“Presence” is one of HopeGateWay’s community practices. We practice that “in order to be present to God,the world and ourselves.” In a conversation led by Ophelia Hu Kinney, Erica Lovejoy and Jeff Huot share their personal stories and reflections. They suggest that if we’re not present to ourselves it’s very hard to be present to others. We shouldn’t try to “fix things,” but instead, “sometimes presence just says, I can’t do anything to solve this problem, but I’m here.”

In this Children’s Message from HopeGateWay, we learn that “God wants us to be in service and help others…that’s really important!” Erica reads "My Hands Were Made for Helping," by Jacquelyn Stagg during the message.

Four of HopeGateWay’s community practices are the focus of the current series entitled, “Practice.” This week’s focus is on service, which is guided by the words from Philippians, “put yourself aside and help others get ahead.” In the conversation Rev. Sara Ewing-Merrill, HopeGateway’s lead pastor, talks with Allison Rudalevige and Carter Friend as they share their personal stories and reflections. Carter reveals that he “joined HopeGateWay because this is a community where people’s faith is very active…there are so many people in this congregation who are actively engaged in service.”

In this Children’s Message from HopeGateWay, we learn that “as we work together we are able to make the world better.” At the same time, we remember that “everyone is important.”

“Let’s believe that when we hopefully bring our transformed selves into the storage house that is HopeGateWay,”notes Margaret Menger, in the fourth message of the Ojalá sermon series, for Stewardship Sunday, “that God will bless our words and commitments, and very selves.”

Rev. Sara Ewing-Merrill, HopeGateWay’s lead pastor, talks with Dr. Art McClanahan about stewardship in this episode of HopeGateWay Conversations. The focus, she says, “is an opportunity for each of us to reflect on how we want to engage in the world and how we want to use the resources that we have to create the world that we long for.” In coming days the HopeGateWay community will be presented with an opportunity to respond to a gifts and talents survey as well as make financial commitments for 2022.

In this Children’s Message from HopeGateWay, we learn “God is with us, no matter what we are feeling, especially in times of change.”

“God calls us to transformation” notes Ophelia Hu Kinney in the third message of the Ojalá sermon series. That transformation “is a life-long commitment to growth and living in the way of Jesus."

In this Children’s Message from HopeGateWay, we learn that everything that we do has an effect on the world. Our prayer is that God will help us to be kind.

Martin Turnidge invites us to ask, “Where is Hope?” in the second message in the Ojalá sermon series. “While we perhaps are too ready to criticize ourselves or others,” he says, “if we believe in a grace-filled God we must extend that grace to ourselves and others [because as] we act hopefully the good of what we do will multiply.”