Congregational Meeting September 12, 2010 to Call New Pastor
It is with much gratitude and with praise, excitement, and anticipation that we are announcing the congregational meeting on September 12 to vote on extending a call to our candidate for senior pastor of Hope UCC. During worship, we will have the opportunity to experience our candidate as preacher and worship leader. Immediately following worship, we will have a time of fellowship with the candidate during a potluck luncheon. After lunch, there will be a congregational meeting to vote on extending a call to our candidate and to approve the Terms of Call (compensation package) and Ministerial Covenant (job description). All members and friends of Hope are invited to attend worship, lunch, and the congregational meeting; however, only members of Hope may vote.
Prior to Sunday, there will be two opportunities to meet our selected candidate in informal settings. There will be an open house with light refreshments on Friday, September 10, from 7 – 9 p.m., at Hope Church. Childcare will be available if needed. If you plan to attend this event, please sign up at church or contact Ann Ryan. On Saturday, September 11, from 10 a.m. to noon, there will be a small gathering at the home of Clifton and Pauline McDonald. Due to limited space, please plan to attend this event only if you can not attend the Friday evening event. If you plan to attend the Saturday gathering, please sign up at church or contact Laurie James.
Look for a congregational mailing sometime this week with more details about these events, more information about our selected candidate, and copies of the Terms of Call and Ministerial Covenant. If you do not receive a copy of the mailing, contact Harry Shepler, Congregational President.
Donations Needed for the Luau Silent Auction!
Aloha! We are looking for donations for the Luau’s Silent Auction. In years past, this has been a very successful event for us, and we want to continue that tradition. The more donations we have, the bigger the auction and the profit – all of which goes to support Missions Ministry efforts both locally and globally.
Do you or your company have products or services that you could donate to the Silent Auction? Do you or someone you know have a property (lake house, beach house, timeshare, etc.) that you would consider “donating” for a week, or even just a weekend? Please reach out to family, friends, and businesses you frequent (coffee shops, restaurants, art studios, movie theaters, etc.) to see if they would consider making a donation. We accept all items, as long as they are new and unused, from gift baskets to massage certificates to theater tickets to vacations – no donation is too big or too small.
To make donations, obtain a donation request letter or if you have questions, please contact Pam Sheehan at missions@hopeucc.org.
Mahalo! (Thank you!)
Are You An August Angel?
New school supplies
I’m sure you understand just how important it is for each child to feel special and prepared as they enter a new school year. A new school year is filled with wonder, anticipation and excitement! But sending a child off to school is an expensive proposition. When you factor in the school supplies needed, shoes to replace last years’ worn-out pair, and a new outfit for the ever-growing child, parents could spend as much as $200 per child, turning back-to-school time into a financial hardship for many.
Once again this year Hope Church will be hosting the August Angels program in partnership with Koinonia. Along with other area churches, Hope contributes donations of school supplies, backpacks, time, and volunteers to supply local children with backpacks full of school supplies. Koinonia will be using some of our space downstairs to store the donated school supplies beginning Sunday, August 1st and continuing until Sunday August 15th. During the week of August 16th thru the 20th, volunteers will be preparing the backpacks at Hope Church for distribution. During that week (Aug 16 – 20), Koinonia would welcome volunteers from Hope. Read More »
What Does the Bible Say about Homosexuality?
Hope United Church of Christ is Open and Affirming, welcoming all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, into full life and leadership in our church. But, LGBT people are frequently rejected and denounced by other churches and religious leaders who condemn homosexuality based on their interpretation of biblical scriptures. What does the Bible say? Have you checked the Bible yourself?
Several of us went to a screening of the documentary Fish out of Water, last week, where filmmaker Ky Dickens explores the seven Bible passages notoriously used to condemn homosexuality and justify marriage discrimination. Read More »
PSC Selects Candidate!
On Thursday, June 10, the PSC enthusiastically presented, and Cabinet members present unanimously affirmed, our recommendation for Hope’s next settled pastor.
During this next phase of the Search and Call process, we have convened a group which includes several PSC members and several Cabinet members to negotiate the Terms of Call (TOC) – which will include the call covenant, start date and compensation package – with our selected candidate.
Once the TOC is approved by the full Cabinet we will be sharing more information about the candidate with the congregation. Until then, specifics about the candidate are still considered confidential. Read more…
Keeping the Aloha Spirit Alive!
Many thanks to Senator Daniel Akaka, and all of our friends from the Hawaiian Cultural School, Halau Ho’omau I ka Wai Ola O Hawai’i for bringing the aloha spirit to worship on April 25.
Watch the video featuring the worship service from Fox Channel 2 in Hawaii.
Under the direction of Manu Ikaika, the Hawaiian Cultural School is a vital partner with Hope in our autumn Luaus. This year the Luau will occur on Saturday, September 18.
Questions? Contact Pam Sheehan at Missions@hopeucc.org.
Hope Church welcomes the Rev. Dr. Jerrold (Jerry) Foltz as our supply pastor. Rev. Foltz, a retired United Church of Christ minister, will begin serving Hope Church as a part-time supply pastor on September 1, 2010. Ordained in 1969, Rev. Foltz has held various ministerial positions, including seven years as Associate Confernece Minister in the Central Atlantic Conference. His pastorates have been in Maryland, New Jersey, and in Virginia. In 1996 he became the founding pastor of Wellspring UCC, Centreville, Virginia. A native of Hagerstown, Maryland, Rev. Foltz attended Catawba College (B.A.), Eden Seminary (M.Div.), and Eastern Baptist Seminary (D. Min.). He and his wife Alice have four grown children and, at last count. nine grandchildren. They recently celebrated their forty-fifth wedding anniversary. Welcome to Jerry and Alice! 
