Hello Bertolinis!

The Bertolinis are leading a study tour to Israel, and we thought we'd say Hi to make sure they know they are missed. So Dewey and Rebecca, this little greeting is for you! Hope you had a blessed Sunday over there on the other side of the world!

Youth Swim

Our youth group took an afternoon trip to the Dallas Aquatic Center on Wednesday, and Dawn Carver was nice enough to send me a few pictures and a quick report:

Hi Brian! Here are a few pictures from the youth outing. We didn't take any pictures inside the aquatic center, just the group shot outside and a few at Burgerville. The boys were trying to look cool for their picture...fun fun.

It was a great trip, we had 15 youth and Toby and I. They spent a lot of time on the 100 ft water slide and the rope swing as well as the lazy river. They were also great on the diving board, doing impressive dives and some flips as well. All in all they are a TERRIFIC bunch of kids.

Israel Itinerary

As many of you know, Dewey and Rebecca are now on the other side of the world leading a tour of Israel. The trip goes from March 24-April 4 and they have a full schedule!

If you're curious about where the Bertolinis are on any particular day, we've had a tour itinerary listed on our website for a while on the page that advertised the trip. You can see it by clicking here. Pray for spiritual blessing and travel safety for their group.

Tabasco Baby

I don't know how doctored this picture is, but it still cracks me up!

Now on NewHopeConnection.com...

We have a few new downloads available on our website's Sermons, Etc. page. You'll find Dewey's sermon from Sunday about the light following the darkness, as well as a recording of the song we closed the service with, Happy Day.

I also uploaded a recording of The King Shall Come, which we sang February 24th, since some people have been asking about it.

You can click here to go to our downloads page now. Enjoy!

Eagle Scout

New Hope's own Jason Alexander, who normally runs our PowerPoint song slides on Sundays, is receiving his Eagle Scout award this Friday!

Jason is inviting everyone at NHCF to come to the ceremony, and he's buying a big pizza dinner for everyone to celebrate.

The event is being held at the Sheridan High School cafeteria on Friday, March 28, at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome!

He is risen!

Easter is my favorite Sunday of the year, and we had a great celebration this weekend remembering Christ's death and rejoicing in the resurrection!

Dewey's sermon reminded me of Carman's song Sunday's On the Way, so I included the lyrics below a few pictures from the weekend. He is risen indeed!

Sunday's On the Way - by Carman Licciardello

The demons were planning on having a party one night.

They got beer, Jack Daniels, and pretzels, there was red wine, some white.

They were celebratin' how they crucified Christ on that tree.

But Satan, the snake himself, wasn't so at ease.

Well, he took his crooked finger, And he dialed the phone by his bed,

To call an old faithful friend, who'd know for sure if he was dead.

He said, "Grave, Grave tell me, did my plan fail?"

Grave just laughed and said, "Ah man, the dude is dead as nails."

*chorus*

On Friday night, they crucified the Lord at Calvary,

But he said, "Don't dread, in three days I'm gonna live again, you'll see!"

When problems try to bury you, and make it hard to pray,

It may seem like Friday night, but Sunday's on the way!

A tranquilizer and a horror flick, could not calm Satan's fear.

So Saturday night, he calls up the Grave, scared of what he'd hear.

"Hey, Grave, what's going on?" Grave said, "Man look you've called me twice,

and I'll tell you one more time, boss, the Jew's on ice."

The devil said, "Man, Grave, you remember when Old Lazarus was in his grave.

You see everything was cool then four days later...BOOM, Old Lazarus, he was raised.

Now, this Jesus, he is much more trouble than anyone has ever been to me,

And look, Grave, it's got old Devil shook 'cause this man said he'll only be dead for three."

*chorus*

Sunday morning Satan woke with a jump, ready to blow a fuse.

He was shaking from the tips of his pointed ears, to the toes of his pointy shoes.

He said, "Grave tell me is he alive? I don't wanna lose my neck!"

Grave said, "Your evilness, maintain your cool! Devil, you are a wreck!"

Grave said, "Cool your jets Big D, my sting is still intact.

You see Jesus is dead forever, take it from the Grave brother, he ain't never coming back!

So mellow out, man, just go drink up or shoot up, but look, Devil, just leave old Grave alone.

And I'll catch you la...la...Oh no! Oh no! OH NO! OH NO! OH NO!!

Somebody's messin' with the stone!!!"

Well, the stone was rolled away, and it bounced a time or two,

and an angel stepped inside and said, "Yo, I'm Gabriel, who are you?

If you're wondering where the Lord is at this very hour,

I tell ya he's alive and well, with resurrection power!"

Friday night they crucified the Lord at Calvary

But He said, "don't dread," He said, "In three days--you can even count 'em boys--

I'm gonna be kickin' again, you'll see!"

When problems try to bury you and make it hard to pray

It may seem like Friday night...

But I say Sunday,

The devil hates Sunday,

I tell you Sunday is here to stay!

Amazing

Grace...what an amazing word. Wrapped up in that one word is the hope for all of us to have life--abundant life, eternal life. And that's hard for some of us to comprehend. You see, we all know where we've been. We all know what we've been.

Many of us were like the little boy who was always at the wrong place at the wrong time. He had been born into what many of us call a poor family environment, and he quickly became a product of that environment. While other kids learned to read, he learned how to cheat. While they learned a trade, he learned how to steal--just a common criminal lifestyle, always at the wrong place at the wrong time.

And this lifestyle followed him through childhood, adolescence, and on into adulthood. Eventually it caught up with him. He was caught in the act, again.

Wrong place, wrong time, again.

But this time his crime would carry the death penalty.

