March FOH Updates

How Can A Group So Diverse Be So Unified?

In last Sunday's Zoom meeting, Family of Hope members agreed to meet in person on the first and third Sundays a month and to meet via Zoom on the second and third Sundays. On fifth Sundays members will be encouraged to visit other congregations. 

Our house church, which meets in the afternoon, has fewer than a dozen active participants, a number of whom are associate members who still meet with the congregations they are members of on Sunday mornings. One is from a conservative Church of the Brethren congregation that has left the denomination, one is a member of a conservative Calvary Mennonite Church in Dayton, one is a member of a more liberal Park View Mennonite Church, another of the Lindale Mennonite Church and until recently, one a member of a local Friends meeting. 

Five of our regular participants are retired missionaries, one of whom has a daughter in a same sex monogamous relationship he would gladly welcome as a part of our congregation if they lived in our area, (even though a majority of our group would not favor extending that kind of welcome). One of our Bible teachers grew up Catholic, another was Presbyterian, and who encourages us to pay more attention to the Hebrew Bible. Some members are liberal and left leaning, but others will surely vote Republican because they believe the alternative represents a danger to our country. So what keeps such a diverse, aging and ailing group like ours together, a number of whom are in assisted living here at VMRC? 

I believe it's a sense of family based on years of learning to love each other and to trust each other's desire to find and follow Jesus to the best of our ability. It's about believing that God has called and chosen us, and not just about our choosing each other. We are blessed to be a part of God's worldwide beloved community!

- Harvey Yoder

March Services

We're still waiting for feedback about Easter Sunday, but here are plans for the third and fourth Sundays:

March 17 (in the small event dining room on the first floor of Crestwood)
Worship and sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible study: Dick Dumas

Palm Sunday March 24 (via Zoom)
Worship and sharing: Lois Wneger
Bible Study: Elly Nelson

Easter Sunday March 31 (to be determined)

March FOH Gatherings

March 3 Meeting at Jim and Ruth Stauffers at VMRC's Crestwood at 2:30.

March 10 3:30 meeting by Zoom

Opening and Bible Study (Ephesians 4:1-16) Harvey Yoder
Discussion of whether to: 
1) disband 
2) continue as before, or 
3) initiate a modified meeting plan such as the following:

First Sunday: An in person service, or see proposal below for another possibility to consider. *
Second Sunday:  Zoom service 3:30
Third Sunday: with the Stauffers, Paul Swarr or some other home bound VMRC resident at 2:30 pm
Fourth Sunday: Zoom service 3:30
Fifth Sunday: No service, but everyone would be encouraged to visit another church.

* A first Sunday Proposal: What if Family of Hope were to offer associate memberships for those loyal to Virginia Mennonite Conference and MCUSA but whose congregations are leaving VMC and the Mennonite denomination? If there wee sufficient numbers of such persons interested, they could be invited to a FOH service at Park Village devoted to prayer, worship and Bible study that would meet once a month.     
Associate members would be encouraged to remain active in their congregations while joining with us to pray with us for the creation of a growing and ever expanding circle of diverse but unified believers who confess Jesus as Lord and who want to be a part of an answer to Jesus's prayer "that they all may be one," and so "that the world may know that you have sent me." 
The monthly assembled group would choose persons to plan the monthly meetings, attend VMC delegate sessions, etc.
Associate member could continue to do their giving through their congregations, but if they wished could also do some of their giving through FOH in support of VMC and MCUSA-related ministries and other local causes, but which would not go toward the maintenance of any church owned real estate or toward any staff salaries.