Date

I learned to walk on water. Mom and Dad told me that I took my f i r st steps shor tly before my f i r st bir thday on the deck of the fr eighter that was tr anspor ting the three of us to Japan. Perhaps that?s why I?ve had a l i felong aff ini ty w ith the ocean. Some of my chi ldhood memor ies are of sw imming in the Paci f ic or of time spent around Yokohama Bay dur ing my adolescence. So, on the r ecent tr ip my w ife Jean and I took to Alaska, i t came as no surpr ise that as soon as our cruise ship depar ted Whittier and entered the Gulf of Alaska in the Paci f ic Ocean, I felt as though I had returned to my roots.

I love being at sea for any number of r easons. One is simply per spective. As long as I can see land, I labor under the i l lusion that I?m the master of my ow n destiny. But when there is nothing on the hor izon except the vast expanse of ocean, I r eal ize just what a small par t of this fantastic creation I am ? not insigni f icant, but small nonetheless. On the seas I am ver y much aware of the vastness of God?s creation and, more impor tantly, that God is God and I am not.

I love the sea for the diver si ty of w i ldl i fe that inhabits i t and the sur rounding environment. Watching whales, sea l ions, sea gulls, eagles, hawks, porpoises, and any number of f ish and fow l f i l led me w ith a sense of appreciation and mar vel for God?s creative abi l i ty.

I love the sea for i ts sti l lness and quiet. Other than the drone of the ship?s engines or the occasional blow of a whale or screech of a seagull , the sound of si lence is per vasive. The psalmist?s words, ?Be sti l l and know that I am God? become str ikingly r eal.

I f ind i t interesting that, for the Hebrews, the sea was a place of confusion and chaos, something to be feared. The sea was unpredictable, stormy, something that r epresented al l that could go w rong in l i fe and the disastrous consequences that would fol low. That?s why in the mar velous 21st chapter of John?s Revelation he w r i tes, ?Then I saw a new heaven and a new ear th; for the f i r st heaven and the f i r st ear th had passed away, and the sea was no more.? John points us to the hope of that day when al l things w i l l be made new and al l the chaos and confusion of l i fe w i l l no longer be present.

I look for ward to, no I yearn for that new creation. Sti l l , unti l that day I w i l l love time at sea for al l i ts r eminders and refr eshing r est.

October 2015

Shar ing OUR Fait hNew Hope's Monthly Newsletter

Rev. Steve Nor den, Senior Pastornor den@NewHopeWor ship.com ? 614.766.5445 ? NewHopeWor ship.com/Pastor Steve

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New Hope's Mission

To Reach people for Chr ist, Root people in Chr ist, and Release people to ser ve Chr ist.

Facebook .com /NewHopePowel l

Tw i t ter .com /NewHopePowel l

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Instagr am .com /NewHopePowel l

Vim eo.com /NewHopePowel l

SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE

9:00AMContemporar y WorshipSunday School for ages 2 through 5th Grade

10:15AMSunday School for Adults and YouthOrange Program for ages 3 through 5th Grade

11:15AMTraditional WorshipChr istian Car toon Club for Kids

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4739 W. Powel l Rd.(Next to the Columbus Zoo)

Powel l , OH 43065

614.766.5445NewHopeWor ship.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE VASTNESS OF GOD'S CREATION

NEW HOPE CHURCHA Ministry of the Reformed Church in America

Rev. Stephen M. Nor den, Senior PastorRev. Sar ah E. Palsm a, Associate Pastor

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As a church New Hope has been greatly blessed, and I bel ieve God blesses us to BE a blessing (Genesis 12:2). This is one reason New Hope takes a tr ue scr iptural approach to our giving by ti thing 10% of our offer ings to var ious ministr ies. The church's ti thing, r efer r ed to as benevolences, suppor ts organizations here in Central Ohio as well as national and international ministr ies. For example, one of our larger donations goes to suppor t RCA Missionar ies in their effor ts to share the love of Chr ist around the wor ld. So rest assured that when you give to New Hope Church, your gi f ts are tr eated as scr ipture teaches, w ith a ti the given back to God.

