ComBlog! The Community Blog of New Hope

First Meeting with LightHouse

2007-05-19T23:25:00.000-04:00

For the summer, New Hope will be meeting with the LightHouse Church at our ministry center, Connections. Our two churches met in this new format for the first time last Sunday. Preceding the service, both congregations had a good time getting to know one another over a brunch of fruit, bagels and quiche provided by members of LightHouse. The Service included contemporary worship led by Sarah and Zack (former members of New Hope, present members of LightHouse), a sermon by Doug Cherry, and opportunities for all to share their insights and pray together. Overall the Sunday service was very similar to a typical New Hope Sunday Koinonia meeting, the only real differences being matters of style. The LightHouse Church is led by Doug and Kiki Cherry who are also campus ministers of CrossSeekers of CMU.

Click here to view an album of the rest of the photos.

Missionary Video Chat

2007-04-19T11:52:00.000-04:00

Instead of our usual sermon last Sunday, we had a nice, long chat with two of our missionaries to Russia, Warren and Andrea Caron. But they were not here in Pittsburgh. We used one of the coolest, virtually free features of the Internet, the live video chat. We had a very enjoyable time talking with the Carons about their family life in Russia, their ministry and outreach to the Russian people, and even what kinds of food they eat (i.e., borsh), and what kind of foods they miss (i.e., Gold Fish and peanut butter). We spent over an hour getting to know them in a way that was far superior to emails and letters, and they got to know us better too. Check out the video below to get an idea of how it went.

We used Skype (a free download) for the video chat. If you would like to be added to New Hope's Skype contact list, please send your Skype name to newhopeml@gmail.com. We would be especially interested in chatting with former members of New Hope who have moved to other parts of the country or the planet to see what you have been up to.

Resurrection Day Potluck

2007-04-09T11:51:00.000-04:00

Songwriters Circle

2007-04-09T10:27:00.000-04:00

Connections had one of their largest turnouts ever at their concert on March 24, the Songwriters Circle. It was organized by Joy Ike, who also performed at the event. Below is a video of Joy's performance.

Joy was joined by two other musicians in the circle, John Robinson and David Dickerson. All the music was outstanding and at times inspirational. Check out the links below to sample videos of their performances and music.

Connections Podcast
Joy Ike's website and MySpace
John Robinson's MySpace
David Dickerson's MySpace

He Intends Victory

2007-02-15T20:25:00.000-05:00

One of our members is starting a Pittsburgh Chapter of "He Intends Victory," a Christian HIV/AIDS ministry. A local support group of this ministry plans to begin meeting in March 2007.

For more information about He Intends Victory, please visit www.heintendsvictory.com. For more information about the Pittsburgh Chapter or the support group, please contact Emily at 412-252-3570 or emexl2@msn.com.

Christmas Party Potluck

2006-12-14T21:03:00.000-05:00

We had a Christmas Party Potluck last Sunday after our morning Koinonia and a good time was had by all. Lots of good food and fellowship. Afterward many commented how much they enjoyed the get together. Click here to view the photos.

If you did check out the photos, you may notice that added to our ministry center was some new coffee making equipment and coffeeshop style tables and chairs. They were of course purchased for our Connections ministry, which btw was open all this week to give the local college students a place to study during finals. Stay tuned to this blog and of course the Connections website for more info on that ministry.

A Tale of Two Joels

2006-11-17T22:14:00.000-05:00

After being a member of New Hope for a few years, Joel Martin, a graduate student of the University of Pittsburgh, became our financial secretary and my right hand man. As financial secretary he not only faithfully fulfilled his responsibilities of financial secretary but also covered the treasurer's responsibilities after our treasurer sort of went incommunicado. He also helped keep our computers running and frequently helped me and others from New Hope in many practical ways. I am most grateful that he helped me on many occasions get to church services and also moved things too heavy for me like my AC. But then the day came for Joel to graduate and get a real job. :-(

The photo on the left is from August when we prayed for Joel before he left for his new job in Maryland.

But then a couple of months ago another Joel, Joel Lim, who was also a graduate student started to come to our Sunday meetings. After a few weeks the new Joel said he planned to stay on at New Hope and even brought his parents to New Hope one Sunday for a visit. Turns out they are all from Singapore, home of at least two former NewHopers, Min and Yu Hsien, who have since graduated and returned home. Some of us kidded that God was replacing one Joel with another, and of course we told each of the Joels about their counterpart.

Then the day of their meeting arrived. Joel Martin came for a visit last weekend. When the two finally met, much to the relief of local particle physicists and trekkers alike, the local universe did not implode. ;-)

Joel Martin is now back in Maryland. Please pray that God would lead him to the church where he should be and for some good Christian friends and fellowship. BTW God already answered one of our prayers for Joel Lim. When he first came to New Hope, he was also looking for a church and asked us to pray about it.

