I can't wait to tell you about...

… three things you really shouldn’t miss. Hey there, friends… today’s Friday letter contains a profound word of encouragement for you. There is also a heartfelt honor we need to share. And there are three friends you MUST not miss. I’ll tell you more in Deeper Thoughts below…
 
But first, THIS weekend is big…so much going on:
 
·      Teens: Don’t miss FIRE Worship Night… TOMORROW, Saturday November 15 from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Join us at the Mt. Hope Firepit for pizza, connection, music, sharing, and prayer. PLUS, a campfire and s’mores! Invite a friend and dress warmly!
 
o   ALSO:  Youth Group Sunday, 11:30 – 1:00 p.m. Snacks, connection and deep dive discussion. Ping Jess Sauder for anything youth related… [email protected].
 
·      Ladies: TOMORROW, Saturday, November 15 is our annual “Friendsgiving” event--11:00 – 1:00 p.m. at the church. Join us for food, fellowship, games and fun as we celebrate our many blessings. Turkey and ham are provided; bring a side dish to share… oh, and bring a friend, too! Click here for more info and to RSVP!
 
o   Also… save the date for December 13 for our Christmas cookie exchange. More details to come!
 
·      TWO memorials for our loved ones this weekend:
 
o   Priscilla Shi was a beloved friend to many of our congregation who knew and worshipped with her at CFC and Bridge Community Church. Pastor Will Cravens will lead a memorial service TOMORROW, Saturday, November 15, at 3:00 p.m., at Christian Fellowship Church, 44505 Atwater Drive, Ashburn. All are welcome.
 
o   Our church family will celebrate the memory of our beloved Gordon Cavallero THIS Sunday morning through a brief segment during church.
 
·      It’s time to mark your calendars for our Annual Christmas Pageant and Christmas Party! This extremely fun Christmas event has become a Mt. Hope favorite, with our Kids Connect and teens leading us through the story of Christmas followed by a great potluck Christmas fellowship dinner. 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 7. Click here for more info and to sign up for the potluck and bring some yummy treats!
 
·      THIS week’s “The Daily Six” is going to be super-special– six minutes each morning in the Word of God, Monday through Friday, on our YouTube channel. If you’d like to receive daily email reminders and you’re not already getting them, click here to sign up!
 
OK…that’s it today for you email skimmers and you who prefer to not know what I’m excited about. BUT…
 
 
Some Deeper Thoughts:
 
Three things that I am sure will bless you: 1) A profound word of encouragement; 2) an important honor to share; 3) three friends you MUST not miss.
 
A word of encouragement:
 
Have you felt a heaviness about the character-after-character, story-after-story study of the Old Testament we’ve been calling “Knowing God”? I know that I have.
 
Literally every single person we have studied so far has been embroiled in either some great sin or some great tragedy or hardship in their lives. Adam and Eve started us off by gobbling on the forbidden fruit which poured evil into every human life to come. Yea, team! Smart move. From there, their first kids brought jealousy and murder to the table. Noah had to build a boat to save creation from God’s grand reset of humanity. Job picked his sores with broken pottery while trying to stay faithful to God after losing everything. Abraham impregnated his house maid. Isaac let his wife be taken by the king so he could go free. Jacob stole his brother’s birthright. Joseph was sold into slavery and ended up imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. Moses murdered an Egyptian and spent 40 years as a fugitive… On and on it goes.
 
Tired yet?
 
But so many of you have been telling me that oddly, the repetitive cycles of sin and rebellion we read over and over again in the Old Testament have given you hope. We read these Old Testament stories to learn how God relates with humans. We see ourselves in them—cycles of sin, rebellion, tragedy and hardship that are an inextricable part of our lives… thanks again, Adam and Eve! But more hopefully, we see God’s grace and mercy over them.
 
Fast forward to Jesus. Beyond these sinful cycles, we read the New Testament to find out how it all works for us NOW, and who we can become NOW. You and I see ourselves in the Old Testament characters for sure. But the New Testament tells us we do not need to stay parked in their story. In fact, the New Testament is “confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation” (Hebrews 6:9).
 
This Sunday, we will begin a new mini-series within the context of our larger study of the Old Testament. Circling through the New Testament book of Hebrews, we will discover the link between the Old and New covenants of God. We’ll see what this has all been building towards. “Confident of Better Things,” we’re calling this mini-series. Bring your Bibles and a pen!!
 
An important honor to share:
 
Gordon Cavallero was a core part of our church family for a number of recent years. Super-quiet, he was always faithful, generous, and loving. You probably met him either at the back sanctuary doors where he often served as a greeter, or at a church-wide workday which he never missed, or out in the parking lot with Jeff Lyerly being your first “hello” on Sunday.
 
Shortly after he passed a few weeks ago, his family met privately to memorialize him. To offer you the chance to honor his memory and celebrate his life, we will focus about 10 minutes during our worship service THIS Sunday to remember Gordon. His family sent us some beautiful photographs and words to share with you.
 
Three friends you MUST not miss:
 
Starting THIS Monday, we will begin to air two weeks of our Daily Six video series that in my opinion will be some of the most meaningful content we’ve ever produced. I will sit with my wife, Sherri, and two of my great friends—Melissa Wiggins and Mason Duckworth—as we study the scriptures together. They will share their own stories of how the Word of God, and our Old Testament characters in particular, have transformed their lives. Their stories are compelling, encouraging, and convicting. You’ll have a hard time not opening your Bible after these episodes! 
 
Jump in with us each morning, Monday through Friday, on our YouTube channel. If you’d like to receive daily email reminders and you’re not already getting them, click here to sign up!
 
 
OK… that’s it. Shall we meet up? 10:00 a.m. Sunday!!
 
Much love to you all…
 
Chris Eads
Mt. Hope Pastor
Friend