Greetings, Living Hope!
Over the course of twenty years, I have ministered in the Pacific Rim, Northeast Pennsylvania, and New England. I have heard pastors talk about the importance of banding together in all three regions. However, I have only seen one region do it.
There’s something special about New England. I have never been able to put my finger on it, but many pastors in the region seem to have an innate concern for the ministries of other pastors. Maybe we need to band together to survive. Maybe the harsh realities of ministering in a notoriously unchurched region force us to work together. Or maybe the chosen of New England are not as frozen as we have been led to believe. Whatever the reason, New England pastors band together.
Last week I attended the EFCA (New England District Association) pastor’s prayer retreat at Camp Spofford. For several years, it has been NEDA’s practice to gather pastors in January to begin the year in prayer, express dependence on God, and ask him for wisdom and strength for the year of ministry ahead. During our twenty-four hours of devotion, my fellow pastors and I were encouraged through God’s Word, worshiped in song, and prayed in small and large groups. The focus for this year’s prayer retreat came from Acts 6:4 “we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.” Not only did we focus our time on prayer and the Word, but we also set the stage for an entire year of renewed focus on the ministry of Acts 6:4.
Living Hope, this time of focused pastoral prayer for our region is just one of the reasons why Pastor Brian, the elders, and myself were so passionate about joining the Evangelical Free Church of America. Maybe it’s just a matter of survival. Maybe not. Regardless, we, the pastors and churches of New England, are better off together than we are apart.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Dan
Looking Forward
Sermon Direction
The Problem with Religion
Isaiah 1:10-20
Link to This Sunday Worship Service
Communion Sunday
This Sunday January 21st we will have communion at both the 9:00 and 10:45 services
“Essentials for Spiritual Growth”
Just a reminder that the men’s study led by pastor Brian begins this Saturday January 21st from 8-9A.M. in the fellowship hall.
Trajectory Rec:
Trajectory Rec will be taking a break starting December 26th through January 23rd.
Living Hope Kids Sledding Party:
All are invited to go sledding at the Gilford Sledding Hill on January 28th from 1-3pm! Hot chocolate, cider, and snacks will be provided. Bring your own sled! We will provide directions at a later date.
Cancellation Procedure for Sunday Mornings
In the event of bad weather that would potentially impact services, the following will be taken into consideration: the current weather in Laconia, timing of the weather event, and whether roads, walkways, parking areas will be cleared. A decision will be made by 7:30 am to cancel one or both of our services. Living Hope Lakeport will notify of cancellation using the following: WMUR TV*, Church website news feed www.laconiachurch.com, Email (weekly epistle list), and Living Hope Lakeport private and public Facebook pages. *(If 1st service is cancelled, it will say “No Early Services”, if both services cancelled, it will say “No Sunday Services” on WMUR)
Looking Forward to February
On Friday, February 10th from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, Andy Whitman will be giving a presentation about his missions work in the Dominican Republic. Pizza will be served. The snow date for this event will be the next Friday, February 17th. If possible, please sign up on the sheet in the back of the church so that the Global Missions Team can have an estimate of how much pizza to purchase, but last minute walk-ins are welcome!