Dave

Dedication of NHCC Ministry Center

2006-10-07T17:06:00.000-04:00

Last week, Sunday Night Koinonia met for the first time at our new ministry center. We started with worship led by Ted, Greg and Eric, followed by the dedication of our new building. About ten of us gathered in a circle outside in front of the entrance to pray for our new ministry center and anoint the building as the rest were inside watching the children. Sue started the dedication by reading Leviticus 8:1-12 which records how Moses anointed the tabernacle according to the command of God. Tying into this, Dave spoke on how the first tabernacle was literally inhabited by God's Spirit, but now God inhabits buildings, such as this one, by inhabiting his people with his Spirit. And by inhabiting his people (you and me) God in effect can inhabit not just this building, but all of Oakland, Pittsburgh and wherever we go. As Jesus said, "for where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." Dave then anointed the doorframe with olive oil in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and we all prayed together for God's blessing on our new ministry center and that God would use it and us to be a blessing to the students and community of Oakland.

We then went back inside for a tour by Greg of the building and some great goulash (pasta in a tomato meat sauce) made by Kelly. After the tour we gathered for some prayer together and had a quick meeting to decide Koinonia's meeting time. We decided to meet 11 AM Sunday mornings starting October 15 until such a time as a regular Sunday worship service begins at our new center.

Click here to see the photos/slideshow of the building tour.

At the time of this writing, CSF Friday Night Fellowship and New Hope's Sunday Koinonia are meeting weekly at the new center. Future plans include a coffeeshop type ministry called Connections Student Center which will feature free wireless internet. Also, discussions and prayers are in the works to start a new Sunday morning worship service there with the help of student ministers, Doug and Kiki Cherry, from CrossSeekers.

New Location for New Hope

2006-09-22T00:37:00.000-04:00

New Hope is in the process of moving our meetings and ministries to our new location at 3495 Bates Street in South Oakland. CSF has already started meeting there on Friday nights and our Sunday Night Koinonia meeting is scheduled to start meeting there Sunday, October 1. This move has been orchestrated primarily by Greg and Ted who found the location and are in the process of renovating the facility with the help of many volunteers from CSF and New Hope. If you would like to give them a hand, I'm sure they would appreciate it. To help or for information regarding our new location, please contact Ted at ted@csfpa.com.

Our new location at the corner of Bates & Semple

Bob O'Connor Remembered

2006-09-11T15:52:00.000-04:00

JoAnn's Baptism

2006-09-03T11:05:00.000-04:00

Listen to Dave's short homily on baptism followed by JoAnn sharing why she decided to get baptized at this time. Complete with water sounds! :-)

Slideshow of JoAnn's Baptism.

Thanks from Urban Fuel

2006-08-21T12:26:00.000-04:00

We recently received this video from Jim Herbst and Urban Fuel in thanks for our help. It features the renovations to the Hazelwood Christian Church basement for use as a coffeehouse outreach. This is only one part of Urban Fuel's three stage plan to reach out and minister to the youth of Hazelwood. To find out more about Urban Fuel's ministry, click here.

The Letters of Peter

2006-08-17T11:06:00.000-04:00

Having finished the book of Acts last spring, we asked members of New Hope what they would like to study next, and by popular demand they requested we look at the letters of Peter. This was in part a request for a change in perspective since we had just spend much time looking at the ministry of Paul throughout the second half of Acts.

We divided the first letter of Peter into 5 major themes or topics: Salvation, Spiritual House, Submission, Suffering and Shepherding.

"Our Salvation" on 1Peter 1-2:3 by Dave Crafton

Download MP3 File
View Sermon Notes

"God's Spiritual House" on 1Peter 2:4-12 by Dave Crafton

Download MP3 File
View Sermon Notes

"Submission" on 1Peter 2:13-3:7 by Eric Randall

Download MP3 File

"Suffering" on 1Peter 3:8-4:19 by Dave Crafton

Download MP3 File
View Sermon Notes

Shepherding the Flock - 1Peter 5

Download MP3 File
View Sermon Notes

Shepherding Part 2 - Discipleship

Download MP3 File

The second letter of Peter we divided into three teachings on faith; Adding to Faith, Enemies of Faith and Faithful Faith.

Adding to Faith - 2Peter 1

Download MP3 File
View Sermon Notes

Enemies of Faith - 2Peter 2

Download MP3 File
View Sermon Notes

Faithful Faith - 2Peter 3

Download MP3 File
View Sermon Notes

Wedding of Matt & Liz

2006-08-11T00:29:00.000-04:00

Many of us from New Hope had the privilege to join Matt & Liz in the celebration of their wedding last Sunday at the Union Project in East Liberty.

Click here for more photos of all the festivities!