Each of us has to answer for our selves how we give. Personally, I have found that some view giving as "a debt owed," but as we read the scr iptures i t tr uly is "a seed sow n!" Thank you for your continued generosi ty in suppor ting New Hope Church as we Reach, Root , and Release people for Chr i st .

AUGUST

Budget Actual %

Total Incom e 82,480 89,961 109.1

Total Ex pense 82,480 94,369 114.4

YEAR TO DATE

Budget Actual %

659,837 690,385 104.6%

659,837 661,972 100.3%

Phi l Thom pson, Chur ch Adm in i st r atorthompson@NewHopeWor ship.com ? 614.766.5445 x37 ? NewHopeWor ship.com/Administr ation

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Once a quar ter we w i l l gather as a congregation to share what is going on in the l i fe of New Hope Church.Our next "Tow n Hall Meeting" w i l l be Sunday, October 25 at 10:15AM. The regular ly scheduled

Adult Sunday School classes w i l l not be offered on this date, but Youth Sunday School and Orange w i l l sti l l meet.

CHILDREN'S MINISTRYJosh Bar na, Di r ector of Chi l dr en 's Min i st r ybar na@NewHopeWor ship.com ? 614.766.5445 x13 ? NewHopeWor ship.com/Childr en

In September our Club 45 4th and 5th graders tr aveled to Marmon Valley to r ide some horses! In October we w i l l par ticipate in the Dubl in Spook tacular , passing out candyand tel l ing people about New Hope Church, and we'l l also be col lecting coats for Coats4Chi ldr en to del iver in November (see the Outreach section of this newsletter, or visi t the display in the Nar thex). We love having fun and ser ving God at the same time!

sunday school

Kids WOW (Worship on Wednesday) for kids Kindergar ten through 5th grade begins Wednesday evening, October 14. We'l l tr avel back to Nazareth, the hometow n of Jesus, as we learn about our Savior?s l i fe. Each week we'l l have a kid-fr iendly dinner together, fol lowed by Bible time, crafts, and music.

Kids WOW meets from 5:30PM to 7:15PM through Februar y 10. Cost for the enti r e session is $30 per chi ld, w i th a maximum of $90 per fami ly. Register your kids today at NewHopeWor ship.com /WOW .

KIDS WOW

In September dur ing Or ange we learned al l about Nehemiah and how he showed ?ini tiative? when he rebui l t the walls of Jerusalem. Our large group and small groups interacted w ith the mater ials through ski ts, games, and crafts ever y week. Kindergar tner s through 5th graders can join us in the Fellowship Hall at 10:15 on Sunday to par ticipate!

Our Sunday School program began on September 13. We offered programs for 2 year olds up to 5th graders dur ing the 9:00 ser vice. This year we have been using a new cur r iculum called Deep Blue. We star ted out at the beginning, learning about God?s good creation of the ear th and al l that is in i t! Parents, make sure to ask your kids about the Sunday School ?theme? on the nametag sticker they r eceive each week.

new fal l gr oups

New Hope?s youth are investing in the church and learning the impor tance of being active in a church body. They share their time through volunteer ing at VBS, Spor ts Camp, usher ing, choir, and many other ser vice oppor tuni ties. In the past year, youth have donated over 1500 hours to the church.

Our youth are suppor ted through your generous donations and fai thful prayers. Please consider investing in our youth programs through our ?200 Envelopes? fundraiser. ?200 Envelopes? w i l l help send our middle school youth to camp, and high school youth on r etr eats and mission tr ips. I t w i l l also provide scholar ships for youth and mater ials for New Hope?s Youth Ministr y.

Envelopes and instr uctions are avai lable in the church lobby. On behalf of New Hope's Youth, THANK YOU!

