Youth Life Christmas party. You guys did everything, from the food, to the store, to the games and carols in a way that brought so much honor to God. The love of God and Jesus' servant heart was evident in you all. Mere words cannot express how blessed we were by our evening with you.

One of the saddest things we see in working with these kids is that their childlike innocence is lost to the circumstances of life and having to assume adult responsibilities. It was so wonderful to see them just be children---playing games, laughing, singing, and grinning the widest grins I've ever seen as they came up to collect their presents.

These kids often have a very cynical attitude towards things. It takes a lot to impress them. I sat with Keondre on the way home. We talked about the happenings of the evening. There was a lull in the conversation when he sweetly broke the silence to say, "That was really a nice night". He said it as one who was truly satisfied in his soul, and I could tell by his tone that that night was going to be a memory treasured in his heart forever. Boy, you can't put a price on that!

Thank you all for pouring out such a blessing that our hearts (not to mention our bus) could hardly contain it.

I pray God continues to bless you individually and corporately with His presence, His provision, and His purpose being fulfilled in you."

Joy to the World!!

Welcome to the WI blog and Hope to the DR!

2008-12-15T10:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the World Impact blog!

Thank you for taking a few minutes to read our blog! We hope for this to be a main thoroughfare of information and inspiration for involvement in impacting our world. If you want to keep up with all that's happening with Hope World Impact, make sure you sign up to follow the blog. As a follower, you will get an email message whenever the blog is updated. Then you can read the blog at your convenience.

You will find links to different mission efforts both here in our own metro Richmond area, and abroad. Check them out to learn more about what God is doing in the world. Maybe He would like you to join Him in that work. Comments are welcome, as are suggestions.

This Christmas season at Hope you will see many opportunities to share blessings with others. Many have already brought filled shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child and children all over the world will be blessed by your gifts! Remember to pray for that child, whoever he or she may be, in the coming month.

There is also a shoe drive in December in correlation with the sermon series. Gently used shoes will be collected and sent to Soles4Souls where they will be sent to the needy in the US and abroad. So those shoes you bought for your son for that wedding that he only wore once, and very grudgingly, can now have a grateful new owner!

We are also hosting a Christmas party for the children from the Youth Life Foundation Learning Center in Highland Park, on Friday, Dec. 19. If you're curious to know about them, click on their link on the right.

And make sure you greet Chris and Leah who are home for a few weeks to introduce their new son, Bennett to family and friends in the US. They are working to reach the artist community in the capital city of a Southeast Asian country. If you want to know more, I can't tell you here, but you can ask them. They'd love to tell you more! Chris and Leah and family will be at Hope in late December.

There's something for everyone this holiday season.... so let's share the joy!

Hope to the Dominican Republic

Each year Thanksgiving rolls quietly up to my home and gently reminds me of all that God has provided for me over the past year. Squeezed in between the sugar rush of Halloween and the hectic days of Christmas, Thanksgiving has become for me a quiet time for my family to get together, EAT, and catch up on kids, jobs, and who we are becoming as children of God.

This year, for a handful of youth from Hope and a few parents, Thanksgiving became even more meaningful this year. For 7 days, they gave up family time, turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, (and pumpkin pie!) to travel to the small town of Hato Mayor in eastern Dominican Republic. Hope Church has been sending teams there almost since our beginning as a church, and these kids joined the list of those whose lives have been changed in one short week.

Their time was divided between building a home in a poverty stricken neighborhood outside the city, welcoming neighborhood children to a VBS, visiting homes with gifts of food and prayer, and painting the new building for Shalom Church (our hosts).

This list reveals what they DID, but much was also gained that we may never see with our eyes. When asked what they came away with from week, the 13-18 year-olds gave these answers:

We need to trust God more.
We need to listen for Him more to understand His will for us.
We need to give him the opportunity to work in our lives; he can’t work if we’re always trying to control things.
Things do not equal happiness.
Relationship and fellowship is important.
We can better prepare ourselves for worship.
We all can give more of ourselves to the Lord so He can work through us.

Pretty deep stuff, huh? Check out the slideshow below to see some pictures of the trip.

If this has piqued your interest and you'd like information about an upcoming trip to the DR (June 20-27), Hungary or Asia, drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you!

Who and what is World Impact?

2008-12-14T17:30:00.011-05:00

Our Purpose is to bring Christ’s reconciliation with God the Father to our neighbors in the greater Richmond area and to the world.

Read what Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians...

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. (2 Cor. 5:17-20)

Our vision is fourfold:
1) to invite all to share in the hope of Christ.
2) to proclaim Christ and help the weary and burdened in Richmond
3) to proclaim Christ and help the needy in Goochland Co.,
4) to proclaim Christ and advance His kingdom in Asia, Eastern Europe and the

Dominican Republic

.

Paul wrote to the Colossian church about his ministry:
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. (Col. 1:28-29)

3 Year Plan 2009-2011

The World Impact Team has set what we feel are reachable goals for Hope Church over the next 3 years, 2009-2011. Using our human, spiritual and financial resources, we can make a greater impact on the world for the Kingdom of God. This document outlines our goals in three major areas: Richmond metro, the World, and the Hope community. If you'd like to view those goals, just click on the link to the right...World Impact 3 Year Plan.

The World Impact team is made up of anyone who desires to be involved more deeply in helping Hope Church accomplish our purpose and vision. Nancy Friesen is the leader of the team. If you're interested please in becoming more involved, send us an email.