Angel Food for Oakland

2006-07-12T11:34:00.000-04:00

Inspired by an Angel Food Ministry site she visited in New Brighton, Jo Ann Snow has put things in motion to start an Angel Food host site in Oakland at New Hope.

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief to communities throughout the United States. Angel Food works through churches and community organizations in over 32 states.

Through Angel Food, host sites provide approximately $50 worth of groceries for $25. And, as Jo Ann likes to say, "if you eat, you qualify." Jo Ann hopes to have an Angel Food site established in Oakland by September.

If you would like to help Jo Ann with this ministry or sign up for food before we get a site in Oakland, please click here to email Jo Ann.

Click here for a sample menu from Angel Food Ministries.
Click here for the New Brighton site's order form in PDF.

Jo Ann presenting her ministry plan to New Hope last Sunday

Biggest, Best Game Night Ever!

2006-07-10T18:48:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday's game night at the Randall's was the biggest and best game night yet. By the time I arrived there was already a card game on the front porch, toddlers playing Hungry Hippos on the living room floor, young children playing video games on the computers and, in the dining room, 2 teams of adults deeply engrossed in a round of Cranium. The plethora of game players included both old and new NewHopers as well as several coworkers of Eric's. I understand that Eric worked hard at inviting friends, coworkers and neighbors. The fruit of his labor was obvious and a good time was had by all.

Click here to view more photos of all the fun.

Schenley Park Gathering

2006-06-01T16:14:00.000-04:00

Click here for photos!

Ted on Worship

2006-05-18T17:31:00.000-04:00

Here are the slides and outline from Ted Hamilton's sermon last Sunday on Worship.

Although the sermon was not recorded last Sunday, Ted is going to record it especially for you. So stay tuned to ComBlog. It will be uploaded to this post as soon as it becomes available.

Sowing & Reaping

2006-05-11T01:04:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday Dave Crafton went retro and updated a sermon he gave in 2002 on Sowing & Reaping based on Galatians 6:7-8. While interpreting what it means to sow to the Spirit, a number of other diverse topics from tithing to total depravity were discussed. A very interesting topic covered was Jesus's teaching on what one reaps in return for giving because it apparently contradicts a popular teaching in the Church today. The sermon concluded with the notion that when we give money, we are really sowing something very different.

Listen to Sowing and Reaping

Download MP3 File
View Sermon Notes

Blast from the Past

The above sermon was based on two previous sermons from way back in 2002 which separately dealt with two different sides of the sowing & reaping coin; (1) Sowing to the Flesh and (2) Sowing to the Spirit.

Part 1 of the original sermon series on Sowing & Reaping starts with a discussion on the nature of seeds, comparing and contrasting the divergent qualities of tomatoes and dandelions. Then using King David's infamous sin with Bathsheba as an example of sowing to the flesh, the sermon examines what led up to David's actions and why many people, especially his children, reaped the hurtful and deadly consequences of what he had sown. The sermon concludes with a few suggested "metaphorical herbicides" to help us deal with sin and temptation in our own lives.

Sowing & Reaping, Part 1 from 2002

Download MP3 File
View Sermon Notes

Part 2 of the original sermon series focuses on what it means to sow to the Spirit. It is similar to the 2006 version, but includes some different material.

Sowing & Reaping, Part 2 from 2002

Download MP3 File
View Sermon Notes

Galatians 6:7-10 (NKJV)
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

A Christian Budget

2006-05-01T21:51:00.000-04:00

As part of our sermon series on money, Eric Randall bravely, transparently used his very own budget, and therefore lifestyle, as an example of how a Christian should setup a budget and spend his money. In addition to good basic budget advice, Eric also discussed the evils of credit card debt, being content with what you have, being a good steward and considering the money you have as God's money.

Listen to Eric's sermon:

download mp3 file

BTW Want a quick way to generate togetherness at Church? When leading worship without a projector, invite everyone to come close to read the words from your sheet music. ;-)

The Kingdom Assignment - Part 2

2006-04-29T18:15:00.000-04:00

As promised, we had our Kingdom Assignment volunteers return after one month and give us an update on what they have done or are planning to do with the $100 to further God's Kingdom. Following is a summary of what they had to say as well as the audio of their reports.

Kelly used $20 to purchase a gift for a hometown friend who recently underwent surgery and gave $80 to Pioneers, a ministry to street kids in Calcutta. An email from Kelly giving the details of her report is in the comments section of this post.
Note: the audio of Kelly's report starts midway.

play/download mp3 file

First JoAnn doubled the money to $200. Then she gave $75 to Trans World Radio for a shortwave radio for the Church in China, $55.20 to Light of Life Mission for Easter dinner and $68 to Angel Tree for a children's Christian Camp.

play/download mp3 file

Matt & Liz plan to donate their combined $200 to a future Christian coffeeshop for South Oakland proposed by Greg Voss.

play/download mp3 file

Sue donated $25 to the Morrison Family Fund and $75 to Tunes for Troops. She also asked all to consider gathering items such as old CD's for the troops which she will gladly pick up for donation.

play/download mp3 file

Greg explained how he at first volunteered for Melanie, but now together they are considering 3 possible ministries; Head Start, CaringBridge and putting together care packages for kids. Greg also expressed how this has been a good experience for them, talking and praying together about the assignment.

play/download mp3 file

I would like to personally thank all our volunteers for having taken the Kingdom Assignment so seriously, spending much time in thought and prayer considering how to best use this money to further God's Kingdom. May we all be so thoughtful in our daily walk with God as we consider how to use the resources with which he has blessed us.

