About Us 2 2

Hello Hope Church Family and Friends,

This email is to keep you updated on church news and to spread some encouragement!

Please contact the church if you are sick or have a sick family member.
Please reach out if you are running low on a needed supply.
Please call the church or email with prayer requests.

Sunday Worship on Facebook: hopeuccmacomb at 10 am on Sunday. We are making improvements every week to the quality of the streaming and we are adding more components to the service. Facebook seems to be the easiest way to reach the most members.

Open the Facebook App, go to the Hope UCC page.-Click the Videos tab-Video Notifications Settings (bell next to it)-Allow for Hope to send notifications when they go live on FB

IF YOU NEED ASSIATANCE WITH FACEBOOK- PLEASE REACH OUT TO TONY and he will help you figure out FACEBOOK. Also, Sunday’s scripture and the music is listed at the bottom of this letter so that you can reference it to follow along.

We will try the additional conference call access for one more week. Last Sunday, no one joined via conference call. For those of you who don’t have Facebook you may wish to call into a conference call number. The audio may not be perfect, but it is a work in progress. To Join the call, dial the conference phone number (712-432-3900) using any phone. When prompted, enter your access code 758753 followed by the # key.You will need to mute your phone, so others don’t hear you. If you do not have a mute funtion on your phone, you can dial *1 to mute your line.

Wednesday- Lenten Gathering at 7pm on Facebook each Wednesday Evening. We are trying different styles of programs for this gathering. It’s important that we gather to support and encourage each other to keep the faith!

Each Friday you will receive a robo call with much of the information that is in letter. Also, please return to the webiste often for updates.

Please continue to support the church if you are able. You can go to the "Give a Gift" tab to easily and securely give a donation. If you prefer, the instructions are also there for giving via text message.

As of today, Sue is in the office Monday- Friday from 9-1:30. If that changes, we are prepared to work from home. Pastor Meg is in the office daily and is available via her cell phone for urgent matters.

We have developed a safe way to give out emergency food and still observe social distancing. The stories of need from our neighbors are heartbreaking. They are so appreciative that we are continuing this urgent ministry.

Please keep these people in your prayers; Our medical workers, people in assisted living facilities, the unemployed, homeless, parents and children, those with mental health issues. We give thanks that baby Huxley’s surgery was successful, we pray for Marilyn Weidenbach recovering at home from an infection, Shirley’s nephew a police officer in quarantine, Steve Neilson’s mom, Mark and Carlos who are ICU nurses treating patients of covid-19.

Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You” It’s natural to have times of fear. Try to remember that we can Trust God to walk with us. We are not alone.

The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a distinct and diverse community of Christians that come together as one church to join faith and action. With over 5,000 churches and nearly one million members across the U.S., the UCC serves God in the co-creation of a just and sustainable world. The UCC is a church of firsts, a church of extravagant welcome, and a church where "…they may all be one" (John 17:21).

The Church of Firsts

Since 1957, the United Church of Christ has been the church of firsts, weaving God’s message of hope and extravagant welcome with action for justice and peace. Together, we live out our faith in ways that effect change in our communities. The UCC's many "firsts" mean that we have inherited a tradition of acting upon the demands of our faith. When we read in Galatians: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus"—a demand is made upon us. And so we were the first historically white denomination to ordain an African-American, the first to ordain a woman, the first to ordain an openly gay man, and the first Christian church to affirm the right of same-gender couples to marry. We were in the forefront of the anti-slavery movement and the Civil Rights movement. Our response to the demands of our faith is woven into the history of our country.

A Church of Extravagant Welcome

Today, we continue to change lives throughout the world. We work alongside more than 200 mission partners. We labor ceaselessly to fight injustice, in the United States and abroad. We instill our vision into our youth and young adults, forging leaders who will imagine new dreams. And we sustain and develop church leaders, pastors, and our local churches to live their faith in exciting new ways. We believe in a God that is still speaking, a God that is all-loving and inclusive. We are a church that welcomes and accepts everyone as they are, where your mind is nourished as much as your soul.

We are a church where Jesus the healer meets Jesus the revolutionary, and where together, we grow a just and peaceful world.