Advent begins Sunday, December 1st. - December 24th.
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Join us for our
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We have added a “Food Blessing Box” to our landscape and ministry for those in need to be able to grab non-perishable food items for a meal or two. Feel free to take advantage of these items. We also need non-perishable food items to replenish the box when needed. Please bring your items to church or add your items to the box. May ALL who give and receive be blessed!
LETTER FROM PASTOR DONNA
November 6, 2024
Aahhh, it’s good to be home. I have been so blessed this fall to get to travel to some new places and participate in some exciting activities. In September, I was in Costa Rica for the Convening Conference of the Global Methodist Church. I got to witness first-hand the official birthing of our denomination. It was an amazing experience.
Then, a few weeks later, I was part of the group that traveled to Kenya to begin to establish a partnership between our Allegheny West Annual Conference and the Kenya Conference. Once again, I was privileged to witness history being made because this partnership is the first of its kind; we will be setting the model for how other conference to conference partnerships will look going forward. For almost two weeks we traveled the country, we were welcomed warmly by the people, and worshiped with them in their churches. It was another amazing experience.
It is fun to travel, to see new sights, to meet new people, to serve God in these ways, but it is always good to come back home again. Home is such an important word for many of us. Our homes are where we find not only shelter, but protection and comfort. Sleeping in our own bed is a blessing, being greeted by our loved ones is a joy. We have become so accustomed to going home at the end our day that we don’t always take time to realize just how privileged we are to have a home to come home to.
Whether our homes are built of wood, brick, or stone, they appear to us to be sturdy, permanent structures, buildings that will stand for centuries to come, containers for our lives and our stuff, holders of our memories. I’m sure the people in the southeast who have recently lost their homes – literally – to flooding from the hurricane in September thought the same. Yet, in the blink of an eye, their homes were gone, washed down the river. There are some who have lost their homes to a tornado or a fire. These folks also never expected their places of refuge to be here one instant and gone the next. Things that seem so permanent to us in this world are often times more vulnerable than we want to believe.
There is a home waiting for us, though, that will be permanent. A home not built by human hands. A home that would withstand flooding, fire, or tornadoes if those things existed where they are built. This is the home we are really longing for, the one we know will be our forever home one day, not this temporary shelter we have here in this world.
In John 14:2-3, Jesus tells his disciples, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Isn’t that an amazing promise? Isn’t that something to look forward to?
We are all travelers in this world, but our permanent residence is being prepared for us with our Father in heaven. If it feels good to be home here, imagine how good it will feel when we are well and truly home there! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I am thinking about all the things I am grateful for these days. The list is long and getting longer. I am grateful for travels; I am grateful for home. I am grateful for family, and friends, and my church family. But maybe what I am most grateful for is that Jesus gave his life for me so that I could live forever with him – and he is building me a permanent home where he is so I can live there forever one day. My heart is full. So, what are you grateful for?
Have a blessed Thanksgiving,
Pastor Donna
Aahhh, it’s good to be home. I have been so blessed this fall to get to travel to some new places and participate in some exciting activities. In September, I was in Costa Rica for the Convening Conference of the Global Methodist Church. I got to witness first-hand the official birthing of our denomination. It was an amazing experience.
Then, a few weeks later, I was part of the group that traveled to Kenya to begin to establish a partnership between our Allegheny West Annual Conference and the Kenya Conference. Once again, I was privileged to witness history being made because this partnership is the first of its kind; we will be setting the model for how other conference to conference partnerships will look going forward. For almost two weeks we traveled the country, we were welcomed warmly by the people, and worshiped with them in their churches. It was another amazing experience.
It is fun to travel, to see new sights, to meet new people, to serve God in these ways, but it is always good to come back home again. Home is such an important word for many of us. Our homes are where we find not only shelter, but protection and comfort. Sleeping in our own bed is a blessing, being greeted by our loved ones is a joy. We have become so accustomed to going home at the end our day that we don’t always take time to realize just how privileged we are to have a home to come home to.
Whether our homes are built of wood, brick, or stone, they appear to us to be sturdy, permanent structures, buildings that will stand for centuries to come, containers for our lives and our stuff, holders of our memories. I’m sure the people in the southeast who have recently lost their homes – literally – to flooding from the hurricane in September thought the same. Yet, in the blink of an eye, their homes were gone, washed down the river. There are some who have lost their homes to a tornado or a fire. These folks also never expected their places of refuge to be here one instant and gone the next. Things that seem so permanent to us in this world are often times more vulnerable than we want to believe.
There is a home waiting for us, though, that will be permanent. A home not built by human hands. A home that would withstand flooding, fire, or tornadoes if those things existed where they are built. This is the home we are really longing for, the one we know will be our forever home one day, not this temporary shelter we have here in this world.
In John 14:2-3, Jesus tells his disciples, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Isn’t that an amazing promise? Isn’t that something to look forward to?
We are all travelers in this world, but our permanent residence is being prepared for us with our Father in heaven. If it feels good to be home here, imagine how good it will feel when we are well and truly home there! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I am thinking about all the things I am grateful for these days. The list is long and getting longer. I am grateful for travels; I am grateful for home. I am grateful for family, and friends, and my church family. But maybe what I am most grateful for is that Jesus gave his life for me so that I could live forever with him – and he is building me a permanent home where he is so I can live there forever one day. My heart is full. So, what are you grateful for?
Have a blessed Thanksgiving,
Pastor Donna
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Morning education classes
Classes for Pre K- Adults of all ages are meeting from, 9:30 am to 10:30 am.
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Young ones (Birth - Pre-K) - the nursery
*Pre-K - 1st Grade - downstairs with Ms Connie *2nd - 5th Grade - downstairs with Ms Roberta 6th - 8th Grade - downstairs with Ms Sabrina |
9th - 12th Grade - downstairs with Mr Chris
Young Adult/College & Career - in the library Russ Bowman's Class for adults - at Dunkin' Donuts Alpha and Omega for adults -in the Fellowship Hall |
Watch previous week's messAGES FROM pASTOR dONNA (AND OTHERS) ON OUR worship services PAGE OR ON OUR fACEBOOK PAGE (@ROOTSTOWNCHURCHofhope)
For more news, updates and info, check out our News page!
Habitat of portage county Apostles Build
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Apostles Build Story: The project that was started in July 2019 has been completed! The Hummel-Tucker family were presented with their home on April 25th at 2 pm! Blessings to the family as they begin to move in and get comfortable! Thank you to all who helped, prayed for, donated to this project!
