We have a “Food Blessing Box” 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
September 1, 2026
Sometimes when I sit down to write, whether it’s a sermon or this newsletter submission,
I find myself staring at a blank screen and wondering what the finished product will be. A blank
screen, a blank canvas, and a blank sheet of paper are all opportunities in the making. From what
was nothing, something will become. I wonder if God thought of that in the beginning when he
began creating everything out of nothing.
The Bible opens by telling us that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth, and that the earth was formless and void – a completely clean slate for God to unleash his
creativity. Oh, when he began to create, though, what wonders came into existence! The earth,
the sky, the seas, the sun, moon, and stars, all the trees, plants, and grasses, the birds, the fish,
and all the animals. Then, God saved the best for last; he created humans.
Think about all that went into creation. We can look at it from a wide lens, like perusing
the list above, or we can zoom in and see more details. We see how God created creeks that flow
into streams that flow into rivers that flow into the oceans. We see how God created prairies,
deserts, mountains, flatland, hills, and sandy beaches. We see all the myriad numbers of different
species of birds, fish, and animals. We see how the weather works and affects our environment.
We see sun, clouds, stars, moons, and planets in our galaxy and those in galaxies beyond the
Milky Way. And we look at people and see how different everyone is from one another.
In people we see differences in hair color, eye color, height, skin tone, language, and
culture. People who like pineapple on pizza and people who like their marshmallows burned
over the open fire. Some who love vegetables, and others who eat anything else but veggies. Yet,
in spite of all our differences, we are all are created in God’s image and loved by him with a love
that is beyond our human comprehension. We can compare the love of God for people to the love
of a parent for their children, but that falls short, because even that love is less than God’s love.
When it comes to God, everything is bigger, bolder, better than we can imagine. That is
awe-inspiring if you think about it enough, but it is also comforting. Who would want a God
with limitations? Who would want a God who could be figured out, be predictable, be
completely understood? Not me.
I love it that God is bigger than I can imagine, bolder than anything I know, better than
anything and everything in the world and beyond, and more creative than I could ever be even if
I had a blank slate as big as the world and all the colors with which to fill it. Because I know that
I cannot know how big God really is, I can say as Paul said in Ephesians 3:
“For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on
earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with
power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through
faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with
all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the
fullness of God.”
We may never truly grasp the bigness of God and his love, but we should never stop
trying. Stay rooted and established in the love of God through Jesus Christ; that’s the place to
start. Have a happy, blessed September.
Pastor Donna
Sometimes when I sit down to write, whether it’s a sermon or this newsletter submission,
I find myself staring at a blank screen and wondering what the finished product will be. A blank
screen, a blank canvas, and a blank sheet of paper are all opportunities in the making. From what
was nothing, something will become. I wonder if God thought of that in the beginning when he
began creating everything out of nothing.
The Bible opens by telling us that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth, and that the earth was formless and void – a completely clean slate for God to unleash his
creativity. Oh, when he began to create, though, what wonders came into existence! The earth,
the sky, the seas, the sun, moon, and stars, all the trees, plants, and grasses, the birds, the fish,
and all the animals. Then, God saved the best for last; he created humans.
Think about all that went into creation. We can look at it from a wide lens, like perusing
the list above, or we can zoom in and see more details. We see how God created creeks that flow
into streams that flow into rivers that flow into the oceans. We see how God created prairies,
deserts, mountains, flatland, hills, and sandy beaches. We see all the myriad numbers of different
species of birds, fish, and animals. We see how the weather works and affects our environment.
We see sun, clouds, stars, moons, and planets in our galaxy and those in galaxies beyond the
Milky Way. And we look at people and see how different everyone is from one another.
In people we see differences in hair color, eye color, height, skin tone, language, and
culture. People who like pineapple on pizza and people who like their marshmallows burned
over the open fire. Some who love vegetables, and others who eat anything else but veggies. Yet,
in spite of all our differences, we are all are created in God’s image and loved by him with a love
that is beyond our human comprehension. We can compare the love of God for people to the love
of a parent for their children, but that falls short, because even that love is less than God’s love.
When it comes to God, everything is bigger, bolder, better than we can imagine. That is
awe-inspiring if you think about it enough, but it is also comforting. Who would want a God
with limitations? Who would want a God who could be figured out, be predictable, be
completely understood? Not me.
I love it that God is bigger than I can imagine, bolder than anything I know, better than
anything and everything in the world and beyond, and more creative than I could ever be even if
I had a blank slate as big as the world and all the colors with which to fill it. Because I know that
I cannot know how big God really is, I can say as Paul said in Ephesians 3:
“For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on
earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with
power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through
faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with
all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the
fullness of God.”
We may never truly grasp the bigness of God and his love, but we should never stop
trying. Stay rooted and established in the love of God through Jesus Christ; that’s the place to
start. Have a happy, blessed September.
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 |
9th - 12th Grade - downstairs with Mr. Chris
Alpha and Omega for adults -in the Fellowship Hall |
Watch previous week's message 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!