YOUTH MINISTRYBob Cl i ne, Di r ector of Youth Min i st r ycline@NewHopeWor ship.com ? 614.766.5445 ? NewHopeWor ship.com/Youth

We have had a fabulous star t to our school year ! September is such a busy month getting to know al l our new fr iends and famil ies. The chi ldren are adjusting and we are al l having fun. The hugs and giggles in the hallways are pr iceless.

We cur rently have 216 chi ldren enrol led in our program, and many classrooms are at ful l capaci ty.

This fal l we w i l l be taking a f ield tr ip to Lehner?s Pumpkin Farm. We discovered this farm last year. They offer a great program for preschooler s, and they get a hayr ide to the pumpkin patch!

In ear ly October we w i l l have Picture Day, and are exci ted to have Squier Photogr aphy back again to take our chi ldren's school pictures. They seem to f ind a way to make ever yone smile.

You are welcome to join in the fun on Thursday, October 29 at 10:45 and 2:15, and on Fr iday, October 30 at 10:45 as the chi ldren parade and tr ick or tr eat through the church.

Have a safe and color ful fal l !

NEW HOPE PRESCHOOLLynn Ri l ey, Di r ectorpr eschool@NewHopeWor ship.com ? 614.766.2446 ? NewHopePr eschool.com

ADULT MINISTRYRev. Sar ah Palsm a, Associate Pastorpalsma@NewHopeWor ship.com ? 614.766.5445 x15 ? NewHopeWor ship.com/Adults

READING THE BIBLE AGAIN (for the f i r st t im e)Rev. Steve Nor den, Faci l i t atorOctober 7 to November 11 ? Wednesdays at 7:00PM ? Meets in Adult Room B (Cr y Room)

How do we make sense of the Bible, a book that was w r i tten a mi l lennia ago, and enable i t to speak to us in the 21st centur y? How do we interpret passages of the Bible that seem archaic and confusing? Is the Bible sti l l a valuable r esource for moral decision making, and i f so, how ? What is the overar ching theme of the Bible and how do var ious books suppor t that theme? Can the Bible sti l l be the l iving Word today?

These are among the questions that we'l l explore together. Whi le no level of bibl ical understanding is r equir ed for this class, i t w i l l be r igorous in i ts approach. Rather than being given dogmatic answers, i f you desir e to be encouraged and prodded to think about questions to br ing to the Bible, then this class is for you. Sign up at the Oppor tuni ties Board, or onl ine at NewHopeWor ship.com /BibleStudy.

Session One: Introduction and How did the Bible Come to Be?

Session Two: Hermeneutics - Interpretive Pr inciples for Understanding the Bible

Session Thr ee: Making Sense of the Different Li terar y Media in the Bible

Session Four : How do the Par ts of the Bible Relate to the Whole and the Whole Informs the Par ts?

Session Five: The Bible as a Moral Compass - How can we use the Bible for Moral Decisions we are Called to Make in the 21st Centur y?

Session Six : Reading Some Diff icult Sayings of Jesus Again

NOT A FANby Kyle Idlem an

Dave Sum m er s, Faci l i t atorWednesdays at 7:00PM ? October 14 to November 18 ? Meets in the Youth Room

Twenty times in the New Testament, Jesus issued a compell ing and challenging invi tation to Follow Him. He?s not interested in mere fans. He doesn?t want enthusiastic admirer s. He wants Completely Committed Followers. Based on the engaging approach of Kyle Idleman, this study examines what i t means to deny one?s self and tr uly fol low Jesus. Sign up at the Oppor tuni ties Board, or onl ine at NewHopeWor ship.com /BibleStudy.

new bibl e st udies

October 4: What?s Wrong w ith this Wor ld? Creation, Providence, The Fall and Sin. Led by Loretta Rolle.

October 11: What i f God Was One of Us? The Incarnation and Nature of Chr ist. Led by Stephanie Vermeer.

October 18: What Are the Sacraments and Why Do We Celebrate Them? Baptism and the Lord?s Supper. Led by Scott Headlee.

October 25: No class - Tow n Hall Meeting

Novem ber 1: Why Did Jesus Die? What Does i t Mean to me? Election, Atonement, Justi f ication & Faith. Led by Rachel Tate.

