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“THE CHURCH” is Not “ONE LARGE MOUTH” that God speaks through. The “CHURCH” has not only “ONE LARGE EAR” that hears what He is saying. The “CHURCH” is not “THE ONLY EYE” that sees Him moving or “THE ONE HEART” that feels His presence. The true living “CHURCH” of the living God is not “ONE HAND” that reaches out or “ONE BIG FOOT” that moves her forward.
True worship is NOT a spectator event; where ONE MAN performs, while all others listen. NO! The “CHURCH” is all of God’s People; His royal Priesthood speaking the truths shown to them by God; listening for His voice, seeing where and how He moves; multiple hearts intoned to God, feeling His presence, reaching out together in compassion; staying in step with The Holy Spirit.
The platform in the church should be the platform of God’s ideals which lifts Him up rather than a physical one that raises one believer above the rest. Isn’t Pastor be a gift rather than a position? The Word of God does NOT say “AND HE GAVE THESE POSITIONS . . .”
Finally “THE CHURCH” is NOT a building. God has never asked for temple made with human hands; He says that you and I are to be His dwelling place. Wherever we gather together in one place, that is “THE CHURCH”, that’s where HE lives.
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Gary Says,
Favourite Quotations:
Preach the Gospel; use words if you must!
About me:
"I love God, but I hate religion and I'm tired of Church as it has been taught and practiced. I love discovering God in the world around me. I love finding His truth in music, art and creation. I don't believe in tags of "secular" or "Christian" such as in art, movies or music. I am not interested in making God over in my own image. I find most sinners to be honest and most "christians" to be pretentious; just the same I really do love people, rich and poor , educated or not and I believe friendship to be a sacred gift that should be preserved, protected and honored at all cost. Pure faith is loving God and others just as they are. "
Has been in Ministry over 35 years; founded New Hope Community Fellowship almost 12 years ago.
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Family and Friends,
Just over two years ago our church family was over $20,000.00 in debt with dropping attendance and under a general cloud of discouragement.
God spoke to my heart to challenge us as a church to become debt-free so that we could become more effective in reaching the hurting and the lost. The mission seemed so impossible that we lost a couple more families. As the church shrank, I felt the need to do away with the inter-structure of the” church"; we simply didn't need an administrative team if there really wasn't anything to administrate.
As God always does, we took the first step and He has accomplished what would have otherwise been impossible without Him. Little did I realize that God would restructure our whole ministry and call me into bi-vocational ministry, but He did. He also called us to move and in short order called us to move a second time; first to lower rent and then by the generosity and the loving support of a pastor friend of mine (an extended period of "NO RENT"). This all started once we committed to writing the church tithe check each Sunday befroe we ever left the building, this, as much as Jim and I giving back our salaries has allowed all offerings to the ministry to be divided between touching lives of those who are hurting and needy and debt reduction.
I received a message from James yesterday that we have paid off all our debt, including credit cards down to a balance of just $500.00. A month ago, I was hoping to sell equipment and furnishings that are no longer necessary for our ministry for $5000.00 in order to pay-off all our debt. Selling the trailer and equipment we own is still on the agenda, but God has raced ahead of us while increasing the effectiveness of the community and ministry of the people called New Hope Community Fellowship.
What does the future hold? Once the debt is paid, will Jim and I "go back on salary?" Will we rent a bigger building or buy a place? I know we won't return to salary and God will need to pick us up and move us again, but as of now, where we are is our promised land; I want to pour every dime and every spare moment into broken lives; we want to build people, not a ministry. We want to lift-up the Name of Jesus so that those who have yet to come to Him will have the opportunity. Other ministries have supported us TO ENABLE US to be the hands and the feet to reach the hurting where they are.
God's Word says, "Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, SHALL MEN GIVE INTO YOUR BOSOM. For with the same measure that you mete with it shall be measured to you again."
When God’s people all come into unity caring more about the building people than building their “Own Ministries”, God is gloried and the lost are reached and the hurting (within and outside of the church” are healed. Jesus said, ‘IF I BE LIFTED-UP, I WILL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO ME”.
Join me in thanking God for our brothers and sisters in Christ who have allowed God to work through them to accomplish this first step toward our greater vision. Amen
Gary
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Pastor Rick Warren says today,
"NEVER follow a pastor who belittles other’s success,doubts other's motives,or criticizes other's efforts 4 Christ. (Rom.14:4) Who are you who judge another's servant?"
Allow me to say Amen! and say it, a different way, "If your preacher puts other churches down, critisizes other ministries, speculates why others do what they do for Christ or are critical of what other pastors, churches or christians are doing for Jesus; RUN! GET OUT OF THAT CHURCH! GET AWAY!"
I served nearly 20 years under such a a pastor; I was abused spiritually, emotionally and financially. Until God opened my eyes, I didn't see all of the spiritual abuse that was the security blanket wrapped around and interwoven throughout that church. Deception breeds deception; a little "Right" can help us overlook so much that is "Wrong".
Here are TEN SIGNS of Spiritual Abuse that we should see, The Leader;
1. “Hears” God for you. God apparently “goes through” him/her to speak to you. (This requires a sense of superiority – from him or her and is often framed as being “more mature,” and a sense of being “less” from you.)
2. Alienates (shuns, ignores) you if you do not adhere to his/her guidance, leadership, or authority. (This is usually VERY subtle – so it is easy to deny.)
3. Suggests that rejection of his/her “higher understanding” is done so at your spiritual or even physical peril. (You will hear things like, “Be careful. You will move yourself from the covering and protection of God.”)
4. Rewards your obedience with inclusion, and punishes your questioning or resistance with withdrawal. (Compliance gets stroked, resistance gets struck!)
