(316) 858-9100 | 1831 E. 21st St, Andover KS

What a Whirlwind!

These past few weeks at Hope have been a beautiful, love-filled, Jesus-inspired whirlwind of activity! We’ve had many beautiful things take place, and it’s required a great amount of prayer, resources, and volunteers!

A couple weeks ago our High School ministry organized and pulled off the greatest garage sale I’ve ever seen. Hopesters donated clothes, furniture, knick knacks, and more. Our Barn and Breezeway were packed full of deals, and the community came out to shop! Pulling off a sale like that takes countless hours and volunteers. Many of you spent hours upon hours serving, and it paid off! We raised a record amount of money (more than $24,000) and all of that will go to support our High School Ministry, mission trips, and retreats. THANK YOU!

Within minutes of Hopemart ending, our Vacation Bible School team came in and started decorating. Every inch of our building was transformed into a Jesus-inspired Space Station that was truly out of this world (see what I did there?). We had 580 kids and more than 220 volunteers help us pull off the largest VBS in Hope history. It was so fun for me to see kids enjoy the amazing decorations, fun crafts, creative stories, and (of course) the snacks. True friendships between Crew Leaders and kids were formed, and it was evident that Jesus was the primary purpose of it all! I’m so grateful for the many volunteers that pulled this off, as it’s truly one of Hope’s greatest outreaches to our community.

And then, Sunday after our church services, our Celebrate Recovery Team welcomed back all the VBS students and their families, and threw an epic all church carnival. Food, games, face painting, and a dunk tank made for a memorable end to a busy few days for our church family!

As I catch my breath from the past weeks’ events, I sit here typing this newsletter full of gratitude and joy. I love being a part of a church that freely serves and provides opportunities for others to grow closer to Jesus! There’s no way all of these beautiful things could take place without the generosity and service from Hopesters. Thank you!

I know as we head into the summer, there are still mission trips, youth camps, a marriage retreat, service projects, and plenty of opportunities to connect with one another. While we continue to stay busy, it’s also my hope that we take time to rest.

The summer is a good time to slow down, spend time with family and friends, and take some extra intentional time to connect with Jesus. King Solomon in Ecclesiastes says this: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). I’d add that there is a time to be busy and a time to rest!

Hopesters, thank you for tirelessly serving our community! Please continue to serve and freely give of yourselves, but also please take some intentional time to slow down, rest, and enjoy your summer!

Peace,
Nick