Novem ber 8: So I Want to Follow Jesus? Sancti f ication, Law, Chr ist?s inter cession, Prayer. Led by Todd Alles.

Novem ber 15: What Happens When People Die? What is the Second Coming of Jesus? Led by Wes Mir ick.

Novem ber 22: Where does the Church Fi t in? Holy Catholic Church, Members, Marks, and Governance of the church. Led by Steve Norden.

Novem ber 29: No class - Thanksgiving Weekend

Decem ber 6: What does i t mean to go out into the wor ld to ser ve God, other s, and the Church? Led by Sarah Palsma.

Have you ever wondered what our youth discuss in confi rmation class? Do you have questions about the Chr istian fai th? If so, this is the class for you! Come and engage w ith some of New Hope's Elder s as they walk you through those per tinent questions of our fai th.

ADULT MINISTRYRev. Sar ah Palsm a, Associate Pastorpalsma@NewHopeWor ship.com ? 614.766.5445 x15 ? NewHopeWor ship.com/Adults

EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR FAITH (but wer e af r aid to ask )Sundays 10:15AM to 11:00AM ? Thr ough December 6 ? Meets in the Libr ar y

FINANCIAL PEACEAnne & Aust in Bingm an and Br yant Whi tcom b, Faci l i t ator sSundays 10:15AM to 11:00AM ? Thr ough December 6 ? Meets in the Confer ence Room

We all need a plan for our money. Financial Peace Univer si ty (FPU) is that plan! I t teaches God's ways of

handling money. Through video teaching, class discussions and interactive small group activi ties, FPU

presents bibl ical, practical steps to get from where you are to where you've dreamed you could be. This plan w i l l show you how to get r id of debt, manage your money,

spend and save w isely, and much more!

MARRIAGE CLASSLindsay and Mar k Al l en, Faci l i t ator sSundays 10:15AM to 11:00AM ? Thr ough October 18Meets in the Nippa Room

Do you long for love that lasts a l i fetime? Despite the mounting pressure on couples, you really can have a great mar r iage, r aise Godly kids, and exper ience a healthy, l i fe-giving home-l i fe w ith the stabi l i ty to weather

l i fe's storms. In this str aight-shooting ser ies, Chip Ingram challenges the status quo and gives clear, compell ing help for couples who long for uni ty and fulf i l lment in their mar r iage. The stakes are high, and your mar r iage is on the l ine. I t 's time to go back to God's bluepr int for bui lding mar r iages that love and last a l i fetime.

ESTHER: I t 's Tough Being a Wom anby Beth Moor e

Esther is a 9 week in-depth women's Bible study of the book of Esther - a prof i le in courage. This por tion of God's Word contains tr easures to aid us in our hur r ied, har r ied, and pressured l ives.

Mondays at 7:00PMThrough November 16Facilitated by Terry Geist and Denise Loftus

Thur sdays at 9:30AMThrough November 12Facilitated by Debra Freathy, Kate Kerscher, Rachel Tate, and Michele Worthington

Follow along on Facebook in the groupNHC Wom en's Bible Study

CHRIST IN CULTURERev. Sar ah Palsm a, Faci l i t atorSundays 10:15AM to 11:00AM ? Thr ough October 18Meets in Adult Room B (Cr y Room)

Our wor ld is drenched w ith images and sound. Ar t, music, television, f i lm, and social media al l breathe l i fe into our cur rent culture. At the same time the Spir i t of the l iving God

continues to breathe the good news into ever y corner of the wor ld. How then do we see this same Spir i t speak the gospel through our ow n cultural mediums? Explore what happens when f ictional stor ies meet the tr uth of Scr ipture and when pop culture meets the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

ADULT MINISTRYRev. Sar ah Palsm a, Associate Pastorpalsma@NewHopeWor ship.com ? 614.766.5445 x15 ? NewHopeWor ship.com/Adults

SET APART: Holy Habi t s of Pr ophets and Kings by Jessi ca LaGr one

Set Apar t examines six holy habits of Old Testament prophets and kings who were set apar t by their close walk w ith God. We'l l explore the central stor ies of these intr iguing men of God found in 1 & 2 Kings, and some of the practices they obser ved: being consecrated to

God, l istening to God, mentor ing, practicing humil i ty, worshiping God, discover ing God's Word.