It should have been an ordinary execution, really, outside the walls of the city. But it wasn't, because that day another man being executed, or crucified on the middle cross, was no ordinary man. And this man named Jesus looked at this young, wrong place, wrong time thief next to Him and He said, "Today son, you can go with Me to Paradise."

And for the first time in that boy's life, when it mattered most, he in the right place at the right time.

You see, because of grace, it doesn't matter to Him how many wrong places you've been, or how many times. He welcomes whosoever will. And what happens to a life that encounters His grace is nothing short of amazing.

From the Easter musical Amazing Grace, created by Sue C. Smith and Russell Mauldin, published by Brentwood-Benson Music, 2005

Easter and the Secular Mind

I just read a sermon preached by Ray Pritchard back in April 1990, and I really enjoyed it!

Pritchard reflects on the not-very-well-known narrative of Paul standing before the Roman governor in Acts 25-26, and shows how secular minds struggled with the resurrection 2000 years ago just as much as they do today...

Truth or the possibility of truth doesn't enter in because everyone knows that dead men stay dead. No, there simply was no category for this strange doctrine. And the Roman governor reluctantly concludes that Paul, who is obviously a well-educated, brilliant man, has quite simply gone nuts. Crazy as a loon. Two bricks short of a full load. His study of the prophets has driven him bonkers. There is no other charitable explanation.

You can read the full sermon text here: "Easter and the Secular Mind"

Good Friday Service

Please join us Friday night at 7:00 p.m. as we take a moment to remember Christ's death for us. This service is a simple but moving time of singing, communion and reflection. I think focusing on His sacrifice on Good Friday just adds significance to the joyful celebration that follows on Resurrection Sunday--I really hope you'll come.

We invite everyone to bring a candle with them to place on the communion table in the center of the room, preferably a jar or votive candle that won't spill any wax. It will be a beautiful evening.

Great Sunday!

Wow, what a great day we had at New Hope yesterday! Other than last Easter, we had our biggest Sunday morning attendance ever, with 201 adults and kids gathering for worship!

Our Easter Choir presented a new song called "Mighty to Save," and we all sang about Jesus our King to celebrate Palm Sunday.

After being away for two weeks at speaking engagements, Dewey was back with a terrific message about Daniel's amazing prophecies found in Daniel 9, which predicted the Triumphal Entry 483 years before it happened. I've heard a few sermons on this fascinating chapter, but this was the clearest presentation of the past and future events it describes--it's worth a listen if you missed it!

You can hear Dewey's sermon and a couple of the day's songs on our web site's Sermons, Etc. page. Check them out!

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna!

Happy Palm Sunday from Cassie and Molly!

New Hope Bible Quizzers know their stuff

Four of our students won multiple prizes in Awana Bible Quizzing this weekend. They brought home a team second, third, and fourth place award as well as three individual top honors and an individual best ribbon! Way to go!


To see more pictures from the competition, check out the "Bible Quizzing" gallery on our website's Photos page.

Welcome!

Rich and Dee Bryson are happy to announce the arrival of their third grandchild, Grace Marie Forbes!

Grace was born to their daughter Emily and her husband Aaron in Keizer. She arrived at 6:58 p.m. on Thursday, March 13th, measuring at 8 pounds-11 ounces, 20 inches long. Everybody's doing great!

Congratulations!

Yeah, that'll be my kid one of these days...

Baptism

We are planning to have a New Hope Christian Fellowship baptism service on Sunday, April 13th. We plan to have a potluck lunch after church, and then we'll be "borrowing" the facilities at Adventure Christian Church for the actual baptisms. It will be a great afternoon!

We have at least 5 New Hopers lined up to be baptized that day. If you have given your life to Christ but have not yet been baptized, let us know! We'd sure love to include you in this special event!

Early Easter

You've probably noticed Easter is early this year (March 23rd). It turns out it's really early! Did you know the next time Easter will fall as early as this will be in the year 2228? My friend put an interesting little blurb about this on his blog, The Treasure Chest. Check it out!

Reuinited, and it feels so good...

Regular readers will recall the sad story of my broken guitar, and I am happy to report that, following a 2-week $231 trip to The 12th Fret guitar shop... "It is risen indeed!"

I used it this week at Awana and Youth Group and it was glorious--like changing from uncomfortable dress shoes into my favorite sneakers; like drinking a 44 oz. ice-cold Diet Coke after a long trip to Europe; like moving from a folding metal chair to a cushy Bertolini; like seeing The Bourne Ultimatum in the theater rather than on a laptop; like getting an OG Tour of Italy after eating generic mac & cheese; like sleeping in my own bed after tent camping for the weekend...

Spring forward this weekend

Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour on Saturday night! We'd hate for you to miss most of church this Sunday!

Crazy Hair Night at Awana!

Join the Easter Choir!

We have about 20 singers so far in our Easter Choir, and even though there are only three weeks of rehearsal left, there's still time to jump in! If you can carry a tune, come and join us on Wednesday evening at 7:35 p.m. We'll be singing up front in the worship services on March 16th and 23rd.

We could especially use a few more men in our group, so guys, don't be shy! If you have any questions, give me a call at 503-472-1144.

The Emerging/Emergent Church

This subject probably interests pastor-types like myself more than the average church-goer, but every once in a while someone asks me about the "Emerging Church" and what it's about. It's tough to explain because some use the term in a broad sense to mean a church style/philosophy that focuses on reaching an "emerging" younger generation, while others are referring to a more specific movement that I personally believe has fallen prey to some of postmodernism's weaknesses.

Anyway, today I ran across a terrific article by provocative Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll, who describes the issues in a wonderfully succinct way. You can read it here:

A Pastoral Perspective on the Emergent Church