5. Demands “cathartic” honesty. Unless you spew out every detail of your life you must be hiding or withholding something (and that “something” will, of course, impede your spiritual development).
6. Lavishes you with praise, acceptance, and understanding when you are “good” and “pushes” you away when you are “bad.”
7. Is apparently fixated on the use of titles like reverend, pastor, elder and cannot appear to relax in the company of “ordinary” mortals. The issue is not in the use of legitimate titles (or robes or religious garb) – it is that identity seems impossible without the titles or the trappings.
8. Leaves a trail of cut-off relationships. Usually in the trail are those who refuse to bow, to submit, to stand in awe of, to be thoroughly entranced by, the will of the pastor, the leader or the friend. Always regard with suspicion or caution leaders who are cut off or alienated from members of their family, especially their parents.
9. Lives from a “for me/or against me,” “black/white,” “all/or nothing” platform of “relationships.”
10. Genuinely sees God’s Call so zealously, so fervently that any signs of resistance are seen as the expressions of The Enemy or an enemy – thus, relationships are expedient (disposable) in the light of getting on with God’s work.
Such leaders are broken, as we all are, but lead (many sincerely) out of their insecurity - The Abused often become Abusers. The greatest gift of God is His mighty love and His unconditional love should be evident in the life of those who lead for Him. Amen!
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Join Us
9:30 am.
912 Eastwind Drive, Westerville, Ohio 43082
From Westerville Road - Route 3 (Going North)
Turn Right on Huber Village Blvd- Pass Kohls,
Turn Right on Eastwind Drive - Look for Our Sign on the Left
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Prayer Needs
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Prayer Needs
Haiti
Charlotte Holman
Doug Oyler
People of Ukraine - H1N1 Deaths
The Friersons
Tammy Johnson & Barb Hazelwood
Mark Hale
Charlotte Holman
Jerry Holman
Jeanette Shaffer
Charity Frierson
Barbara Hazelwood
Donna Williams
New Hope Community Fellowship
Pastor David McPeek - cancer
Debbie Holbrook - cancer
Sierah's fiance' Greg Truck - in Korea
George and Oksana and Victoria
Charydin Holman & Danny Hershberger
Joy Christian Church
Genoa Baptist Church
Fargo Wesleyan Church
The Transformation Station
Pastor Larry & Mrs. Cockran and thier Church
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“If we only have the will to walk,
then God is pleased with our stumbles."
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C S Lewis
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"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls."
Mother Teresa
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OUR FINANCES CLICK ON THE DIRECTORY LINK ABOVE
TO SEE HOW FAITHFUL OUR GOD IS!
WE ARE DETERMINED TO BUILD PEOPLE,
NOT A RELIGION OR BUILDINGS.
No Programs
No Pageants
No Politics
No Pretending
Just PEOPLE
WHO LOVE GOD
AND ONE ANOTHER
New Hope Community Fellowship
STOP going to Church!
Come... be the Church
Welcome to New Hope Community Fellowship's Page.
The Christian Faith is more of a journey than a destination. We live our lives to love God and to love others above ourselves. Each individual is in a different place along the road; therefore we neither judge nor do we set a standard that each must attain before they are accepted as the children of God. God calls and matures us each one according to His will and our willingness to progress down the road toward our eternal home. There we all shall be like Him; perfect in every way. Jesus said, “Pure faith is this…” that we care for those who are in need and that we love one another.” Come, as you are and join us as we share the life of Christ together.
At New Hope Community Fellowship
YOU are welcome, Whoever YOU are!
In His Service
Pastor Gary Holman
LAST WEEK'S Discussion
"Dependant Upon God"
THIS WEEK'S Discussion
"Doing God's Will"
BUISNESS OR GOD? “New Testament writers never use the imagery of a business corporation to depict the church. Unlike many modern “churches”, the early Christians knew nothing of spending colossal figures on buildings, programs and projects at the expense of bearing the burden of their fellow brethren” Frank Viola
The local newspaper headline said something like, “Local Preacher Begs for Money”; isn’t that how most of the world envisions the Christian Church anyway? The story went on to say how this internationally-known preacher needs 3 million dollars before December 31 or his ministry, which has already downsized by 35%, is in danger of collapse. Actually, the ministry collapsed long ago. What we are talking about is the need to finance a large corporate structure of buildings, programs and salaries. Where is that model in the New Testament Church?
The danger in running like a corporation is the possibility of dying like a corporation and the Christian Church (regardless of who they are) is one corporation Obama’s Administration will not bail-out!
The biblical model for Church is FAMILY. I suggest that it is impossible to grow a mega-church on a family structure. At some point, the structure, i.e. “church” becomes more important than individuals if it is going to continue to grow; the volunteer secretary who was with your ministry in the begging must be replace by a professional with more advanced skills, regardless of what that might do to her personally or spiritually, the once tight-knit familiar group grows into a sea of unknown faces and “community”, which once sprung naturally out of relationship, must now be scheduled and planned and programmed with little personal interaction. The “Pastor” must abandon personal interactions in order to operate as a CEO who is more concerned with the “survival of the ‘ministry”, than the spiritual health of his congregation.
For years, we struggled to live up to the maxim; “a church” has to operate as a business” and it nearly killed us. The reason is simple; God’s Church is NOT SUPPOSE TO BE A BUSINESS – IT IS SUPPOSE TO BE A FAMILY WHICH IS HEALTHY AND FUNCTIONAL. If we love one another, we will care for one another. We don’t need to adopt a business model, when God has already given us the model we are to follow; family. Amen!
When we gather
We celebrate in a spontaneous, interactive sharing of Word, Worship, prayer and fellowship initiated and excecuted by God. I believe this is what should happen whenever believers gather toether in His' Name.
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