Together we'l l discover how these practices can help us draw closer to God and fol low the Lord's unique purposes for our l ives.

Wednesday Af ter noons at 12:30PMThrough October 28Facilitated by Sarah Palsma

MUSIC MINISTRYChr i st i ne Loy, Di r ector of Music Min i st r yloy@NewHopeWor ship.com ? 614.766.5445 x14 ? NewHopeWor ship.com/Music

We invi te the men of New Hope to join our Tenors, Bar i tones, and Basses for a special Men's Ensem ble, dir ected by Mr. Lar r y Gr i f f in, on Sunday, October 25. Rehearsals w i l l be 7:00PM to 7:30PM on Thursdays, October 8, 15, and 22! We are looking for 10 new voices to join us! For more information em ai l the m usic of f i ce or talk to one of the guys in the choir !

You?re invi ted to sing w ith the Chr istmas Choir this season! We?ll prepare tr adi tional Chr istmas selections w ith or chestr a, a sw ingin? gospel piece, men?s ensemble, and combined pieces w ith the chi ldren?s choir s! Our annual Chr istmas Cantata w i l l be on the afternoon of Sunday, December 13, w ith r ehearsals beginning on Thursday, October 1 at 7:00PM. We need many voices, so jump into a r ehearsal this month! Chi ldcare is provided!

FELLOWSHIP MINISTRYMindy Stanton, Team LeaderNewHopeWor ship.com/Fellowship

Join us for this long-standing New Hope tr adi tion! Enjoy slow roasted pork and lots of other tasty tr eats as we celebrate the beginning of fal l as a church family. We?ll gather outside in the parking lot i f

the weather is nice, and inside in the Fellowship Hall i f i t?s not!

We?ll say grace and begin eating at 5:00PM. Please br ing a dish to share based on the f i r st letter of your last

name: A-M Hot dish, N-R Salad,S-Z Desser t.

OUTREACH MINISTRYWal t Buss, Team LeaderNewHopeWor ship.com/Outr each

A number of the khaki colored cloth napkins disappeared after the

Spr ing Tea. We think these may have been "put away" somewhere dur ing

the clean up. I f you come across these dur ing your church activi ties, please

contact Jeanne Hanigan at 614.313.4244 or Nancy Gr een in the

church off ice at 614.766.5445.Thank you for your help.

In the coming weeks the Outreach Team w i l l begin col lecting shoeboxes f i l led w ith small gi f ts for chi ldren as par t of our annual Oper at i on Chr i stm as Chi l d outr each. This program is sponsored by Samar i tan's Purse, a non-denominational evangelical Chr istian organization providing spir i tual and mater ial aid to people around the wor ld.

Watch for the Operation Chr istmas Chi ld display at church beginning in mid-October for more gi f t ideas and suggestions. Guidelines are also avai lable online at sam ar i tanspur se.or g/oper at i on-chr i stm as-ch i l d . The last day for the col lection w i l l be at the Advent Potluck Dinner on November 22.

You may have noticed some church members w ith name tags also saying ?Welcom e Team ? lately on Sunday mornings. We have created a team of members to make sure that visi tor s and new members are welcomed each Sunday and that their questions are answered.

One of our goals is to have many of our long-time New Hope members as par t of this Team so we don't over look any visi tor s and make that good f i r st impression. I f you are interested in being par t of this team, let the church off ice or Wal t Buss know at 614.203.5706. We hope to have enough team members so that the burden on any member is ver y l ight.