-Dave-

Easter at Greg & Melanie's

2006-04-19T22:46:00.000-04:00

We gathered at Greg and Melanie's home last Sunday for our Easter (or as I like to call it, Resurrection Sunday) service and dinner. Click here to check out the photos of all the food, fun and fellowship while you listen to Greg's Easter message below.

BTW: The Lord is Risen!

A side note: Between all the good food at both Easter and Passover, I needed to loosen my belt a notch. Guess that's why the Bible calls them feasts. :-)

-Dave-

Passover at New Hope

2006-04-18T23:06:00.000-04:00

We had a good time at our Passover Seder last week. And it was educational too! Joel, for example, commented that he had never learned so much about the origin of communion than he had that evening. For the uninitiated, the Passover Seder is the traditional meal or feast celebrated every spring by the Jews in remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt and God's establishment of Israel as a nation.

One of the traditional items of the Passover meal is a stack of three matzahs wrapped in napkins and called a unity. The center matzah is removed, broken in half, wrapped in a napkin and hidden by the father or head of the household until later. This hidden, broken half is called the afikomen which might mean "I have come." As the meal comes to a close, the children hunt for the afikomen and the one who finds it returns it to the father who redeems it with a coin. The afikomen is then divided among the participants of the Passover and is the last thing eaten.

The Passover Seder is filled with many other such interesting symbols or foreshadowings of the Messiah, which we as believers of Jesus can appreciate as having been fulfilled through Jesus in his life, death and resurrection. If you have never experienced a Passover Seder, be sure to join us next year!

Click here for photos of our Passover Seder at the Randall's.

BTW Special thanks to the Randall's for hosting and especially to Sue for her great cooking! In fact all the food was great. There were so many leftovers that I enjoyed Sue's chicken, Joel's matzah stuffing and JoAnn's brownies into the following week. Thanks to everyone who helped make our Passover Seder happen this year and a great success!

-Dave-

The Lamb of God

2006-04-11T00:21:00.000-04:00

When Jesus made his "Triumphal Entry" into Jerusalem on the day we celebrate as Palm Sunday, he did not come to save the cheering crowds as a conquering king, but as the Lamb of God, the fulfillment of the Passover.

At our Palm Sunday service, we looked at how completely the Law of the Passover was fulfilled, from the significance of the Triumphal Entry on the tenth day of Nisan, to John the Baptist's "preparation" of the house of Israel. We concluded with Paul's admonishment to remove the leaven in our lives in response to Jesus's sacrifice.

Listen to Dave's teaching on the Lamb of God:

Or click here to listen to the sermon in stand alone player.

Report on March 26 Family Meeting

2006-04-05T23:38:00.001-04:00

Here's a brief synopsis of what occurred during the Family Meeting of New Hope Christian Community on Sunday March 26th.

Discussion was opened with the purpose of the family meeting, which was to determine what New Hope members think needs to be added to the Sunday morning experience, and what other adjustments that they would make. There was some discussion centered around the fact that many members feel that there's a general lack of purpose. It was generally felt that additions to New Hope's ministries that allowed people to get involved would be good. Some specific additions that people suggested adding to the Sunday experience (vs. other outreach) are: time for testimonies, a more predictable meeting location, a more predictable meeting format, and more interactive teaching.

Some things that people would like to add during the week are more growth groups and more community service type events. There was also a general consensus that New Hope is currently weak in the outreach component, and that doing something active to rebalance things would be good. Some members discussed that there seemed to be a general lack of depth in teaching, but the counterpoint was made that (A)you can only do so much with what we have, and (B)members are responsible to dig into the word for themselves.

It was acknowledged that New Hope could offer some training in Greek/Hebrew and also cultural context, and that would help members better 'feed' themselves. Elders mentioned that there was a movement to plan together what themes are discussed on Sundays. It was commented that there is a need for Elders to lead by refining the Sunday experience, but also to lead by strategic thinking for the future. Many members expressed the position that they were less concerned with what direction was taken than that a specific direction was chosen and communicated by the Elders. The discussion resolved with the Elders' looking at ways to incorporate members' suggestions and future communication about New Hope's direction.

-Synopsis by Ted Hamilton-