Hope Springs
Dear Hope Family & Friends,
One of the wonders of Christmas is that Jesus has come for the lowly, and demonstrated it by becoming lowly himself. In Luke 1, after Mary visited and received a blessing from Elizabeth, she sings:
“He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.”
In following Jesus’s pattern, Hope Church is committed to lifting up and filling the humble and hungry. Which looks like:
- Leading the girls’ club at the Winston-Salem Street School.
- Filling the shelves at Clemmons Food Pantry and Sunnyside Ministries.
- Worshiping with the inmates at the Cherry Street Prison.
And for the past 10 years, it has been seeking and serving the special needs community.
If you are new to Hope, or have simply not been introduced to this ministry, it is called Hope Springs, and it exists “to break down the barriers that keep the special needs population and their families in our community from fully participating in the life of a church body.” Practically, what this has looked like is volunteers (called Buddies) taking special needs children and adults to a dedicated space during the 11am worship service: to read Scripture, play, and build a relationship.
In the coming year, we would like to provide fresh energy to this ministry, which means we would love your prayers and also your participation. If you would like to start a conversation about how you can join in (as a Buddy or other volunteer), please let us know by filling out the form here. All youth and adults are welcome, and, rest assured, we will provide you with the right training and tools to confidently care well for our special needs folks.
The gospel teaches us that there is so much reward in laying down our lives and seeking those in “the low places” (see Luke 14:10-11). I have just signed up myself, and I hope many of you will join me. What a joy it will be a year from now if our Hope Springs room is bursting with new participants and volunteers!
Peace,
Pastor Ethan
For further reading: “Make Room at Church for Special Needs Families” by Sandra Peoples