OCTOBER CHURCH CALENDAR

Thur sday, October 19:30AM Women's Bible Study - Esther7:00PM Choir Rehearsal7:30PM AA 12 step meeting8:15PM Band Rehearsal

Sunday, October 49:00AM Contemporar y Worship9:00AM Chi ldren's Sunday School10:15AM Adult Sunday School

Financial Peace, Christ in Culture, Marriage Class, Everything You Always Wanted to Know

10:15AM Middle School Sunday School10:15AM High School Sunday School10:15AM Orange for Kids11:15AM Traditional Worship11:15AM Chr istian Car toon Club5:15PM Middle School Youth Group7:00PM High School Youth Group

Monday, October 57:00PM Women's Bible Study - Esther

Wednesday, October 712:30PM Women's Bible Study - Set Apar t7:00PM The Journey Discipleship Study

Thur sday, October 89:30AM Women's Bible Study - Esther7:00PM Choir Rehearsal7:30PM AA 12 step meeting8:15PM Band Rehearsal

Sunday, October 119:00AM Contemporar y Worship9:00AM Chi ldren's Sunday School10:15AM Adult Sunday School

Financial Peace, Christ in Culture, Marriage Class, Everything You Always Wanted to Know

10:15AM Middle School Sunday School10:15AM High School Sunday School10:15AM Orange for Kids11:15AM Traditional Worship11:15AM Chr istian Car toon Club5:15PM Middle School Youth Group7:00PM High School Youth Group

Monday, October 127:00PM Women's Bible Study - Esther7:00PM Prayer Meeting

Tuesday, October 136:00PM Deacon and Elder Meetings7:30PM Consistor y Meeting

Wednesday, October 1412:30PM Women's Bible Study - Set Apar t5:30PM Kids WOW7:00PM The Journey Discipleship Study7:00PM Adult Bible Study - Reading the

Bible Again (For the Fir st Time)7:00PM Men's Bible Study - Not a Fan

Thur sday, October 159:30AM Women's Bible Study - Esther7:00PM Choir Rehearsal7:30PM AA 12 step meeting8:15PM Band Rehearsal

Sunday, October 189:00AM Contemporar y Worship9:00AM Chi ldren's Sunday School10:15AM Adult Sunday School

Financial Peace, Christ in Culture, Marriage Class, Everything You Always Wanted to Know

10:15AM Middle School Sunday School10:15AM High School Sunday School10:15AM Orange for Kids11:15AM Traditional Worship11:15AM Chr istian Car toon Club5:15PM Middle School Youth Group7:00PM High School Youth Group

Monday, October 197:00PM Women's Bible Study - Esther7:00PM Outreach Team Meeting

Wednesday, October 2112:30PM Women's Bible Study - Set Apar t5:30PM Kids WOW7:00PM The Journey Discipleship Study7:00PM Adult Bible Study - Reading the

Bible Again (For the Fir st Time)7:00PM Men's Bible Study - Not a Fan

Thur sday, October 229:30AM Women's Bible Study - Esther7:00PM Choir Rehearsal7:30PM AA 12 step meeting8:15PM Band Rehearsal

Sunday, October 259:00AM Contemporar y Worship9:00AM Chi ldren's Sunday School10:15AM Adult Sunday School

Financial Peace, Christ in Culture, Marriage Class, Everything You Always Wanted to Know

10:15AM Middle School Sunday School10:15AM High School Sunday School10:15AM Orange for Kids11:15AM Traditional Worship11:15AM Chr istian Car toon Club5:15PM Middle School Youth Group7:00PM High School Youth Group

Monday, October 267:00PM Women's Bible Study - Esther

Tuesday, October 277:00PM Adult Ministr y Team Meeting

Wednesday, October 2812:30PM Women's Bible Study - Set Apar t5:30PM Kids WOW7:00PM The Journey Discipleship Study7:00PM Adult Bible Study - Reading the

Bible Again (For the Fir st Time)7:00PM Men's Bible Study - Not a Fan

Thur sday, October 299:30AM Women's Bible Study - Esther7:00PM Choir Rehearsal7:30PM AA 12 step meeting8:15PM Band Rehearsal

For mor e details please see NewHopeWor ship.com/Calendar