July 2023 newsletter

House-to-House

Family of Hope House Church                            July 2023

From Richard Stearns' The Hole In Our Gospel

"For the past two thousand years, "loving our neighbors as ourselves" has meant exactly that--loving our immediate neighbors, those people we encounter daily in our communities... That one's neighbors might include those living on another continent was ludicrous until recent times. In fact the great disparity between rich nations and poor nations... largely didn't even exist... Prior to 1800, disease and inadequate health care were facts of life that affected all people. Lack of clean water and sanitation would have been virtually universal. Droughts, crop failures, famines and epidemics would have periodically devastated almost all countries. Illiteracy was common everywhere. It was the legacy of colonialism combined with the advances of the Industrial Revolution that ultimately resulted in the rapid development of some economies over another." (p. 100)

"Only about 4% of all U.S. charitable giving goes to international causes of any kind." (p. 102)

"If your income is $25,000 a year, you are wealthier than approximately 90 percent of the world's population. If you make $50,000 a year, you are wealthier than 99% of the world's people." (p. 215)

Notes, Prayers and Praises
BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS TO Lois Rivera-Wenger July 30!
OUR NEXT IN-PERSON SERVICE is planned for July 23.
VIRGINIA CONFERENCE ASSEMBLY meets at the Park View Mennonite Church July 14-15. Everyone is welcome to a public Assembly worship service at 7 pm Friday July 14.
LEWIS AND MARY ELLEN OVERHOLT will be leaving July 18 for an extended time with family in Germany.

WE ARE ENCOURAGING EVERYONE to visit other churches July 23 and 30, then report back in an August 6 Zoom service.

July Study Themes (or study leaders may choose their own passage)
2   2 Peter 1:1-11 (Matt 13:44-46)
9   2 Peter 1:16—2:2, 15-19 (Mark 13:5-7)
16 2 Peter 3:1-10, 17-18 (Matt 24:42-44)
23 Proverbs 1:1-7; 3:1-8 (Matt 13:34-35)
30 Proverbs 8:1-11, 22-36 (John 8:56-58)

July Services, 3:30-5:00 pm 
2  Location: online 
Worship and sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Elly Nelson
9 Location: online
Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger
Bible Study: Dick Dumas
16 Location: VMRC Village Hall
Worship and Sharing at 3:30
Jamaican guests Sister Yvonne McDonald and Sister Regina Taylor at 4 pm
23 Location: No service, visit another church
30 Location: No service, visit another church